Taste of the Week. Carraig Beag cheese from Carrigaline

Taste of the Week. 

Carraig Beag cheese from Carrigaline

Mild and Silky from the O'Farrell family in Carrigaline.

Padraig O'Farrell is the man behind Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheese these days. The O'Farrell cheese story began  over thirty years ago when Ann and Pat, Padraig’s parents, first produced their semi-hard cow’s milk cheese from their own herd, after Pat had undertaken a six-month cheese course at UCC. Now the family processes a variety of cheeses “based on our own unique recipe for both the national and international market. All of our cheese is handmade and available all year round”.

Made with pasteurised cow's milk, Carraig Beag is a full-fat semi-hard cheese and is suitable for vegetarians. This high-quality flavoursome cheese, silky and mild as claimed, is our Taste of the Week. Carrigaline cheese is widely available and we got this one in the local Dunnes Stores.

Metropole Hotel’s annual pancake race held this morning! Not just a race - check out the recipes too!

FLIPPING FUN FOR CORK TRADERS AS METROPOLE HOTEL HOSTS ANNUAL PANCAKE RACE

The race is on. (Pic: Brian Lougheed)

Not just a race - recipes too!

Traders from the VQ area of Cork City put on a flipping good performance this morning for the Metropole Hotel’s annual pancake race.

James Healy of the Shelbourne Bar beat off stiff competition to claim the winning title, which he had taken two years ago.

The pancake race was a Shrove Tuesday tradition when Thompsons Bakery was open on the street dating back to 1826.

Team members from the Metropole Hotel joined representatives from businesses including Nathan Trust, Acet Active Centre for English Training and the Shelbourne Bar as they ran along MacCurtain St while flipping pancakes.  The Metropole Hotel has been organising the event since 2018 and it brings lots of fun and laughter to the area every year.

Roger Russell, General Manager at the Metropole Hotel said: “The pancake race is a very old tradition that we resurrected and it’s been going from strength to strength.  It means an awful lot to the local community as it brings us all together for a bit of banter and a bit of fun.  We’re all friends on the street but ultimately we’re all very competitive and the bragging rights are fantastic. The VQ is a very close knit community and we are more than happy to organise anything that can help to support and promote the area.”

Speaking about his win James Healy said; “I was really looking forward to today as I won the race two years ago so I wanted to reclaim the title.  It was all down to luck on the day though and I’m delighted to have the crown back.”

Alex Petit is Group Executive Chef of Trigon Hotels, which include the Metropole Hotel and Cork International Hotel.  He’s created a delicious sweet and a savoury pancake recipe for people to try at home.

THE CINNAMON ROLL  

American style cinnamon pancake, mixed berry compote, whipped vanilla cream, toasted seeds.

 

Ingredients 

 

American style pancake recipe:

 

250 g self raising flour

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

50g caster sugar

2 large free range eggs

150 ml Buttermilk

 

For the garnish:

150g frozen berries

50g sugar

100 ml fresh cream

25g icing sugar

Vanilla essence

Mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame……)

 

Method

 

For the pancake:

Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl

Add the wet ingredients and mix vigorously until smooth

Rest the batter for 45 minutes prior to cooking

Heat up a large frying pan with vegetable oil to medium/high heat

Cook your pancakes until golden brown on both sides

Those should rise and bubble as you cook them

 

For the garnish:

 

In a medium saucepan, add the mixed berries and caster sugar

Cook over medium heat until the water has mostly evaporated (20 minutes)
The mixture should be syrupy and shiny

 

In a large mixing bowl, pour the fresh cream

Whisk the cream until thick, add the icing sugar and few drops of vanilla essence

Reserve in the fridge until needed

 

In a preheated oven at 170 degrees, toast the mixed seeds until golden

Remove from the oven and Cool down at room temperature

 

To plate, stack 3 pancakes on top of each other

Add a generous amount of berry compote

Top with a large dollop of fresh cream and finish with toasted seeds.

 

 

THE CRÊPE MADAME 

French style thin crêpes garnished with home cooked gammon and Carrigaline cheddar topped with a fried egg.

 

Ingredients

 

French Style crêpe

 

250g plain flour

500ml whole milk

4 eggs

1 pinch alt

50g melted butter

2 tablespoon caster sugar

 

Garnish:

4 eggs

8 slices cooked gammon

200g Carrigaline cheddar

1 bunch fresh chives

 

Optional

 

Mix leaves

Elderflower & extra virgin olive oil dressing

1 red onions finely sliced

 

Method

 

For the crêpe:

Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl

Add the wet ingredients except the butter and mix vigorously until smooth

While whisking, add the melted butter gradually

Rest the batter for 45 minutes prior to cooking

Cook the crêpes one by one and rest onto a plate

 

For the garnish:

 

In a non stick pan, fry the egg sunny side up with little oil

Season with salt and pepper and place the cooked eggs onto a side dish

In a large frying pan on medium heat, add a knob of butter and place a crêpe on it

Place 2 slices of gammon side by side and sprinkle with a generous amount of grated cheddar

Place a fried egg on top and fold the 4 sides of the crepe to form a square

Keep cooking the crêpe until the cheese has fully melted

Plate the crêpe and sprinkle with freshly chopped chives

This can be served with a fresh salad dressed with an elderflower vinaigrette and finely shaved red onions

 

BEER OF THE WEEK: 9 White Deer Stag Stout

BEER OF THE WEEK

9 White Deer Stag Stout, 4.2% ABV, 500 ml bottle, O’Donovan’s

This gluten-free Stag Stout, from Ballyvourney’s 9 White Deer, weighs in at 4.2% ABV. It is a glossy black colour with a soft tan head. 

Aromas are rich and rammed with chocolate promise, which is fully delivered in the mouth. Here the chocolate and Madagascan vanilla play quite the most pleasing duet as the rich and smooth beer finds its way around. The chocolate is never over the top though and the stout is distinctive and delicious. Smooth and creamy, all without any nitro! And it is also gluten-free.

Very Highly Recommended. Beer of the Week

They say: Stag Stout is a medium-bodied traditional dry Irish stout at 4.2 % ABV. It is designed to appeal primarily to traditional stout drinkers, who remember how creamy the pints used to be. The complex recipe we developed brings back to life characteristics that are long forgotten. However this stout is like no other, Stag Stout also happens to be gluten-free, the first of its kind anywhere in the world.

I first came across this black beauty in Blairs Inn (near Blarney) in the winter of 2017. Richard Blair, one of two brothers then running the gastro pub, told me of a satisfied customer of a few days earlier. A coeliac, the man hadn’t drunk stout, his favourite tipple, for twenty years but, having sampled the Stag, left Blair's Inn with tears of gratitude.

Then Richard’s mother Anne guideed us to our fireside table. We began with some stout-infused brown bread! Delicious stuff and, of course, the Stag is one of the ingredients. Then I got to enjoy a pint with my Venison Casserole and it proved a great match for the rich dish of Wicklow venison. That ritual would be repeated in some form or other almost every winter thereafter.

The combination of the medium body, low carbonation and low hop bitterness makes Stag Stout a dangerously drinkable stout that tastes every bit as gorgeous as it looks. The promise from 9 White Deer is that as you enjoy a pint of Stag Stout you will agree with them in their assertion that it is the “Smoothest Stout in Ireland”.  It certainly is a good one!

This is a double chocolate and Madagascan vanilla stout, with cocoa and vanilla in the ingredients list, as well as green barley and oats. 

DRINK OF THE WEEK. Vermut de Robles in a class of its own!

DRINK OF THE WEEK

A vermouth in a class of its own

Bodegas Robles VRMT Vermut de Robles NV 15%

RRP: €32.00  (1 litre). Manning’s , Ballylickey// Toon’s Bridge Dairy// Good Food Store, Dublin//Wunderkaffee Farran and Connemara Hamper, Clifden. Mary Pawle Wines 

Bodegas Robles and Michelin-starred chef Paco Morales have certainly crafted a vermouth that is as complex and enticing as it is delicious. Combining the aromas and flavours of times past and present. And it is imported to Ireland by Mary Pawles wines. The base is Robles’ 8-year-old Oloroso, and then later a light touch of the PX is added.. 

Amazing aromas with strong hints of the Oloroso sherry base and a “top-up” of Pedro Ximenez, an appealing blend of freshness and maturity. The ten aromatic plants foraged in the locality have their say. An amazing liquid with a superb balance of sweetness and bitterness with the acidity playing a key role as the symphony of flavour plays on and on to the heavenly finalé.

Negroni. Image by eKokki from Pixabay

The aromatic plants add a sense of terroir, and also a burst of freshness and herbal complexity while other Paco additions such as clove and cinnamon echo the ancient cuisine of the Moorish Al-Andalus period (8th -15th century), all adding to the sense that this is indeed a special one. Step into the time capsule and take off!

The producers say it is “A good pairing for nuts, fruits such as orange or lemon, a cheese and raspberry cake., Any seafood and all kinds of fish: tuna, cod, salmon, anchovies., It's perfect with sweet flavors, especially those with more sweet and dark flavour., Olives, cheeses, ham, sausages, smoked meats, mussels, clams.”

It is certainly versatile. Enjoy on its own or with fresh orange juice and ice as an apéritif (try the same with Campari). It can also be used as a base for cocktails, such as the Negroni or the Manhattan. 

Manhattan.
Image by Gerhard Bögner via Pixabay

Cocktails are one of the first things you think about when you have a vermouth on hand. But I have found that some don't do justice to the Robles creation. I felt I had to change the forever formula for the Negroni. And, after a few experiments, determined that VRMT (40ml), Campari (30ml) and Gin (20ml) worked best for me! 

The Manhattan, this based on the Rye and Malt (raised in Bourbon barrels) at Method and Madness, Irish Distillers' micro in Midleton, worked well with the regular recipe (though I did throw in a cap full of Campari as there were no bitters in the house!)

Get a bottle of the VRMT for yourself and enjoy the experimenting!

A Classic from 2013 still going strong! Beer of the Week: Blacks Kinsale Pale Ale (KPA)

Beer of the Week

Blacks Kinsale Pale Ale 5.0% ABV

A Classic from 2013 still going strong!

Blacks of Kinsale certainly crafted a classic when they produced their Kinsale Pale Ale in 2013. It is one of my favourite ales. I love the way the flavours spread over the palate from the first sip and that dry clean lingering finish. Indeed, linger is the word. Take your time sipping, the better to enjoy every single drop.

Blacks had this spot on from the beginning. It is consistently excellent, as good as ever and is our current Beer of the Week. 

The Blacks classic has an inviting gold colour with the whitest head of foamy bubbles. Citrusy aromas introduce themselves.  And hoppy flavours galore as the golden liquid pleasures the palate and then the bonus of the crisp and refreshing finish.

it is that balance between malt and hops that I find attractive. Some brewers go too heavy on the malt for their pale ales but this recipe allows the hops, a mix of Centennial, Cascade, and Citra, to shine through, contributing flavours of grapefruit, lime and other citrus, while the malt also plays its part, not least in giving a delicious mouthfeel.

This is the brewery’s own take on it: An American style Pale Ale bursting with hoppy tropical and juicy citrus fruit flavours, masterfully fused with biscuit and caramel malt aromas to produce a fantastic taste sensation. Medium in body with perfect carbonation, this beer will zip around your mouth reaching a beautiful clean finish. Pair with: Burgers, Steaks, BBQ Meats

Irish Produce Shines in Christmas Food and Drink

 Irish Produce Shines in Christmas Food and Drink

James Whelan’s Outstanding Heritage Cure Ham

Conversation slowed around the Christmas table, a sure sign that the diners were enjoying themselves. The focus of our taste buds was the magnificent Heritage Cure Low and Slow Roasting Ham (from Clonmel butcher James Whelan), a 3-Star Great Taste winner whose judges praised its “wonderfully inviting, moist, pink slices”. In this house, we all agree.

Christmas Cake

Took the German option this year, as we did in 2022, and once again enjoyed the Stollen (above) that we bought from local baker Angela (Ryes and Shine). It got a unanimous thumbs up here, especially when paired with the Rizzardi Prosecco from O’Briens Wine.

Porter

Two of my favourite porters, Kinnegar’s Yannaroddy 4.8% ABV, and West Kerry’s Carrig Dhubh (6.00% ABV) featured in a mini-porter session, more of a delicious duet than a duel.

Festival Ales

A  pair of stalwart Cork breweries produced our ales. Kinsale KPA, by Blacks, has long been a favourite and, a few years ago, we added the ales of Elbow Lane to the shortlist. Happy to have them again this year! The Elbow Pale Ale has a traditional English character (with malt prominent), is smooth and refreshing and a great match with food.

Wine

Adega Cachi Cachín Peza do Rei Ríbera Sacra (DO) 2021 was my favourite of the festival. A vineyard that has profited from being admired by ex-US President Barrack Obama, the wine is balanced, soft easy-drinking with a long refreshing finish. Find it at Le Caveau stockists.

Christmas Cheese

Hegarty's Friesians

The Grubb family in Tipperary produce Cashel Blue, one of the great blues. Blue for sure but wrapped in that marvellous irresistible creaminess from the well-watered grass of the area. No wonder it is so popular in Ireland. Indeed, it is sold all over the world including in dozens of outlets in France (mainly in Paris). Information on stockists here.

Whitechurch village is just a few miles north of Cork City and it is here you’ll find Hegarty’s farm and Dan’s herd of Friesians. While Hegharty’s are not confined to cheddar, it is indeed this magnificent cheese that has been snapped up by restaurants and retail customers alike over the past 20 years or so. Our wedge for Christmas tells us that it is as delicious as ever!

Christmas Juice

Apple Farm Sparkling Apple Juice has long been regarded as a delightful drink in this quarter. With time running out before the big day, we ordered a case direct from the Apple Farm and made good use of it, even using the juice as a substitute for sparkling wine (especially for drivers!).

And there was a bonus. Con Traas of the Apple Farm threw in a pack or three of his Slow-dried Irish Elstar Apple Crisps, another delicious product from Tipperary. Actually, quite a few Tipp stars are in this year’s festival line-up

Turkish Delight and Christmas Chocolate

Hadji Bey, once produced in Cork’s MacCurtain Street, is still a favourite in the city. And beyond. Now made in Kildare, it is widely available and, thanks to Bradleys in North Main Street, we enjoyed the traditional original Rose gift box! Bradley’s was also the source for a selection box of delightful chocolates by Chez Emily, an Irish Belgian Chocolatier based in Dublin, another sweet highlight

Fish

Hederman Smoked Salmon, in two different ways. One evening, we enjoyed the Hot Smoked version and another the Beech Wood smoked, both top class as we’ve come to expect from the Belvelly maestro.

Speaking of Hederman, have you ever used their smoked chilli flakes? Quite a few are flummoxed when coming across these for the first time but they are versatile and can be used with eggs (scrambled or otherwise), in soups and stews and in pasta dishes. We used them with a melted Camembert - see the BBC Good Food recipe here. 

Daily Bread

The Mayfield Bloomer, by local baker Angela (Ryes and Shine), was our daily bread. By the way, did you know Angela also does a loaf version of the popular bloomer? It has a softer crust than the original (ideal for those of us whose teeth aren’t as good as they used to be!).

Stained glass window at Pearse Lyons Distillery Dublin.

Kinsale Gin - making a mark!

Season’s Spirits

  Pearse Lyons Single Malt Whiskey (5-Years) again stepped up to the mark for Christmas. Something amazingly clean about it -  the crispness of the fruit, the toast of the oak, a waft of pepper, and the clove notes, from the to lingering finish. Spice and citrus also feature in the aromas and the malt too of course.

  Kinsale Gin was another welcome spirit. This popular small-batch gin, is produced by the Kinsale Spirit Company. They hand-pick local botanicals “to produce complete perfection… Every one of our treasured 21 botanicals have been carefully chosen..”. And it shows in the aromas, floral, citrus and essential juniper and is perfectly balanced on the palate.