Review: Jamie's Italian

Jamie's Italian

Dundrum, Dublin 16

Last Monday, Ali and I headed for Dundrum to see Asif Kapadia's brilliant new documentary "Amy" about the life and untimely death of troubled singer Amy Winehouse. We decided to try Jamie's Italian while there as we had been meaning to for the past couple of years.

Jamie's Italian is part of a chain of restaurants by TV's favourite celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. As expected it is quite rustic in appearance with wooden boards aplenty and large San Daniele hams and garlic hanging from the bar. We arrived around 4pm and were seated promptly. There weren't many dining while we were there but that is probably to be expected at 4 o'clock on a Monday. After a glance at the menu we decided to just go for mains and get the Italian Bread Selection instead of a starter. All of the bread was delicious but I would have preferred the olive oil and balsamic vinegar not to have been pre-mixed.

For mains I went for the Veal Flash Steak - Irish rose veal pounded with sage & prosciutto, served with a spicy tomato salsa. The veal was tender although there wasn't enough prosciutto or sage to add any real flavour. The salsa was delicious and the polenta chips I ordered as a side were magnificent. I found the main course to be overpriced for what I received. €18.95 for 2 thin slices of veal with salsa is exceptionally expensive for the quality on offer while adding €4.50 for the polenta chips makes €23.45 an expensive lunch. We decided against dessert and just had coffees instead.

Overall I found Jamie's Italian a bit of a let down. I had been looking forward to going but unfortunately the food just didn't live up to expectations or the prices charged. 

Lunch Ratings:

Food: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Selection: 8/10
Value for Money: 6/10

Overall: 7/10

Jamie's Italian
Unit 1
Pembroke District
Dundrum Town Centre
Dublin 16 
01-2980600

Roast Potatoes

Possibly my favourite part of every Sunday dinner, Christmas will be no different. The roast spud is the almost mystical part of the meal that only grandmothers seem to be able to get right. I recently realised that this may be because they used copious amounts of fat, surely the one stipulation for a great roastie. The choice of fat is a very personal thing. Goose or duck fat seems to be the default for Christmas, while the fat from a roasting chicken is favoured for the average Sunday meal. Those who are more health conscious tend to go for olive oil while butter is still favoured by many. I have recently switched from goose fat to lard. Try it, you won't regret it! Jamie Oliver's trick of gently pushing down on the potatoes with a masher halfway through cooking ensures a spectacular crust and is well worth the 30 seconds of extra effort.

Instructions

1. Put a few heaped tablespoons of lard (or your chosen fat) in a roasting pan and put into a 190 degree oven.

2. Use your favourite roasting potatoes, for most that will probably be Roosters. Peel the potatoes and cut them into evenly sized pieces, leaving small potatoes whole. Put them into a large pot and cover with cold water, add plenty of salt and a bay leaf and bring to the boil.

3. Once the water comes to the boil, cook for ten minutes before draining well in a colander. Move the potatoes around a bit in the colander to fluff up the edges. remove the roasting dish from the oven and carefully pour the potatoes in. Season well before turning the potatoes around in the fat to ensure all the surfaces are covered. Put back into the oven and cook for 25 minutes.

4. Remove the dish from the oven and, with a potato masher, gently push down on the potatoes to break them open a little. Don't push down too hard, the idea is to just increase the surface area of the potato to get it extra crispy. Turn the potatoes once more in the oil and put back into the oven for another 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately.