Week 7 - Ham Hock Nation
After a fabulous weekend away, it was back to reality from the jump on Monday. Starting with a run then in the kitchen early to begin boiling my ham hocks aka pig shins. It wasn’t glamorous work but someone’s gotta do it. Or, the question stands, do they? I also made a mustard and scallion champ which is mashed potatoes to my American friends. The oiling hocks didn’t require much supervision so I had the extra time to make chocolate eclairs and a white yeast bread. And in case there was any question of how farm fresh the produce is here, there was a little snail friend in my salad during lunch.
I was “too sick” to attend demonstration that afternoon and the only cure was to take Leah and Scott on a tour of the Ballymaloe grounds and then to the Ballycotton cliff walk. The sun was out, the cows were social, and honestly I think Ireland was showing off a little. Got our last pint at McGrath’s after where the bartender famously hates everyone and everything and there is a sign hanging over the bar that says “Grumpy Old Man’s Club.” Then it was time to say goodbye to Leah and Scott as they headed off on the next portion of their Ireland adventure. Without me, even, which is unthinkable.
Tuesday morning I was on deck for a Bakewell tart, crudite with garlic mayo and puff pastry. Nothing particularly interesting to report on those dishes, but after demo I did head in to Cork with a handful of classmates to go to Cafe Paradiso, a high end vegetarian restaurant. It was very good and, like all establishments in Ireland, kept about five degrees too warm for my Arctic blood.
Wednesday dawned like a depressive episode with the election results in America being what they were. My European compadres were appropriately mortified on my behalf, I think. There was no rest for the wicked as we had an early morning foraging walk with Rory at Ballynamona beach. This was followed by an all day business of food lecture which I essentially spent in a fugue state. God Bless America, etc.
Thursday I made Tarte Frances using the puff pastry I did on Tuesday, plus spring rolls with a tie dipping sauce. Both were honestly very good but the real thrill of the day was that my friend Molly and Julia had arrived from America! They stayed at Ballymaloe House and we had a very fancy and very yummy five course meal for dinner that night.
It was sad to leave them at Ballymaloe House but I still had one day in the kitchens before we could jaunt off to Cork. On Friday I made Italian Beef Stew, gremolata, Parmesan Polenta, brown yeast bread, and parmesan crisps. More importantly though Gordon Ramsey came to surprise his daughter for her birthday! I Was carrying my boiling hot stew across the kitchen when an entire camera crew showed up and I was stuck on the opposite side from my station for a few minutes - but we persevered! For anyone curious he seemed very nice and like an extremely good dad.
And oh no - I was once again “too sick” to go to the afternoon demo and instead had to spend time with my lovely dear friends who had traveled all the way here to visit me. Shoot! But to read more about that I'll need to write my weekend post. Au revoir until then!