Sunday, January 29, 2006
Oysters and Fresh Veg
Well, well, another weekend over and I have done a lot less in the kitchen than I had originally planned. Last weekend was great, exactly as I like them. It was sunny and warm (OK, it was only 8 degrees Celsius, but that seems positively hot compared to most of continental Europe) and I had all the time in the world to shop and cook. I started the day with a quick trip to Meath Street. I know, most people who know the place refuse to go anywhere near the food shops there, but I personally find such arrogance misplaced. Unlike Dutch tomatoes or battery reared chickens, the goods sold here are not by nature nasty. Many of the packaged items are out of date, but I somehow do not believe that a jar of Branston's pickle somehow tastes worse two days after Tesco would have thrown it out. OK, bad analogy. What I'm really saying is that Meath Street is great for good quality products at very, very cheap prices, but you have to be prepared to tolerate large gatherings of socially dysfunctional people and be prepared to put in the time and effort to find the good stuff among the crap. While I get pushed to the limit by the former almost every week, I actually enjoy the latter. I actually find browsing hundreds of cans and jars looking for that one special one a very relaxing activity. And last Saturday, I was very successful too. I got, besides my normal selection of fruit & veg and our usual weekend fish, a jar of lovely, entirely natural strawberry and champagne preserve, a packet of hand made gorgonzola and walnut tortellini, some organic smoked salmon and two big boxes of Hula Hoops (a bargain at 3 Euros!). Very nice indeed.The afternoon was dedicated to more upmarket shopping. I started out at Listons, one of my favourite food stores in Dublin. With their large selection of natural, organic, fair tra
ded and just plain yummy stuff, the place is absolutely wonderful for lovers of good food and wine. They have a good selection of fresh olives along with the usual mediterranean favourites like stuffed wine leaves, hummus and anchovies in oil; the best dried fruit that I have tasted outside Morocco; wonderful cold m
eats, pates and cheese; all the basic dry goods you could ever want - pasta, rice, grains, pulses; sauces and seasonings; oils and vinegars (and verjuice from Cape Town!); free range eggs and meat; milk products from happy cows; natural juices and lemonade; organic bread and cakes; fair traded tea (Clipper Earl Grey tea, no one should be without it), coffee and chocolate; a wide variety of snacks and sweets; lots and lots of wine; and a deli counter to die for. You can generally taste a number of things from the meat and cheese counter - a strategy that always gets me, there is nothing more convincing that great flavour. The staff are always friendly and really make you feel welcome. So far, whatever reason took me to Listons, I have never left dissatisfied.My next stop was a small fruit and vegetable store on Wexford street called Evergr
een. I know I should support the ladies who sell fruit and veg in the street, but their stuff is generally of a lower quality than I like it. They don't take care not to bash delicate things like tomatoes about, which means that they tend to go rotten by the next day. Besides, I get all the basics from my veggie man on Meath. He's always got nice fresh stuff, mostly locally grown, and does not skip corners on quality. He does not, however, have what might be considered posh food. This is where Evergreen comes in. Whether it is wild mushrooms, purple potatoes, sharon fruit or cape gooseberries, they always stock what I would consider special treats. They also have a very nice selection of the basics (including fresh herbs and mediterranean vegetables in oil), but also have prices to match and at times go for looks over taste. I still think that my veggie man's smaller apples are tasier than their well-polished large ones. But that does not mean Evergreen is not great. One of the fundamental mistakes of our supermarket generation is to think that we should be able to buy everything in one place. The art is in the mix.This is why, despite being packed down and well over budget already, I headed on to Dublin's Temple Bar Food Market. Since I discovered this little food paradise our eating habits have taken a sharp turn for th
e better. True, the products sold here are generally more expensive than what you get at Tesco, but the claim that they charge twice as much for supposedly being organic is untrue and generally only made by people who don't know the place. And value for money wise, I take Temple Bar Market any day. No Tesco pre-packaged cheese compares to even what is on offer at the three cheese stalls here. The meat is free range and anyone who can say th
at they are not tempted by the smell of the freshly grilled burgers and Boerewors is either totally insensitive or a vegetarian. For the chocoholic there is Chez Emily's all natural, Belgian style chocolates. The olive stall (which also sells sun-dried tomatoes, stuffed wine leaves and the like) is a must for lovers of mezze - much better and more reasonably priced (in my humble opinion) than the stall in George Street Market Arcade. Germans (and others) can find a special treat at the cheese stall op
posite the apple lady (great Irish apples and apple juice at a good price, by the way): Freshly baked Brezen! Also try their garlic cheese, it's to die for. When it comes to vegetables, the big stall right in the middle dominates the scene, but don't overlook the lady in the back corner. She grows all her own stuff, is much cheaper and is one of the few people who still grow the vegetables that our grandparents grew up with, such as red kale, greens that I've never even heard of and great old varieties of tomatoes. She's also the only place in town that sells Brussel tops. If you've never had them and see them anywhere, give them a try. They're milder than Brussel sprouts and taste great cooked like this:1 onion, finely choppedBut back to the market. If you like oysters, a stop at the oyster stall is a must for you. Gathered fresh the night before, they are served with big chunks of fresh lemon and white wine by a lovely man who will make you feel welcome as only an Irishman can. As for the price, last time I went they were € 1,25 a piece; hardly twice the going rate and definitely well worth it. I took a dozen home the other day and made a lovely chowder. Just the sort of warming dish you need at this time of the year when you're totally sick of the cold, wet Irish winter:
3 to four heads of Brussel tops, cleaned and roughly chopped
½ glas red wine
butter or olive oil for frying
salt and pepper to taste
Heat the butter or oil in a big pot over medium heat. Fry the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the Brussel tops and continue frying for a minute. Then add the wine, stir well, reduce the heat and cook, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6-12 oysters, removed from the shell and roughly chopped, juice reservedYum, that's made me all hungry. I guess I better get on with dinner!
2 slices of streaky bacon (or a few drops of liquid smoke and 1 tsp butter, if you don't eat pork)
2 ½ cups of potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 cm cubes
2 onions, finely chopped
1 stock cube
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
2 ½ cups milk
½ cup cream
2 tblsp all purpose flour
Mix the oyster juice mith enough water to make up 1 cup (250 ml)
Fry the bacon in a large sauce pan over medium heat until crispy. Remove from the pan and break into small bits, leaving 1 tbsp of fat behind. (If you are not using bacon, simply melt the butter or heat the oil in a pan.)
Gently soften the onion in the fat, then add the oyster juice, potatoes, stock cube, Worcester sauce and thyme (and liquid smoke, if using). Reduce temperature and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Add milk and cream to the chowder and bring to the boil, stirring constantly.
Now add the oysters and gently return to the boil. Continue to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls, add the crispy bacon and season to taste with pepper. Serve imediately.
Christine at 5:23 pm
