Chef tastes success with top fish dish

SOMETHING very fishy helped a country home land a top culinary award yesterday.

Multi-award winning Carrig Country House and Restaurant in Killorglin, Co Kerry was named the winner of the renowned Moreau Chablis Fish Dish of the Year competition.

Now in its sixth year, the event is one of the most respected culinary competitions in Ireland.

And Pierre Caillet, head chef at the Carrig Country House and Restaurant, came out on top from a shortlist of six finalists.

Judges including food guru John McKenna and Frank Corr, editor of Hotel and Catering Review, visited his restaurant to evaluate his dish for flair, creativity and innovation.

His fillet of fresh Atlantic cod, decorated with Kerry potato scales, served with a chilled vegetable Carrigeen moss ravioli, on a Dingle sea froth, flavoured with Moreau Chablis impressed the adjudicators.

He wins an all-expenses paid trip for two to the Moreau Chablis vineyards.

Pierre, from France, worked at several top restaurants, including the two-star Michelin Restaurant Jean-Paul Jeunet and one-star Michelin Le Bec Fin Restaurant, before his appointment as head chef at Carrig Country House.

He was previously runner-up in France in the Concours Interregional des Jeunes Espoirs and winner of Concours des Jeunes Commis Rotisseurs de Franche — Comte.

Carrig Country House is owned by Frank and Mary Slattery.

“The Moreau Chablis Fish Dish of the Year Awards is hotly contested between some of the best restaurants and hotels across the country,” said Mr Slattery

“Pierre’s acknowledgement is a compliment to his obvious talent and his creative use of the wonderful fresh fish served daily here.”

The house has won several awards, including AA Country House of the Year and The Bridgestone Top 100 Places to Stay, in Ireland and was a finalist in the Food and Wine Awards.