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Saturday, August 25, 2012

My Great Irish Bake Off Entry



If you're following me on twitter you will have noticed myself and a few fellow foodies posting numerous pictures of bread this week.

Caítríona over on Wholesome Ireland came up with the great idea of doing a twitter/blogging competition modelled on the technical challenge in Great British Bake Off.

Last week it was Rum Babas and Karen O'Connell from Follow the Food Link won.
This week it is the intricate 8 strand plaited loaf and Dr Oetker Baking have kindly given prizes for this competition so you have more to gain than just yummy bread.

Anyone can enter and for more information on how to enter this week here is Caítríona's post.

Here is my entry for this week.








Thursday, August 9, 2012

Fenn's Quay, Cork


A few weeks ago, we finally got down to Fenn's Quay in Cork for a bite to eat. I had been following Kate Lawlor, head chef, on Twitter for quite a while and worked alongside her for Chef du Jour but hadn't gotten around to enjoying her cooking. This long awaited visit was not a disappointment.

So to start we ordered Warm Chicken Salad with crispy potato skins & a sweet chilli dressing and Kate's current version of 'Surf n Turf' which was Rump Steak with Langoustines and Sea Samphire. Hubs had the chicken salad which he loved and he especially enjoyed the crispy potato skins. I had the rump steak and langoustines which were gorgeous. The steak was medium rare and really tender which complimented the juicy langoustines perfectly. Two empty plates were returned to the kitchen.

      

In between our starters and mains we decided to try Kate's fudge which features on her new Punt Saver menu. We got 8 delicious pieces of black pepper fudge and beetroot fudge for €2 or £1. Which was fantastic value and a nice little break between courses. I also sipped away on the days special cocktail which was a Passionfruit bellini, which was gorgeously refreshing and a perfect palate cleanser.


                                               


After that little break our mains arrived, which were the Rib-eye steak with Chunky Chips and Baked Monkfish with Sea Vegetables and Basil Oil. Hubs had the steak with lovely crunchy, crispy chips. And my little pet hate of rib-eye being cooked unevenly wasn't an issue as it was perfectly medium rare throughout with a nice char on the outside. Now, after I stole a few bites of his, I did devour mine. We normally don't eat a lot of fish as himself isn't keen, so when we are out I always try to 'splash out'. This was perfect to satisfy my cravings. The monkfish was beautifully juicy and fresh and blended perfectly with the sea vegetable risotto, followed by a tasty kick of basil oil.
            

Thankfully we just about squeezed in desert, or else I would have missed the glorious Brown Bread & Baileys parfait. I normally steer clear of deserts that claim to have alcohol in them as the alcohol rarely contributes anything. However this desert, had the wow factor. The little bits of brown bread crumbled throughout gave a lovely contrast to the powerful, smooth Bailey's creaminess. Of course, hubs also devoured his Chocolate Pudding with the gorgeous Baldwin's Caramel Fudge Ice cream.


 


We had a fantastic meal and I cannot but recommend Kate and Fenn's Quay to everyone. The reason? I may have featured the dearer dishes here, but there is something for everyone in Fenn's Quay. Whether you want to pop in for brunch, lunch, gourmet dinner or a few quickie selections from the Punt Saver menu Kate has you covered. A short walk from all the hot spots in town...what more could you ask for??

Will we eat there again? Hell, yeah.
Cost? €90.85 for 2 Starters, 2 Mains, 2deserts, fudge, cocktail, glass of wine and 2 cokes.

You can follow Kate and Fenn's Quay on twitter @FQchefess @FennsQuay and also on their Facebook page  https://www.facebook.com/FennsQuay