Langoustine with Jamon Iberico, Garlic and Tomato

Last week I joined my brother, father and mother for our annual city break. After a great trip to beautiful Rome last year we decided to give the Catalan capital a try this time. Barcelona was stunning; the weather was great, the location was wonderful and most importantly the food and wine were fantastic! Instead of staying in a hotel we stayed in a two bedroom apartment in the Gracia area of the city. When I travel abroad I like to have a kitchen handy and although I only cooked one dinner and one breakfast, it was worth having. After a three course lunch on the Thursday, I decided to take a trip to the Santa Caterina Market to find something to cook for a light dinner that night. This wonderful dish was the result.

Jamon Iberico can be hard to source over here but you can use some Serrano or Parma ham instead. If you want to add a touch of refinement peel the tomatoes first.

Serves 4

6 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 kg Langoustines (Dublin Bay Prawns)
3 cloves of Garlic (2 grated and 1 left whole)
2 slices of Jamon Iberico (torn into pieces)
2 Large Tomatoes (chopped)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Remove the heads and shells from all but 4 of the langoustines and de-vein them. Do not discard.

2. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a small pan and add the whole garlic clove. Cook for 1-2 minutes before adding the langoustine heads and shells. Season and cook for 3-4 minutes before adding 350 ml of boiling water. Bring to a simmer and allow to cook for about ten minutes.

3. Meanwhile heat 1 tbsp of oil in a frying pan. When hot, place the 4 whole langoustines in the pan and season lightly. Cook for 3 minutes per side and set aside.

4. Meanwhile heat the remaining 4 tbsp of oil in a large pan over a medium heat and add the grated garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. Add the Jamon Iberico and continue to cook for 1 minute before adding the shelled langoustines. Stir well and cook for 3-5 minutes before adding the tomatoes. Cover and cook for 3-4 minutes.

5. Strain the stock and add 150ml (10 tbsp) to the pot, stir well and serve with one whole langoustine per plate and plenty of crusty bread.

Review: Harrigans, Newbridge

Harrigans

Newbridge, Co. Kildare

On Valentine's night, Ali and myself along with our friends Ana and Padraig went for a meal in Harrigans. It is located on the main street of Newbridge, opposite the Riverbank Arts Centre and consists of a pub to the front with a restaurant towards the back. The restaurant was operating from a special Valentine's menu which had plenty of choice and cost €59.95 per couple for 3 courses.

For starter I went for the "creamy garlic mushrooms with house side salad and toasted garlic ciabatta crostini's." I was expecting the mushrooms to be breaded and fried with a garlic dip (as per the norm) but I really should have read the menu a little better as the word "creamy" at the start would suggest otherwise. The mushrooms were contained in what was like a thick soup that looked far from appetising. They did taste nice however and although I would rather them cooked the usual way, I did enjoy them. The garlic spreading on the crostini was too thick for my liking but the salad was delicious.

Starter: 6/10

For mains I was the only one not to go with a steak on the stone and instantly regretted my decision upon hearing the unmistakable sizzle of a rib eye beside me! Instead I chose the "8 hour braised lamb shank served in its own rosemary jus with colcannon potatoes and roasted root vegetables." The lamb was perfectly tender but I found it and the jus to be lacking in seasoning which let it down a little. The veg and colcannon were cooked beautifully and complemented the dish perfectly.

Main: 6/10

There was no choice for dessert and so we all received an "assiette of desserts served with homemade mixed berry coulis, chocolate and rich dark butterscotch sauces with side selection of fresh fruit." This translated into 3 mini cheese cakes of varying flavour that were all very nice while my espresso was also of good quality.

Dessert: 7/10

I found the service to be a little disappointing on the night but this had nothing to do with the staff themselves. There appeared to be far too few people working ( I saw one man working the floor, while another man shared the floor and bar work) and so we were waiting for the table to be cleared for too long between courses. Our waiter was very pleasant which was a little surprising considering he was trying to serve everyone else too!

Service: 6/10 (no reflection on staff) 

Valentine's is a tough night to judge the value of a restaurant as the prices tend to rise while a limited menu is offered. I found it to be a little expensive for the quality of the food on offer although not extortionate by any means. The restaurant is well laid out with a very comfortable feel and was buzzing on the night.

Value for Money: 6/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Overall: 6.5/10

Harrigan's Bar and Restaurant

Main Street,

Newbridge,

Co. Kildare

(045) 487704

Pasta with Kale and Potato

I have recently been going through my vast selection of cookery books picking out recipes in order to increase my knowledge and expand my palate. I have found myself strangely attracted to vegetarian recipes which, for a die hard carnivore like myself, has been rather disconcerting. One such recipe was contained in Two Greedy Italians Eat Italy (review: here), Pizzoccheri with Swiss Chard and Potato. Pizzoccheri is a buckwheat pasta that is very difficult to find on this beautiful island and I noticed that a local supermarket had a special on curly kale so I decided to adapt the recipe to suit. I made a few other adjustments to ensure that all of the ingredients are easy to find in any supermarket. It worked out a treat!


Serves 4

300g Tagliatelle Pasta
200g Curly Kale (stalks removed and chopped)
200g Rooster Potatoes (peeled and cubed)
100g Unsalted Butter
3 cloves of Garlic (finely sliced)
100g Grated Mozzarella Cheese
80g Parmesan Cheese (grated)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt well. Add the pasta, kale and potatoes and allow to boil for 8 minutes. Drain and put into a baking dish.

2. Meanwhile, heat the butter over a medium heat and add the garlic. Fry gently for 4-5 minutes until soft but not coloured.

3. Mix the pasta, potatoes and kale well and add the mozzarella cheese. Stir well before pouring over the butter and garlic mix. Stir well and check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper to taste.

4. Sprinkle the parmesan over the top and bake in a pre-heated 170 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

My Favourite Books: Two Greedy Italians Eat Italy

The Two Greedy Italians are the lovable, larger than life Antonio Carluccio and the lively and loud Neopolitan Gennaro Contaldo. This is the second book based on their BBC television series of the same name which is well worth watching if you can find the DVD. What these two great men bring to the table is passion. They live and breathe Italian food and it shows in every book either of them put their names to.

There are 3 main chapters to this book, Comfort Food From The Mountains contains historic and new recipes mainly from the Alps and Appenines with my favourites being the Insalata della Valtellina (Bresaola Salad) and the surprisingly spectacular Alpine Pizza, topped with creme fraiche rather than the more usual tomato sauce. Entertaining anecdotes litter the pages while beautiful pictures of the food and our two friends bring the book to life.

Fresh Flavours From The Coast is full of the most delicious seafood recipes with the stand out being Cacciucco, a seafood stew from Tuscany. There are also some great summer recipes augmented with more spectacular photos of the coast and islands of Italy. The final chapter is The Larder of The Rivers and Plains which also takes in the capital, Rome. Lots of comforting pasta dishes including a heart warming lasagne are joined by simpler but just as flavourful dishes like fried green peppers. There are plenty of desserts towards the end of the book and I shall be making the Hazelnut Cake very soon.

This book, along with its predecessor (Two Greedy Italians), are a must read for anyone interested in Italian food. The books are full of passion, humour and simple yet delicious recipes that will give you a unique insight into the real food of Lo Stivale.

Review: The Cloister, Ennis

The Cloister

Ennis, Co. Clare

The Cloister is a beautiful restaurant which lies within the Ennis Friary Cloistral buildings. The buildings and courtyard date back to medieval times and provide the perfect backdrop to a romantic dinner. During our recent weekend in Ennis, Ali and myself visited The Cloister for dinner and we both agreed, it was the best meal we have had out to date.


I booked The Cloister on the morning of our meal and was a little disappointed to be told that the restaurant was fully booked but, if we still wished, we could be seated in the bar area. Having read numerous good reviews we decided that it was the food that was most important and so went ahead. I needn't have been disappointed however, the bar is as nice as any restaurant I have been in and was also full of diners, creating a cosy atmosphere with lots of chat. The first point to make about this restaurant is that the hosting and service is absolutely flawless. I have never been made to feel as welcome and at no point did the warmth seem over the top or fake. We were seated by the host and immediately approached by a waiter with menus, who proceeded to talk us through the specials.

For starter I went for the special: Duck Ravioli. I was a little skeptical of the dish before tasting as it contained ginger, chilli and spring onion. As a big fan of Italian cooking I am sometimes blinkered as to what goes well with what but this worked fantastically well. The Ravioli were delicate and perfectly cooked while the duck contained within was tender and delicious. The broth was also excellent with just the right amount of heat from the chilli. An excellent dish. Ali went for the other special, Seafood Chowder. Upon finishing the Chowder Ali exclaimed it to be the best thing she has ever eaten. We didn't realise it at the time but this Chowder won silver in the Schweppes Chowder World Cook Off in Rhode Island in 2011. Impressive!

Starter: 9/10

For mains I chose the Pan Roast Rump of Lamb with puy lentil, smoked bacon and celeriac, port reduction. Another superb dish. I ordered the lamb medium-rare and it arrived exactly that. It was succulent, well seasoned and matched perfectly by the lentils and port reduction. The lentils were my particular highlight and I would happily eat a big plate of them with nothing else. We recieved some potato and vegetables between us and everything was delicious although the vegetables were possibly a little too soft for my tastes. That is an exceptionally finicky point though, I couldn't go a full review without just one slight negative!

Mains: 9/10

Instead of dessert I went for the Sheridan's Cheese Choice. I wasn't in the mood for anything sweet and so this proved the perfect way to round out the meal. On the board was a smoked Gubeen, a Blue and a Cheddar with crackers, apple slices, some fig nougat (i think) and a little pear puree. It was exceptional. The apple provided a great hit of freshness especially against the blue while the pear cut through everything, bringing all the cheese to life. A wonderful way to end the meal. My espresso was also top notch, although I may have preferred a more bitter type on another evening.

Dessert: 9/10

I spoke a little about the service earlier and the only thing to add is that if I was ever to decide to open a restaurant, I would send my staff to The Cloister to see how it's done. It was flawless.

Service: 10/10

For the standard of food and service on offer, The Cloister was exceptional value. We paid €99.90 for an A la Carte meal with: 2 starters, 2 mains, 1 dessert, 1 cheeseboard, 1 glass of White Wine, 2 glasses of Red Wine, 1 espresso and 1 tea.

Value: 9/10

Ambiance: 8/10

Overall: 9/10 Highly Recommended

The Cloister,

Abbey Street,

Ennis,

Co. Clare

(065) 6868198

Blogroll Week 2 - Feeding Time with The Boozey Swine

It's the second installment of my blogroll and this time it's local legend The Boozey Swine.

From what I can see food blogs tend to fall into 3 categories. First there's the reviewers (see last week's post), there's recipe junkies and there's the health freaks. I like to think I fall in between the first two but fellow Newbridgian and good friend Andrew O'Donnell, aka The Boozey Swine, has a category all of his own. Boozey loves nothing more than to head to Swift's for a few beers followed by whatever crazy concoction of fast food he can get his hands on. It's a great lesson on how to give yourself a monster hangover with crippling indigestion but luckily for everyone; there's a few cures posted up aswel. Andrew may be better known to some as the bass player with Newbridge's own Knoxville Morning.

Check out Feeding Time with The Boozey Swine at:

http://www.theboozeyswine.com/

https://www.facebook.com/ftwtheboozeyswine

https://twitter.com/theboozeyswine