Just Ask Resturant of the Month for August - Salt Restaurant

The “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month winner for August is Salt Restaurant, Lisloughrey Lodge, Cong, Co Mayo

Just outside Cong, in the Ashford Castle Estate, Lisloughrey Lodge is a contemporary hotel with a lovely Georgian house at its heart and, with views down Lough Corrib, it enjoys one of the most beautiful locations in Ireland.

Situated in two rooms on the first floor of the old house, Salt Restaurant is perfectly placed to make the most of the view - just as Head Chef Wade Murphy’s menus make the most of the superb foods that are available to him, including many from the immediate area.

Wade Murphy is currently one of the 8-member Board of Commissioners for Euro-Toques Ireland, the association of chefs and cooks who are committed to promoting local foods and protecting our culinary heritage - so it should come as no surprise that his menus make interesting reading.

Alongside the mandatory Country of Origin statement, you’ll discover the network of local food suppliers and artisan producers that supplies his kitchen, and underpins the excellent cooking: fish is supplied by Duane’s Seafood, Galway; meats come from the legendary Co Galway butcher, James McGeough, of Oughterhard; vegetables are from Burke’s of Galway; salads are grown in Headford by Stephen Gould, who is renowned for the quality and flavour of his organic leaves – and cheese is supplied by Ireland’s premier cheesemongers, Sheridan’s of Galway.

In practical terms, you’ll see this as dishes that leap off the page and say ‘Choose me!’ Scallops and bacon are a popular combination, for example, but the pan seared Atlantic scallops served at Salt are a cut above the rest, served with Pea and McGeough’s smoked bacon purée; Wade Murphy has a strong working relationship with McGeough’s and creates dishes specially to showcase products such as their wonderful air-dried Connemara ham.

McGeough’s are also suppliers of Connemara Hill Lamb, which is coming into season now and known for the special flavour imparted by its diet of herbs and heathers – it is one of the very few Irish products to have achieved European Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, which means that the name is reserved exclusively for hill lamb born and reared within the designated area.

Organic Connemara smoked salmon is another special treat produced nearby - Duane’s Seafood are suppliers of the delicious Connemara Smokehouse products, produced by the Roberts family at Ballyconeely, near Clifden; like McGeough’s, they’re Good Food Ireland members, committed to producing outstanding artisan foods (and visitors are welcome).

Try them here at Salt, perhaps, in a delicious dish of pan roasted turbot with braised vegetables and organic Connemara smoked salmon - the smoked fish brilliantly sharpened with horseradish essence. And fresh main course salmon will be the superb Clare Island Organic Salmon, farmed nearby in the deep and fast-flowing water between Westport and Clare Island – and its quality recognised by an Irish Food Writers’ Guild Award in 2009.

Of the meats favoured by Chef Murphy, there will not only be lamb and local beef, but also game in season – venison from the Dromoland Estate, for example, which is not far away in Co Clare – and fantastic free range pork from the Allen family’s Castlemine Farm in Co Roscommon. (You may remember seeing them on RTE’s The Higher Ground last year).

All round, Wade Murphy’s careful sourcing of the best local and artisan products – together with outstanding cooking –makes for a very special dining experience at Salt Restaurant and, although more casual, this care is carried through to the meals served in the Malt Bar, and to the special children’s menus offered too.


SAMPLE DINNER MENU

Dinner Menu €65
includes Amuse – Starter – Soupçon – Main Course - Cheese or Dessert – Tea / Coffee

Starters - €16

Stephen Gould’s Organic Greens
Asparagus Panna Cotta, Summer Vegetables
Sherry Vinaigrette

Pan Seared Atlantic Scallops
Pea and McGeough’s Smoked Bacon Puree
Caviar Crème Fraiche

Wade’s Foie Gras ‘Sundae
Foie Gras Mousse, Peppered Pineapple, Port Soaked Cherries
Tiny Brioche Croutons, Candied Hazelnuts

St. Tola Goat Cheese Fondant
Confit Baby Fennel & Vine Ripened Cherry Tomatoes
Walnut Pesto

Deep Fried Free Range Farmer’s Egg
Castlemine Farm Pork Belly, Potato and White Leek Fricasse
Green Leek Veloute

Rare Seared Carpaccio of McGeough’s Smoked Beef Fillet
Crisp Celeriac, Caper and Herb Remoulade,
Shanghai Vinaigrette


Mains - €34
Served with Market Potatoes & Vegetables

Pan Roasted Fillet of Irish Angus Beef
Truffle Pomme Puree, Wild Field Mushrooms
Madeira Jus

Butter Basted Monkfish Tail
Grilled Baby Gem Lettuce, Slow Roasted Beets
Spiced Port Syrup

Whole Roasted Poussin
Creamed Corn, Rooster Potato and Spinach Salad
Hazelnut and Coriander Salsa

Pan Roasted Fillet of Wild Turbot
Murrisk Mussels, Broad Beans and Fennel
Champagne Nage

Connemara Lamb Tasting Plate
Loin, Shank and Offal, Smoked Aubergine, Pea and Mint Puree
Cabernet Reduction

Fried Fillet of Sea Bass
Warm Baby Potato and Samphire, Salsa Verde
Lemon and Tomato Dressing

Crisp Vegetable and Wild Mushroom Tart
Organic Chard and Spinach, Shaved Parmesan
Natural Vegetable Consomme

Suppliers
Meats: James McGeough, Oughterhard Fish: Duane’s Seafood, Galway Vegetables: Burke’s, Galway
Salad: Stephen Gould, Headford Cheese: Sheridan’s, Galway


Chef Wade Murphy is a member of Euro-toques ~ the European Community of Chefs & Cooks ~ and is committed to sourcing locally and supporting small food producers wherever possible
All Our Beef and Pork is 100% Irish
All our Game is Wild and may contain shot
Nut products are used throughout our kitchen
A 12.5% Service Charge will automatically be added to parties of 8 or more


Dessert Menu €15

Dark Chocolate Mousse
Organic Raspberry Jubilee & Sorbet

Local Rhubarb Tasting Plate
Crumble Parfait, Iced Granita & Rhubarb and Custard Filo

Lemon Scented Crème Brulee
Blueberry Sorbet, Poppy Seed Thins

Wild Organic Peach and Wexford Strawberry Napoleon
Champagne Sorbet

Iced Passion fruit and Pineapple Bombe
Pineapple Salsa and Crisp

Artisan Irish Cheese Platter
Pain d’ Espices & Homemade Chutney


All our Desserts may contain nut traces


Dessert Cocktails € 15


After 8
Crème de Menthe,
Crème de Cacao & Fresh Cream

Serendipity
Kiwi Liqueur, Mandarine Liqueur, Lychee Liqueur,
Pineapple Juice, Cranberry Juice


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VIEW ALL JUST ASK RESTAURANT OF THE MONTH WINNERS

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“Just Ask!” is a public awareness campaign that aims to encourage consumers when eating out to look for information on where the food (particularly meat) on their plate comes from, and encourages chefs to provide this information on their menus. The programme supports both large and smaller artisan suppliers, encouraging both Irish diners and visitors from abroad to support restaurants that are in turn supporting their suppliers.

Here at Georgina Campbell Guides we have always been avid supporters of the ‘eat local’ concept, and we always enjoy reading menus that have a real sense of place. The dining experience is greatly enriched by knowing that the food on your plate is inspired by the produce and traditions of the area, and sourced nearby – and we would love to see more chefs sharing that precious information with their guests. 

If you are a visitor to the area, learning a little about local food and the people who produce it adds a special extra dimension to the visit – and, for residents, it reinforces a natural pride in the good things of their locality and makes a meal all the more enjoyable.

So, we are delighted by the high standard of menus that continue to be submitted for our ' “Just Ask!” Restaurant of the Month Competition', menus that really speak of the best of Irish foods – and the dedication of both the people who make them, and the chefs who select them to create wonderful dishes with real Irish flavour for our enjoyment.