In the world of nutrition, it seems there are few truths that are universally acknowledged, at least for more than a month or two. What once was a vice is now a virtue, and vice versa. The subject is so complex we’re just beginning to understand the basics.
The one fact on which it seems almost everyone can agree is that we’re much better off cooking for ourselves rather than relying on packaged or prepared meals.
Unfortunately, for many people that conjures up images of hours spent facing the stove, mastering skills they have yet to acquire, trying to replicate their favourite dishes from the best restaurants.
Let’s put a stop to that idea right now. There’s a reason we have restaurants and it’s only partly to do with having someone else bring you your dinner and wash up afterward. Those teams of highly-trained cooks have skills that you and I will never develop, not unless we’re also willing to put in years of hard graft.
They allow me to prepare delicious dinners in very little time with even less effort
But that doesn’t mean that we have to settle for less at home. Just different. As a recipe writer and home cook, I’ve always prided myself on being high-ratio – I hope that every bit of effort that goes into one of my dishes is rewarded many times over with flavour. Maybe it would be more accurate to just call myself lazy and greedy.
My garnishes may lack polish, but my food tastes good. That’s at least as true here in Ireland as it was back in California. Though Los Angeles is rightly regarded as a cook’s playground – ingredients from every culture, well-supplied farmers’ markets every day of the year – we are eating incredibly well here as well.
Certainly the variety can’t match what I enjoyed back home, but the quality of what we have is superb. The butter (I’m a Connaught Gold man for everyday, with Tinnock Farm Products from Wexford for special occasions), the yoghurt (Glenisk or Glenilen for me, Velvet Cloud sheep’s milk for the missus), the cheeses (too many to cite), all are fantastic.
And of course I love my local butcher Michael Kearney and the Dunmore East fish market, Beatha Bakery sourdough, the spuds from Ballymakenny, the tomatoes from Grantstown, the veg from Tom Cleary and the Thorpes.
But as much as I appreciate all of these, there are three Irish food products that have become staples in our house. That’s primarily because they allow me to prepare delicious dinners in very little time with even less effort.
During the summer, you will always find Union Hall’s smoked mackerel in my refrigerator. It’s some of the best preserved fish I’ve ever tasted, rich and oily with just the right smack of smoke.
Once a week (or maybe more) I’ll break it up into chunks and toss it into a salad with greens – a mix of crunchy Little Gem and soft Bibb – and grapefruit sections. The acidity of the citrus is a great foil for the fish. Sometimes I’ll add chunks of ripe avocado. Nothing could be easier.
Its winter counterpart is the fabulous duck products from Silver Hill, particularly the confit. My friends in Gascony may not believe it, but this Irish confit is the equal of anything I’ve tasted anywhere, deeply flavored and the perfect combination of crisp and unctuous.
Sometimes I’ll serve it along with a lentil stew, but my favourite simple preparation is to roast it as directed, on a rack, with slices of good bread underneath. The bread absorbs the rendered juices and toasts at the same time, making flavourful croutons to break up into an accompanying salad of bitter winter greens and a strong mustardy vinaigrette.
No matter the season, when I’m in need of a really special dinner, I know I can get it with a bag of fresh mussels from Roaring Water Bay. These are among the best bargains in food – a true feast for two for less than five quid. They literally cook in minutes. Melt minced shallots and a finely chopped garlic clove in butter. Add a glass of crisp white wine and let that cook down to a thin syrup (nothing too expensive, you won’t taste the difference). Sometimes I’ll add fresh thyme from the garden, some fennel seeds, or chopped tomatoes. Dump in the mussels, clamp on the lid and turn the heat as high as it will go. Shake the pot from time to time. After three or four minutes, when you see the mussels are all opened, toss in another chunk of butter.
That’s it. Spoon the mussels into big bowls and pour the liquid over top. Slurp the mussels from their shells and sop up the juices with good bread. Nothing could be more simple or more delicious.
I’m not making any special dietary claims for any of these foods, but the simple fact is that with very little effort on my part they make me very, very happy. And I figure that is probably the greatest health benefit of all.
