Asked about his favorite Irish food, actor Peter O’ Toole once said, “My number one choice is Guinness. My number two choice would be Guinness. My number three choice would have to be Guinness.”
Nowadays, though, those kinds of jokes don’t ring true, as the Irish, like so many other people in the world, have been rediscovering their homegrown heritage, showing off artisan baking, butter and cheese, a bounty of seafood, and fresh vegetables, meat and poultry from small family farms.
For pilgrims seeking the roots of the Irish seasonal, sustainable culinary revolution, all roads lead back to Ballymaloe House in rural East Cork, where Myrtle Allen became the grand dame of Irish country cooking, and her daughter-in-law, Darina Allen, founded the famed Ballymaloe Cookery School in 1983.
More recently, other Irish chefs and restaurateurs have come behind Ballymaloe House and the Allens, joining a tradition of homey food havens to marry local ingredients and international flavors.
Ard Bia in Galway is just such a place, and the new “Ard Bia Cook Book” by Aoibheann Mac Namara and Aoife Carrigy (Atrium, $59.95) is as much a keepsake as a collection of recipes.
Filled with quirky photos and drawings, it honors the beloved restaurant’s mission and menu, which Darina Allen has called “beautifully simple but truly lovely food, a celebration of fresh local produce, spiced up with imagination and a sure hand.”
Looking out on the Atlantic, where the River Corrib meets Galway Bay, Galway is a bohemian city of artists and musicians, parties and festivals. In the book’s intro, Mac Namara, who easily synchs with the city’s heart and soul, writes that “Ard Bia is about Galway food and all the magic that is Galway.”
The recipes cover a day in the life of the restaurant, from morning and lunchtime, to afternoon, evening and after dinner dishes. The book also includes four “pantry” sections: herbs and spices; fruit, vegetables and grains; stocks, seafood, meat and cheese; and baking techniques.
Maybe most surprising, especially for those who still think Irish cooking is bland boiled cabbage and potatoes, are the number of recipes that introduce Indian and Middle Eastern spices, fresh greens and juices, wild foods, and DIY takes on hummus, chutneys, relishes and pickles.
In time for a fresh twist on traditional Irish-American St. Patrick’s Day menus, we offer a feast from Ard Bia’s Galway, including a sweet-spiced salad, a healthy fish dish, and a creamy-fruity dessert.
Recipes
These recipes from the “Ard Bia Cook Book” showcase the fresh flavors of farm-to-table Irish cooking.
Salad of Pickled Pear and Blue Cheese With Walnuts and Lardons
Hands on Time: 30 minutes Total Time: 1 ½ hours including time for cooling the pears Serves: 6
This classic combination works every time — sweet-spiced piquant pears, salty blue cheese, the crunch of walnuts, and crispy bits of bacon.
For the pickled pears
2 cups fruity red wine
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 cup brown sugar
3 cloves
1 bay leaf
1 star anise pod
½ cinnamon stick
4-6 ripe pears
For the vinaigrette
1 ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup vinegar of choice
¾ tablespoon Dijon mustard
¾ tablespoon wholegrain mustard
pinch of sugar or teaspoon of honey
salt and pepper, to taste
For the salad
6 cups salad leaves
5 ounces walnuts, very lightly toasted and slightly crushed
4-6 ounces crumbly blue cheese, such as Cashel Blue
5 ounces smoked bacon or pancetta
½ cup vinaigrette
1 tablespoon walnut oil (optional)
To make the pickled pears
In a deep pot, combine the wine, vinegar, sugar and spices. Bring to the boil and remove from the heat immediately. Leave to infuse for 10-15 minutes.
Peel each pear and core from the bottom using a melon baller if you have one, or a teaspoon if you don’t. If they’re ripe, this should be easy enough.
Cut out a circular piece of parchment to fit snugly into your pot, called a “cartouche.” Bring the poaching liquid back to the boil, add the pears and cover with your cartouche, pushing it down to meet the surface of the liquid. This will prevent bits of the fruit from peeking out from the liquid, ensuring even cooking.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes before checking the pears with a small sharp knife. Once cooked, the knife should slide in easily. The cooking time will vary, depending on the variety and ripeness of pear (they may take up to 25 minutes in some cases). Do keep a close eye on them, as overcooked pears turn to mush. Set aside to cool. Leaving them in the liquid will allow the pears to absorb even more flavor but will also continue their cooking a little, so judge for yourself.
To make the lardons
Dice the bacon or pancetta into small squares and pan-fry in a little oil at a high heat to crisp them up. Drain well on paper towel.
To make the vinaigrette
In a sealable jar, add the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard, wholegrain mustard, sugar, salt and pepper. Shake until combined. Store leftover vinaigrette in the refrigerator.
To assemble the salad
Dress the leaves with the vinaigrette, crumble in the blue cheese and toss with the lardons and walnuts. Slice the pears width-ways into rings. To serve, pile a little salad on to each plate and top with pear and a slick of walnut oil, if desired.
Tip: Try reducing the poaching liquid to a concentrated glaze for drizzling on the plate before serving or use in place of vinegar for the vinaigrette.
Per serving: 529 calories (percent of calories from fat, 62), 15 grams protein, 37 grams carbohydrates, 7 grams fiber, 38 grams fat (17 grams saturated), 20 milligrams cholesterol, 406 milligrams sodium.
Vinaigrette - makes about 1 3/4 cups. Per 2-tablespoon serving: 162 calories (percent of calories from fat, 99), trace protein, trace carbohydrates, trace fiber, 18 grams fat (2 grams saturated), no cholesterol, 30 milligrams sodium.
Adapted from “Ard Bia Cook Book” by Aoibheann Mac Namara and Aoife Carrigy (Atrium, $59.95).
Seared Hake With Roast Beets and Wilted Greens
Hands on Time: 20 minutes Total time: 1 hour 20 minutes Serves: 6
Hake is plentiful in Ireland, and sometimes available in the U.S. But you can easily substitute another flaky white fish, such as cod or halibut. Beets and wilted greens give the fish a healthy and elegant twist.
2 pounds raw beetroots, scrubbed
2 pounds hake, cod or other fish fillets, scaled and pin-bones removed
3 tablespoons rapeseed or canola oil
2 tablespoons butter
10 ounces large leaf spinach, chard or black kale, washed and picked
1 lemon, cut into wedges
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425.
Trim the beetroot leaves but leave the roots intact. In a large saucepan, boil until a knife can slide easily through them, about 30-45 minutes depending on their size. Drain and pull skins off under a cold tap.
Chop the beetroots into large chunks. In a baking tray, toss in a couple of tablespoons of oil, season and roast for 15-20 minutes in preheated oven.
In a good quality non-stick frying pan, heat 2 tablespoon of butter with a tablespoon of oil. When the butter is foaming, season the fish with salt and pepper, place skin-side down in the pan and leave alone to cook over a medium heat for about six to eight minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet. The key to crispy skin is to avoid overcrowding the hot pan and resist pushing the fish around the pan once it’s cooking.
Meanwhile, in another non-stick frying pan, heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Add the greens and toss, removing from the heat just before they are fully wilted.
Squeeze a little lemon over each fillet before turning to cook flesh-side down for another minute or two. Aim to leave the fish slightly undercooked in the middle so it doesn’t dry out.
Serve up some roasted beets on each plate, top with a fillet skin-side up and garnish with wilted greens. You could finish the dish with a dollop of herbed crème fraiche or a drizzle of vinaigrette.
Per serving: 294 calories (percent of calories from fat, 43), 30 grams protein, 12 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 14 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 75 milligrams cholesterol, 260 milligrams sodium.
Adapted from “Ard Bia Cook Book” by Aoibheann Mac Namara and Aoife Carrigy (Atrium, $59.95).
Lemon Posset
Hands on Time: 30 minutes Total time: 4 hours including time for the posset to set Serves: 6
Posset, a simple creamy dessert, named for a 19th century drink of wine-curdled spiced milk, is making a bit of a comeback. Here it's topped with a fruity, freshly made berry compote.
1 quart fresh cream
¾ cup sugar
2 lemons, juice and zest
For the berry compote
1 cup mixed berries (blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, elderberries)
¾ cup sugar (or more if berries are very sharp)
½ cup water
1 handful lemon balm, chopped (optional, but great with dark berries)
In a medium saucepan, bring the cream and sugar to the boil, turn the heat down and simmer for three minutes. Take off the heat and allow to cool.
Once cool, whisk in the lemon juice and zest and beat thoroughly for about two minutes. Pour into clean jars or glasses and leave in the fridge to set for three to four hours.
Before you make the compote, taste one or two berries to check for sweetness — if they’re rather tart you may want to add a little extra sugar. In a small saucepan, combine the berries sugar and water. Bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer. If you have managed to get your hands on some lemon balm, add the chopped leaves at this stage.
Cook just until the sugar dissolves and the fruit has softened but not pureed, about 10 minutes depending on the type and ripeness of the berries. Check the sweetness of the compote, adding a little more sugar if necessary (you may want to dissolve it in a little hot water and add as a sugar syrup to ensure it is fully dissolved.)
Allow to cool before pouring a little on top of each of the set possets. Serve with little biscuits on the side.
Tip: Diced rhubarb also makes for another tasty seasonal compote, although you’ll need to be more generous with the sugar and with the cooking time to soften the fruit.
Per serving: 597 calories (percent of calories from fat, 58), 4 grams protein, 60 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram fiber, 40 grams fat (25 grams saturated), 139 milligrams cholesterol, 61 milligrams sodium.
Adapted from “Ard Bia Cook Book” by Aoibheann Mac Namara and Aoife Carrigy (Atrium, $59.95).
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