So finally a gratuitous pic of my seven year old Grellan who was inspired enough by Ratatouille to want to help me cook dinner. This is genuinely the first time he has wanted to create something rather than just help me chop or stir. The dishes in the pic are of his own creation and were our starters this evening. On the right is Cinte Senese Ham (see here to understand why this is special - http://www.slow-food.info/cinta_senese.htm) a gift from our Italian friend Giulio who stayed with us recently but it was Grellan's idea to arrange it on top of peeled apple and top with chopped sage and drizzle with olive oil. He did have help in choosing sage over basil, rosemary, mint, thyme and marjoram (the fresh herbs available) but the apple-proscuito combination was his own. As for the olive oil he knew it needed something and he just needed to be nudged in that direction. On the left is just cut apple drizzled with maple syrup and lemon juice which was his own starter. He did taste the ham but hated it - he will come around... give him time.
Next we had steak frites with very well hung sirloin from Christy's butcher on Terenure Road North - sawdust on the floor, non-organic butcher that is half the price of the supermarkets and a third the price of his neighbours in the village; O'Tooles and Downeys. Steak was fried for about a minute or two on each side and rested in the oven set at 60 degrees C. We bought enough steak for 3 greedy people or 4 normal people for 12.50. Frites were blanched at 140 degrees, cooled down in the beer fridge (the crappy old fridge in the garage for party wine and beer) and then fried at 190 degrees for about 30 seconds til crisp. sauce was a splash of white wine, a spoonful of creme fraiche and the juices from the resting meat.
Next we had steak frites with very well hung sirloin from Christy's butcher on Terenure Road North - sawdust on the floor, non-organic butcher that is half the price of the supermarkets and a third the price of his neighbours in the village; O'Tooles and Downeys. Steak was fried for about a minute or two on each side and rested in the oven set at 60 degrees C. We bought enough steak for 3 greedy people or 4 normal people for 12.50. Frites were blanched at 140 degrees, cooled down in the beer fridge (the crappy old fridge in the garage for party wine and beer) and then fried at 190 degrees for about 30 seconds til crisp. sauce was a splash of white wine, a spoonful of creme fraiche and the juices from the resting meat.
for dessert we had mars bar ice cream - dont knock it til you try it...
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