There is no more quixotic or chameleon-like cook in Ireland than Dermot Gannon, of Destry's restaurant in Clifden. Virtually every season since he opened, Destry's has seen a new change of direction, as this restless man explores new ways of cooking. But nothing has been so successful as the food he is producing this year in collaboration with Ricky Lui, his brother-in-law, who hails from Hong Kong and who originally ran the Wings Chinese restaurant in the town.
The team of Dermot and Ricky produces fusion cooking which is delicious and superbly logical. Working with someone whose culinary background is truly Asian means there is nothing superficial or gratuitous in this food, which sounds wild on the menu - salad of black pudding with goat's cheese wontons and sesame Caesar dressing; Connemara hot-pot with Chinese five-spice gravy and steamed dumplings; seared scallops with a rhubarb and duck confit; boiled bacon in a sweet plum sauce - and is equally wild in its exciting flavours. This is fun, funky, fusion food, and it works. The two recipes we feature show how the fusion works by surprising you with the Asiatic flavours in a standard lamb stew, which they achieve superbly.
And the salmon and beancurd is a heavenly mixture and particularly successful at balancing sweet and savoury flavours, which makes the food invigoratingly tactile. A word of warning, however: Dermot and Ricky chop and change the content of these dishes virtually daily. For example, one day the seared scallops appear with shredded duck, the next day with tempura prawns, the next day with duck confit. So, expect the unexpected.
Destry's Restaurant, Main Street, Clifden, Connemara. Tel: 095-21722
Destry's Lamb Stew
The minced-pork stuffed dumplings used in this dish can be bought at Da Tang speciality Chinese shops. Dermot and Ricky source theirs from Galway's super Noodle House restaurant.
1 leek, sliced
1 stick celery, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
thumb-length of ginger, crushed in its skin
1lb lamb shoulder, diced
12 dumplings
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 cup lamb stock
1/ 4 cup water
chopped coriander
Seal lamb in a hot pan in a little vegetable oil. Add onion and garlic and stir for five minutes. Add vegetables to the pan. Add oyster sauce, water and lamb stock. Add five-spice and ginger.
Bring to the boil, then turn down heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours until the lamb is tender. Steam dumplings and add to the stew. Remove ginger piece and add chopped coriander. Serve with steamed rice or mashed potatoes.
Salmon and Beancurd
for four people
2 lb salmon
2 egg yolks
pinch white pepper and pinch salt
capful of Shaosing wine potato flour to coat, and to thicken
Sauce
thumb of ginger, grated
clove garlic, crushed
1/ 2 stick of lemongrass, cut diagonally in half 1 glass water
2 tablespoons coconut milk
2 teaspoons satay sauce
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
pinch of sugar
1/2 lb beancurd, diced
Mixed vegetables
6 mangetout
6 green beans
1 carrot, sliced
1 onion, sliced
1 red pepper, sliced chopped coriander
Cut salmon into 2-inch pieces and toss in white pepper, egg yolk, a little salt and Shaosing wine. Coat lightly in potato flour. Deep fry until the coat of the fish is crisp. Reserve.
Heat wok with a little vegetable oil and saute the fresh ginger, garlic and lemongrass. Add the glass of water to the wok with two tablespoons coconut milk, satay sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce and a pinch of sugar.
Add fresh tofu and vegetables and simmer for 20 minutes. Add salmon, toss around gently to integrate flavours.
Thicken with a little potato flour, dissolved in a teaspoon water. Remove the stalks of lemongrass. Garnish with chopped coriander.