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A Little History Of Omelette Arnold Bennett
If you’ve ever been to London, you may have seen Omelette Arnold Bennett on the menu in some restaurants and cafes. It’s a dish completely connected... -
Sharon Greene from Wild Irish Foragers lets us in on the secrets to making your own pot of seasonal gorse tea! Following on from our April foraging blog with Sharon Greene of The Wild Irish Foragers and Preservers, we’ve been out and about around the country spotting the bright yellow blossom of the gorse bush in every country lane we drive. Buy A Voucher A Great Idea For A Local And Very Pretty Tea Which Costs Nothing To Make Keeping up with the trend for whole flower petal teas that have now become popular and available in good food and health food shops, Sharon recommends foraging the blossom to make your own Gorse Flower Tea. A great idea for a local and very pretty tea that costs nothing to make, and comes with the added pleasure of a walk in the fresh air on a lovely day, gathering gorse along the way! You will need thick gloves as gorse stalks are thorny. Follow Sharon’s instructions below for how to make Gorse Flower Tea. But before you get all gung-ho for putting the kettle on, she has important words of advice! WHEN YOU PICK YOUR GORSE FLOWERS, REMOVE THEM FROM THE PRICKLY STALKS & LEAVE IN A COOL OUTDOOR SPOT FOR A FEW HOURS SO THE “RESIDENTS” CAN DEPART. GORSE FLOWERS ARE A FAVOURITE OF MANY INSECTS BUT THEY WILL “LEAVE HOME” ONCE THE FLOWERS ARE PICKED. Gorse flowers can be picked and used fresh in spring to produce a wonderfully aromatic flower tea. Put two tablespoons of fresh gorse flowers in a small teapot (serves 2). Make sure to give them a little squeeze first to bruise them, to help release the flavour. Leave to infuse for 7-10 minutes & then strain & serve Just as nice as an Iced Tea as it is as a hot cuppa. Gorse flowers can be dried for later use. If using dried flowers, use one tablespoon instead of two. Another way to enjoy Gorse Flower Tea, if you are short on time, is to make your usual cuppa, let it cool just a little, then add a dash of our Gorse Flower Syrup. This works beautifully in any Green Tea or Black Tea, but Sharon’s personal favourite is a dash in Lapsang Souchong… truly warming & amazing! Visit Our Shop
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The Rise And Rise Of Irish Black Pudding
As the women of the small farmhouses of an Ireland of long ago created black pudding in their kitchens, using the by-products of a home-reared pig, they... -
Spiced Beef
Spiced Beef is a traditional Cork Christmas treat. Not many households in the city and county will go without a piece this festive season. It dates back... -
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Six Sensational Seasonal Stuffings For Turkey
The Christmas bird is nothing without all the traditional trimmings. Stuffing is very much part of that. Whether you want old fashioned or modern, simple... -
Black Pudding Is The Newest Superfood
Black Pudding, The New Super Food In 2016, Irish Black pudding became a new food ‘trend’. This nutrient-rich sausage has continued to grow... -
A Little History of Hot Cross Buns
A History of the Hot Cross Bun Who doesn’t love Hot Cross buns? Sweet and sticky dough buns, risen with yeast, speckled with dried fruit and mixed peel,... -
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Wild & Free, the Revival of Foraging in Ireland
“Foraging is a relatively new trend term for what was known as “picking” when I was a child,” says Sharon Green of Wild Irish Foragers and Preservers. “It’s... -
Fishy Facts for Good Friday
From Saint Peter’s fingerprints to the main meal of Good Friday, fish is closely linked to the Easter holiday. Enjoy this brief history and browse superb... -
5 Seasonal Tricks to do at Home this Easter
From Bunting Making to Blowing Eggs, we get you ready for Easter with our top five seasonal tricks! It’s Easter, and Spring is really taking hold, so... -
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A Brief History of Irish Food
PORK There are a number of signature foods and dishes that may be identified as typically Irish and pork along with ham, bacon, pork puddings and sausages... -
Destination Spotlight
It’s 8.45 on a Saturday morning and I take a left off a winding country road toward the sea on Connemara’s Errismore peninsula. Driving on and on, around corners of dry-stone walls, I’m watched by cold looking black faced ewes and shaggy Connemara ponies in their scruffy winter coats. Sand on the road indicates the closeness of the beach, white and sandy, ironed flat and flawless by the tide. I pull in tight beside the sea wall. It’s dip and fish day. Dip and fish, as we call it, is a small gathering of swimmers who have a dip in the sea before queuing up on the Bunowen pier for the fish market that, weather permitting, is held once a week. While rising early on a Saturday morning can be testing, as I slip into the bracing Atlantic it feels like the best idea in the world. The fish market opens at 10am and at 9.30 cars begin to file past the beach to park on the extremities of the pier. With buckets in hand, locals make their way like the faithful to a Sunday service. I dry off and dress, reaching the pier at 9.45, frozen toes and flask of steaming hot tea in my hand to join the already substantial queue. The previous evening, a What’sApp message pings on my phone, detailing the catch so I can plan my fresh fish feast. I am hoping there will be enough scallops and some squid left by the time I reach the top of the queue. Brothers Pat and Kevin are the fishermen who host the market on the pier. It’s a simple affair: a handwritten sign with prices and multicoloured fish boxes on the ground filled with the ocean’s bounty – scallops, squid, lobster, brill, cod, red mullet, lemon and black sole, prawns and crab. I cling to my warm teacup and begin to thaw in the early spring sunshine. The light is glistening on the pearly green water and on the little green currach, tied with blue rope between the piers. Across the buoy-strewn bay is Bunowen Castle, creating a scene so beautiful it borders on the ridiculous. A few socially distanced chats along the pier wall, fingers defrosted, toes still numb, I edge closer to the front of the queue and can see more clearly what remains available. I am hoping the person in front of me does not nab the last of the brill, but I sense my dreams of salt and pepper squid are disappearing, so make mental adjustments to my menu. When I finally reach the top of the queue there is a fleeting moment of panic: I want everything but can only eat so much fish in a few days. I ogle the shiny black lobsters and drool a little at the thought of the sweet meat dipped in melted butter. I feel I don’t quite deserve the reward of a couple of lobster just now: I will work extra hard next week and splash out. Instead I take a few scallops in their shell, a fine looking specimen of cod for some fish goujons which the children love, and two handsome brill which I will bake whole. Once I have secured my prize, I move on to the man with the sharp knife. James volunteers to fillet the fish there and then on the pier as expectant gulls hover nearby. The cod is the only fish that needs seeing to, so it will be quick. To watch him wield the knife with such precision is a joy and another excuse for a chat during these isolating times. I cook the scallops and cod that evening, serving the brill with capers and brown butter two days later. In normal times, this fish would be exported, so there are a lot of happy customers only too delighted to support their local fishermen at this time. When the tide turns, and markets and restaurant tables reopen, I hope they will continue with the market at Bunowen. These outdoor Saturday mornings are special and restore my connection with nature, community and culture, an unexpected upside, food for both the table and soul.
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Cocoa Loco
Wilde Irish Chocolates On the shores of Lough Derg in Co Clare, the team at Wilde Irish Chocolates turn the finest milk, dark and white chocolate into...