Not
sure how many of you have been to Derry, I hadn’t been either but recently we
went on a ‘wee dander’ around the walled city courtesy of Tourism Northern
Ireland.
For me and other members of the Guild of Irish Food Writers, it was a deeply
moving experience to walk around the city on top of the old walls, past
the now peaceful Bogside and the Free Derry Wall. We had our photos taken in
front of the wonderful Derry Girls mural, visited the Tower Museum, it was also
full of memorabilia from the brilliant Channel 4 TV series of the same name.
There was a replica of Mary’s beloved kitchen, the wire chip pan and deep
fry, the sofa and cushions, a school uniform from Our Lady Immaculate
College and a café actually serving the same cream horns made famous in one of
the episodes when Grandpa Joe was busted after he was spied in
Doherty’s bakery buying a cream horn when he only went in for an apple
turnover!
We walked across the Peace Bridge, opened in 2011 over the River Foyle. We heard the story from Angela Heaney, our deeply knowledgeable guide of how for centuries, the river divided the communities who now, at last, walk freely backwards and forwards over the bridge.
Next day we were treated to a full-on Derry by Fork, food and drink tour. We met numerous chefs, restaurants and café owners and visited Brendan at the iconic Moore on the Quay fish stall and Pyke n Pommes Café tucked into an old double-decker bus on the riverbank. After delicious fish tacos, we had a selection of Asian fusion appetisers at Umi, and a taste of a delicious Austrian wine made by a young winemaker Andy.
Put it on your Derry list along with Phelim O’Hagan and Serina Macari, his lovely restaurant Artis where we tucked into dinner later. The tear and share brioche with whipped beef fat and marmite butter was worth the detour alone.
We
had so many delicious tastes of local food but also exceptional local beverages
– Rough Brothers Beer, Walled City Brewery and Gin School, Earhart Gin and the
cult style Northland Beer.
Paula McIntyre, the entertaining and much loved radio, TV chef and food writer
accompanied us on the tour. We met many farmers, artisans, and cheesemakers,
including Kevin Hickey from Dart Cheese in the Sperrin mountains who supplied
the memorable Sperrin Blue to accompany the Moyletra Moilie heritage beef
cooked over fire at the long table dinner in the walled garden at Brooke Hall
Estate. I also loved the nettle seed crisps from Noreen Vandervelde with ripe
fig and cheese.
More good things at Browns in Town, little mini burgers and a juicy cube
of streaky pork with burnt apple sauce. We popped into Yum, the multi award
winning bakery close to the lovely Ebrington Hotel to sample their
brownies and The Cottage Craft Gallery where we had tea and the famous
scones.
Bet
you are feeling full even reading this, so were we but deliciously so and so
looking forward to spreading the word about the cool culinary delights of
Londonderry/Derry affectionately known as stroke city! Might just have to go
back soon for the barbecue school at Brook Hall or another long table dinner in
the walled garden….
‘Artis’ Brioche with Whipped Beef Fat and Marmite Butter
Thank you to Artis for sharing this super delicious recipe.
Although not a traditional bread recipe, this is our ‘quick’ brioche we use, as it doesn’t need to be made the evening before, and we use melted rather than cold butter.
A bread recipe from Martijn Kajuiter from my time at the Cliff House Hotel that we’ve made our own.
500g strong flour
10g salt
10g sugar
175g milk
125g melted butter
3 eggs
12g dried yeast ‘or’ 25g fresh yeast
herbs/caramelised onion/seeds – whatever you choose to flavour your breads.
Add all the dry ingredients to a mixing bowl including your choice of flavouring.
Take 75g milk and heat until lukewarm to activate the yeast, (20-30°C), add the yeast and stir.
In a food processor, blend together the rest of the wet ingredients, add to dry ingredients gradually whilst mixing.
Let the mixer knead the bread for 5-10 minutes.
Prove in a greased cover container for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Knock bread back by turning onto a lightly floured surface and kneading the dough gently until nice and smooth.
Weigh dough into 60g balls (for individual breads) or 12 x 15g balls (for tear and share style) and roll into smooth balls.
Brush rolled balls lightly with egg wash.
For individual bread loaves, bake for 8 minutes at 175°C.
For tear and share, arrange all the small balls into a large circle on a non-stick pan and bake for 12 minutes at 175°C.
Serve with Whipped Beef Fat and Marmite Butter (see recipe).
Whipped Beef Fat and Marmite Butter
200g rendered beef fat
150g unsalted Irish butter
35g marmite
In a food processor, whip all the ingredients together until almost double in size.
Serve with sea salt and crispy onions on top
Note: Replace the
beef fat with butter if you prefer or alternatively for chicken butter, use chicken
fat and for bacon butter, use bacon fat.
‘Lo and Slo’s’ Butter Braised Potatoes
This delicious recipe was generously shared by Lo and Slo.
We also greatly enjoyed mussels and tomahawk steaks cooked over a fire pit in the walled garden at Brook Hall just outside the city.
New potatoes are perfect for maintaining their shape and creating a sweet, velvety interior. Floury potatoes will break down during the cooking process, these are also delicious but risk burning. Keep an eye on them and give them a gentle, extra little stir.
These can be cooked in the oven if desired. Seasonal herbs and garlic may be added.
Serves 6-8
2kg seasonal potatoes (any variety)
250g salted butter
a good glug of vegetable or rapeseed oil (neutral flavour with a high smoke point)
flaky sea salt
chilli flakes
Light your BBQ fire.
You want your coals glowing with a white ashy coating, not leaping flames.
Slice your potatoes into 4cm pieces and place into a large baking tray.
Divide the butter into large pieces evenly on top of the potatoes.
Add a glug of the oil.
Sprinkle a handful of flaky sea salt on the potatoes. Add chilli flakes to taste and stir to distribute.
Allow the potatoes to simmer over the coals, stirring occasionally.
Top up with oil if they are looking too dry.
When the potatoes become golden brown and toasted, remove from the grill. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Cream Horns
These delicious flaky cornets will, for many folks, be forever associated with the Derry Girls TV series, but for me, they bring memories flooding back of two cafés in Kilkenny city in the 1960’s where Mummy took us for occasional treats at Mulhall’s and Marie’s Café on High Street.
We would fantasise and argue all the way from Cullohill about whether we would order a cream horn or a chocolate éclair.
Makes 18 to 20
puff pastry, homemade with butter
egg wash
icing sugar
homemade raspberry jam
softly whipped cream
cream horn moulds
pastry wheel, optional
Roll the chilled puff pastry into a rectangle, 35cm long and 3mm thick. Cut into strips, 2-2.5cm wide. Keep chilled.
Starting at the tip, roll a strip of pastry around the pointed end, rotating around the mould so the pastry overlaps by 3mm down to the wider end.
Arrange on a baking tray, sealed side downwards.
Brush lightly with egg wash. Transfer to a fridge and chill.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, lift off the tray and detach
from the mould when cool enough to handle.
When cold, spoon some raspberry jam into the interior of the cornets, fill with a swirl of whipped cream. Arrange on a doyley on a pretty china plate and enjoy.
