Vegetarian chef eyes carnivores in gourmet night

A TOP vegetarian chef took the bull by the horns at the country’s biggest beef marts to tempt cattle farmers and dealers with his award-winning cooking.

Renowned chef Denis Cotter, who runs the internationally recognised vegetarian restaurant Cafe Paradiso in Cork city, spent a week at Bandon Mart in Co Cork filming his efforts for TV series Guerrilla Gourmet.

The show, which starts tomorrow night, challenges six leading chefs to create a menu in unusual settings for diners who don’t usually try their food.

Denis spent a couple of days at the mart sales, learning about what goes on and talking to those with livestock to sell.

A full-scale restaurant kitchen was built inside a disused building full of holding pens. A dining room with tablecloths, candles and fine glassware was also set up.

Denis managed to convince 40 farmers and dealers, who usually eat sandwiches at the mart washed down with strong tea, to try one of his meals.

The chef, who doesn’t even own a TV, is abroad this week ahead of the screening of his show next week. But writing on his blog, he said he was glad he took part in the series.

“To be honest, I didn’t really think it would ever happen, another of those interesting projects that never get off the ground but are fun to talk about,” he said.

“Well, it did happen and it turned out to be an amazing experience for everyone involved.

“I was impressed by their good humour when they might have told me to take a flying jump, as well as by their open-minded curiosity which was enough to get a crowd of 40 diners signed up for the event,” he said.

The menu was based on traditional locally sourced ingredients including cabbage, turnips, carrots, brussels sprouts, parsnips, apples and pears.

“In fairness, most who said they wouldn’t be interested in such a daft meal said it with humour,” he said.

“The ones who came along did it in a very generous spirit of fun.”

Denis and his team of Johan and Glory served up a top class four-course meal.

“The room looked beautiful, the contrast between the formal table settings and the ivy-covered stone walls and the cattle pens giving the place a slightly surreal air definitely added to the incredible buzz everyone got from the evening,” he said.

You’ll have to tune in to RTÉ 1’s Guerrilla Gourmet show next Friday to see how the meal went down.

“I don’t know if this will make good television, but cameras or no cameras, it was a hugely worthwhile event that will be remembered for a long time by everyone there,” he said.

He also paid tribute to Pat McCarthy of Bandon Mart for his courage in agreeing to take part in the show.

Guerrilla Gourmet starts on RTÉ 1 tomorrow night at 8.30pm.