Sticky Moroccan Mackerel

23 May

Mackerel chilling in their marinade

 

Last week I asked for a few suggestions as to what my next recipe would be. Thanks to everyone for the comments and suggestions! Lizzy suggested something Moroccan or a fish dish- so I combined the two. And so was born my Sticky Moroccan Mackerel.

Yesterday evening I made the short jaunt out to Howth and got my hands on some incredibly fresh whole mackerel, which my obliging fishmonger cleaned for me. I don’t mind cleaning fish, I used to do it for a living, but I appreciate when they offer to do it!

Ingredients:

2 whole gutted mackerel

2 tablespoons of honey

3 tablespoons of ketchup

juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon of turmeric

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

For this recipe I took the barbecue out of hibernation, and it really added to the flavour of the dish. Fist wash the mackerel and pat dry with some kitchen paper. Take the heads off if you like. Then score the flesh as I have done in the photo- this allows the marinade to permeate into the flesh. This is important because the likelihood is if you barbecue the mackerel, a lot of the marinade will come off with the skin.

Then mix all the ingredients until you get a smooth paste. Place the mackerel in a long dish and spoon the marinade over them. Ensure the marinade gets into the cavity and then scores. Ideally if you can leave them to marinade for a few hours that would be perfect. If not, no worries! I didn’t have that long!

Ensure you have a nice hot grill/ barbecue. The mackerel cooks pretty quickly. As sizes differ, as will the barbecue, the best guide re: timing I can give you would be to look into the scores on the skin and you can see how far the fillets on each side have cooked. If you have a fish grill this is ideal, as it allows you to turn the fish without it disintegrating.

I served the mackerel with some greens and brown rice- on which I poured a little sesame oil and lime juice.

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Challenge me

18 May

Right short post- but I have a challenge for you!

I want my next proper post to be a recipe- I am starting to get cooking withdrawal symptoms. You guys get to pick what I cook. Please comment below and I’ll pick one of the ideas!

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Trip to Edinburgh

16 May

Last week, I asked you nice people for suggestions for food related places in Edinburgh. I got some great suggestions in terms of places to eat-out in and some interesting shops.

I went over with my better-half to visit some of her nearest and dearest and they brought us to two places I want to talk to you about.

The first was Holyrood 9A. This is a great spot for a few reasons. As you walk in there is an impressive array of interesting beers on draught at a very attractive bar. Crucially  it had one of my favourites Blue Moon. Secondly the menu was interesting, with an array of quirky options. My (adventurous) Cheese burger was served with nice skinny fries and a side of slaw, and presented attractively. Also it was nice to be served a burger that you could actually eat with your hands rather than the towering skyscrapers most places serve. Approving noises were made all around. Others got the steak-sandwich, and the Shroom Italienne, with Piri Piri fries. Service was very friendly and prompt. Also worth noting- this place is child friendly- crucial as we had a little person in tow.

The other place we frequented was The Scottish Cafe. It is located in the National gallery in the Princess Street Gardens. It is an open and airy dining room and was  humming on the Sunday afternoon we visited.  It sources a huge amount of its produce from Scottish producers and the menu reads nicely.

I opted for the cheese sandwich with chips (god I ate mundane options this trip). In truth it was a posh cheese sandwich, with Isle of Mull Cheddar, nice red onion relish, and a barley and beetroot mix. The barley and beetroot mix was different, my only gripe was the cheddar was grated and made the sandwich a little dry. My better half had the rabbit terrine with some bread (more on this in a minute) and she enjoyed the dish. We finished with a rhubarb tart and a portion of set cream. The tart was tasty and different from the typical, it was almondy and moist and I ate every morsel. The better half  and her sister shared a portion of set cream. I managed to sneak a taste or two- and it was one of the most delicious deserts I have tasted in a long time. The consistency was perfect and it had a rich vanilla taste- studded with an abundance of vanilla flecks.

While the food here was good- I am sorry to say the service was not at all in the same league. The side of bread mentioned earlier- ordered with our food, didn’t arrive. After reminding a waitress it still didn’t arrive- and on the third asking finally arrived at the table-  quite some time after the dish it was due to accompany. I asked for a refill of water and it never arrived. There were a lot of staff walking around- but they seemed ambivalent, certainly towards our table.

 

I would like to thank everyone who tweeted, facebooked and left suggestions for this trip- I really appreciate it.  Also I would like to thank the other half’s family for the weekend and for bringing us to these places. I’m looking forward to the next trip already.

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A new (neon) gem

15 May

In recent weeks, I have been on a quest to try Dublin’s newest eateries. I had grown tired of the usual suspects in town, and I took to twitter to seek tips from you nice people. It was very promptly suggested by a friend that I give one such newcomer a try.

I was meeting another friend for lunch in town and so we headed to Neon (He wanted to get a mention if I wrote about this- Hi Mark.) Upon entering Neon, you are greeted with a very sleek restaurant, with bench seating and counters at one end, behind which is an open kitchen (something I always enjoy seeing.)

We took a table while perusing the menus, on the advise of the very friendly staff.  I opted for a Red Curry with prawns and Mark opted for Chicken, chilli and cashew nuts.  The lunch deal is great value: a main and soft-drink for €9.95, and comes with a free DIY ice-cream cone (They have a mini 99-stlye machine in the corner!)

The dishes were served in takeaway containers, and for those of you who like eating from more refined receptacles there are dishes on every table. Sitting on top of my very generous portion of curry were a number of prawns. I wondered for a moment whether there would be any more lurking in the sauce beneath. I am delighted to say that my scepticism was misplaced, it was truly crustacean-filled, delivering a nice amount of heat. Mark was similarly pleased with his dish.

After just about finishing our lunches, we toddled over to the ice-cream machine to round off what was an excellent meal. Neon’s food, staff and surrounds are all likely to impress you- oh and the ice-cream probably will too.

 

Is there anywhere else in Dublin you think I should try?

 

 

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Saba Review

10 May

Saba, on Dublin’s Clarendon Street is a restaurant I have walked by hundreds of times in recent years but never had the opportunity to try. I remedied this situation recently when a few of us went for an Early Bird dinner. Well they call it their fixed price menu (available Sunday to Wednesday). Maybe they don’t like birds.

The front of house ably diffused a slight issue with the reservation (a problem on their end) and we were seated. The dining room was incredibly busy given that it was before 7 on a weekday. The service throughout the meal was fine. One thing that annoys me in restaurants is when as a group you ask for tap water and they don’t leave a jug. If they don’t for whatever reason, I at least expect that they will keep an eye on my water-glass to ensure it doesn’t run empty. At least not for two courses. It was only when we asked for them to be replenished that a mystical jug appeared. Overall the service was very prompt throughout- our drinks had barely landed when the starters arrived.

To start I had the Phla Salmon. Its presentation differed from what the menu promised.  To be fair, the salmon was cooked beautifully. It was moist and perfectly cooked which allowed the salmon to speak for itself. As an aside I have a soft spot for Clare Island Organic Salmon, as I used to sell kilo after kilo of the stuff in a previous life as a fishmonger, so I delight whenever it pops up on menus.

However the dish lacked a little punch from what was promised. The salmon was presented flaked in a bowl mixed with some chopped lemongrass and other fragrant mulch. The chilli sauce it came with provided some good punch- however I would have preferred to see the salmon served on the lettuce leaves rather than in the bowl as it would have allowed for the flaked salmon to be a little less wet.

For my main I had the Phuket noodles. A generous portion of noodles arrived, with a very acceptable number of prawns on board also. The promised holy basil, was not so present- and the dish was a little one-dimensional as a result. Given that Saba bills itself as ‘award-winning’ Thai food- I was hoping for vibrant, fragrant dishes, and in this regard it was a little flat. To be fair my dining companions  Phad Thai noodles were deliciously sweet and zingy so perhaps I erred in my choice of dishes.

Desert was a chocolate tart. The tart was fine, stock restaurant desert fare. The stand-out element was the pistachio ice cream. It was excellent. The name of the producer escapes me.

Overall for the price of the menu, it’s not bad value in Saba, given how busy it was, they are obviously doing something right.

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Edinburgh tips

7 May

I’m very excited about an upcoming weekend break to Edinburgh. I’ve been twice in recent years, and loved it. Once with my college class and once for the Heineken Cup Final (Sorry Leicester Tigers)- but as you can imagine- these were both rather lively trips- this time should be (somewhat) different.

So I was wondering did any of you have any advice for good food-shops/restaurants/ bars etc?! All suggestions welcome and very much appreciated!

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Kitchen Hero Returns!

29 Apr

Just a short little post to remind you all that Donal Skehan returns to our televisions tomorrow night for a new series of Kitchen Hero. It’s on RTE 1 at 8:30 PM. The book Kitchen Hero: Great Food for Less is out on May 10th.

I might just have to make my favourite Kitchen Hero recipe, Nasi Goreng tomorrow night. What’s your favourite Kitchen Hero recipe?

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Doha Trip

24 Apr

I have just returned from a trip to Doha, Qatar’s capital. It is a truly astonishing place.  It is an intriguing blend of cultures.  While parts of the city hark back to its Arab history, it is developing into a metropolis that would rival many a capital city. I could write on for some time about this remarkable country and its phenomenal growth in recent years- but we would be here for hours. Let’s talk about the food.

There is a huge variety of cuisines available to sample. In the new hotels that stud the city, you can sample any cuisine you may choose from Greek to Chinese. More tradition fare is available in the local restaurants where you can enjoy delicious grilled meats, wonderful flat-breads and delicious hummus. A local favourite is this local lemon-mint drink. It consists of  lemon juice, sugar syrup, blended with mint and sometimes ice. It is insanely refreshing and cuts through the ever-present heat.

On this trip I ate in Mykonos. A Greek restaurant at the Intercontinental Hotel. The zucchini/courgette balls were the highlight of the meal. They were falafel type creatures made from shredded courgette.They were delicate and fragrant and maintained an impressive crunch after cooking.

Another evening we made our way to The Cellar in the Oryx Rotana hotel. This is a tapas/wine bar and was thronged on the night we ate there. The food was very strong throughout. We had an assortment of dishes at the table. The highlights were aubergine grilled and served with the sweetest sliced onion salad I have ever eaten, lamb chops chargrilled, grilled prawns and patatas bravas came with a delicious, creamy aioli.

What I would recommend to any traveller to Doha is a visit to Souq Waqif.It is a traditional middle-eastern souq that offers an array of spices and foods that would delight anyone with even the slightest culinary inclination. The pungent smell of spices permeates the warm air, as does the smoke from hundreds of Hookah pipes.

Stocking up on spices is always a high priority whenever I visit the Souq. As you can see the prices are very agreeable ( 5 Qatari Riyals (ish) to the Euro.) In addition the spices are all superbly fresh and give a tremendous bang for your buck. Saffron is €8 for 5 grams for example. The shop fronts are guarded by sacks after sack of flower petals and pulses. Other shops sell every variation of pot and pan you could wish for, some so big you could comfortably bathe in.

I will be back to Doha, and I look forward to sampling more of the great food this city has to offer.

My question to you is: Where is the most impressive market you have been to? What are your memories of it?

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Pichet review

2 Apr

Apologies for the lack of posting in recent weeks- I had the small matter of some exams to do. They are now over and back to blogging!

 

I finally got to eat in Pichet last night. Since it has opened I have heard nothing but good things, and often from people who are tough to please.

 

Upon arriving the staff really made an effort to welcome you to the restaurant, a little touch but it made us feel that we weren’t just another cover to them. The restaurant surroundings are very pleasant, and made for an enjoyable setting for the evening. The early bird menu ended up enticing us all, but I must mention that at something € mid-forty region the tasting menu could be superb value also.  Bread was served with balsamic and olive oil, which I always appreciate as a non butter-eater.

 

I started with the terrine, which had a wonderfully soft texture and was packed full of flavour. It was served with a nice wedge of toasted bread and a few salad leaves. The fig purée provided a nice hint of sharpness to the terrine.  My dining companions went for the spring onion risotto (which they said was delicious- and was quite a generous portion). My better half went for the celeriac velouté, which came with a tortelloni of short back ribs, which apparently was also very enjoyable.

 

Two of us opted for the short back ribs for our main course. They were incredibly tender, and came with a horseradish mousseline and some wilted spinach topped with some superb onion rings. They worked very well together, but I would have liked more of the mousseline and spinach.  The roast chicken was the other choice at the table and was incredibly flavoursome and succulent.

 

Desert was by far the stand-out course. Two of us opted for the white chocolate mouse, which came with raspberries in syrup, cubes of raspberry jelly and the best sorbet I have tasted. It was also raspberry. This redeemed my faith in sorbets after a hideous raspberry sorbet experience recently. You will hear about that soon. The other desert that was chosen was salt caramel ice cream with various accompaniments. Approving noises were made with regards to this also.

 

Dinner was rounded off with a very good espresso. A nice touch to round off the very strong service was being asked did we want our coffees with or after desert. It is nice not to get chased out of a restaurant at an early bird sitting. Equally when we enquired about sides with our mains, they said we would probably be fine- rather than the nearly obligatory up-sell.  With regards to the wine-list, there is some very good value.

 

You won’t go wrong in Pichet. The food and service are very strong.  It certainly lived up to its reputation. I look forward to returning.

 

 

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El Paso Howth returns

28 Feb

Howth has regained one of its culinary institutions in recent weeks. El Paso is back, in a different guise, as it now resides above The Waterside pub.

I had a quick meal here the other night and hence I think it would be unfair to write too long a post, both on restaurant and reader. I had a chicken burrito and my dining companion had potato skins. The burrito (€15.50) was fine, tasty, served with a good dollop of relish and sour cream. The accompanying portion of rice was a little on the small side (clearly two scoops from a potato/ice-cream scoop) but tasted as promised of lime and coriander to be fair. However the chicken was a little stringy and there wasn’t much else in the burrito apart from re-fried beans. The potato skins were eaten and were fine apparently, but at €6.55 were a smidge pricey.

Staff were very friendly I have to say, while they seemed a little understaffed- a few people had to wait a while to be seated etc. they really were very pleasant.

Wine wise, it was nice to see a glass of white being served for under a fiver.

Given it was a Sunday evening, the place was very busy- which is always great to see. The décor is bright and there was a buzz about the place. Would I rush back? Probably not- I like a bit more bang for my buck in a €15 burrito, but overall it seems like a nice setting for casual dining and the staff are good. If they tweak the food- I would be back sooner. I wish them every success in their new home.

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