Touch of the Irish

JUST back from another trip to New York where I took up Arlene Feltman’s invitation to teach a class at her cooking school, De Gustibus, in Macys.

I brought some of Bill Casey’s Shanagarry smoked salmon which, fortunately, the terrifying sniffer dogs at Newark Airport didn’t seem at all interested in. I made a few loaves of Ballymaloe brown bread, spread them proudly with Kerrygold butter and topped the slices with juicy salmon - everyone loved it. We were off to a good start. Arlene invites chefs from all over the world to teach at her school.

I chose a simple menu, perfect for an early spring dinner to showcase fresh, seasonal ingredients and a few simple techniques. I really wanted people to be able to cook all the dishes after the class. The potato, chorizo and flat parsley soup demonstrated the basic soup technique. US potatoes in general aren’t a patch on good Irish potatoes, but a variety called Yukon Gold works well. When I’m teaching I try to encourage people to really think about the provenance of their food when they shop and to try to source really top quality, fresh local food in season - organic, if possible.