Glass Curtain reveals its Cork on a Fork Fest Menu. Tried and tested last evening.

 Glass Curtain Reveals Its Cork on a Fork Fest Menu

The Glass Curtain was packed last evening as the popular Cork restaurant revealed its menu for the Cork on a Fork Fest that continues from today until Sunday with over 100 events scheduled. The good news is for the lucky punters who have booked as they will sample the Glass Curtain menu every evening with a booking between 5.00 and 6.00pm while the bad news for others is that the event has been booked out for every day.

The menu costs €38.00 for three courses (starter, main and dessert) but you can also treat yourself to a snack and also a special cocktail (both extra). And of course they have quite a wine list here also and I noted the Cotton Ball beers were going down well last evening. The restaurant supports local and that can also be seen in the menus.

Our starters last night were Skeaghanore duck terrine, house pickles, rhubarb relish (top) and Sticky beets, pistachio cream, Sobhriste cheese. The beets and cheese were probably my dish of the night. The cheese is a crumbly, younger, milled-curd style, like a Caerphilly/Lancashire. Sobhriste, meaning fragile or delicate, is aged for roughly 6 weeks. It has a subtle, slightly lactic flavour, with a crumbly texture and biscuity rind. Delicious. And the terrine was excellent also!

 

The Grilled mackerel, spicy padron broth, nasturtium was the third starter choice.

I was on a dry night, but that was no bother as I was able
 to enjoy a couple of bottles of Stonewell Non-Alcoholic
Cider. I reckon this is one of the best non-alcoholic drinks,
if not the best, in Ireland.

On to the mains now and CL was impressed with the BBQ cod, San Marzano tomato, courgette, and bouillabaisse sauce while I enjoyed my Lost Valley Dairy rare breed pork, grilled beans, rowan berry jus, cauliflower (especially the pork belly). Sides (optional) included Potato Terrine (pictured with pork), Summer Salad, and Greens.

The third choice in this section was the Grilled Peri Peri courgette, tempura courgette flower, pumpkin seeds, courgette.

Delighted to see the fabulous fruit of West Cork Bushbys featuring not once but twice in the desserts and that made the choosing easy. CL picked the Bushby's strawberry, ricotta ice cream, oat biscuit while my choice was the Milk chocolate crémeux, chocolate sablé, Bushby's raspberries, and yoghurt sorbet. No regrets there! Though I'm sure the Carraignamuc farmhouse cheese, honeycomb, and cheese biscuits would have been delicious as well.

A sweet end to a lovely buzzy evening of terrific food and service. 

  

COUNTDOWN IS ON TO CORK OYSTER SHUCKING CHAMPIONSHIP. Two local companies announced as sponsors.

 COUNTDOWN IS ON TO CORK OYSTER SHUCKING CHAMPIONSHIP

(L-R) Sandra Murphy, Group Brand and Communications Manager at the Trigon Hotels;  Kate Mannel, Barry & Fitzwilliam; Group Executive Chef at Trigon Hotels, Alex Petit; Ali Mulcahy, Murphy's Irish Stout (Heineken Ireland).  Pic: Brian Lougheed

Two local companies announced as sponsors for the event

 

Staff at the Metropole Hotel are putting final preparations in place for this weekend’s Cork Oyster Shucking Championship, which will include a demonstration from world-record oyster shucker Paddy McMurray. 

 

Local drinks distributor Barry & Fitzwilliam and Murphy’s Irish Stout have come on board and are sponsoring the event, which is part of the Cork on a Fork festival.  Oyster shucking is the careful process of opening the shell to reveal the delicacy inside and the championship is open to participants of all skill levels.  Paddy McMurray, who is flying in from Canada for the event, will be chief judge for the competition and he will conduct masterclasses for amateur shuckers earlier in the day.

 

The evening will commence with a prosecco and oyster reception, featuring a selection of Irish oysters, including Rossmore Oysters from Co. Cork and Harty’s Oysters from Ring, Co. Waterford.  The shucking competition will be the highlight of the evening, while guests will be treated to live entertainment from MC Joe McNamee. 

 

Sandra Murphy, Group Brand and Communications Manager at Trigon Hotels, said: "Excitement is building here at the Metropole Hotel for the Cork Oyster Shucking Championship and we are thrilled to welcome back Paddy McMurray who treated audiences to his extraordinary talent when he came to Cork previously for the Murphy’s Cork Oyster & Seafood festival.  We are delighted to have the support of two trusted local brands, Barry & Fitzwilliam and Murphy’s Irish Stout, who have been confirmed as sponsors for the event.  We are really looking forward to welcoming seafood lovers and oyster enthusiasts in joining us for an evening of fun and flavour at the Metropole Hotel.”

 

The event takes place on Saturday, August 19th from 7:00pm - 10:30pm.  Tickets are from €30 and are available on Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/cork-oyster-shucking-championship-tickets-679402058847.  Those who want to participate in the shucking competition can email  smurphy@trigonhotels.com 

press release

Spice is the Variety of Life. Athula's Sauces are superb

Spice is the Variety of Life. 

Athula's Sauces are superb.

Spicy Veg

Three ways (at least) to spice up up your veg and meats.

A few weeks back, Athula of Athula Fusion Foods, gave me a couple of bottles of his new range of #srilankanstyle sauces, now available in selected SuperValu Ireland stores.

It is not too hard to work out what to do with the Athula Tomato Ketchup which is flavoured with Sri Lankan spices, spices straight from Athula's own farm in Sri Lanka and used in both sauces.  

Nuts

His Tomato Ketchup is sweet, acidic, mildly spicy, and fragrant with a thick, pourable texture "goes excellent with various foods". We tasted the ketchup and immediately gave it the thumbs up, a winner for sure. The "Devilled" Sauce though is a step up in heat (even though pineapple has been added to tone it down a little).

So we got the old brain box working (lots of recipes on the net, of course) and came up with a few combinations that worked out very well indeed. This first one is very simple. Called to the local SuperValu here in Mayfield and bought a pack of Pecan Nuts (though many other nuts will do equally as well). 

Hot Nuts

1 - Select the amount of nuts you want. Using a small bowl, pour in a fifty fifty mix of the two sauces for your first attempt. You'll probably add more of the Devil in future attempts! Use just enough sauce to coat the nuts.

2 -Spread them onto a baking sheet.

3- Preheat the oven to 140-160 degrees, and bake for around 30 minutes until the sauce dries and coats the nuts. 

This is a beauty, perfect with a bottle of beer or just as a snack. And don't worry if you have too much. Use the remainder on the day after. 

Hot Veg

You'll like these spicy vegetables. Use Sweet Potato, Peppers, Carrots (that have been blanched in advance), Cauliflower, and Parsnips, either all of them or just one or two. It looks as if the "softer" ones, such as cauliflower and sweet potato, pick up the sauce best. Again experiment with the amounts and proportions of the sauces until you have settled on what suits you. 

Toss the veg in olive oil, shake on salt and pepper and then toss in the sauce, same as the nuts. And then marinate for about an hour.

Again lay them out on a tray and cook in the oven for about 25 minutes (can also be done in the BBQ but time will vary!) and then enjoy. Can be used on their own or as a side dish.  Super tasty and delicious.

Hot Chicken Tonight!

Here's another simple recipe, this based on a tray of chicken wings. These need to be prepared in a marinade of grated garlic, grated ginger, a dash of olive oil, and enough of the sauces (again we used both, we used three Devil to one of the Ketchup) to coat them. Once coated with the sauce(s), keep in the fridge for half an hour or even longer if you have the time. By the way, the Devil is hot but not off the scale hot!

Then transfer them to a hot oven and cook for about 30 minutes. Have them on their own as a mid-day snack or use a salad and make a main course from them, a very tasty main course!

If you get through two or three of these recipes, you'll have a good idea of the proportions of the sauces that suit your palate and you will be good and ready to move on to the tempting dish that Athula himself made when launching his new range at the Cork Summer Show. Check out his Devilled Chicken Sri Lankan Style recipe and video here.

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CorkBillyBeers #39. Craft August Sessions with Wicklow Wolf, Whiplash, Bullhouse and Rascals

CorkBillyBeers #39

Craft August Sessions with Wicklow Wolf, Whiplash,  Bullhouse and Rascals

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Wicklow Wolf Pocket Dial Juicy IPA 4.2% ABV, 440ml can Bradleys

This recent Wicklow Wolf beer, tagged as a modern hazy IPA, is called Pocket Dial and is a Juicy IPA, double dry hopped with Citra, Centennial and Idaho 7.

Colour is orange, hazy of course, with a bubbly white head. Expect citrus and tropical flavours with soft stone fruit undertones, they say. And you get that, with a bit more, from the all-American hop line-up. It is clean and refreshing though, well-balanced even if tilted more towards the hop lovers, that tilt enhanced by the double dry hopping.

Very Highly Recommended.

Pocket Dial is best enjoyed with friends and with your phone on silent. But where did that name come from? Our direct line to the lair explains: “…inspired by the countless times we've all been pocket dialled by Quincey (the founder & CEO) and the numerous overheard conversations on the other end of the line”.

 

Geek Bits

Hops: Citra, Centennial& Idaho 7 .

Malts: Pale Ale, Wheat, Cara Ruby, Oats

IBUs 20

Pocket Dial is number 38 in the brewery’s Endangered Species brews, a series of small batch, limited edition crafted beers. These beers are so rare that only a lucky few will get to experience them in the wild before they become extinct.

Catch it while you can!

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Whiplash Rollover Session IPA 3.8% ABV, 330ml can, No 21 Coburg Street

Looking for a decent session beer? No shortage but my go-to is this Whiplash Rollover. Murky orange is the colour - no way you’re going to see through this haze! This was our session beer of 2020 and this most recent tasting confirmed it’s as likeable as ever.

Pale yellow colour with a  short-lived white head over a hazy body. Citrus fronts the aromatics. And the quartet of hops dominate the palate. Amazing that this has so much hops and still weighs in at less than 4.00% ABV. Quite a concentration of hops then, before a lip-smacking finalé.

They say: Same hop rate as our DIPA’s, less than half the alcohol. A very heavily hopped Session IPA: this comes at you with buckets of Simcoe, Ekuanot, Citra and Mosaic hops with a light touch of malts and an easy crushable body. Unfiltered, hazy, hoppy and juicy – Rollover is a New England inspired IPA without the heavy alcohol in tow.

With its burst of aromas and flavours and low ABV, this is what a session beer is all about and is Very Highly Recommended.

Very Highly Recommended

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Bullhouse Road Trippin’ Extra Pale 4.0% ABV, 440 ml can No 21 Coburg St

“Everyday beer for the everyday hero. Showcasing our love of Citra.”

That’s the introduction to their Extra Pale by Belfast Brewery Bullhouse.

It is pale for sure and a murky one at that, with a short-lived head. Citrus notes top the aromas and play the top flavour role as well.  I’ve read, in more than one place, that this is a “Citrus banger”. I can agree with that but don't worry it won't blow your head off. It is quite supple and nicely hoppy and thanks to the deployment of the extra pale base and house yeast, is an easy-drinking ale, fresh, crisp and clean

Highly Recommended

Geek Bits

Malts - Pale, Dextrin, Oats, Wheat

Hops - Citra (10g/L)

Yeast - AY5 

All 440ml Cans

Vegan friendly!

The story of Bullhouse Brew Co began in 2011, when founder Willy Mayne got a taste for great beer on a road trip around the west coast of the US with his brother. Visiting Green Flash Brewery in San Diego was the epiphany moment. Drinking flavoursome beers on an out-of-town industrial estate on a Friday afternoon with a mix of local office and factory workers and seeing how beer and particularly breweries can be an integral part of the community was a real eye-opener.

Back home, Willy started homebrewing on the farm he grew up on just outside Belfast. Four years, he set to work converting the old bull’s house into a tiny 500sq ft brewery. Twelve months later, he converted the Bullhouse into a small brewery, buying second-hand equipment from dairy farms and other breweries across Ireland, including a mash tun made from a converted catering fridge. Starting a commercial brewery for £600 doesn’t result in anything too pretty, but it was something, and it made some tasty beer.

Good to report that the beers are still tasty, even if production methods now are a bit more sophisticated.

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Rascals Happy Days Session Pale Ale, 4.1% ABV, 330 ml can Bradleys

Expect hints of Passionfruit and honeydew Melon. 

That’s what the label indicates on my unfiltered, unpasteurised 330 ml can from Bradleys. Brewers Rascal also sell this in 5-litre mini-kegs, ideal if you are planning a session. 

“There's any and every reason to have one of our mini-kegs chilling in your fridge. Best consumed within 24 hours of opening, these little beauties are an ideal way to have fresh Rascals on tap for you and your gathering. Pick one up at Rascals HQ Inchicore (open Mon-Fri from 4pm, Sat & Sun from 1pm) or buy one online and we'll deliver.”

An attractive alternative to all the hassle of party organising is to head over to the Rascals HQ in Inchicore. Grab yourself one of their pizzas and a pint poured straight from the tap, sit down and enjoy the tap-room experience!

And that Passionfruit and Melon? Well yes, it is there, on a well-balanced palate as the hops shine through. Nothing too heavy though, just a pleasant summer thirst quencher.

Recommended.

An Elegant Chilean Sauvignon Blanc From Bubble Brothers. Great value too!

An Elegant Chilean Sauvignon Blanc 

From Bubble Brothers. Great value too!

Matetic Corralillo Sauvignon Blanc (DO Valle De San Antonio) 2021, 13.5%.

€18.00 Bubble Brothers

Elegant, with a long finish

This Sauvignon Blanc comes from the middle (more or less) of Chile's wine-growing region. Chile, as you know, is a long narrow country. The total length is 4,300 km while the vines grow in a strip some 1,000 km long and about 170 km wide. This trip is roughly (very) halfway between north and south but more towards the north.

Certified organic (by Demeter) and working bio-dynamically, Matetic is in the San Antonio region (just ten miles inland from the Pacific and just over an hour west of the capital Santiago). The area has distinguished itself… “with its ability to grow quality Pinot Noir in addition to the critically acclaimed Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay” according to Wines of South America.

Their vines in the Rosario Valley are known for making some of the country’s best examples of this grape (Sauvignon Blanc) “because it gets those all important ocean breezes from the Pacific”. So says Jane Austen (author of Wine Revolution). 

This book tipped me off about the wine and glad to find it locally in Bubble Brothers in the English Market and glad too that it was on offer (down from 20 to 18 euro). Wouldn’t mind trying another few from the range! I note that Wines of South America has included Matetic’s Riesling and Syrah in their shortlists.

Colour is light gold with slight tints of green. Aromas are grassy and citrusy. It is lively and expressive on the palate with the fruit turning more tropical, papaya and mango along with the citrus. Acidity is fresh and juicy; it has great volume with an elegant and balanced long finish. Very Highly Recommended.

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Check my expanding list of top wines for 2023

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Check out my Good Value Wine List here

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The producers: “The wine is kept on its lees for three months to enhance the smooth texture of this full-flavoured, rounded white that makes a perfect accompaniment for simply prepared fish dishes from sushi to ceviche, and a cleansing foil to richer recipes such as chowders.”

They elaborate saying it is perfect for appetisers or fresh vegetable salads and sea food, especially ceviche (fresh raw fish marinated in lime juice) or fish “a la plancha” (grilled on a metal plate). “A classic combination is Sauvignon Blanc with clam chowder: the acid in the wine cuts through the creaminess of the soup to leave a refreshing, clean feeling on the palate.”

I like Jane Austen’s summing up: “Don't think too hard about this, just crack it open and pair it with a lovely goat's cheese salad. This unoaked Sauvignon Blanc is incredible value - ready to go.”

The grapes are farmed organically and hand-picked, and the vineyards' cool climate and a gravity-flow winery mean that as much as possible of the natural freshness of the fruit is retained. The wine is kept on its lees to enhance the smooth texture of this full-flavoured, rounded white. 

In Brief

• A great value wine. 
• Organically farmed and biodynamically produced. 
• Cool climate grown, gives the wine its refreshing acidity and fruity flavours.
• Lees-ageing gives it a smooth texture and a complex flavour profile.
• Pairs well with seafood. 

• 100% Sauvignon Blanc grapes.
• Fruit grown in the Rosario Valley
• The wine is bottled at 13.5% alcohol.