Dodgy Omelette

World Cup, Day 4 - France

Omelette

Day 3 proved a great day for Italy, with a 2-1 win over a young English side. The ragu was a success too! I had planned to make 'poule au pot' today but after a long day at the Kildare County Show in Athy, I decided to make an omelette instead.

It was inevitable. At some point during this project, one of the dishes wasn't going to work: but I didn't expect it to be an omelette! It wasn't that it didn't taste good, it was fine even if there was a little too much cheese, it was the texture that got me. It was a strange consistency; dry but soft. I normally make Italian style frittatas that have a crust but an omelette, I'm told, shouldn't have one.

I used:

2 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
6 Duck Eggs
40g grated Sheep's Cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped Fresh Parsley
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

I gently mixed the eggs, cheese and parsley together before adding to the heated oil. I stirred well, let set for 10-20 seconds and stirred again. I repeated this for a few mins until almost everything had set apart from the last little bit. I moved the last bit of liquid around with a spatula to fill in any gaps before finishing under a grill to set the top. I served it up with (very un-French) Norcia-style sausages. I thought it would be delicious but no - DO. NOT. MAKE. THIS!

Paris, France

Paris

January 2014

Last Wednesday, Ali and myself headed off to Paris to soak up the sights and tastes of the French capital. The first thing we did upon arrival, before even collecting the key to our apartment, was to go for some lunch in a beautiful little cafe, stuffed with busy Parisians on their lunch break. After a thorough scan of the menu I settled on a Lamb Nuckle with Mash and Sweet Garlic Gravy. The lamb was beautifully tender and the gravy delicious. It reminded me of the way I like to cook a Beef Brisket, in Red Wine with lots of garlic, I'll certainly be trying Lamb in a similar manner (it's almost spring after all). Speaking of Red Wine, that is one thing that really struck me in Paris, even the house Wine's are outstanding. 

The rest of Wednesday was spent sightseeing, the Notre Damn Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower being the highlights but first thing on Thursday morning we were back on the Metro to the Eiffel Tower to take in the Saxe-Breteuil Food Market. The quality of the produce on sale here was breathtaking. The freshest of Meat and Fish surrounded by stalls of the ripest Organic Fruit and Veg with the odd pastry stall thrown in for good measure. Looking around at all the wonderful ingredients evoked a mixture of sadness and frustration, how nice it would be to be able to shop somewhere like this on a daily basis. It seems that the French (and Italian's from previous trips) place far more value on the quality of their ingredients where as in Ireland, the majority are far more concerned with convenience.

Duck Foie Gras with Fleur de Sel

Food highlights from Thursday included a delicious House Terrine, which could have been a little stronger for my taste but the accompanying Pickled Gherkin cut it perfectly. I also had a novel take on our Shepard's Pie, using shredded Duck Confit instead of the usual Lamb/Beef. That evening I had a first for me, Duck Foie Gras. It was lovely and rich but it was really brought to life by the accompanying Fleur de Sel. That was followed by a Veal Kidney Cassoulet which was notable because of a lack of any Vegetables (except Potato) leaving the Sauce feeling somewhat empty, even so, it was delicious. Dessert was a Dark Chocolate Lava Cake, which was absolutely magnificent.

On Friday, we spent the day in Montmartre, where we stumbled upon the most wonderful herb and spice shop. After topping up my spice collection and buying some Fleur de Sel with Chilli, we went for lunch in the Cafe des 2 Moulins, made famous by the film Amelie. Here we both had a very non traditional Burger (a rare burger is actually a great treat!). Friday evening we found ourselves in a fantastic little restaurant stuffed with locals. It was hot, smokey and didn't have half the menu in stock but it was extremely charming with great food! First up was an Avocado and Prawn Salad which was fantastic, although the dressing may have had a touch too much Mustard. The limited menu left me with a Chilli Con Carne as a main but I wasnt disappointed, it was beautiful although a little short on Chillies (maybe they were out of stock too!). Dessert was a Pana Cotta  cut with a splendidly tart Raspberry Coulis. Ali took the last Tirimasu in the house, it was terrific, the best either of us has ever tasted.

Rounding up, the food of Paris was wonderful! French cuisine is definately more complicated than my favoured Italian and is also a lot richer containing far more butter and cream than the majority of Italian dishes. The Pastries, however, are fantastic! There is no better way to start your day than with a Pain Suisse and a double espresso. The quality of the produce in the shops/markets was particularly striking but so too were the cuts of meat being displayed. Pig Trotters and Ox Tongues sat proudly beside Fillet Steaks, Chickens retained their heads and giblets and Pigeons and other poultry were stocked in great numbers. Using the entirety of any animal is something that really appeals to me, leaving nothing to waste and it is something that we could really learn from our continental cousins.

The Greatest Tirimasu in the World......Ever

Review: Le Bistro, Newbridge

Le Bistro

Newbridge, Co. Kildare

For my first review on this blog I decided to go to a very well regarded local restaurant that I had never visited before. I've been meaning to go for some time after hearing numerous people recommend it so Ali and myself booked it for New Years Eve.

Le Bistro is located on George's street in Newbridge and shares a premises with An Chistin Cafe which takes the day shift with Le Bistro taking the night shift.

Food:

Starter: Seared Scallops and Garden Pea Risotto

Scallops were cooked beautifully and the Risotto was really nice. Individual flavours were excellent but i thought the Risotto overpowered the delicate Scallops a little too much. Presented flawlessly. 6/10

Main: Confit of Duck Leg, Smoked Bacon and White Bean Cassoulet, Champ Mash

This was an outstanding dish, The Duck was unbelievably tender and the Cassoulet was brought to life by the Smoked Bacon. Everything worked beautifully together. Excellent. 8/10

Dessert: Selection of Fine Ice Creams, Soft Berry Compote

Ice Creams were very nice and were cut by the deliciously tart Compote. Very Simple but executed well. 7/10

Staff:

Very attentive staff, cannot fault them, were quick to remove finished dishes and on the one occasion something didn't arrive (the tea pot) were apologetic and quick to rectify. Excellent. 9/10

Ambiance:

Restaurant was packed with lots of happy diners chatting away. Nice music at a nice level in the background. Beautiful little restaurant. 8.5/10

Overall: 8/10

We had a great evening at Le Bistro and came away wanting to return again. Highly Recommended.