Review: Salamander Coffee House, Newbridge

Salamander Coffee House

Newbridge, Co. Kildare

Bold statements, great coffee and delicious food has Salamander Coffee House making a bit of a name for itself in Newbridge. Upon first entering the cafe last Saturday (during The Dubai Duty Free Irish Derby Busk and Food Festival) I was greeted with "have you heard we do the best coffee in Newbridge?" Bold and confident it may have been but it sure was correct. After my first take away coffee I decided a sample of the food was necessary, so this morning Ali and myself headed in for breakfast.

Salamander Coffee House is a cosy little cafe on George's Street in Newbridge. It has a few tables downstairs with more available upstairs when busy. There are also a few seats outside. The interior is light and airy with an exhibition by local photographer Charlie Mac currently adorning the walls. The breakfast menu is quite short but has plenty of options including organic porridge, french toast and pancakes aswel as the usual offerings like eggs and bacon, large breakfast etc. I went for the Salamander Large Breakfast without bacon and a flat white. The breakfast consisted of eggs, mushrooms, fried potatoes, tomato and toast (it usually includes dry cure bacon too). Not just the best coffee in Newbridge - It was delicious. The eggs were perfectly cooked with a creamy runny yolk.  The ingredients used were of excellent quality with the tomato being a particular highlight, ripe and sweet. The generous portion of toast with real butter was also much appreciated.

Salamander Coffee House are particularly proud of their coffee and it's easy to see why. It really is excellent and with a good range of choices there is sure to be something for everybody's tastes.

Breakfast Ratings:

Food: 8.5/10
Service: 9/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Selection: 8/10
Value for Money: 9/10

Overall: 8.5/10 Highly Recommended

Salamander Coffee House,
2 George's Street,
Newbridge,
Co. Kildare
045-431567

Summer Beans on Toast

Summer Beans on Toast

I love broad beans. If, by some miracle I was to turn vegetarian, they would form a large part of my diet. I'm unsure as to why I don't eat them more often but I've decided the time has come for change: this will be the summer of the broad bean in Kinneagh! In Ancient Egypt, broad beans were considered dirty and only fed to slaves - how times have changed! 

In November I posted a recipe for 'beans on toast' using cannellini beans. I've reworked the recipe for summer, using fresh broad beans and ripe cherry tomatoes. 300g of broad beans may seem like a lot for one person but once they're podded, only about 100-130g remain. To pod the beans, snap off the top, tear along the seam and open to reveal the individual beans. You can pop them out of their skin but I only bother doing this with the bigger ones.

Serves 1

1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
300g Fresh Broad Beans (podded)
1 slice of Prosciutto di Parma (cut into pieces)
1 clove of Garlic (finely chopped)
1/2 Red Chilli (finely chopped)
12 ripe Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
1/2 tsp Dried Oregano
Mixed Seeds (Sunflower, Pumpkin etc.)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the prosciutto. Cook for 2 minutes before adding the garlic and chilli. Season well and cook for 5-6 mins until softened but not coloured. Add the tomatoes, oregano and a good glug of boiling water. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Meanwhile add the broad beans to a pan of boiling water and cook for a minute and a half. Strain and set aside. If you do this too early, then run the beans under cold water to stop them cooking. Ideally have the beans ready to come out of the pan when the sauce is ready.

3. With a potato masher or fork, mash the tomatoes to make a rich sauce and add the cooked beans. Cook for another 2 minutes before checking for seasoning, adding more salt/pepper if required. Sprinkle some of the seeds on top and serve with crusty bread or toast.