Sunday, March 16, 2008
Food, Travel, Recipes

The charm of Irish cuisine

 

By Blane Bachelor


I’m one sip into cocktails with Kevin Dundon, one of the most celebrated chefs in Ireland, when I make an egregious error: Admitting my delight in discovering that Irish cuisine goes far beyond corned beef and cabbage.

“Actually, that’s not Irish,” says Dundon, with just the slightest touch of alarm in his voice, proceeding to inform me that the dish so many people (like myself) mistakenly associate with the Emerald Isle traces its roots instead to Jewish immigrants in 19th-century America. Unable to find the boiled ham joint, or “bacon,” with which they were familiar, Irish natives who fled their country during the potato famine were introduced to corned beef by their Jewish neighbors in Manhattan. Yet millions of Yanks tuck into a plate of corned beef and cabbage as a well-intentioned, if erroneous, tribute to the Irish every St. Patrick’s Day.

Gratefully educated, I soon discover Dundon isn’t so much a stickler for setting the record straight as he is an ambassador for his country’s emerging culinary movement. Indeed, with his first cookbook, “Full on Irish,” flying off the shelves (and another on the way); regular appearances on Irish and American television; his third restaurant just opened in the United States; and the exquisite Dunbrody Country House Hotel & Restaurant, which he runs with wife Catherine on Ireland’s southwest coast, Dundon is at the forefront of a recent renaissance that has food enthusiasts looking at Ireland with a new respect.

With its mild temperatures, lush pastures and ocean on every side, the country has the conditions to produce a buffet of tasty treats: creamy cheeses, plump seafood and earthy organic vegetables. “It’s really about letting the ingredients speak for themselves,” Dundon says of his style. Not surprisingly, his inspiration is “what comes in the back door,” and at the Harvest Room, his award-winning restaurant at Dunbrody, that includes produce and herbs grown on the 200-acre property and local beef.

“Traceability is huge for me,” Dundon says. “I have to know the farmer, I have to know where it came from. It’s not that I’m an organic freak—I’m not—but I like knowing where the meat came from and how it’s been raised. It’s just so much better than buying it in a box.”

Early in his career, Dundon spent about 10 years working as a chef outside of Ireland, working his way up the kitchen ladder in Canada, the Caribbean and Switzerland. Upon returning home, where he was recruited to become the prestigious executive chef at Dublin’s swank Shelbourne Hotel, Dundon found he’d developed a new appreciation for his country’s high-quality ingredients.

“When you grow up with something all your life, you’re sometimes oblivious to the quality,” he says. “When I started cooking again after I came back, the food was hopping off the plate like an atomic bomb because of the quality of the ingredients we have in Ireland. You don’t need to do a lot to them. You’ll spoil the ingredients if you overwork them, because your palate is confused.”

Mine is nothing but delighted through the seven-course, “Full on Irish” tasting menu at the Harvest Room at the Dunbrody House. First on the list are scallops so fat I have to cut them in half, their juicy sweetness complemented by a lighted creamed corn sauce. Two courses later comes a pan-friend filet of turbot, a fish I’ve never heard of but quickly decide is one I’d welcome as a full-sized entrée. Soft and meaty, the turbot is perfectly complemented with a light lemon butter sauce and a side of garden leeks and trompette mushrooms. By the time I polish off a decadent chocolate-and-praline tart, I’ve gained a firsthand appreciation of not only Dundon’s talents in the kitchen but the richness of his country’s harvest. SP
For more information on Kevin Dundon, visit www.dunbrodyhouse.com.

Seared Filet of Beef with Crispy Onions and Horseradish Cream*

(Serves 4)
*A recipe from Kevin Dundon’s “Full on Irish” cookbook

• 1 pound filet of beef (well-hung)
• 1 ¼ tablespoon olive oil
• 2 ounces mixed salad leaves with herbs
• 2 ½ tablespoons balsamic vinaigrette

For the horseradish cream:

• 2 ½ tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 ¼ tablespoon creamed horseradish
• Squeeze of lemon juice

For the crispy onions:

• Sunflower oil for deep-frying
• ½ cup plain flour
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Parchment paper

Heat an ovenproof griddle pan until very hot. Season the beef filet. Add the olive oil to the pan, and then add the beef and brown well for 10 minutes on all sides until you have a nice, thick crust. Remove from heat and leave to stand in a warm place until the beef has relaxed. This will take at least 10 minutes, but you could leave the beef to stand for up to 2 hours, provided it’s not in too hot of a place.

To make the horseradish cream, place the mayonnaise in a small bowl with the creamed horseradish and lemon juice. Season to taste and mix well until combined. Cover with cling film and chill until needed.

To make the crispy onion rings, heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 350 degrees F until a small piece of white bread turns golden brown in about 30 seconds. Or use a deep-sided pan and ensure that it’s only halfway full.

Place the flour on a plate and season generously, then use to lightly dust the onion slices, shaking off any excess. Deep-fry for 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Spread out on kitchen (parchment) paper and allow to cool and crisp up by lifting them occasionally to separate.

To serve, when the beef has rested, transfer it to a carving board. Use a very sharp carving knife to cut it into slices. Place the mixed salad leaves with herbs in a bowl, and add enough of the vinaigrette to lightly coat the leaves. Arrange the beef on serving plates with a dollop of the horseradish cream and a small pile of the crispy onion rings.