With St Patrick’s Day only a few days away, we have a chance to celebrate it like we used to: frostbitten children shifting mottled legs, trying to keep warm. It always seems to be freezing.
When our girls were small, we braved the cold and rain to show them the local parade. It was never anything fancy but they always loved it. Tractors pulled trailers with Irish dancers and a dolly-mixture of folk and drama groups in dodgy costumes. The fire brigade turned out to add a bit of pomp. Little boys stared wide-eyed at the size of the shiny red engines. It was all a bit cheesy but it was ours.
Recently-arrived Syrian children clung to their parents and waved little Irish flags, all hoping that this bewildering new country would be kind to them. For them we were a glimmer of hope.
Irish food has come such a long way. From a meagre smattering only a few years ago, Michelin has bestowed stars on us like confetti. Gifted and committed chefs have been toiling for years to prove that there is so much more to Irish food than stew. Where once food was just fuel, necessary for our very existence and a grim legacy of our terrible past, it is now a sign of how far we have come. I am proud.
The hake dish is an example of simple fish cookery. The crème fraîche protects and lubricates the flesh of the hake while giving it a lovely creamy texture. I’m blanching the cabbage; it just helps keep the all-important colour. You can use another white fish, of course, but I can’t resist the creamy goodness of hake.
The chowder in the title refers to the texture of this cream-free soup more than anything else. I adore wild garlic, and for those of you who can get it, now is the time. Otherwise the leeks fulfil the brief admirably.
Springtime is all about green, and this roasted greens dish celebrates those wonderful verdant vegetables.
The sourdough adds texture and soaks up their juices, and the simple goat’s cheese and apple dressing adds tang and creamy complexity.
Recipe: Baked hake, Savoy cabbage, pickled ginger butter
Recipe: Roast chicken, butterbean and wild garlic chowder
Recipe: Roasted spring greens, crunchy sourdough, goat’s cheese dressing
