Killarney

 

Put this place on your bucket list.  You will thank me later.  On the West Coast of Ireland is the County Kerry.  Killarney and Dingle and other lovely towns that reside around what is know as the Ring of Kerry.  An an interesting fact I came across.  You will notice many towns begin with 'KIL".  Well in Gaelic that means church.  So each town with that name has a church in it! 

It's unspoiled nature, babbling streams, beautiful valleys and soaring landscape make it in my eye's mind,the Irish Garden of Eden. You breathe the air and you are intoxicated.   If you are keeping up with the blog you probably know I have a thing for Irish butter, well this is the place a lot of it is produced.  You will see it even in some finer grocery markets in the states, Kerry Gold.  You can see why the food taste so bloody good.  Take a look at what the cows and the sheep are eating.  Some of earth's finest vegetation!

We started off the morning at the Killarney Park Hotel, in the heart of the city center. 

It is a wonderful hotel with lovely rooms, great staff and of course great food.  It is also very accommodating to the American tourist which is another huge plus for the hotel. We had a long day ahead of us so we stocked up on a big breakfast in the handsome dining room.




I tried the local smoked salmon and the delicious Kerry buttered scrambled eggs.  My daughter had an oldie but a goody.   Two soft boiled eggs with soldier toast points.  A classic staple from my youth.  We also engaged in their freshly baked loaves of bread and the Kerry butter as well the traditional Irish breakfast staples of black and white pudding and Irish rashers.  We stuffed our selves silly and were now ready to begin the day's journey!

We took a horse carriage ride through The Dunloe Pass,  Our horse, Betty was an old lady and didn't quite seem to be in the mood to haul or Texas asses through the pass.  At a few points we had to do some serious incline walking because Betty just couldn't do it.

Even though we had the slowest horse in the group, we didn't mind. It gave us more time to enjoy the stunning scenery.  We went up the Dunloe pass, which is very narrow and windy.  This was not for the faint of heart.  There were quite a few times we had to veer off to allow a car to nestle by us.  The ride took a few hours and then we were taken to Muckross lake where we took a motor boat back towards Killarney and Ross Castle.  It was quite an amazing day and found it a great way to see the beauty of County Kerry.

We were quite hungry when we arrived back at the hotel.  So we decided to eat at the hotel.  We were in for a real treat.

I am sorry to do this to you, but take a look at this above and don't tell me this doesn't look amazing.  Local caught lobster with truffled Kerry drawn butter, rocket and Shaved Parmesan salad with the tastiest Irish chips.  OMG!!!! Amazing...

Guinness Cured Salmon

Guinness Cured Salmon

Whole Side of Irish or Atlantic Salmon

Cup of Salt 

1/2 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Toasted Coriander

1/2 Cup of Fresh Dill Chopped

Chopped Cup of Lemon and Lime Rinds

Cup of Fresh Lemon and Lime Juice

Bottle of Guinness Stout

Place in Pan - Mix Ingredients Together And Cover the Salmon in the Mixture - Get Dirty with It

Cover with Plastic Wrap - Leave in Fridge for 24 hours

Flip Salmon Over and Smother Ingredients Over It

Set Aside for Another 24 Hours in Fridge

After 48 Hours Rinse of Salt Mixture and Thinly Slice

Bon Appetite!

Wish I Could Share

 

Let me tell you if you haven't made my Guinness Soda Bread you are missing out.  Too lazy to make, I will have some for you at my pop up Irish Restaurant in October!

Side Trek

Traveling is like life.  You make plans and then life or chance changes your path.  Before we left the beautiful Kildare county, we ran into a lovely lady on the grounds of the K Club.  We struck up a conversation and I mentioned I was a chef in Dallas.  She had visited Dallas the year prior to meet her friends.  So our conversation lasted with so much common ground.  She was absolutely lovely and very friendly.  We talked about why we came to Ireland for a food tour and discover my culinary roots.  We talked about our itinerary and that we were going to Killarney the next day to discover the food on the west coast of Ireland.  She said we must first detour and go to Cork and visit the English Market.  It was a must see for someone like myself that thinks 24/7 about food. I didn't know about it, actually never heard about.  She explained it is situated in the heart of Cork City.  It is a roofed market and has been trading since 1788.  It was developed and is still owned by the Cork City Council. It is the oldest municipal market of it's kind in the world. I was sold.  Family we are off to Cork!

 Cork is located on the southwest coast of Ireland.  It is connected to the sea by Cork Harbor and the lovely River Lee flows through its city center.  It is a university town and also a large sea port brimming with activity.  The drive from Kildare was about three hours.  The roads were never busy and the emerald landscape never tired.  It was the easiest car trip I had ever made and quite possibly the most enjoyable.  Finding the English Market was a bit of a struggle.  Finding street parking in Cork is a task in futility.  You have to park in one of the large parking garages nestled throughout the city.  That ensures a good walk because they are always located far away from where you need to go.  For us, it wasn't much of a problem.  Exploring a new city is always exhilarating.  Using google maps my son led the way.  We hovered down windy streets.  The city was bustling. At this point we had not been to downtown Dublin so this was the busiest place we had visited.  We finally found the English Market.  It was huge arcade of vendors, selling everything from olives, to local breads and cheeses to Irish saddles of lamb and Irish made sausages.

The vendors were so friendly and informative.  They were so proud of their products and it showed.  Eager to give samples and explain anything you might have a questions about. Would give any consumer great confidence in buying there.  I loved the smell there.  Earthy smells from freshly baked bread, the fresh smell of delicious cut meat, the perfume of fresh produce.  It tickled the senses.  I had been to food halls when I was younger.  There was a fish market in Liverpool we would visit with my grandmother and I always loved the smell of the sea in there and of the smoked fishes.  It was always a delightful treat to visit there.  The English Market brought back those type of memories. Though I wanted to buy the whole market up, we still had a journey to to Killarnery so we got a few artisan pastries.  There wasn't a restaurant in the Hall so we asked one of the vendors where we could grab lunch that utilized the markets provisions.  They directed to a cute restaurant, The Spitjack, that was only a five minute walk away.

 

 The food was really nice, especially the Traditional Irish Porchetta.  So damn good. I am not just saying this to say it, but the food tastes so much better in Ireland, cleaner and healthier tasting.  It doesn't taste like it just cam off a Sysco Food truck.  It taste like it just came from a farm, which in this case it did.  Again the food was simple, but prepared well with not a lot of fuss.  Let the product speak for itself.  

We had one last stroll back and came across of all things The Butter Museum.  We had just missed the beginning of a butter class they were offering but they allowed us back there and we watched the art of butter making.  Again I will emphasize, potatoes and butter.  Ireland does this better than any place else.  I mean who else devotes an entire museum to butter.  Amazing!!!!  We did get to nosh on some of the creamiest and velvety butter one could imagine.  What a perfect way to end our surprise visit to Cork!

Greatest Chef Ever? Passes Away

Joël Robuchon has more Michelin stars than any other chef in history.  He opened his first restaurant, Jasmin, in 1981.  He was the contemporary to many fine chefs, like Gordon Ramsey which he argued was one of his most talented but frustrating chefs.  They often came to verbal blows, but one time Ramsey was just a little to snarky for Robuchon's liking so he threw a plate at him.  (I would have just clobbered him with my fist!)

He is best known in the states for his namesake restaurant in the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.  I never made it to his restaurants but it was always a dream of mine.  His food was meticulously prepared and he didn't accept anything but excellence.  The food world lost another titan of the industry.  Au revoir mon frere! We will still enjoy the recipes and the legacies you left behind. 

https://www.eater.com/2018/8/6/17655280/reaction-chefs-joel-robuchon-death-gordon-ramsay

Menu for Irish Pop Up Restaurant

Coming Soon:

Irish Pop Up Restaurant "Slainte!"

Stay Tuned for the Date.  We will be hosting our first Pop Up Restaurant at our new home at Pilot Works Dallas.  Learn about Ireland its food and the flavors of the Emerald Isle.  It will be BYOB and seating will be limited.  

Keep Visiting the Blog for Updates on the Event or call us at 469.450.1814 or check on us out at Gogourmetcatering.com!

Irish Pop Up Tasting Menu

Amuse Bouche

-

Smoked Duck Cornetto with Lavender Rhubarb Jam

-

Starter

-

Guinness Cured Irish Salmon atop of Soda Bread Crostini with Kerry Gold Horseradish Spread

-

Soup

-

Irish Potato Vichyssoise with Fried Leak, Chive Oil and Salmon Roe

-

Palate Cleanser

-

Gunpowder Irish Gin Granita with Edible Flowers

-

Entrée

-

Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Mint Salsa Verde

Pea Puree with Roasted Shallots, Roasted Gem Lettuce, and Irish Cheddar Potato Scallion Croquette

-

Dessert

-

Warm Irish Rice Pudding with Raspberry Coulis and Chocolate Nibs

Howth You Lived?

Howth Summit is a gorgeous peak on the East Coast of Ireland on the outskirts of Dublin.  Directly across the Irish Sea is my family home of Liverpool.  They say Liverpool is Ireland's second capital.  My mum's side of the family all came from Ireland.  My grandmother was born in Ireland.  Don't know why it took me so long to get here, but this island has just cast a spell on me.  I am enchanted with its people, its landscape and of course its food.

It's always a challenge when you have to form a plan for the day with three other distinct voices.  My daughter had a friend that visited Howth and according to my daughter it was a must visit.  I asked why?  She said it would be a great Instagram picture! Social media strikes again! I quickly did some research and found it to be a beautiful place with something to interest me as well, great seafood!

Finding the summit was no easy task. I think we circled the peninsula twice before we found a Pub named the Howth Summit Pub.  We figured it was nearby and soon found it.  There were miles of walking trails from the top of the summit to the base where with cold Irish sea lapped along the jagged rocks. 18 months ago I would have died trying to walk this, but with new lease on life, a new mechanical mitral valve, pacemaker and by the grace of God I was able to meander the hills, keeping up with the rest of the family.  The air was crisp, but the sun kept it from being uncomfortable.  It was a magnificent day.  We built up quite an appetite after the climb back up.  We scurried down the narrow roads, always remembering to stay left, back to the town center and the port.  Something had caught my eye on the way up to the Howth summit and I knew I had to take the family there.

Beschoff Bros. is a local legend in Dublin.  It has several locations now on the eastern seaboard of Ireland.  It's history goes back a hundred years when Ivan Beschoff, a maritime sailor for the Tsar of Russia after serving as a deckhand on the Battleship Potemkin emigrated to Ireland.  More here http://www.beshoffbros.com/history/. It's a great family story that keeps growing year by year as the next generation Beschoff's carry on Ivan's legacy.  They have their own fleet of fishing boats that catch their fresh fish for their stores right the port of Howth.  They had several types of white fish to choose from, haddock, cod, plaice, hake.  I chose the haddock, which is a bit oilier and probably the stronger flavored of the others.  My wife and kids stuck with mild moist cod.  Let me tell you something it was everything and more than what you could have hoped for, no let down.  It was crispy and light. The fish was sweet and tasted as fresh as the sea.  The chips were also great especially with some Malt vinegar, a condiment that is required for this Irish delight.  Because of today's stiffer health regulations, you can't serve fish and chips in newspaper, but nevertheless we enjoyed the experience with no silverware and ate at a quaint park bench overlooking the port.

Howth is a great spot and well worth a day trip if you visit Ireland.  We took the scenic way back to the K Club in Kildare and stopped at the Cliff at Lyons.  It was only a quick stop, but as was told by a local a must stop. It was a beautiful place in Kildare on the canal.  Small bungalows and cottages, beautiful manicured gardens and ponds with flowering lillies lined the property. Let me tell you it was stunning.  It was the private residence of Ryannair Founder, who turned it into a lovely boutique hotel.  https://cliffatlyons.ie/.  I would like to stay a night there on our next trip to Ireland and recommend you do as well.

The fresh sea air and jet leg had wiped us out.  We retired back to the hotel and a nap.  We had decided we didn't want to go back out and wanted to just stay in, but didn't want to have a real fancy dinner again.  We decided to eat at the club house which is for members of the K Club gold course.  It was a nice casual restaurant with a great view of the golf course.  It was also perfect timing to watch the world cup as well!

Below is a picture of the small menu.

I really don't know what is more exciting eating a meal that you think will be excellent and is or eating a dish that you think will be okay and you find out is utterly fantastic and unexpected.  I think the latter for me.  Let me first off state, I am stealing this dish for my catering menu.  Pan Fried Hake with Grilled Leaks, Curried Raisins & Cauliflower with Noisette Butter.  Not only is it a real looker the flavor combinations that on the surface seemed unconvincing was mind blowing.  This was unexpected.  As you can tell from the menu, this was a menu designed not for the foodaphile, but for the everyday man.  But I think the boss allowed for the chef to show his true worth with one dish.  Thank God he did because it was one of my all time favorites!  Well done Chef!