The Seafood Interview supported by BIM - Mary Anns Bar and Restaurant

Marilyn Bright talks to Patricia and Fergus O’Mahony, who have been running their renowned seafood pub in West Cork for over 25 years – that’s a quarter of a century before the word ‘gastro-pub’ entered the vocabulary of unsuspecting foodies everywhere.

For over 150 years, Mary Ann's Bar has been welcoming hungry sailors wending their way up from Castletownshend’s picturesque harbour. Licensed since 1846, the bones of the building go back to Armada times, an incident present day owners Patricia and Fergus O'Mahony can relate to during the mid-August peak when the village is thick with yachties and the harbour solid with boats.

Travellers tales abound with memories of thick crab sandwiches piled on homemade bread and lobsters delivered dripping fresh that day from Ted O'Driscoll's lobster pots in Union Hall.

The family run bar and restaurant is garlanded with awards won since the couple took on the business over 25 years ago and built their reputation on excellent local seafood and generous hospitality. Patricia, who left a career in banking to take over the kitchen, was named BIM Seafood Circle Chef of the Year 2012 and Mary Ann’s has also taken top honours as Georgina Campbell’s Pub of the Year 2012.

Seafood chowder – always gluten free - is legendary, as are the Roaring Water Bay mussels steamed in white wine with cream and garlic. Crab sells “by the ton” not only in the trademark open sandwich and salad, but in the delightfully retro baked avocado stuffed with crab and melting gratinated topping. "We’re spoiled here,” Patricia admits, “because we get the ready-picked crab meat from Shellfish de la Mer in Castletownbere just down the road."

The menu at Mary Ann's is a crowd pleasing mélange of old and new and perennials like the Union Hall smoked salmon platter or crispy battered fish of the day with chips. Scallops Mary Ann is a blast from the past with piped potato and brandy-spiked mornay, otherwise known as Coquilles Saint Jacques of happy memory. Newer influences are reflected in scallops paired with Clonakilty black pudding and bacon with beurre blanc or the roasted monkfish tails complemented by a tasty cushion of wild mushroom risotto.

Tastes have changed over the years, Patricia acknowledges, with heavy cream sauces being by-passed in favour of infused oils, salsas, tapenades and Mediterranean marinades. Mary Ann's menus have seen further diversity with the arrival of assistant chefs from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Thai green curry and seafood laksa have proved popular along with the Thai fishcakes with mixed greens and chilli mango sauce. Prawns may be given a light tempura batter with chilli and soy dip or stir-fried with garlic, chilli and ginger. Salmon marinated with chilli, coriander and lime is a popular healthy choice served with steamed rice and salad.

The busy bar and restaurant with its patio garden is especially family  friendly during the summer months with kids’ options of half-portions of nearly everything on the menu. "Little ones eat fish now,” Patricia reports. “Goujons and pasta are popular, and they love mussels so they can get in with both hands and pick out the shells.”

Patricia admits being thrown in at the deep end when she joined Fergus in Mary Ann’s with a tiny kitchen. It was only sandwiches in the beginning, but they quickly realised that offering food was the only way to survive and the menu expanded gradually. "It was on the job training,” she say, “and I read all the cookbooks and magazines and watched the television chefs."

Gordon Ramsay is respected for his straight talking and she likes Hugh  Fearnley-Wittingstall’s River Cottage books. Everything from Ballymaloe is “amazing” and Delia Smith is sound on the basics - her sticky toffee pudding is constantly on the menu and Patricia is a great fan of her frangipan tarts which are adapted to the fruits and berries in season, "and a French chef gave me the tip of putting a little rum into the frangipan mixture."

Like everyone else, the O’Mahonys have had to adapt to the economic downturn. The kitchen brigade is down from five to three, with Patricia back full time as head chef. “With less hands, we've paired down the  menu because you can't compromise on quality. People are dining out less often - summer visitors who used to eat out three times a week are probably out once now," she's observed. “Customers come to us because they know what they're getting is absolutely fresh - nearly jumping out of the water - but at the same time they want value for money. Our costs are going up all the time, so you'd want to be a magician to get the balance right.”

Wine afficianados consider Fergus something of a magician when it comes to Mary Ann’s wine list. House wines start at €17.95 for an Argentinian cabernet sauvignon, while wine specials of the week highlight bargains  like Trimbach pinot blanc marked down from €29.95 to €21.95 and champagne down to €35 from €75. Fergus prides himself on prising great deals from suppliers, enabling him to offer premium wine like the current range of classic burgundies - Pouilly Fuisse, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet - all in the €25- 50 bracket.

Wine dinners are a feature of the off-peak season and Mary Ann's wine club has five tastings a year as well as annual trip like the visit to Bordeaux which took in Chateau Palmer and Beychevelle-Pomerol. This year's trip will be to Barcelona, in October and although it's been a policy that both O'Mahonys are never away at the same time, Patricia insists that she'll be travelling with Fergus to Spain. “It's our silver wedding anniversary this year and I think I deserve it.”

RECIPE: Lobster Salad with Lemon and Dill Mayonnaise
[From ‘From Tide To Table’ (Epicure Press. Out of print.)]

This is an old favourite from Trish O’Mahony and it often makes an appearance on the daily blackboard specials in the bar at Mary Ann’s; it’s a dish which never fails to draw compliments and you could also try making it with the freshest possible white crab meat.
[Hint: Freeze the leftover lobster shells and use them for lobster stock.]

2 live lobsters, each about 500g/1lb 2oz
1 small onion, sliced
1 slice lemon
1 bay leaf
2 fresh dill sprigs
handful fresh parsley stalks
few black peppercorns
120ml/4fl oz white wine
100g/4oz mixed salad leaves, such as chicory, rocket and lollo rosso
2 tbsp French vinaigrette (see below)
salt and freshly ground black pepper

To Serve
lemon and dill mayonnaise (see below)
freshly baked brown soda bread

SERVES 4

To prepare the lobsters, place each one on a board and cover it with foil and a cloth. Hold firmly down with one hand and, with the point of a large knife, pierce down to the board through the cross on the centre of the head.

Put enough salted water to cover the lobsters into a large deep pan, and bring to the boil. As a guide allow at least 1 litre/13/4 pints to 1 teaspoon of salt per 500g/1lb 2oz lobster. Add the onion, lemon, bay leaf, dill sprigs, parsley, peppercorns and white wine and simmer for 5 minutes to allow the flavours to combine.

Increase the heat and when the flavoured water is boiling, add the lobsters and boil for 5 minutes for the first 500g/1lb 2oz, adding an extra 3 minutes for each extra 500g/1lb 2oz. When the lobsters are cooked, the colour changes to bright red. Transfer to a large sink or basin of iced water to cool down immediately.

When the lobsters are cool enough to handle, pull the claws from the bodies. Crack the claws and remove the meat. With a large chef’s knife cut each lobster in half from the back, along the length of its body, and remove its intestinal tract, then discard. Remove the tail meat and slice it up neatly.

To serve, toss the salad leaves in the French vinaigrette, then season to taste and pile in the centre of each serving plate. Arrange the lobster meat on top and spoon a dollop of mayonnaise onto each plate. The remainder can be served in a small dish on the table along with a basket of freshly baked brown soda bread, allowing guests to help themselves.

French Vinaigrette

This is an excellent version of French vinaigrette, but you can adapt it to your own personal taste by using red or white wine vinegar, or experiment with different oils. This makes enough to dress a good-sized green or mixed salad.

1 tbsp white wine vinegar
pinch of caster sugar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small garlic clove, crushed
salt and freshly ground black pepper

SERVES 4-6 MAKES ABOUT 75ML/3FL OZ

Place the vinegar in a screw-topped jar and add the sugar and a good pinch of salt, then shake until the salt has dissolved. Add the oil to the jar with the mustard and garlic and shake again until you have formed a thick emulsion. Season to taste and chill until needed.

Mayonnaise

This quick mayonnaise is made in a food processor and it will keep happily in the fridge for up to one week. It literally takes minutes to make and is far superior to any shop bought alternatives.

1 egg, at room temperature
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
pinch of caster sugar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
120ml/4fl oz olive oil
120ml/4fl oz sunflower oil

MAKES 300ML/1/2 PINT

Break the egg into the food processor and add the vinegar, salt, sugar, mustard and half of the olive oil. Secure the lid and whizz for 10 seconds. Leave to stand for a couple of seconds, then turn on again at medium speed and pour the remaining olive oil and sunflower oil through the feeder tube in a thin steady stream. This should take 25-30 seconds. Switch off the machine, take off the lid, scrape down the sides, and whizz again for 2-3 seconds. Transfer to a bowl or a jar, season to taste and cover with clingfilm. Chill until ready to use.

VARIATION: To make LEMON AND DILL MAYONNAISE, stir the finely grated rind of 1 lemon and 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh dill into the mayonnaise
Marilyn Bright talks to Patricia and Fergus O’Mahony, who have been running their renowned seafood pub in West Cork for over 25 years – that’s a quarter of a century before the word ‘gastro-pub’ entered the vocabulary of unsuspecting foodies everywhere.