The Darina Allen Column - Celebrating the Ards Peninsula and North Down

Who better than Darina Allen to sing the praises of new-found gems that are closre to home than you might think – and to share some of their super recipes.

Every day of the week, people are whizzing off to Ibiza, Lanzarote for a few longed for days in the sun. Far be it from me to deprive Cork Airport, the friendliest little airport in the world, of any business but tell me have you been to the Ards Peninsula and North Down?

Well, I can't exactly take the high moral ground because I hadn't been either and it has to be said the climate is much more agreeable and certainly less sizzling than many exotic sounding places in summer.
Some other members of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild and myself were recently invited to a whistle stop tour of the area by Taste Ards and North Down. You can't imagine how much we packed into one and a half days. We started with a bus trip plus a picnic through the rolling countryside from Dublin to Comber, lunch was at Number 14 at the Georgian House where chef James Mulholland and Pippa Groom, his pastry chef, cooked many of their favourite dishes proudly showcasing local produce. I particularly remember this delectable crab tart (see below)generously shared with me afterwards. Remembering that the brilliant local deli, Indi Fude was around the corner, I whizzed over there in search of one of my favourite Northern Ireland products, smoked eel from Lough Neagh, sadly they didn't have any, but I picked up some Abernethy's handmade butter instead and several perfectly ripe cheeses from this super cool little deli on Castle Street.
Then on through Newtownards to Carlos Henrique Capparelli who is producing a range of artisan pastas from ethically sourced ingredients and heritage grains. Shapes like casarecce and radiatori were totally new to me. Carlos, who worked with Yotam Ottolenghi, is overseeing a hugely impressive restoration project at The Old Mill, which will be a series of restaurants, cocktail bars, and private dining rooms by next summer. Watch that space...

Then on to Ballyboley Farm near Greyabbey to meet the Alexander family and their herd of Dexter and Highland cattle and believe it or not afternoon tea or sloe whiskey in the field overlooking Strangford Lough. We could clearly see the Mull of Kintyre in the distance which prompted us all to break into the Beatles song.
Tourism NI is all about experiences, so groups can have Cake with the Cows or Tea with the native Irish bees, their enthusiasm was infectious.
From there, it was on the Copeland Distillery in Donaghadee, which produces award winning Irish Gin, blended Irish whiskey, rum, vodka and a coffee liqueur.
There's such a lot happening on the food and drink scene in Northern Ireland nowadays but particularly in this area of the Ards Peninsula and North Down. We enjoyed three cocktails, each paired deliciously with a plate of beetroot cured salmon gravlax with horseradish cream, apple and freshwater cress. Then there were plump pigs tail milk buns sprinkled with fennel seeds and flaky sea salt which I really enjoyed with the Copeland whiskey and a Chocolate pavé with poached fig, a dollop of cream and some fresh fig oil on top. A delicious little feast created by Andy and wife Roz of Hara Food (formerly of the esteemed Hara restautant in Hillsbourough). Our overnight stay was in the lovely Clandeboye Lodge Hotel, where all my friends, bless their appetites, tucked into dinner while I drank fizzy water with a few drops of Angostura bitters to aid digestion while listening to a cacophony of appreciative sounds around me.

First stop the following morning was to meet the many producers from the Ards Peninsula and North Down at the Food Fair in the Courtyard and Great Hall at Clandeboye Estate. Counterculture Real Bread, Bró Coffee, Ballyboley Dexter Beef Breakfast rolls, Clandeboye Estate award winning yoghurt, Honey, Stonebridge Cottage Farm rare breed pork and more, fed on whey from Mike's Fancy cheese and spent grains from local craft breweries and distilleries, any wonder it tastes so good? Out in the courtyard with many other temptations were Honey,Simply Scampi, award winning prawns landed at Portavogie, hand shelled and flash in a light crispy batter and so much more.

Then on to see another restoration project at The Walled Garden, Helen's Bay where Lorraine Small's enthusiasm was infectious. While she is clearing the beautiful space of bindweed and scutch grass, people flock for arts and craft making workshops and new food and drink experiences.
Then onto another distillery and it wasn't even noon. This time a return visit to Echlinville Distillery in Kilgubbin, the first new distillery in Northern Ireland for 125 years and it seems is going from strength to strength. As in the Copeland Distillery, there's constant experimentation and innovation, Jarlath Watson was excited about a particular whiskey aged in PX barrels. We tasted several others too including Dunville and Old Comber, which I liked a lot. After a delicious pairing with Northern Irish cheeses - Young Buck, Kilmore, Dart Mountain and Ballylisk Triple Rose - and Broughgammon charcuterie from Co Antrim, we piled onto the bus in a wonderfully mellow state and headed for Heuston Station, driving alongside the shores of Carlingford Lough where thousands of Brent geese were feeding in the mud flats. Our heads were swirling with happy memories of generous hospitality and many new foods and drinks - check it out...
For further info and there's so much more - www.visitardsandnorthdown.com

A Few Ards & North Down Recipes To Try:

HARA'S BEETROOT CURED SALMON WITH HORSERADISH AND APPLE
Thank you to Andy and Roz at Hara for sharing this delicious recipe.
Serves 4-6 as a light lunch
Ingredients
Salmon
1 small bunch of thyme
500g raw beetroot, peeled and roughly chopped.
500g sea salt
250g caster sugar
juice and finely grated zest of 2 oranges
½ side of salmon, trimmed and pin boned.
Method
Pick the thyme leaves and place in a food processor together with the beetroot and blend to a paste.
Transfer to a bowl and stir together with the salt, sugar, orange juice and zest.
Pour the mixture into a large box or tray, big enough to hold the salmon. Add the salmon, ensuring that all sides are covered with the beetroot mix. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
After 24 hours, take the salmon out of the beetroot cure and rinse carefully with cold water to remove all the salt. Dry with paper towel and transfer to a wire rack on a tray. Refrigerate for a further 24 hours before using, to allow the salmon to dry and firm up further.
Horseradish Cream
100ml crème fraîche
100ml double cream
1 tbsp horseradish sauce
zest of 1 lemon
salt and pepper
Method
Whip the crème fraîche and cream together, then fold in the horseradish sauce and lemon zest – add more horseradish if you prefer more zing! Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Apple Salad
Ingredients
1 eating apple, Granny Smith or similar
1 lemon, juiced
Method
Carefully shave the apple into thin slices on a mandolin or using a sharp knife. Toss with the lemon juice to stop it browning, then add a drizzle of olive oil.
To serve, slice the salmon across into thin slices and lay on a plate. Add a spoonful of horseradish cream and some apple slices. Garnish with a leaf or two of watercress or rocket salad.
Any leftover salmon will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.

ARDGLASS CRAB AND COOLATTIN TARTLETTE
With special thanks to James and Pippa at No 14 The Georgian House.
Serves 15
Pastry Ingredients
250g plain flour
pinch of salt
125g cold Irish butter
1 whole free range egg
Filling
250ml cream
2 whole eggs
150g Coolattin Cheddar
150g fresh white crab meat
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For baking:10cm pastry moulds

Method
First, make the pastry. Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes, toss in the flour and then rub in with your fingertips to form a breadcrumb like mix, add the egg to the mixture and mix until the pastry forms a dough. Wrap in parchment paper and leave in the fridge for 1 hour.
Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out the pastry (tip here to place a chopping board in the freezer to keep the pastry cold when rolling.)
Cut into circles of pastry moulds, 10cm approx.
Brush the pastry moulds with a little melted butter.
Add the cut circles of pastry onto your moulds and press down - we normally place another mould on top to help keep its shape.
Preheat the oven to 165°C/Gas Mark 3.
Precook the pastry moulds for 9 minutes in the preheated oven.
Remove from the oven leaving them to cool for a few minutes then remove the tarts from the moulds.
Next, make the filling.
Mix the cream and egg together, add the cheese and crab. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and pour into your pastry moulds.
Cook for 12 minutes at 165°C or until firm in the centre and serve.

WALLED GARDEN AT HELEN'S BAY LEMON CURD DRIZZLE CAKE
With special thanks to Lorraine Small.
Serves 10-12

Cake Ingredients
175g softened butter
175g caster sugar
3 large eggs
zest of 2 lemons
175g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
Syrup
100g icing sugar
juice of 2 lemons
Lemon icing
125g icing sugar
2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Method
Preheat oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3 (150°C fan).
Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with parchment paper.
Cream the softened butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, Stir in the lemon zest. Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder together.
Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk, until the batter is smooth and well combined.
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Top tip - If the top starts to brown too quickly, cover it loosely with foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.
While the cake is baking, mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice in a small bowl until fully dissolved to create the 'lemon drizzle' syrup.
Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven. Let the cake cool completely in the tin before transferring it to a wire rack.
Split the cake and slowly pour the lemon syrup over both sides allowing it to soak in. Sandwich together with good quality lemon curd.
Make the lemon icing, combine the icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, adding more lemon juice as needed to create a smooth, pourable glaze. Spread over the cake and leave to set.
Decorate with edible flowers from your garden.

SEASONAL TIPS

Order your turkey for Christmas...
Christmas is just around the corner so don't forget to get your order in for a beautiful free-range organic bronze turkey or a plump goose. Sounds like there may be a shortage of birds this year. Fewer and fewer farmers are rearing birds because of growing costs and fewer and fewer processing facilitates open to artisans.
TO BUY - a few suggestions:
Regan Organic Farm - Drinagh, Co. Wexford
Telephone: (087) 668 2461
www.reganorganicfarm.ie
Coolanowle Organic Farm (Organic Turkey's & Free-Range Geese) - Co. Carlow
Tel: (059) 911 7391
www.organicmeat.ie
Fior Bhia Farm (Free-Range Bronze Turkeys) – Co. Laois
Tel: 086 389 2523 (Brendan)
www.fiorbhiafarm.ie
Caviston's Food Emporium - Co. Dublin.
Telephone: (01) 2809120
www.cavistons.com

Vinilo Bakery Pizza Night – Lismore
So many reasons to visit Lismore in Co. Waterford.
Visit Vinilo Bakery & Café (open Thursday – Sunday from 8.30am – 4pm. They run a pizza night on a Saturday evening, 5.30-8.30pm. One can also find yerba mate at Vinilo – this national drink of Uraguqy and Argentina – can be difficult to source, it's super energising...
On Sunday morning, there is a small Farmers' Market outside the Castle Gates. From there you can visit the Lismore Castle gardens and exhibition.
For more information, see www.vinilobakery.com

Book Choice: The Food for Life Cookbook
Tim Spector, the original pioneer of microbiome research is amongst the 100 most frequently cited scientists in the world. His long awaited The Food for Life Cookbook created with Zoe has just been published. Go with your gut and seek it out.
Published by Penguin Random House; price about €15 ;available from good bookshops including Dubray Books and Easons 

http://www.cookingisfun.ie/