Road to fame
In the warehouse on Wellington Quay in the centre of Dublin there was a treasure trove of edibles and drinkables: Huntley and Palmer biscuits, rusks, maple syrup, caviar, chestnut puree, Schwartz spices, smoked salmon, bottles of carrot juice for the health food shops, bags of whole spices imported from Indonesia, and vast wheels of Brie.
This is presumably where Derry (now world famous for his amazing L'Ecrivain restaurant in Dublin) got a taste for fine food. Home was a big, rambling house in Clonskeagh.
His mother did little cooking confining herself to "huge hearty stews with whole cloves of garlic" but his father was constantly experimenting in the kitchen, keeping up a continuous output of brown soda bread. Derry says the larder and the fridge were always packed with unusual stuff.
Much of Derry's teens were spent at a school called St Georges in Portroe near Lough Derg, where he developed a love of sailing. Similarly, during holidays in Kinsale. He fantasised about going to sea but decided a maritime career was not for him after a short stint as a crew member on a fishing trawler.
Having started out doing menial jobs in the celebrated Man Friday restaurant in Kinsale, Derry climbed his way through the food trade. It has been a long hard road, and Derry and Sallyanne have developed a loyal and appreciative clientele at L'Ecrivain. Bursting at the seams in 1995 they took the plunge and expanded the restaurant. When this, too, proved too small, they expanded again.
They now have a Michelin star and have published their first cookbook Not Just a Cookbook co-written with Tom Doorley.
The name is apt, it is not just a cookbook, but a warm and generous celebration of the people who contribute to making L'Ecrivain such a success. There are photos and biographies of the key staff and the valued food producers who supply the restaurant.
The book also tells the story of a chef in the making, and of Sallyanne, the brilliant supporting cast. L'Ecrivain was the winner of Food and Wine magazine's restaurant of the year award from 20002003.
The restaurant is not cheap, nor can it be. This kind of dining experience costs a great deal of money, dedication, and sheer hard work to deliver, and this book will give an insight into the enormity of the task.
The book includes more than 90 recipes, from past and present L'Ecrivain menus.
Not Just a Cookbook is published by L'Ecrivain restaurant. Price €29.99
4 slices of fresh pinapple, 1cm thick, core removed, outer skin removed
110g (4oz) granulated sugar
110g (4oz) butter
300g (10½oz) puff pastry
275ml (9½fl oz) milk
6 egg yolks
75g (3oz) caster sugar
150ml (5fl oz) cream, lightly whipped
½ tin of coconut milk
Garnish Icing sugar, sifted
Put the milk in a saucepan and bring it to the boil.
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together.
Remove the milk from the heat and pour on to the egg mixture, whisking continuously.
Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and return to the heat, stirring continuously, until the mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Do not boil.
Remove the custard from the heat and cool. Strain.
Fold in the cream and coconut milk.
Pour into an ice-cream maker and churn. Alternatively, transfer the mixture to a shallow container, place in the freezer and stir it every hour until it has set.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas Mark 6.
Melt the sugar in a large, ovenproof frying pan until caramelised.
Add the butter and combine, then add the pineapple to the caramel.
Roll out the puff pastry to ½cm thickness and shape to fit the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and place the pastry on top.
Bake for 25 minutes.
When the tart is cooked, remove it from the oven, place a plate on top of the pan, cover it with a cloth and turn the tart upside down.
Remove the pan and cool the tart.
To Serve Dust the Tarte Tatin with icing sugar and place a slice on each chilled plate.
Place a scoop of coconut ice cream beside it.
Dust with some icing sugar.
100g (3½oz) 71% dark chocolate
150g (5oz) butter, melted
250g (9oz) caster sugar
3 eggs, beaten
2 drops of vanilla extract
175g (6oz) plain flour, sifted
100g (3½oz) pecan nuts, chopped
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Combine the melted chocolate and butter in a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, eggs and vanilla extract and mix until combined. Add the flour and pecans.
Fold all the ingredients together in the mixing bowl until they are well combined. Line a 22cm (9inch) square tin with buttered greaseproof paper. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before removing the brownies from the tin. Cut the brownies into four squares.
500ml (18fl oz) cream
180ml (6fl oz) buttermilk
8 egg yolks
130g (4½oz) caster sugar
Heat the cream and buttermilk in a heavy-based saucepan until the mixture almost reaches boiling point. In a separate bowl beat the egg yolks and sugar until the mixture is pale and thick. Pour a little of the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks and stir.
Return this mixture to the remainder of the hot cream and cook over a low heat, stirring constantly, until it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
At this point, remove the saucepan from the heat, chill the mixture and strain it.
Churn the mixture in an ice-cream maker until it has frozen.
Alternatively, transfer it to a shallow container, place in the freezer and stir every hour until it has set.
150g (5oz) brown sugar
100ml (3½fl oz) cold water
50g (2oz) butter, diced
350ml (12fl oz) cream
75g (3oz) 71% dark chocolate
Bring the sugar and water to the boil and continue to cook until the sugar caramelises.
Add the diced butter and cream, bring to the boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the chocolates and stir until the sauce is smooth.
Carrot and parsnip mash
Carrots and parsnips are both in season this delicious combination is real comfort food. (Serves 4-6)
½ lb (225g) carrots 12oz
(340g) parsnips
2 ozs (55g) butter
salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar
Garnish: Chopped parsley
Wash and peel the carrots and parsnips. Slice carrots into ¼ inch (5mm) slices, cook in boiled salted water with a pinch of sugar until soft. Cook the parsnips alone in boiling salted water. Strain both, mash or puree together and add butter, salt and freshly ground pepper.
ON a recent visit to Sheridan's Cheese and Wine Shop in Galway, I bought some exquisite cheese in superb condition a treasure trove for those who seek out top quality food, organic vegetables and fine wines. Tel: 091 564829. In Dublin, you can drop into their sister shop in South Anne St. Tel: 01 6793143.
FOR a delicious dining out treat, try Coast Restaurant in Tramore, Co Waterford. Try dinner on Tuesday or Sunday lunch. Tel: 051 393646.
Email: coastrestaurant@eircom.net, www.coast.ie
BEAUJOLAIS Nouveau is here it arrived at midnight on Thursday in France and in over 150 countries from Japan to the US.
The Gamay Noir a Jus Blanc, the Beaujolais Nouveau variety, grapes have given fruity wines with aromas and flavours of small red fruit. So check out your local wine shop.
DARINA ALLEN is hosting a charity food presentation on Monday evening, December 6, at the Tower Hotel, Waterford, to raise funds for the Waterford Rotary Club.
FRUIT juice company Innocent has just launched a range of 1L take-home fresh smoothies: mangoes & passion fruit, strawberries & banana, pineapple, banana & coconut. The kids will love them at breakfast. www.innocentdrinks.ie
