The Seafood Interview supported by BIM - Out of the Blue, Dingle

Marilyn Bright talks to Tim Mason of Out of the Blue, Dingle, Co Kerry, a man who saw potential in a derelict shack beside the harbour - and turned it into one of Ireland’s best-known (and most uncompromising) seafood restaurants.

For restaurateur Tim Mason, Out of the Blue couldn’t be a more appropriate name for his seafood mecca now enjoying Its twelfth year beside Dingle pier. Although a South County Dubliner, Tim spent most of his working life abroad, shifting between financial powerhouses of Zurich, New York, London and Dusseldorf as a stockbroker and commodities trader. Taking a sabbatical from the stress of the trading floor, a leisurely home holiday brought him to Dingle, which was to prove his fatal attraction.

"I drove down to the harbour and passed this tumbledown jumble of a shack with the light sparkling on the bay and boats bobbing up and down," Tim recollects. “And I thought that's it — I could do something here.”

Although Tim always had a keen interest in food and his mother was a good cook and follower of Jane Grigson and Elizabeth David, he had never been involved at the sharp end of cooking, much less the catering profession. What did stand him in good stead, however, was the fact that stockbrokers ( in those days anyway ) dined extraordinarily well, so he’d experienced of best restaurants around the world,

The tiny restaurant cum fish shop that opened in the summer of 2001 was a far cry from international fine dining, but fresh paint had worked wonders and the emphasis was on fresh, fresh fish -- sold from the iced counter to be taken home or cooked and served up at one of the five tables. With the nearest trawler just 50 yards away,

Tim and his chef would literally drag the boxes across to the shop. “In the early days we used to sort the fish in front of the cafe — we just had no room inside — but it drew a lot of attention and attracted customers who could see how really fresh everything was. You couldn't do that today, though."

The restaurant has expanded bit by bit over the years, with derelict sections of the premises gradually reclaimed. The main dining area today was formerly the old donkey shed with a holed tin roof and the fish counter has given way to a much needed bar area. There’s seating now for 35 - 40 people, with three tables outside under a bright awning. “We've gone as far as we can,” Tim says, “without digging a basement.”

The very small kitchen only fits three people — the head chef Jean-Marie Vaireaux, a sous-chef and a kitchen porter who also doubles up on desserts. All good friends of necessity, Tim asserts. Eric Maillard who was the original Out of the Blue chef, has returned after a few years abroad and Peter Stephane is the third chef in the team. "With a seven day opening, Tim had found that three chefs working switchable rotas suits the confines of the kitchen, the menu and the pressure of business that means that tables may be turned two to three times an evening during high season.

Ten to fifteen different fish appear on menus chalked up on blackboards every service, dishes varying with the catch of the day and "whatever is in the chef's head". Various elements are interchangeable, like the toasted almond and lemon butter that may appear with pan-fried lemon sole one day and another fish on the next. Oven roasted sea bass may be partnered with garlic butter and black olive tapenade while creamy clam and mushroom sauce compliments braised turbot cutlets. Crayfish salad has homemade mayonnaise and the langoustine bisque has a classic Provencale topping of croutons and aioli.

With Jean-Marie hailing from Lyon and Eric from Brittany, it’s no surprise to see French classics like beurre blanc, sauce Grenobloise or the roast apple and cider sauce served with turbot, while Gallic favourites like ratatouille and celeriac remoulade are here too,

Sauces and flavourings are designed to let the freshness of the fish speak for itself and accompaniments are kept simple too. "Fish has to be the star and we do a combination of different small salads — maybe 15 or so, with a different selection going out on each plate, " Tim explains. Although he takes pride in a ' fish only' menu with no concession to carnivores, they will cater for vegetarians, making up a chef's selection plate of the salads and accompaniments of the day.

Pollock in a crisp potato crust served with chive cream has become the Out of the Blue signature dish, highly popular and appearing on every menu. "It's our version of fish and chips”, Tim jokes, “and although we're always being asked for the recipe, it's going to remain our secret."

Glenbeigh Shellfish Company supplies the oysters, clams and local mussels that are farmed just below Inch strand. Langoustines aren’t landed so much now in Dingle, Tim has observed, and there is less gurnard than there used to be. "Working with fish every day, you get to know what is really local to a specific area. Our own Dingle Bay cod has a purple colour from living among the reeds, while other cod has a greenish cast.”

Although Tim had a basic knowledge of fish from his young angling days, he's learned about filleting and how to keep fish by watching the fishermen, observing at the local fish factory and asking “plenty of questions”. Reading is important too and Tim regards Jane Grigson's Fish Cookery as his bible, while having high regard for Rick Stein's books as well as the Irish published From Tide to Table by Georgina ampbell which is sadly now out of print. The fish cookery book collection has grown over the years and well-thumbed copies appear as décor on the restaurant tables instead of flowers.

The success of Out of the Blue would be an achievement for any caterer, but especially so for a self-taught seafood specialist like Tim. “Membership of the BIM Seafood Circle has been a badge of honour and winning the Most Informative Menu award is the icing on the cake. It's a great and sometimes exasperating business and I always say it’s my first restaurant and my last.”

RECIPE: Glenbeigh Mussels 'Marinières'

At Out of the Blue they cook wonderful classics, sometimes with a modern twist. Everything depends on the fresh fish and seafood supply from the boats that day and if there’s no fresh produce, they don’t open. This favourite dish from our seafood cookbook From Tide To Table showcases one of Kerry’s most famous seafood products and, although very easy, it is a great dish for entertaining: simple, yet impressive. Serves 4

50g/2oz butter 1 shallot, finely chopped
1.75kg/4lb fresh mussels, cleaned
150ml/1/4 pint dry white wine
120ml/4fl oz cream or crème fraîche
handful chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
freshly ground black pepper
To Serve: crusty bread

Melt the butter in a large pan with a lid, add the shallot and cook over a moderate heat for 2-3 minutes until softened but not coloured.

Increase the heat, tip in the mussels and wine and cover with the lid. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally until the mussel shells have opened; discard any that do not.

Using a large slotted spoon, divide the mussels among large bowls. Whisk the cream or crème fraîche into the wine mixture and season with pepper, then pour over the mussels. Sprinkle a little of the chopped parsley over each bowl and serve with some crusty bread to mop up all those delicious juices.

VARIATION: This dish could also be made with cockles or clams instead of mussels.