The Cork Cook Book is the inspired idea of the Cork Simon Community, which came up with the idea some time ago that a cookery book featuring the work of the city and county's best chefs would be a perfect fundraiser for their work.
Beautifully designed by Kevin Gurry, the book is not only testament to the finest cooks of the county, but also to the photographic work of Mike O'Toole.
O'Toole's work will be familiar to readers of this page he as took the photographs for our Christmas features last year, and his work here is particularly inspired, not just in the food shots, but in the portraits of some of the cooks. The photographs of Annie Barry, of Annie's in Ballydehob, of the late Bill Patterson of The Oystercatcher, and of Myrtle Allen of Ballymaloe House are all outstanding.
O'Toole has recently achieved the unique distinction of having no fewer than five of his photographs accepted for the UK Association of Photographers' Awards - the first Dublin-based photographer to be so honoured.
The food, as you would expect, is pretty delicious stuff, and selecting a couple of dishes to feature proved agonising. Fabulous couscous cakes from Lettercollum House, Hazel Bourke's brilliant courgette-stuffed chicken from Assolas House, and Myrtle Allen's lovely mackerel with herbs are just a few of the inspired dishes, not to mention the lovely Queen of Puddings from The Farmgate and Lovett's Restaurant's Hot Ice Cream Crackers with an Orange Coulis.
But as a tribute to two of the extraordinary totems of Cork's food culture, we have selected two recipes which reveal the charm of the Cork Covered Market and Edward Twomey's marvellous Clonakilty Black Pudding.
Sean Calder-Potts's brilliant Bouffe du Roi is just the sort of thing you would expect from the proprietor of Iago, in the Cork Market, while Michael Clifford's stew of Clonakilty Black Pudding with wild rice, barley and mushrooms is a strong statement of good Cork cooking. Needless to say, the book supports the finest cause imaginable, and every home in the land should have a copy.
The Cork Cook Book, published by Cork Simon Community
Bouff du Roi
Serves 4 1-2 tins of anchovy fillets in olive oil
extra virgin olive oil
good white bread (ciabatta, foccacia or baguette)
8 spring onions or shallots Serve with a bottle of well-chilled dry rose or white vin ordinaire
Prepare enough of all the ingredients to satisfy four people and place in the centre of the table. Each person can help themselves in the following way:
Make a puddle on your plate with the oil from the anchovies mixed with a little extra virgin olive oil. Soak up some oil with a small chunk of bread and add to this one or two anchovy fillets and a generous chunk of onion. Every mouthful needs to have plenty of everything in it.
Clonakilty Black Pudding with a Stew of Wild Rice, Pearl Barley and Mushrooms
The Stew:
75 g (3 oz) pearl barley
75 g (3 oz) black wild rice
600 ml (1 pint) good home-made chicken stock (reserve two tablespoons)
Two bay leaves
Two sprigs of thyme
Two cloves of garlic
A knob of butter
25 g (1 oz) olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper The Mushrooms and Pudding: 25 g (1 oz) butter
75 g (3 oz) wild mushrooms
100 g (3 1/2 and a half oz) Clonakilty black pudding, sliced
Put the rice, half the chicken stock, a bay leaf with a sprig of thyme and a clove of garlic in a saucepan, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Put the barley in a separate saucepan and follow the same procedure as above except cook for just 10 minutes. When both are cooked, remove from the heat and do not drain. Remove the thyme, bay leaf and garlic from each pan and discard.
Mix the wild rice with the pearl barley and add the two tablespoons of reserved chicken stock, a knob of butter and the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To cook the mushrooms and pudding: melt the butter in a large frying pan. Saute the wild mushrooms for two to three minutes, remove and keep warm. In the same pan, cook the slices of black pudding on both sides until heated through. Don't allow them to get too crusty on the outside.
To serve: divide the rice and pearl barley between four warmed soup bowls. Arrange the slices of black pudding on top and scatter the mushrooms around. Serve immediately.