NEW FOOD PHOTOS

Poached Fig and Blue Cheese Tart with Truffle Dust, Crunchy Honey, Walnut Dressing and Micro Herbs





Cold Seafood Plate, Spice Smoked Salmon, Crab in Marinated Cucumber, Salmon Tartar, Smoked Haddock, Avocado Mousse, Light Curry Powder and Horseradish Foam.

Melon Spheres with Air Dried Connemara Organic Lamb, Port Reduction and Wild Nettle Sorbet.

HOLIDAYS

Was on holidays recently in West Clare and West Cork fantastic places pity about the Irish weather . In Clare we stayed in Lahinch which is probably the best surfing location in Ireland spent half a day falling off before i got back into the swing of it an exhilarating sport . We also visited water world in Lahinch which was not worth the entrance fee the only thing of interest was the lobster incubation tank where you could see each stage of a lobsters development month by month and having seen how big a lobster is after one year i feel a bit guilty having slain so many in the past i would guesstimate that a one and a half pound lobster is about 10 years old which goes a long way to explaining the rarity and expense of the magnificent beast, this also is why we have to insure that Lobsters are sustainably caught in Irish waters so that Irish Lobsters can be enjoyed by generations to come. The food in Lahinch was nothing special most places had similar menus if i was to pick the best Vaughan's lodge hotel and Vaughan's anchor inn don't know if there is a connection would be the best two places to eat. While in Clare we visited the aran islands which were fantastic, the cliffs of moher and the burren all fantastic worthy of a visit.

THE BRADLEY SMOKER

For the last ten days my every pore, hair follicles, lock of hair and item of clothing has stunk of smoke. Alder wood smoke, oak wood smoke, hickory wood smoke and a special blend smoke, i really stunk but what a smokin good time i had "excuse the lame pun and mentioning of the word smoke 7 times in 1 paragraph."

Back to smoking we smoked salmon hot and cold, chicken, duck, sea bass, john dory, monk fish, oysters, tomatoes and assorted vegetables. The salmon was fantastic as was the chicken and duck and the tomatoes too. mistakes were made with the oysters and other fish which i reckon are not affectionate to smoke or require a hot smoke and the vegetables need some experimentation. Here's a photo of some smoked salmon and chicken and stay tuned for some smokin video`s in the months ahead, well off on hols to Clare and Cork for a fortnight might post while away depending on broadband availability.

MY TWIST ON MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY

We launched our new a la carte menu last Saturday Night it should be on the hotel website by next week. With this menu we have taken a few small steps forward in introducing some molecular gastronomy techniques using some of our new equipment like the Paco jet, Bradley Smoker and the Grant Sous Vide Bath. One dish in particular is an example of these modern techniques which are becoming more and more prevalent in top end restaurants "Roast Poussin with Broccoli Puree, Carrot Sorbet, Carrot and Parsnip Caviar, Parsnip Crisp and Coriander Oil"

Expect plenty more Unique Creations and Video`s Demonstrating these Techniques or Preparations as Ferran Adria calls them in the coming months.

PICKING WILD RASPBERRIES

It was my daughter`s 1st birthday recently and with lots of family

around we went for a walk in a near by forest park called Donadea. We walked around the lake and fed the ducks which were so used to people they waddled around our feet on the bank they were lovely fat ducks and the temptation to grab one to take home for the pot was almost overwhelming. Of course the fact that my daughter was in my arms also deterred me from tackling one of our web footed friends she of course thought they were toys and did her utmost to free herself from my grasp in order to wring one of there necks, like she does with all toys and she probably would have done a better job than myself the poor duck wouldn`t have know what happened it anyway enough about the ducks and on to the raspberries i honestly walked past them without even noticing until my dad said look at the wild raspberry`s, plants are his field of expertise.

Wild raspberries are clever plants the berries grow under the leaves in the shade and are almost invisible until you lift up the branch to reveal there bounty also the vines are light weight so only the smallest birds can perch on them resulting in plentiful berries which are smaller and sweeter than the cultivated varieties. We easily picked about 6 punnets in a half hour and ate them with soft chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream and used the left overs to make white chocolate mousse and raspberry jelly from a recipe by the pastry chef in work.

While we were picking the berries i noticed an abundance of wild blackberry bushes with flowers and early fruit growth they looked potentially like a bigger crop even than the raspberries planning to go back in about 3 weeks to find out and also plan on feeding truffle shavings to my brother in laws Labrador on the sly guess i might have to offer to walk his dog allot.

There`s a Berry picking video in the You Tube Application at the

bottom of this page.

CRAP JUICER

Returning to the subject of the Greenstar Juicer i wrote about back in May everyone who said it was the Rolls Royce of Juicers must have shares in the company it is crap really crap my granny would be faster with a pestle and mortar. Buying a Phillips in Argos for a third of the money and its a Porche to the Greenstars Lada and this time i have already tried it.

KITCHEN COMPLETE

The new kitchen in Leixlip House Hotel is now 90% complete the last four weeks have been exhausting today is my first chance to write since then as i haven't been off alot hoping to get back in the swing of things now will be loading some new videos with the pacojet and Bradley smoker which unlike the greenstar juicer are fantastic pieces of kitchen kit.

NEW YOU TUBE APPLICATION

I recently added a you tube application to the site you can view it at the bottom of the page under the posts. In the videos you can watch real chefs in action in professional kitchens as in the sample video below. I will also be adding video recipes and tutorials in the future with help and tips on how to avoid the common pitfalls of most amatuer cooks.

NEW KITCHEN WORK BEGINS

Work began properly this week on our new kitchen at leixlip house hotel the kitchen was partitioned off at one end in order to remove a wall that currently separates the existing kitchen from the space we are expanding into we also moved our walk in cold room from the the old part of the kitchen to the new. The electrician is rewiring everything with out too much interruption which is a relief & yesterday our new Rolls Royce of dishwashers arrived with so much going on every day it`s getting exiting the only way you can describe it would be chef porn brand new equipment and work areas Hugh Hefner couldn't match that

In the photos you have top Pat the builder and then Mick the builder they can fix it. Then you have the refrigeration company lads and then the partition wall separating the new and old kitchens

OUR HERB GARDEN

We planted our own herb garden in plastic boxes on the flat roof over the kitchen 9 weeks ago half the plants we bought the other half we grew from seeds as you can see the roof top location has been hugely benifical the garden is flourishing. Among the herbs we have already used in the kitchen be it for garnishing plates as you can see in the photos or incorporated in the dishes the quality, range and flavour can not be bought. Included are Purple sage, Yellow Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Dill, Lavender 2 Varieties, Tarragon, Flat Parsley, Curly Parsley, Sorrel, Horseradish, Indian Mint, Apple Mint, BlackPepper Mint, SpearMint, Lemon Balm, Rocket, Baby Spinach, Chives and Coriander. We are also hoping to add salads to garden in the coming weeks.

SATURDAY NIGHT SERVICE

We tried out a few new dishes on Saturday night here's a pic of boudin of clonakilty black pudding with Apple Compote, Cider Jelly and Vanilla.

& Steamed Rondo Courgette stuffed with Oriental Stir Fry, Tomato Fondue, Basmati Rice and Coriander oil.

LEIXLIP HOUSE HOTEL

At Leixlip House Hotel we are very proud at what we have achieved over the past 24 months by raising the standards of the raw materials we use in the kitchen and treating them with the respect they deserve we have have improved the Leixlip House expierence for our customers and increased our Business as a result. Our hard work has also payed out critically as we have been the only restaurant in our area to be recommended by the Michelin guide. The grade they awarded us in 2007 & 2008 puts in the top 1000 restaurants in the UK & Ireland and the top 50 in Ireland alone. We have also been included in Georgina Campbells Best of the Best Guide and got a fantastic review to boot as well as 5 stars out of 5 for food in the local paper the Liffey Champion which never hurt business. Every 2-3 months we continue to strive to raise the bar with each new season and the divercity of our menus over the past 24 months shows this we have had no fewer than 42 different main course dishes alone. Now with construction started on an additional 60 seater restaurant and the doubling in size of the kitchen we cannot wait to get cracking on taking things to another level a Bib Gourmand from Mr Michelin is the next goal and we believe that this is achieveable and after that who knows.

A CHEFS LIFE

sorry everyone, if there is anyone. weekends not a great time for adding posts up the walls busy, as is the life of a chef no social life a neglected family and so on, moan moan moan u say you picked your career you could have backed out. The barber who cut my hair today backed out after 3 years. i asked him what he missed most about it and his reply is one of the reasons most of us Chefs keep going in this Chefy business " that BUZZ during service on Friday & Saturday nights " you know what i am talking about that build up, then the rush of adrenalin as the dockets start coming in thick and fast" 2 Duck 1 beef 1 sole service table 6 come on go" the buzz he speaks about keeps you up half the night on a high and in bed on Monday recovering.

HONEYCOMB

It has many regional names including: honeycomb toffee, cinder toffee in Britain, puff candy in Scotland, hokey pokey in New Zealand, sponge candy in Erie, Pennsylvania, and Buffalo, New York, or occasionally sea foam in Washington, Oregon, California and Michigan.
The main ingredients are typically brown sugar, Liquid Glucose/corn syrup (or molasses) and baking soda (Bicarbonate of Soda), plus an acid such as vinegar. The baking soda and acid react to form carbon dioxide which is trapped in the highly viscous mixture. The lattice structure is formed while sugar is liquid and then sets hard. I prefer to use caster sugar and leave out the vinegar. Honeycomb is also the centre of Cadburys Crunchy bar with its thank crunchy its friday advertising campagin.

Honeycomb

what you will need

• 90g of caster sugar
• 35g of liquid glucose
• 35g of honey
• 30ml of water
• 10g of bicarbonate of soda

method

• bring all ingredients except soda in a pot
• heat to 160 c on a sugar thermometer
• add soda whisking being careful as it will explode and double in size
• pour onto a silcone mat and cool completely
  

THE GREENSTAR JUICER

The Greenstar Juicer is the most versatile juicer in the market, it can turn almost all fruit and vegetables into juice or liquid quite effortlessly and it is also an excellent tool for making almond or date flours, walnut or vegetable pastes, sauces made with combinations of all kinds…As well as its great blending capacity it has the efficiency of its patented magnet system, which creates a magnetic field thanks to which the concentration of minerals is increased and oxidation is reduced, so that the juices and liquids maintain their nutritional values, and do not lost a jot of flavour.

Will be making its debut in the kitchen of Leixlip House Hotel on the 7th of july 2008 any as many unusual creations will follow in the months after.

OX CHEEKS

Ox and Beef Cheeks are a fantastic and cheap alternative to more

expensive cuts of meat and with a little care can be an entirely

more satisfying meal. Given the turmoil currently being experienced

in the global economy, higher fuel prices and the EU blanket ban

on Brazilian beef, have combined to raise the price of beef by 25% in the past 3 months, as result of this chefs and the general public have returned to cheaper less popular cuts of beef. However these cheaper cuts require more skill or even care in order to make the most of there qualities, for the beef I recommend that you roast the cheeks whole for 20 Min's at 190 c and pour over a red wine and herb vegetable stock then braise them at 95 c for 12 hours.

CREME ANGLAISE

Sweet,Velvety, Creamy and Bourbon Vanilla Fragrant. Creme Anglaise a kitchen staple we would be lost without it be it for Ice-cream, Rhubarb & Custard or with a classic Apple Tart. Here is a simple Recipe to try.

Creme Anglaise

what you will need

• 6 medium egg yolks
• 100ml cream
• 400ml milk
• 100g sugar
• 1/2 vanilla pod

method

• scrape vanilla seeds from pod and add both to milk and cream bring to the boil
• whip egg yolks and sugar
• add milk mix to egg mix
• return to low heat and thicken stirring constantly till the custard coats the back of a spoon
• pass through a sieve and cool over a bowl of ice water

MOLECULAR GASTRONOMY

Dont yet know where i stand on the subject of molecular gastronomy i really admire Ferran Adria, Heston Blumenthal and Grant Achatz for some of the amazing new concepts they have given us. However i could never see myself devoting everything to that style of cooking maybe taking little things likes spherical ravioli or air and adding it to a modernised classic dish yes. When my new kitchen is completed i plan on doing some experimenting with foams, airs and different gelatin's to see what can be achieved in unison with more classical cooking. I have already made a warm terrine using Agar Agar, Passion fruit Caviar and Beetroot Spaghetti incorporating these type of creations into classical dishes is another challenge not to mention introducing them to Irish diners.

HELLS KITCHEN USA 2008

Gordon Ramsey never ceases to amaze me in the first episode of Hells Kitchen Ramsey in a terrible disguise managed to fool all the guinea pigs for the new series and eavesdrop on there conversation on the bus trip to hell many red faces and bruised egos followed after a disastrous service. How any self respecting chef can go on that show i will never know. 2 of the current contestants are executive head chefs, only in america. Gordon Ramsey`s tv personality on HK USA compared to the UK`s F Word Suggests he should be getting an Oscar rather than any more michelin stars next year.

NEW KITCHEN

Our new kitchen in Leixlip House Hotel has been given the final approval today new equipment has been signed off and we can not wait to get our hands on the new technology which includes a paco jet,2 sous vide baths a greenstar juicer and a couple of thermo siphons no liquid nitrogen tank yet maybe next year. The new kitchen is to facilitate the opening of a third restaurant in the hotel and will allow us to serve 3 restaurants and a wedding venue from the same kitchen photos coming soon.

EXCITING TIMES AHEAD

Ireland in 2008/2009 is an exciting place to be a chef year on year we are catching up with our neighbours in England, Spain & France. Irish Chefs are now starting to use modern cooking tecniques such as sous vide water baths and liquid nitrogen in order to create dishes that would be right up there with the likes of Heston Blummental and Ferran Adria. Movements such as Euro Toques, Feile Bia and the growing popularity of organic produce and seasonality combined with modern tecnology are insuring Irish Chefs have the raw materials as well as the equipment for the exciting times ahead.