Food the world over!

Food the world over!

I consider myself to be lucky to have travelled and to have sampled food from different cultures around the world. The more I have travelled and the more I have sampled some truly amazing food, the more I have realised that Irish food is great!

I’ve eaten Michelin Star food in France, Acorn fed pork in Spain, Real Southern BBQ in the USA, Fresh homemade pasta in Italy, Empanadas in Chile, Assado in Argentina, Meze Dishes in Cyprus and lots lots more. One thing that all these wonderful things have in common is the use of local ingredients and recipies handed down through generations.

Here in Ireland, we don’t realise how good some of our traditional dishes are. Irish Stew made with wonderful local lamb and seasonal root veg, potatoes, carrots etc. or what about a tasty Beef & Guinness pie. Our soda bread cannot be copied anywhere or what about or wild smoked salmon or the other foods you long for when you are abroad; real pork sausages, black and white pudding, Bacon & Cabbage or the poor humble spud!

Here is a recipe from local chef Catherine Fulvio for a great Beef & Guinness Casserole

1kg stewing beef, trimmed of fat
Flour with salt and pepper added
2 large onions, thinly sliced
3 carrots peeled and sliced
2 sticks celery, diced
1 dessertspoon sugar
1 tsp English Mustard powder
400g tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
A bouquet garni (4 parsley sprigs, 1 fresh thyme sprig and 1 bay leaf, tied together)
500ml Guinness
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil

Method

Cut the meat into 1½ inch cubes and toss in the flour. Heat some of the olive oil and fry the beef until nicely browned on all sides.
Place the meat into a deep, heavy bottom saucepan. Add some more oil to the frying pan and gently fry the onions. Deglaze the pan with some of the Guinness.
Add the carrots, the Guinness and juices from the pan, the sugar, the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, tomatoes and bouquet garni to the saucepan. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer over a low heat for approximately 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Be careful during this time not to stir the dish too much as it can break up the meat.
Taste and add salt and pepper if required. Garnish with chopped parsley when serving.

www.cullensbutchers.com

This article was written by Robert Cullen,3^rd generation butcher and  owner of Cullens Quality Butchers, Wicklow Town.  Its aim is to share ideas with the people of Wicklow and to get them thinking about good food & getting the best out of what they buy & eat and to encourage shopping local.