A few weeks ago, I blogged about one of my favorite autumn traditions in America: sipping apple cider and nibbling on cider doughnuts at the local apple orchard or pumpkin patch. Some of you may have already seen + heard me carrying on via Twitter or Instagram sharing our happy success with, “Rosie”, our charming new fruit press, and the first batches of pressed cider here at the farm this week. And, yes, we sipped cider with doughnuts by the turf fire immediately! Now all is good in the world.

Some excellent questions popped up during my initial exploration into cider making, a fellow blogger asked, “So, what is the difference between apple cider and apple juice anyway?” Of course, my farmer questioned how/if we could make batches of boozy cider with our apples and new press. {In case you were wondering, YES, WE CAN!}

The truth is, fresh cold-pressed apple juice is nearly the same as apple cider. It can be made any time of year when apples are available, but is most commonly pressed in the autumn when apples are plentiful. Cider and juice are both made in the same way, but the difference is that apple juice is pressed and strained through a thinner mesh than cider. Cider tends to be cloudier and darker in colour than juice and has a more tart and raw flavour than the juice. Also, the bottom line is, depending on the quality of apples, which vary from year to year, the taste, sweetness and consistency of apple juice and cider can vary widely.

Alcoholic cider or perry (pear-based cider), an institution in Ireland, UK and France, is made by fermenting the juice after pressing, either by a naturally occurring fermentation or by adding a yeast strain.  This type of cider is one of my favorite drinks here on the isle, something that was new to me when I first arrived in Ireland & which I took an affinity towards….rather quicky. Fermented alcohol cider, such as Bulmers or Strongbow have dry, complex flavours and are not sweet. Perfection. I have also just learned of a new craft cider in Ireland called Stonewell which we will be sampling soon.

Thankfully, this type of cider libation has also been making a comeback stateside. In doing my cider research, I discovered that during the 18^th century, hard cider was actually the drink of the people, from farmers to fighting men, and deservedly so as President John Adams himself drank a tankard of cider every day. Children drank a less potent version, called ciderkin.

However, when the Germans arrived in America, beer fell more into favour and after the prohibition, cider was virtually nonexistent. Now, with wonderful artisanal ciderys cropping up across the country such as Bellwether and Tieton, the cider tradition is swiftly being reborn in America.

Whether a warm mug of autumn apple cider or a cold glass of dry {alcoholic} cider suits your fancy, I say long live apple cider!

I am thrilled to announce that we will be packing up “Rosie” and heading to Kilkenny at the weekend to press cider at Savour Kilkenny, a fabulous food festival in it’s fifth year running. Please come along and sample a taste of sweet cider with me in the Forgotten Skills tent on Parade Plaza from 11:30AM on Saturday. I’d love to see you there! There is an amazing schedule of events at the festival including food demos by Donal Skehan, Catherine Fulvio and Edward Hayden. The Great Irish Food Debate, a panel discussion about whether or not ‘Irish Cuisine’ exists will take place during the Food Camp on Friday, and reknowned American food writer/food historian and founder of Saveur magazine, Colman Andrews, will be weighing in. Not to be missed!  www.savourkilkenny.com

So, here’s how we made our apple cider:

Procure a mix of apple varieties. Apple juice tastes much better if sweet, tart and fragrant apples are mixed together. We used the two types of apples that we currently have in the small farm orchard: Bramley and Pippin varieties. Yields can vary widely, but as a general guide, 20 lb/10kg apples will yield a gallon/4 litres of juice.  Wash the apples by running cold water over them and removing any dirt or other contaminants. Remove any obviously rotted or discolored parts of the apple. Be cautious when using apples that have been picked up from the ground after falling from the tree as these will require extra cleaning to remove possible contaminants. Never use “ground apples” from an area where livestock graze.

Chop and mash the apples. For larger quantities, an apple chopper is the easiest method. For smaller quantities, you may use a food processor, meat grinder, or just cut the apples into very small cubes. I used our food processor. Do not worry about stems, seeds or peels–they can all be included in the mash. (I originally cored all the apples, a waste of time!) 

Insert a mesh bag into the fruit press. Our model came with a two bags. Bags with larger diameters are used for cider, while a smaller mesh will product a more juice-like product. Place a large pot under the spout of the fruit press to catch the juice as it is pressed.

Fill the fruit press with apple mash. Add 1 tbsp. lemon juice, if desired, to help reduce oxidation ofthe apple juice. Apples and apple juice, will react with oxygen and produce a brownish color. Lemon juice will lessen but will not eliminate this effect.

Tighten the fruit press to begin the flow of juice. Keep tightening the press until the flow of juice comes to a halt, which takes approximately 10 minutes. The pressed mash can be composted, discarded or fed to local wildlife or in our case, resident donkeys, Conor and Cormac.

Pour the apple juice into plastic or glass containers. Drink. If you plan to freeze the juice, fill the containers three-fourths full, to allow room for expansion.

If the apple juice has not been heated, it will keep in a refrigerator for one or two weeks before yeast naturally present in the juice starts the fermentation process.

APPLE CIDER DOUGHNUTS

Makes Approx 20 Doughnuts

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup buttermilk

½ cup apple cider

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon allspice

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sweet apple finely chopped

Topping

1 cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Mix 1 cup sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon in a brown paper bag. Set aside.

To Make the Doughnuts

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat eggs and sugar until thick and creamy
• Add the melted butter
• Combine the milk, cider, and vanilla. Set aside.
• In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and salt
• Alternately add the flour and milk-cider mixture to the eggs, beginning and ending with the flour. Combine thoroughly.
• Fold in the apple
• Turn out the dough onto a large piece of parchment paper.
• Fold the paper to cover the dough and place in freezer for 30 minutes. Dough will be very sticky but will become workable after it firms up in the freezer.
• Roll out firm dough on a lightly floured surface ½-inch thick.
• Cut 2-1/2-inch circles with 1-inch center holes (or use a doughnut cutter). Dough will be soft, which makes light, tender doughnuts when fried.
• Let cut doughnuts rest five minutes on a cookie sheet.
• Heat 3 to 4-inches oil to 360 degrees in a large pot.
• Fry three to four doughnuts at a time for about 1-1/2 minutes per side or until golden brown. (Be sure to maintain the temperature of the oil, lowering or raising stovetop heat accordingly).
• Shake fried doughnuts in the cinnamon sugar mixture.
• EAT IMMEDIATELY WHILE SIPPING WARM APPLE CIDER! (do not take snaps, if you want to see what they look like, here’s a great example)

Slan Abhaile,

Imen

Photos by Imen McDonnell.

Tags: apple, Bellwether, Bulmers, Catherine Fulvio, cider, Colman Andrews, Donal Skehan, doughnuts, ebay, Edward Hayden, Farming, food, I Married An Irish Farmer, Imen McDonnell, ireland, Irish, Saveur, Savour Kilkenny, Smitten Kitchen, Strongbow, Tieton

I swore that I would not fall prey to copious imbibing of fish and chips. I distinctly remember putting it on a list of cons when making the decision to come and live in Ireland. “Con #6: Fish and Chip Consumption” I knew that it would be possible to give in to frequent “chipper runs” to the Pink Potato around the corner which would clearly be the demise of my yoga-fied figure that I had been so diligently been working on. We discussed it in detail. Made a plan. And I was convinced that I would not lay a hand on a fish and chip more than once or twice in a year.

Hooey.

For those of you who are Irish, fish and chips may be as ordinary and non-exciting as pork and beans would be to an American. But to me, (perhaps us?) it is nearly a delicacy. A luxury. At the very least, a treat. And of course, it tastes far different than any Friday Night Fish Fry I’ve ever encountered. Maybe it’s the malt vinegar drizzled over the top, maybe the Atlantic cod, or dare I say, maybe it’s the mushy peas that my husband puts on my plate when it accompanies an order of fish and chip at Doonbeg.  Maybe it’s because the fish from chippers comes wrapped in brown paper. Maybe it’s the cheese and garlic sauce that is sometimes on offer. Maybe it’s the batter that reminds me of all the battered goodness at the State Fair.

I don’t know. But, eating a fish and chip from time to time is simply unavoidable, if not totally unnatural.

It was not often that I would actually prepare a fish and chip dinner at home, because somehow, for me, doesn’t seem like the real thing unless you are ordering from a chipper or ordering it off the menu at someplace like this. But, since we moved out of Adare and onto the farm, I have taken to learning to make nearly everything from scratch here at home as it is less trouble than driving for three quarters of an hour for supper….especially if craving a fish and chip.

At some point, I decided it was time to create our own version of fish and chips here at home. Of course, I had to put a little American spin on it and add beer to the batter (for this post, I used a lovely new Irish craft Ale called Sunburnt Irish Red by 8 Degrees Brewing) which did not go astray, and, in fact, really boosted the flavor. I also add some freshly cut thyme or dill from our garden depending on the day.

But, the best bit is the chickpea chips (or frites if you’re fancy). Both farmers-little and big- regularly request them. The recipe is from an amazing restaurant in Napa Valley, CA called Ubuntu. These chips are somewhat time-consuming upfront, but well worth the trouble. Totally delicious and marginally more healthy than potatoes because chickpeas are protein packed.  In fact, you could make a meal out of the chickpea chips alone.

Our little boy has named this version of fish and chips, “Dunmoylan Fish & Chip” since our “chipper” is right here on the farm.  Add any Irish ale of your choosing and try the lemon aioli dipping sauce on the side if you please. (or vinegar, tartar… Ballymaloe relish goes great with the chickpea chips too!)

Irish Ale & Thyme Battered Fish

Ingredients (serves 4)

225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour

1 egg, lightly whisked

375ml (1 1/2 cups) chilled light beer

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Vegetable oil, to deep-fry

8 (about 120g each) white fish fillets (such as flathead or whiting)

Sea salt flakes, to serve

Lemon wedges, to serve

Place flour in a bowl. Add the egg and stir to combine. Gradually whisk in beer until batter is smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.

Add enough vegetable oil to a large saucepan to reach a depth of 8cm. Heat to 190°C over high heat (when oil is ready a cube of bread will turn golden brown in 10 seconds). Dip 2 pieces of fish, 1 at a time, into batter to coat. Drain off excess. Deep-fry for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and cooked. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat, in 3 more batches, with remaining fish and batter, reheating oil between batches.

Chickpea Chips

Ingredients (Serves 4)

2 1/2 cups chickpea flour , plus more for dusting (avail at natural foods stores)

1 cup cornmeal (maize meal in Ireland)

2 cloves garlic , finely grated

3 Tbsp. kosher salt , plus more to taste

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 Tbsp. chopped rosemary

Zest of 2 lemons

Vegetable oil , for frying

In a stainless steel pot over high heat, combine chickpea flour, cornmeal, 7 cups of cold water, garlic, and salt. Whisk gently to prevent sticking on the bottom; over-whisking will cause the final product to “soufflé” and fall.

Once the mixture begins to thicken and bubble (after about 3 to 4 minutes), reduce heat to medium and switch to a rubber spatula. Add remaining ingredients except oil, stir to combine, and continue stirring to prevent sticking. When mixture pulls from the sides of the pot like a dough (after about 6 to 8 minutes), transfer it to a rimmed sheet pan lined with nonstick aluminum foil. Spread mixture out evenly, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, and top with another sheet pan. Refrigerate for 4 hours until completely cold and set.

Carefully remove mixture from pan by gently lifting the bottom layer of aluminum foil onto a cutting board. Remove plastic wrap, then cut into “fries” about 3 inches long.

Heat oil in a large pot to 190°C over high heat (when oil is ready a cube of bread will turn golden brown in 10 seconds).  Toss fries lightly in additional cornmeal, and deep-fry them in small batches until crispy, about 3 minutes. Remove and set on paper towels. Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste and serve with lemon garlic aioli.

Lemon Aioli

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp lemon zest

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients together.

Serve as dipping sauce.

And…drum roll please…the winner of the Farmhouse Cheeses of Ireland book drawing is: Tim Magnuson. Tim, please email your mailing address to me at imen.producer@ireland.com so I can send the book out to you straight away! A big, big thank you to everyone for participating in my first ‘official’ book giveaway. There will be more to come, promise! xx

Slan Abhaile,

Imen

Photos and styling by Imen McDonnell. For more food styling + photography work, please contact me at imen.producer@ireland.com.

Tags: 8 Degrees Brewing, Adare, ale, Chickpea frites, cod, Doonbeg, Farming, Fish and chips, I Married An Irish Farmer, Imen McDonnell, ireland, irish food, lemon aioli, pork and beans

For me, autumn has always brought a sense of new beginnings and a giddy anticipation for exciting things to come. A new season, another school year, the excitement of fresh weather holidays….and now on the farm, cutting the maize and baby calves on the horizon. Something in the air changes, the wild Irish wind swiftly begins to kick up the all the newly fallen crimson leaves and proceeds to fiercely scatter them about the garden. Invigorating.

Without fail, at this time of year, I find myself consumed with sentimental expat memories of visiting pumpkin patches and apple orchards on a crisp autumn afternoon. A very popular fall tradition across many parts of America is to venture out of the city to admire the new colour and eventually arrive at an apple farm, pumpkin patch, or combination of the two. These family farms are transformed into literal jubilees of fun from about mid September to November, offering apple picking, pumpkins of every shape and size, freshly-baked apple pies, crisps or cobblers, chargrilled apple sausages, hay rides, wood-fired pizzas, small farm animal feeding, and the absolute best: mugs of warm apple cider with fresh cider donuts on the side.

It was a yearly ritual for myself and family or friends to take at least one trip to a country orchard each October, usually on a Sunday after brunch and the papers.  For me, the best bit was always the cider and donuts. American-style apple cider is something I have not (yet) come across in Ireland. Far different from what we consider cider in Ireland, this cider is not an alcoholic beverage. Pure apple cider is a made by crushing and pressing apples into a dark, cloudy juice and is never homogenized or pasteurized so it is much unlike the pressed apple juices found at markets or shops. I’ve also enjoyed a mug of cider with mulling-style spices, which is delicious. Spiced or plain, warm or cold, the flavor is sensational.

Last weekend, my father-in-law began harvesting apples and pears from the small orchard at the farm. He brought in a good amount to share with us. He also said to help ourselves to more because there is an abundance this year. When I went out the have a look the following day, I was astounded at the amount of fruit on the trees.

My first thought was: let’s make apple cider! This way we can use a good bit of the produce and at the same time, I can share a wonderful American tradition with my family here in Ireland.

We did our research and found a small apple press, which has just arrived! So, hopefully by this time next week we will be sitting by the turf fire, sipping apple cider and nibbling on warm cider donuts.

And then, autumn will be complete.

Slan Abhaile,

Imen

Photo by Imen McDonnell

Tags: apple, apple cider, autumn, cider house rules, fall, Farming, fruit press, I Married An Irish Farmer, imen mcdonell, ireland, Irish, orchard, pear

Clockwise from the top: Glebe Brethan Gruyere, Figs {graciously donated by Avoca}, Cooleeney, Cratloe Hill’s Sheeps Milk Cheese, Cashel Blue, Beal Organic Cheddar, St. Tola Goat’s Cheese.

Yes, it is true. I have become a bit obsessed with all things dairy as of late. Butter, raw milk, cheese, cheese and more glorious cheese. I confess, I have become a born-again cheesehead and this is for a perfectly good reason: one of Ireland’s best-kept secrets is that this beautiful “food island” is awash with absolutely amazing artisanal cheeses that you simply cannot ignore.

Of course, I felt it was my obligation to share just a few {which had nothing to do with my luxurious sampling of each and every one of them over wine, figs and crackers for an entire week…no, no, no…not at all} so that you can celebrate this cheesy goodness with me as well.

And while I don’t have any recipes to share with you for this blog post, I hope to do so in the future as my farmer and I are taking a cheese making course here this summer.

So, without further adieu, I invite you to indulge in a few of these special cheeses along with so many more that Ireland has on offer…

Cooleeney is a soft mould ripened cheese, with a beautiful creamy texture and a distinctive aftertaste. This cheese is produced on the Maher farm in the heart of Tipperary where the pastures are rich and are surrounded by damp boggy land an environment which allows the Mahers to produce Cooleeney which, when mature are creamy and oozing with the flavour of one of the finest cheeses.

Glebe Brethan is an artisan cheese made from unpasteurised Montbeliarde cows’ milk at the Tiernan Family Farm, Dunleer, Co. Louth, Ireland. The pedigree cows graze on lush pastures and are fed cereals grown on the farm. It is a gruyere-type cheese made in 45-kilo wheels, which are matured on spruce timbers for 6-18 months. It is carefully hand-turned and salted to form a natural rind, which enhances its unique flavour.

St. Tola Cheese has a unique and distinctive flavour that owes much to the clean fresh environment in which it is produced. The 65 acre organic farm provides herb rich grass and hay for the goats. The St Tola Herd comprises of Saanen, Toggenburg and British Alpine Goats approx 220 in total – a mixture of milkers, kids and pucks. Every year the herd increases by keeping the offspring from the best milkers while retiring goats and their kids are given away as family pets or sent onto Bothar.

Cratloe Hills Sheep’s Cheese was the first Irish ewe’s milk made in modern times. The Fitzgerald family milks their herd of pedigree Friesland ewes from March, after the lambing has finished, until September when the ewes get a much-deserved winter break. The lightly waxed cheese is matured for between 2 – 6 months. The young cheese has a semi-firm texture and a light caramel taste and a slightly dry finish. As the cheese ages, the texture dries slightly and the flavour becomes more robust. Enjoyable with a light wine such as Beaujolais or Chateau Filliol.

Cashel Blue is a semi-soft blue cows’ milk cheese. It is unique, as it is Ireland’s first farmhouse blue cheese. It is all made on the dairy farm of Jane and Louis Grubb nr Cashel in Co. Tipperary Ireland. While some milk is purchased, the majority of the milk comes from the pedigree Friesian dairy herd on the farm. The cheese is made from pasteurised whole milk. It is sold in many speciality outlets in the U.K., United States and Ireland, as well as being listed by most of the British Multiples. Much of the cheese is sold young, while it is firm and crumbly, but for a fuller flavour it is best eaten at about three months of age, when it has a softer texture and more mature flavour.

You can find these cheeses and many more at Sheridan’s Cheesemongers, Fallon & Byrne, Superquinn, Avoca and other shops and restaurants that support local cheese producers in Ireland.

Collins Press has sent me a copy of this lovely new book: Irish Farmhouse Cheeses, A Celebration to share with one lucky reader! Please leave a comment below to be included in the drawing…just tell me why you love Irish cheese, what your favourite Irish cheese is or why you’d love to learn more about these magnificent cheeses. I will happily ship this gem throughout Ireland and abroad.

Slan Abhaile,

Imen

Photography by Imen McDonnell

Tags: Beal cheese, Cashel Blue, cheese, Cooleeney, Cratloe Hills, Farmhouse, food, food island, foodie, Glebe Brethan, Imen McDonnell, ireland, Irish, Married an Irish Farmer, St. Tola

Over the summer I had a taste revelation: After 6 years of Irish living, I discovered that my palate for beef had been altered. I had seen it coming the previous summer stateside, but this year, it was settled.

It happened as I was having dinner with friends at one of those very serious steakhouses, of which I would go as far as to label an American beef eater’s institution in a stodgy old men’s club sort of way. Not my style whatsoever, but places like this had always satiated my periodic craving for a good ole juicy, rare-ish New York Strip or Porterhouse chunk of beef.  These hankerings only seemed to escalate after I left the USA, eventually putting a standing appointment with at least one good steakhouse on our calendar each time we make our way across the pond.

As I eagerly carved into my magnificent looking steak topped with a generous dollop of melted butter and then carefully placed a dripping, beautifully fragrant, bite-sized piece into my mouth….BOOM, it hit me. I looked to my friend with a puzzled face and asked, “How does yours taste?” She was too busy squealing in delight over her beefy feast to answer me and I took the hint. It was at that moment that I realized that I preferred the flavor of Irish beef to the standard, USDA, dry-aged, center-cut of Angus beef that lie before me. I was stunned.

To be frank, when I first came to Ireland, I just did not care for the flavor, texture and smell of Irish beef. Of course, initially I put it down to ‘everything in from my home country is better’ a common conviction that many expats sadly fall prey to when upping sticks and moving abroad. You learn swiftly, that things are just different, not necessarily better or worse.

While we are primarily a dairy and poultry farm, we do raise some cattle for our own use here at home. In my first few years in Ireland, each time I tried the beef from the farm or any other place, I remember thinking that the taste was very unusual. Irish beef had a fuller, meatier flavor than what I was accustomed to and this was not appealing to me for a long time. What I didn’t realize until recently is that I was simply used to grain-fed beef, as so many Americans have been, which is very different to the flavour of natural grass-fed beef in Ireland. My tastebuds were accustomed to something else completely.

Recently I had the opportunity to go along with Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, to a Chef’s Irish Beef Club competition at Chef Sache in Cologne, Germany. I jumped at the chance to get up close and personal with Irish beef and see how chefs in other countries are passionately putting it to use.

It wasn’t surprising to learn about the Chefs’ Irish Beef Club, which is made up of top European chefs who prefer to use beef reared in Ireland because of its quality and value. Still, I wasn’t aware of this group beforehand, and because of my summertime taste revelation, I was especially excited to go along and be a part of this celebration of Irish beef.

Chef Sache is a symposium that showcases top European chefs, many of which are Michelin starred (of the food, not tyre variety).  It is also trade show featuring top-quality food producers and products from around the world, including Bord Bia approved Irish beef.

Bord Bia sponsored a Chefs’ Irish Beef Club competition at the event whereby contestants were required to create a prime Irish beef recipe that would be prepared, served, tasted and judged by a panel of renowned European chefs. The grand prize: A guided tour of Ireland, visiting leading farms and a fabulous dinner at Chapter One in Dublin with Ross Lewis.

I looked on in anticipation as each young chef cooked up something more and more magnificent. My two favorite preparations involved Guinness and turf. The first, and also the judge’s choice, was a Guinness-injected (yes, with a syringe) tenderloin of Irish beef. The second was a massive rib-eye, wrapped in turf and cooked in the sous vide manner, then sautéed in brown butter before serving. Both tasted and looked absolutely amazing.

I may not be a chef, but I am now definitely a full-fledged member of the Irish beef club.

Slan Abhaile,

Imen

Photo by Imen McDonnell . Guinness injected beef tenderloin by Christoph Pentzlin

Tags: Bord Bia, Chef Irish Beef Club, Chef Sache, dry-aged beef, food, Imen McDonnell, ireland, Irish, Irish beef, Irish food photography, Married an Irish Farmer, USDA

 I had forgotten. There is simply no better way to rekindle your love for the beauty of Ireland than to entertain visitors from abroad.  This week, we welcomed very special friends from the USA. After an eagerly anticipated farm tour, we each sat down to a warm bowl of Irish stew accompanied by chunky slices of freshly baked brown bread.  In between bites, we mapped out our very ambitious tour of the country. As you do.

The next morning, we got an early start for Kerry, an easy day trip from our neck of the woods. Weaving through the Killarney National Forest and around the Ring of Kerry, many oohs and aahs could be heard from our happy and awestruck passengers sitting beside us in the car. Despite witnessing this beautiful landscape on numerous occasions myself, I too could not resist marveling at the stunning reeks and rugged panoramas unfolding along the way…takes my breath away time and time again.

At one point during our Kerry expedition, the most beautiful grey fawn stepped out onto the road in front of the car. This is something I hadn’t experienced before on that route; luckily we were driving very slow and carefully so she was able to daintily sidestep to the other side of the road, no doubt looking for her mother. Later that evening, a fox with a very large fluffy red tail scurried across the road in the dark, a common sighting for us as well, but to our friends: novel.

Each time we have company from America we often hear comments like “ I love all of the privately owned shops lining the streets of towns and villages, they seem to really know their customers, you just don’t see that anymore back home”. There is also always an affinity towards ”all the wonderful real butcher shops and fishmongers” that aren’t the norm in America anymore. {though they appear to be attempting a comeback thankfully} Ireland always seems to take people back to a time and place where things were just a little more humble and a little less la-di-da.

Despite having sunshine for the first few days of the trip, the Irish rain made its obligatory appearance. Still, our guests were unbothered and delighted to keep touring. When we reached the top of the Cliffs of Moher {pictured above} on an impossibly wet and wild afternoon, it was declared that it was absolutely worth it. The rain and fog had only added to the dramatic and stunning spectacle, and the chill we felt was nothing a hot cup of tea couldn’t remedy.

Subtle differences were noted. Things like the fact that there are no electrical outlets in Irish bathrooms, potatoes of some shape or form are served with every entrée and that coffee is served after dessert not alongside your yummy last course {all of which were unusual to me in the early days as well} were observed, made sense of and hastily shrugged off.

We drove across the country and back again, discussing everything from how the Irish do funerals to matching car registrations with counties and what goodies we might find at Avoca if we have time to stop again. And, a line that was repeated more than once, “We could live here…..”

I know the feeling. 

To my mind, nothing beats a hot bowl of Irish Stew in the autumn/winter…here is my recipe, a hybrid of all the recipes and preparations I’ve enjoyed while living in and travelling around the country. I love adding parsnip and rosemary which is not customary, but adds more depth of flavour.

 Our Irish Stew

 3 tablespoons Olive Oil

1½ kg/ 3lb 5oz Lamb Shoulder Chops or Mutton Neck Chops

3 carrots cut on an angle or a 10 whole baby carrots

10 Baby Onions or 4 medium onions quartered

2 parsnips peeled and cut into quarters

8 potatoes peeled or 10 baby potatoes peeled

Sprigs of rosemary finely chopped

Salt & Pepper

600 ml chicken or lamb stock

Glass of dry white wine

Sprigs of thyme

1 tablespoon chervil (or parsley) chopped

1 tablespoon chives chopped

Preheat oven to 160c/325f

Cut the chops in half, do not remove bones as they add flavor.

Heat oil in large casserole until very hot, toss the meat in the

olive oil until browned, take out of the pan and then cook the

onions, parsnip, rosemary and carrots in the hot oil or fat for

a 2-3 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Add the meat back into casserole.

Place potatoes into casserole (if using baby potatoes wait 30 minutes into cooking time before putting them into casserole).

Add the stock, wine and thyme and cover.

Simmer gently either in an oven at 160c/325f until meat is tender, about 1 ½-2 hours.

Remove from oven, pour off the cooking liquid and, degrease, season if it needed and pour back over the stew.

Add chopped herbs and serve.

Makes 6-8 generous bowls.

*To degrease the juices, if you do not have a maisgras, add a couple of ice cubes to the strained liquid – the fat should rise up to the top, spoon it off and discard.

Enjoy!

Slan Abhaile,

Imen

Photos and styling by Imen McDonnell

Tags: autumn recipes, Cliffs of Moher, farm, Farming, food, I Married An Irish Farmer, Imen McDonnell, ireland, Irish food photography, irish foodies, Irish stew, Kerry, Killarney National Forest, rediscovering Ireland