West coast trip Kenmare and Killarney

Stayed a night at Killarney and had a few hikes in the area, it is a famous scenic corner of Ireland. Both towns have their character and easy to find decent things to eat.

 

Reenagross Park

 

Reenagross Park

Reenagross Park

Reenagross Park, laurel trees

An easy loop walk along the coast and in the forest, a forest of laurel trees, making that unique wiggly shapes (like in Madeira).

 

Torc Waterfall

 

Torc Waterfall

Torc Waterfall

Torc Waterfall walk

A powerful rumbling tall waterfall in a lush green forest, with the leaves starting to change colour.

 

Tomies Wood loop walk

 

lake side

oak forest

river

water fall

oak forest

Lake Leane

A 3 hours walk started with a gently uphill hike to the top, with a splendid view of Killarney and Lake Leane and Ross. Then wind through the forest of oak, holly and azalea, along a river to a waterfall. Finally a flight of steps leads down to the cascade that opens to the lake, and a short walk along the lake. Fantastic varied views, a top hiking spot.

 

Restaurant at Park Hotel

 

duck breast

loin of venison

scallop with crispy chicken wing

Hard to find decent restaurants in Ireland to enjoy fine dining, for food and the atmosphere, this one has a Michelin mention, cooking is well executed.

Sowing green leaf vegetables

Daikon

daikon, gold beetroot, parsnip, artichoke

 

Tong Ho (Shungiko)

 

There is still quite a lot to harvest from the garden, like Daikon, carrot, beetroot, brussel sprouts, parsnip, pumpkin, leek, chicory, and many herbs, no need to go shopping for vegetables.

Though a bit short on green leaves, I should have sow and plant them regularly throughout the season to keep a constant supply, a lot to learn.

Never too late, just germinated cos lettuce Lobjoits, Tong Ho (Shungiko), endive Bordeaux, kale baby leaves and spinach Matador.

Cherry tomato tart

With super sweet cherry tomato Aperitif, it is fun to use them to made dessert, beautiful and tasty.

 

 Cherry tomato tart

1. Make a short crust pastry and roll to a thin round disk.

2. Laid on top cherry tomatoes cut into halves.

3. Sprinkle salt and shavings of parmesan, bake at 200˚C until pastry golden, around 25 minutes.

Tomato harvest

tomatoes

tomatotes

 

Finally it is the time to harvest all ripe and unripe tomatoes inside green house, temperature is too low for fruit to mature and being humid, very easy to grow mould.

 

green tomatoes to be turned to sauce

red tomatoes to be turned into sauce

I turned them into red tomato sauce and green tomato sauce, simply roast in oven on large baking tray, season with salt, black pepper and olive oil. When soft and reduced, blend into puree. Freeze in portion for easy use.

 

green tomato salsa to go with fish

Also made green tomato salsa to go with meat or fish. Cut green tomatoes into small cubes, season with salt, vinegar, brown sugar and spices (clove, chili, etc). Can keep in the fridge for a month.

semi-dried tomatoes

 

Some ripe tomatoes are cut into slices and semi-dried in fruit drier, then place on baking paper to freeze, great to use in salad, or to make bruschetta.

Velvet crab

 

velvet crab alive

velvet crab cooked

 

One of the crab that is available nearly year round and delivered alive is this little velvet crab, turns red after cooking. It is very popular in Northern Spain called necora, now I know a lot are shipped from Ireland, as local finds it too fiddly to eat.

Though small, it is full of meat, and sweet meat, the taste is much better than mud crab which is more popular here, because of being bigger.

I bake them at 200˚C for 12 minutes, just cooked.

Pumpkin soup with garlic scallion naan

 

pumpkin pink banana

A good pumpkin harvest this year, gradually using them up, no compliant especially this Pink Banana variety, good size, creamy sweet texture, great in roasting and in soup.

 

pumpkin soup with garlic scallion naan

1. Cut pumpkin into cubes, with skin, cover with water, add a knob of butter, a tablespoon of light miso, season with salt and pepper.

2. Bring to boil, simmer until soft, around 15 minutes, blend to puree

 

For making naan, sweat garlic and scallion until soft, season with salt, when cool, place in the middle of a once risen bread dough, fold and stretch a few time then roll thin, bake or fry on pan. Goes really well with the soup.

Cuttlefish

 

cuttlefish

Got a big cuttlefish from the fishmonger, enough for 3 meals. The cleaning is the same as squid, the taste is similar, but being thicker, cuttlefish has more texture to enjoy.

Pull legs out of body, cut away jaw, eyes and organs. Remove backbone and skin from the body, score the outside with crisscross pattern for it to cook faster.

 

Cuttlefish with tomato, oregano stew and pine nut

cuttlefish stew

 

The legs are used in a stew, with tomato, oregano, season with salt, soy sauce, brown sugar and pepper, add toasted pine nut before serving.

 

Seared cuttlefisf

seared cuttlefish

 

Season cuttlefish body with salt, pepper and olive oil. Sear on a hot pan, until just golden on each side, 30 seconds each.

Irish sea urchin

Irish sea urchin

 

What a surprise to see sea urchin listed on the on-line fishmonger site. Apparently produced in hatchery then released onto the sea bed to live naturally, until reaches the size to harvest.

It is quite a bit of work to open and clean out the internal organs, but the taste of unique creamy, mild sweet marine flavor is so pleasant, especially after 2 years of not having any Japanes sushi/sashimi. 

Irish sea urchin

Irish sea urchin on rice and seaweed

 

The flavor and creaminess came out better when placed on top of sushi rice and crispy seaweed.

Mash potato with leek and beetroot

 

 Mash potato is a good filling and warming food for autumn, adding leek and beetroot for flavor and colour.  

 

Mash potato with leek and beetroot

1. Sweat leek with generous amount of butter.

2. Boil beetroot and potato, cut beetroot into small cubes, potato mashed.

3. Mix potato with leek, season with salt and pepper, sprinkle beetroot on top.

The Rock Cashel, Ireland

The most famous monument in Ireland, a group of church, monastry, defence tower, walled buildings, dated from 1000AD onward.

 

The Rock Cashel, Ireland

The Rock Cashel, Ireland

The Rock Cashel, Ireland

The Rock Cashel, Ireland

The Rock Cashel, Ireland

Lucky to visit now in Covid era, there is only one German tour group, and able to wander around and feel the place in the fantastic isolated location, up on a higher point in miles of flat fields.

 

There are a lot of pointy circular towers in Ireland, reminded me of rocket since the first time I saw it. This is the tallest one, so gracefully slightly tapers towards the top.

 

All the buildings are tall and grand, built in good era with ambitious plan and building ability.

Apple upside down tart with Stilton

Inspired by Raymond Blanc's cooking program, saw his guest chef made Tart Tartin served with slivers of Stilton on top, and the approving smile on the master's face. I copied using semi-dried apple to reduce cooking time, and used short crust pastry instead of puff pastry, much easier to make at home and equally good result.

 

Apple upside down pie with Stilton  

Apple upside down pie  in preparation

halved apples for semi-drying, should be placed with flat side up instead

1. Make short crust pastry

2. Cut cooking green apple into halves without core, place with the flat side up on baking tray, dry in oven at 130˚C until 1/3 shrunk, around 2 hours. I made a large batch for later use.

3. Smear cold butter to 2mm thick in the bottom of baking dish, sprinkle another 2mm sugar on top, arrange semi-dried apple on top, flat side up.

4. Roll out pastry to a cm bigger than baking dish, cover the apples and tug edges inside the rim. Using a toothpick to poke holes in the pastry to let steam out.

5. Bake at 190˚C until pastry golden, around 20 minutes, flip upside down onto a plate and serve with slivers of Stilton on top.

Smoked trout in fennel sauce

 Re-heating smoked trout that has been stored in the freezer, in simple fennel  sauce.

 

Smoked trout in fennel sauce

1. Sweat scallion and fennel until soft and fragrant, season with salt and pepper, mix with 30gm cream.

2. Place smoked trout in baking dish, pour sauce on top, bake at 160˚C until warmed through, around 25 minutes, turning over half way.

Lobster in two meals

Ordered a 1kg lobster, to be enjoyed over 2 meals, 2 delicious meals. I steam the whole lobster for 5 minutes to kill it first, than cut into halves.

 

lobster halves grilled in butter

Lobster tail halves - cover the body with slices of salted butter, grill at 220˚C for 5 minutes. Tomali in the head is cooked and creamy, tail meat enriched with buttery flavor.

 

lobster claw meat pasta

Lobster claws pasta - hand made pasta (1egg and 100gm pasta flour), sweat leek and carrot in generous amount of butter until soft, season with salt and pepper. Cook pasta, mix into vegetable together with lobster claw meat.