Gold standard Brecciarolo.

Velenosi Rosso Piceno Superiore Brecciarolo Gold, 2010, 14%, €19.90 (before recent tax hike!) Karwigs.

Lots of Rosso Piceno in the Marche area (about mid-way on the eastern coast of Italy) but only a very limited zone is designated Superiore. Brecciarolo refers to broken stones, typical of soil in the area and the grapes are Sangiovese and Montepulciano.

The Montepulciano gives it the heart while the San Gio lifts it with aromatics. It is soft on the palate, well structured, well balanced and Very Highly Recommended.

Colour is deep purple and the aromas are of cherries certainly, violets also and more. It is lovely and fresh on the palate, no shortage of fruit flavours but all with a refreshing acidity and then a good spicy finish.

Amuse Bouche

....... Hers was the best apple-tart

in Ireland, you said, made with rough,

sour apples, lashings of beet sugar

from the factory in Mallow, and Bird’s

instant custard from the tin –

from Mary Noonan’s poem Goodnight, Vienna (the Cork Literary Review 2013)

Jack McCarthy Butchers. An Afternoon in Kanturk.

Jack McCarthy Butchers. An Afternoon in Kanturk.

Jack. A true Normand (poor pun).

Afternoon in Kanturk

From Button Accordion to Boudin Noir;

Olympic Medals to Normandy Ór;

From Duhallow field to Fade Street Social;

All kinds of balls, not least the oval.

The RIC and the royal Queen’s Pudding;

Animals reared on pastures green and lush.

Wheeling and dealing, fair to fair,

Paring prices, bobs here, pence there.

In the North Cork town, two rivers meet,

Allow and Dallow. The butcher tweets.

From the shop on Main Street's door

Tim broadcasts on Radio Four;

Loma, Coppa and Pastrami,

Outdoing the Italians at Salami.

Five generations in the ancient store.

Heritage, music, meats galore.

Kanturk, past, present and future,

with Jack McCarthy,master butcher.

The magic cooking bag!

Since 1892, McCarthy Butchers have been trading in Kanturk. And they won't be stopping anytime soon. The enthusiasm is as strong as ever and so too is the spirit of innovation.

When I called there last Friday afternoon, Jack told me enthusiastically about a new cooking bag they had introduced while, in the back, son Timmy was hard at work making a Biroldo.

Different strokes for different folks!
More like a terrine.

The bag, made of high density plastic, is proving very popular. “It keeps the flavours and you can boil or roast or…. People who have used it keep returning,” said Jack. Well, we tried it out that very night. We bought one from Jack filled with strips of steak and vegetables and a red wine sauce. Cooked at a very low temperature it was perfect and gorgeous. No wonder the customers keep coming back for more.

Smoked pudding. Loved it!

Soon we got a taste of their Sliabh Luachra, an air dried beef for which they were named Nationality Speciality Champions. You may remember that Kate O’Toole featured it as a starter (served with fresh figs and Desmond cheese) in The Restaurant on RTE.

We moved slowly, lingering on the sample bites,  through their other cured meats: the coppa (traditional Italian cold cured, and smoked here), loma (dry cured, made from pork tenderloin), North Cork lard (great for cooking shrimps!), and then we came to a real treasure: the non smoked Pastrami. Special peppers have been used here but the whole thing is something special. This Pastrami is at a different level for sure.

Biroldo base

Irish charcuterie has arrived! Obviously, there are quite a few other people working in this area and many are coming up with some terrific results, partly because they are working on great produce. But do give yourself a treat soon and try this magnificent Pastrami!

Jack’s son Timmy has been learning the tricks of the trade in courses in Italy and that is where he got the idea for the Biroldo he was working on. The main ingredients are the meat from the cooked pig's head, shredded of course, blood, spices and herbs. The mix is then poured into an appendix (not kidding!) and slowly cooked again. Looking forward to a sample soon. Should be very very tasty!

Timmy filling an appendix.

Jack McCarthy have won quite a few honours in recent years and really grabbed the attention back in 2010 when he was awarded a gold medal by the Confrerie des Chevaliers du Goute Boudin and indeed the Black pudding overseers from Normandy made Jack a Chevalier. McCarthy’s most recent success on that front came earlier this year when their Pig’s Head Black Pudding with Rum and Raisin won gold, for International Creativity, in Normandy.

That contest was featured by BBC 4 Food and you may listen to a podcast here.

Now that is where I came in. Innovation, Creativity. This a proud Duhallow family. They use the local Castle and Ceann Turc (the Irish version of Kanturk, meaning head of the boar; how appropriate!) on their packaging.

Always looking ahead. But never forgetting the past either. Jack showed me some of their precious ledgers from the early days. Some entries going right back to 1891. The one photographed is from 1900 and you can see they had a thriving trade going on then in skins, hides and pelts. Every bit of the animal was used and it is much the same now.

Next time I visit we might concentrate more on the main meats but then again you never know what this pair have in the pipeline and they could well have some tasty new variation to show us in the near future. Watch this space.

The brilliant Pastrami

Oh, and don't forget to check out their website. Here you’ll find a great selection of beef, free range pork, lamb and chicken and more. If you have a special occasion coming up, then why not check out their Spit Roast Service. And, if you are a young butcher anxious to learn, well they even have a course for you called Practical Pig in a Day Course.

Jack (left) and note the McCarthy
castle in the background.

Superb line-up of Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheeses

Superb line-up of Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheeses

The Original: from the local limestone

“I love the smoked cheese”, declared Padraig O’Farrell during our visit to Carrigaline Farmhouse Cheese today (Thursday). “It is indigenous to Carrigaline. The milk is local, and the wood, old beech, is local. And we smoke it out the back.” We all loved the award-winning Smoked.

And it, and indeed all the lovely Carrigaline cheeses, underline a point made on the Discover FarmhouseCheese website : Farmhouse Cheeses are some of the most bespoke, hand-made foods in the entire world! Buy a farmhouse cheese and you get the rarest of things – each cheese has a narrative, each one is telling the story of the cheese maker and of the farm where it was made. The cheeses speak quietly about the good things, about pure food, about fine milk, and content animals, about sharing and hospitality, and the creativity of a determined individual on a small farm, stamping every cheese with the signature of their personality.

In the brine

The Carrigaline narrative began over twenty five 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 process six varieties of cheese “based on our own unique recipe for both the national and international market. All of our cheese is handmade and available all year round”.

The O’Farrells no longer have their own herd but they get a consistent supply of great milk from neighbour Flor O’Riordan.

The local Supervalu is a great supporter of the cheeses and you‘ll find it in all the majors and in many fine food stores. Padraig likes to see the reaction of customers at first hand and sets up many tasting sessions. He enjoyed the recent trip to Kinsale where the Dillisk was the star and also to last Wednesday’s food fair at the County Hall where the natural cheese emerged as the favourite.

The operation, on the farm, right next to the house, is all done by hand, including the packaging. The cheeses are held for 4-8 weeks aging before being released to the shops. Five full time staff are employed and others on a part time basis according to the demands of the season.

The waxing begins...

Our tour took us through the delivery of the milk, then to the pasteurisation process, to the separation of the whey from the curds, to the brining and ripening room and then to the waxing and packaging. The different types of cheese are coated with a different coloured wax; for instance, the yellow wax is used for the original (Natural) cheese and the green for the Garlic and Herb.

Co-founder Pat O'Farrell (left) talking to a
well-dressed visitor!

The magnificent six:

Natural: this is the original cheese, semi-hard. Creamy with an incredibly satisfying piquant finish.

Garlic and Herbs: The garlic, not overbearing, brings a savoury twist.

Beech Smoked:  This, tinged “with a baconesque flavour”, has won many international awards over the years.

Dillisk Seaweed: The Dillisk from the Atlantic combines with the milk from the limestone soil to give the cheese a “must taste” combination, and gained many new friends at the recent Kinsale Gourmet Festival.

Cranberry Cheese: A modest percentage of cranberries is used and the interaction changes the cheese. “The result is a far more sophisticated cheese than one may expect.” It is well worth a try and highly recommended as indeed are all the cheeses. 

Blueberry Cheese: This really delivers “an explosion of brilliant Blueberry flavours to the palate!”. If you enjoy fruit with your cheese, then this power-packed combination is for you. And you’ll also enjoy the blueberry aromas. Again the percentage of berries is small and nicely judged!

Padraig, who has no shortage of restaurant and wine experience from his days in the US, enjoys matching his cheeses with various wines. Wine making is not (yet!) possible in Carrigaline but he also spotted a demand for a cheese biscuit. So now Carrigaline offer you three varieties of handmade Irish Oat Cheese Biscuits: Natural, Garlic and Herb and Chilli and Cheese. 

No excuse now, so off you go and try some of the magnificent six. You are sure to find a few that you like!

Taste of the Week

Taste of the Week

Hadji Bey's Turkish Delight
from the Food Emporium at Brown Thomas (Cork).
For much of the 20th century, the Hadji Bey
shop in McCurtain Street was a favourite
destination for many Cork children. And their
parents! Made by the Batmazian family, the fame
of their Turkish Delight spread throughout the land.
There was much consternation when the family eventually
ceased production but now, thankfully, the delicacy is being made
by Urney Chocolates in Newbridge, Co. Kildare.

Dream Deli. The new book from Lilly Higgins

Dream Deli. The new book from Lilly Higgins


Ballymaloe’s Rory O’Connell launched Dream Deli, the second book by Lilly Higgins, a past pupil of Ballymaloe, at The Farmgate Cafe this (Wednesday) morning.

Rory said he had been flicking through the book for a while before he realised that Lilly, as well as writing it, had also shot the many photographs that illustrate it. It is a gorgeous book, with hard covers, but with a light inviting feel inside, plenty of illustrations and nothing cramped about it at all.

Rory said it was great to get a book from a past pupil and add it to the collection in Ballymaloe: “It rounds the circle; the student has become the teacher. You can see that Lilly loves to share and that feeling of generosity drips off the pages.”

Lilly (left) with Yours Truly and Deirdre (Arbutus Bread).

Rory O'Connell

He loved her Crab and Chive Cakes and predicted that her Sicilian Wedding Cake would be a feature of many future weddings. “Fantastic,” he said. “The book should be mandatory for deli owners, for schools, for everybody.

Lilly, as cool and calm as ever, thanked everybody for coming and made sure that we all had enough of the lovely brunch bits that were available. And her mother made sure I got the all important cup of tea!

The book, published by Gill and MacMillan and just over 200 pages, has lots of fresh and simple recipes. They sum it up well on the cover: From breakfasts of homemade granola and smoothies, to gorgeous soups bursting with flavour; from stunning supper ideas, and of course, lots of delicious sweet treats for afternoon tea.

So come on Lilly. When are you going to open your real live Dream Deli? Can’t wait.

Available in all good book shops, including Liam Ruiseal, with a retail price in the region of €23.00.

How to make the best of Horgan’s ‘Blas na hEireann’ award winners

How to make the best of Horgan’s ‘Blas na hEireann’ award winners,

their Irish Angus Silverside Roast Beef and Pastrami.

Michael Horgan.

Horgan’s Delicatessen Supplies, based in Mitchelstown (North Cork), has scooped two awards at the 6th annual ‘Blas na hEireann’ National Irish Food Awards (2013). The prestigious ‘Blas na hEireann’ Awards celebrate and reward the very best in Irish food and drink products; acknowledging the passionate producers of these top class products.

Horgan’s Irish Angus Silverside Roast Beef and Horgan’s Irish Angus Silverside Pastrami were awarded best in the charcuterie (cured meat) category.  Following on from their success at the Great Taste awards where Horgan’s Irish Angus Silverside Pastrami was awarded a gold two star and Horgan’s Irish Angus Silverside Roast Beef, gold one star.

Horgan’s Irish Angus Silverside Roast Beef and Horgan’s Irish Angus Silverside Pastrami are both derived from a family recipe which uses only the highest quality ingredients.  The beef is aged for at least 14 days prior to roasting and is then seasoned simply with sea salt and cracked black pepper.  The pastrami is cured and cooked before being coated with cracked black peppercorns.  Available at deli counters around the country as well as pre-packaged for convenience and freshness, these gourmet meats are ideal for charcuterie boards and are a great staple for salads, sandwiches or even Sunday dinners.

 

On receiving these awards, Michael Horgan, Managing Director of Horgan’s Delicatessen Supplies said “Our Irish Angus Beef is renowned for its superior taste, succulence and flavour.  A lot of care goes into our meat products and we believe that care is the key ingredient in producing these delicious meats. The marbling and texture of Angus beef ensure natural tenderness and flavour. Winning these awards just copper-fastens the quality of our products.”

“Honey Roast Limerick Ham won the Gold Award which is a twin product of the Horgan’s Honey Baked (boneless) half ham - a perfect accompaniment for the turkey at Christmas time!”  Michael added.

Recipes using Horgan’s award winning Irish Angus Silverside Pastrami and Roast Beef.

Horgan’s award winning Pastrami and Roast Beef Meat Feast:  Cut a crispy white bap in half and spread some Dijon mustard on both sides.  Place a slice of Horgan’s Irish Angus Silverside Pastrami on the bottom.  Chop some red onions and tomatoes and place them on the bap.  Add a slice of Horgan’s Irish Angus Silverside Roast Beef and top with some spicy Monterey jack cheese.  Add some streaky bacon if desired and some romaine lettuce.  This sandwich is no less than a two hand job!

Horan’s Pastrami and Beef Italian Stew:  A welcome alternative to Irish Stew.  Dice Horgan’s Irish Angus Silverside Pastrami and Roast beef into bite size pieces.  Slow boil in a pan with half a cup of water, sea salt, cracked black pepper and a pinch of cayenne.  Fry off some chopped onion, sweet red bell peppers, garlic and mushrooms and add to the pan.  Cut sweet potatoes into generous chunks and add to the mixture.  Add tobasco or peri peri sauce and season to taste.

Charcuterie Platter:  A charcuterie plate is a dinner party favourite.  The best thing about a charcuterie platter is that is completely flexible and allows you to use your imagination; after all, people eat with their eyes.  Use a combination of Horgan’s award winning Irish Angus Silverside Roast Beef and Pastrami.  Add some different cheeses, spicy hummus and crispy bread rolls or crackers for a charcuterie platter that will go down a storm at your next dinner party.

Taylor's Port Tasting in City

Taylor's Tasting in City

Chris Forbes of Taylor's was in the Ballymaloe Wineshop at Brown Thomas for an early afternoon tasting. We started off with the White Chip Dry Port. This may be mixed into a long drink, with tonic water for instance, but I like it just the way it is, straight from the fridge. 

Then we moved on to the Crofts Late Botted vintage (LBV).  LBV ports are the product of a single year's harvest and tend to be lighter bodied than a vintage port. This 2005 is very approachable, a ready to drink Port with an attractive fruity, rich taste. Chris advised that this may also be taken chilled.

Ballymaloe's Colm McCan (left) with Helen Lynch (Cloudberry Bakery),
Chris Forbes (Taylor's), Yours Truly and Maurice O'Mahony (Wine Alliance)

The two older wines followed, starting with the 1983 vintage. Taylor’s Vintage Port is one of the world’s great iconic wines. Made only in the very finest years – known as ‘declared’ vintages – Vintage Ports are blended from the best produce of the firm’s own estates of Quinta de Vargellas, Quinta de Terra Feita and more recently, Quinta do Junco.

The other "senior" was the 30 year old Tawny. This is one of the rich and mellow tawny ports which age for longer periods in oak casks. Taylor's do 10,20, 30 and 40 year old tawny. These have a delicious nuttiness and aromas of butterscotch and fine oak wood that intensify the longer they spend in wood.

These were two beauties and regrets were expressed that we weren't going to Ballymaloe this evening where Chris is joining forces with Wilkie's Chocolate for what is sure to be a lovely evening in the Cookery School. Details here.

But we did have the considerable consolation of trying the ports with some delicious macarons from Cloudberry Bakery who also have a shop in the Emporium and then it was off on a surprise visit to Idaho Cafe where VAT campaigner Richard Jacob was able to celebrate his success with a drop of the Port and where we each enjoyed a cup of his super Joe.

Blas Success for Secret Recipe

Blas Success for Secret Recipe

Ballincollig based Secret Recipe, just about a year in business, made a very successful first trip to Dingle for the recent Blas na hEireann awards and came away with an impressive haul of honours in the Prepared Meals section:

Silver: Secret Recipe Panang Chicken Curry

Silver: Secret Recipe Cod Fillet with Lemongrass and Lime Sauce

Gold: Secret Recipe Roast Veg and Chick Pea Curry

Gary Cork tells me that they supply local coffee shops, delis, hotels, etc and are looking to supply a “lot more”. “Our main areas of focus are Soups and Chowders, Readymade Meals, Salads, Sandwiches and outsourcing production for other chefs.”

“We are having a tasting at Global Kitchen (Carrigaline) this Thursday and Friday and they will have all the prize-winning items on their menu for lunch which will be available from 12 noon to 3pm.”

“The awards underline that we produce some of the country’s finest. Based in Ballincollig, we have delivery vans in the city centre on a daily basis. Our range includes everything from fresh scones to contract catering for large events and deliveries are available seven days a week. We are starting to supply a few national retailers. We would love to expand there and indeed also locally as well.”

So well done to Gary and his crew. For more info contact 021 428 9515 or info@secretrecipe.ie

Amuse Bouche

Of all the unchristian beverages that ever passed my lips, Turkish coffee is the worst. The cup is small, it is smeared with grounds; the coffee is black, thick, unsavoury of smell, an execrable in taste. The bottom of the cup has a muddy sediment in it half an inch deep. This goes down your throat, and portions of it lodge by the way, and produce a tickling aggravation that keeps you barking and coughing for an hour. – from The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain.

Market Meal #6. Scallops and Rashers, John Dory and Puy Lentils, Bromleys and Dates

Market Meal #6
Buy local, fresh and fair!
Scallops and Rashers, John Dory and Puy Lentils, Bromleys and Dates

A three course meal, sourced mainly in Cork’s English Market on Saturday morning.

Chateau Soucherie
Anjou Blanc 2009.

Bought the scallops and the John Dory from the cheery crew at Ballycotton Seafood. I was on the lookout for the Ummera Smoked Rashers but the Market’s Good Food Shop was out of stock and they didn’t have them in Brown Thomas Food Emporium either but there was a super sub available in the nearby Supervalu where I got a pack of Truly Irish Beechwood Smoked.

You’ll find lots of Scallops plus Rashers recipes on the internet and most follow the same pattern. Fry the rashers first but take them up before they start to get hard; wrap them around the scallops, securing each "parcel" with a cocktail stick.

From the local market!

Heat some butter and crushed garlic in a pot and brush the exposed parts of the scallops with this. And you’re on your way to a terrific starter. The bacon is a very compatible wrap for the sweet scallop in terms of structure, colour, texture and flavour and certainly a change from the black (sometimes white) pudding option.

The John Dory was fresh as could be and, pan-fried with a knob of butter and olive oil, went very well with the Puy Lentils (from Lenny in Mahon Point Farmers Market) and some sun-dried tomatoes from the Olive Stall in the English Market.

A healthy dessert might seem like a contradiction in terms but there are quite a few of them in Healthy Ways, the new cookbook by Croí, including Winter Spiced Baked Apples by Gregan’s Castle Hotel. They use eating apples (Granny Smiths) but we had some Bromleys from Cahir’s Apple Farm to use up and they worked well (with an extra bit of brown sugar!).

The spice is provided by a combination of dried dates (€1.99 for a packet from Dunne’s Stores), raisins, light muscovado sugar, mixed spice and orange zest and juice. 

You may order the recipe packed Healthy Ways online at www.croi.ie . Highly recommended.

The Chapel Steps Celebrate

The Chapel Steps Celebrate

Bandon’s Chapel Steps marked their first anniversary as a full blown restaurant with a special celebratory menu over the weekend. The most popular dishes of the past 12 months, created by Chef Kevin O’Regan and his team, were featured and a glass of bubbly was presented to all diners.

It was busy last Friday evening when we called but soon we were at our table with that tempting menu in front of us. Recognised quite a few of the dishes and had to think about our choices!

Our Starters:

Salt Cod Fritellas with pickled cucumber, aioli and mixed leaves.

Home smoked duck with beetroot, port and burnt butter vinaigrette.

The Fritellas were new to me and I thought it might be a bit salty. Bot not a bit of it. Just a gentle tang and overall very pleasant indeed. The duck dish was absolutely gorgeous,a great combination of flavours and texture.

Our Mains:

Roast Cod with roast peppers, chorizo, tomato and olive ragu

10 ounce black Angus sirloin with saute mushrooms and onions, handcut chips and steak sauce.

Head Chef Kevin may well be from land-locked Tipperary but he sure knows his fish, how to cook and present them and that was underlined with the Cod dish. Lots of lovely flavours to enhance the fresh fish. The steak was another winner, the mushroom and onions, not to mention the chips, all playing a part in making  it an enjoyable experience. And must mention that that steak sauce was pleasantly piquant!

Our Desserts:

Caramel and marshmallow cheesecake with crackling praline

Sticky Toffee pudding with toffee and vanilla sauce, rum and raisin ice-cream.

Both desserts lived up to expectations. Both soft and delicious and dispatched without the least bit of bother, the only delay in doing being imposed by good manners. A sweet but far from overly so conclusion.

Christmas Menus

If you did miss out on the anniversary weekend (the menu is on again this Saturday evening), you can renew acquaintance with quite a few of the dishes in the Chapel Step’s Christmas Menus. The Lunch  has four courses and, for a very reasonable €22.00, has a great choice and features the Cod Fritellas, Black Angus Steak and Sticky Toffee Pudding.

The Christmas Dinner Menu also promises many good things, including value (€30.00 for four courses) and music on the 5th, 7th and 12th of December. Great choices here too including Smoked Duck and Fritellas in the starters, Pheasant Breast and Pan-fried Skate in the mains, and a delicious Warm Chocolate Cake lurking among a half dozen desserts.

And you can try them all again on Little Women’s Christmas Weekend (4th, 5th and 6th of January) with music by BIlly Crosbie.

Hennessy. From Cork to become the beating heart of Cognac.

Hennessy. From Cork to become the beating heart of Cognac.

Hennessy, the giant of Cognac with 40-45% of market share worldwide, were in Ballymaloe last evening. They were represented by Marc Boissonnet, “in an area very dear to Hennessy”, who guided us through three of their brandies: Fine de Cognac, VS (Very Special) and the XO (Extra Old).

Richard Hennessy, the founder of the company, left nearby Killavullen (they still have the house there) with a vibrant entrepreneurial will and spirit and went on to create Hennessy in 1765. Now, some 1700 growers supply grapes to Hennessy and they also partner with 22 local distilleries. It is sold all over the world with USA the number one and China in second spot.

The Fine, first made in 2002 and fine-tuned since, is now in its “final version”. “This is what we wanted for an new generation of consumers, an introduction, though not easy to make.” Last evening it was matched, perfectly, with apricot and goat cheese. Marc also recommended using it in cocktails, with apple, maybe with apple and cranberry.

The VS must, by law, have a minimum of two years aging. “But we do more than respect the law, might be much older in there,” said Marc of the brandy that is very familiar to Irish consumers. “This is a classic”. He advised using it “as a strong beating heart in a cocktail” and said it is “amazing having an oyster with it!”. Last night we had a prune wrapped in Parma Ham and that was very nice indeed.

Ballymaloe's Colm McCann (left) introduces Marc

Marc (right) and yours truly.

The evening, part of the ongoing Wine Geese series, continued with a tasting of the XO, a classic that shows the benefit of time passing, “an exception..when the character settles”. It is still sold in the original bottle, the first decanter type bottle to be produced industrially.

From the Grand and Petit Champagne areas and using new barrels, it gets richer and more intense and increases in smoothness as the years go by. “It is a classic digestif, not just with chocolate but with many puddings, deep, powerful, rich, well balanced,” said Marc and many heads were nodding in agreement as we sipped it along with Ballymaloe Candied Orange Peel dipped in Dark Chocolate. Marc said it is long lasting on the palate, a little bit heavy (deliberately so) and you may enjoy it on the rocks with sparkling water. 

A very informative and enjoyable evening, thanks to Marc, to the crew at Ballymaloe and to the Wine Geese troika (Colm McCann, Beverly Matthews and Maurice O’Mahony) and to the team from Edward Dillon.