Ireland's Gourmet Revolution Wonders Ireland's Culinary Scene: "Homegrown with a Dash of Exotic"
Few people outside of Ireland saw this one coming, yet the entire island has slipped quietly into a new role as a must-visit destination for food-lovers from all over the world. In early 2008, champagne corks were popping in restaurants across the country when the latest batch of Michelin stars was awarded. Ireland now has seven Michelin-star restaurants. The two new additions to the fold–Mint Restaurant and Bon Appetit in Dublin–both managed to secure the coveted status within two years of opening, which is an indication of how truly dynamic and vibrant the Irish culinary scene has become.
Irish chefs quite literally cook meals "fit for a king"–or, rather, a queen. Kevin Dundon has cooked for many celebrities and international figures during his career, including the Queen of England, President Bush and Bono. Kevin went on to establish Dunbrody House, which is now considered one of Ireland's premier establishments. The cookery school he established at the hotel has become one of the most respected in the country. Dunbrody has won numerous awards, among them Restaurant of the Year, Chef of the Year, and Country House of the Year.
The style of food obviously varies greatly at these and other Irish restaurants, but what they all have in common is the warmth and individuality that has always been at the heart of Irish hospitality–and, no matter how diverse the courses, their basic building blocks are the excellent raw materials for which Ireland has a wonderful reputation.
In Belfast, Restaurant Michael Deane maintained its outstanding record and received the illustrious Michelin star for the twelfth year running. Northern Ireland is, in fact, a gastronome's hot spot, with a great choice of options from fine dining and enticing seafood bars to dozens of attractive, casual restaurants, cafés and pubs.
A mild climate, extensive pastureland and a pride in animal husbandry produce excellent beef, lamb, pork and poultry. You will also encounter a living baking tradition, the fruits of which you can enjoy at afternoon tea in numerous home bakeries, cafés and teashops. There has long been a heritage of apple-growing in Armagh and Portadown, and the glorious sight of the apple blossoms in season is not to be missed. The vast waterways and Irish Sea play a huge part in the cuisine, which features seafood from the sheltered waters of Strangford and Carlingford Loughs, Lough Neagh eels (a local delicacy), prawns from the pretty village of Portavogie, and superb Dundrum oysters, the perfect accompaniment to a creamy pint of Guinness.
Ireland's famous pastures make for a wide range of fabulous products, notably beef and lamb, while its rivers and seas provide an abundance of fresh fish and seafood. Local produce is a point of pride in the best kitchens everywhere, and a growing interest in specialist production is reflected in the availability of products like hand-smoked fish and meats, baked goods and preserves, plus a wide range of organic vegetables and fruit, many of which are sold at local farmers markets.
The final cog in the Irish culinary wheel can be seen at some of the stunning luxury hotels across the island. These wonderful properties are only too aware that along with beautiful lodgings, they must provide outstanding cuisine to match. The Merchant and the Culloden in Belfast and the Dylan in Dublin, for example, have invested in chefs with years of international expertise, and they are reaping the rewards of providing the "total hotel package." Their kitchens, like many others throughout the island, have taken Ireland's homegrown ingredients and flavors, sprinkled in a dash of the exotic, and now offer a dining experience to rival anywhere in the world.
Why eat wonderfully for only a day or two when you can learn to cook sublimely at home as well? There are few things more enjoyable than whiling away an afternoon up to your elbows in flour, baking a loaf of soda bread, or learning to combine kale, scallions, potatoes and butter to make the perfect dish of colcannon. Plentiful in Ireland, cookery schools allow visitors to combine a holiday with a short cookery course.
Complementing this expert tuition are the idyllic locations of some of these schools. The Belle Isle School of Cookery near Enniskillen is deep in the heart of the lush Fermanagh lakelands, while Ballynocken House and Cookery School is nestled in the hills of the Garden of Ireland, County Wicklow.
If hands-on seems like too much hard work, then why not try a thoroughly satisfying afternoon demonstration by celebrity chef Darina Allen at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Shanagarry, East Cork? Here–and, indeed, in most Irish cookery schools–you can investigate the kitchen garden where much of the produce used is grown using traditional or organic farming methods. Students are taught classic or creative modern cookery in a homely setting that, like the Irish culinary scene, leaves you always wanting seconds.
July 31, 2008
Posted in: Ireland