Lucinda’s Ireland

Further west at Bunowen Pier, Graham and Saoirse Roberts run the Connemara Smokehouse, one of the best smokehouses in the country. They are a charming and enthusiastic couple who work very hard in carrying on the tradition of producing smoked salmon which was started by Graham’s parents in 1979.

“We do traditional smoked salmon and also smoked tuna which is very popular. It is line caught and environmentally friendly,” said Graham.

They also do smoked mackerel, plain or peppered, as well as gravad lax, and roast and honey roast hot smoked salmon. Another product is a smoked tuna mousse from Graham’s grandmother’s recipe which he has “tweaked a bit”. It involves cream so has a short shelf life and is only available at the smokehouse.

Eight people work at the Connemara Smokehouse. “They have young families, so that’s 30 people benefiting in a positive way by what we are doing. Nobody’s ever going to be wealthy doing what we do, but you can make a living doing something you enjoy in the long term.

“Ten years ago people had lost the run of themselves, which thank God was never the way I was brought up. My two older boys come down to the smokehouse during the summer, and my daughter helps out in the shop. They learn that if they want pocket money they have to do something for it, but again it’s a nice gentle way of bringing them into it without saying ‘it’s a family business you have to work in it’, it’s their choice. That’s how it was for me as well and it’s something that I’ve always loved doing,” Graham explained.

www.smokehouse.ie/shop

Sunday Independent by Lucinda O’ Sullivan

Easter isn’t just for children so our good friend Gü’s head chef, Fred Ponnavoy says.  Get into Easter for grown-ups with an expert lesson on party canapés to serve at gatherings. Perfect for Easter entertaining, these indulgent treats work well to help create a sensational soiree. Try this recipe with Connemara Smokehouse Organic Smoked Salmon you won’t be disappointed!

Fred Ponnavoy’s Chocolate Blinis with Smoked Salmon & Poached Lemon

Ingredients

4 lemons
100g caster sugar, plus extra 1 tablespoon
2 medium eggs
50g plain flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
5 tablespoons milk
Pinch of salt
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

To serve
200ml crème fraiche
200g organic smoked salmon from Connemara Smokehouse
1 x cooked beetroot (not in vinegar), cut into 1½ cm cubes
Handful of pea shoots or sprigs of dill, to garnish

Makes 40 Blinis

Method

First make the poached lemon. Using a sharp knife, peel the lemon then cutting either side of the membrane, remove the segments one by one.

Tip the 100g of sugar into a small pan with 100ml water and bring to the boil. Remove from heat and slide the lemon segments into the syrup. Leave to cool at room temperature.

When ready to serve, separate the eggs, putting the whites into one bowl and the yolks into another. Sieve the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder together.

Add the milk to the egg yolks and mix with the dry ingredients to make a smooth thick batter. Whisk the whites with the salt and the tablespoon of sugar until they form stiff peaks and carefully fold into the batter.

Heat a non-stick pan on a medium heat, add a little oil, then pour small spoonfuls of the batter into the hot pan and fry for 20-30 seconds on each side, hook them out with a fork or spatula, keep warm and continue with the rest of the batter.

To serve, spoon a little crème fraiche on top of the blinis, top with smoked salmon, one cube of beetroot, a segment of poached lemon and a couple of pea shoots or dill sprigs.

For more information and further recipes, visit.

Ingredients:

• 85g watercress, coarse stems removed
• 115g cream cheese
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
• 600g Connemara Smokehouse wild salmon fillets, skinless
• 400g puff pastry
• 100g flour, for dusting
• 1 egg, beaten, to glaze

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Chop the watercress very finely, place in a bowl, add the cream cheese, season with salt and pepper, and mix well.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a thickness of 3mm (1/8in). It should be roughly 7.5cm (3in) longer than the salmon pieces and just over twice as wide. Trim the edges straight. Transfer to a lightly greased baking tray.

Place the Connemara Smokehouse salmon fillets in the middle of the pastry. Spread the top with the watercress cream and place the remaining salmon fillets on top. Lightly brush the pastry edges with water, then fold the 2 ends over the salmon. Fold in the sides so they overlap slightly and press together to seal. Re-roll the trimmings and use to decorate the top of the pastry. Brush with beaten egg, and make 2 or 3 holes with a skewer to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is well risen and golden brown. Test if the salmon is cooked by pushing a skewer halfway through the thickest part and leaving for 4–5 seconds; when removed, it should feel hot.

Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a few minutes, then slice and serve. Serve with baby boiled potatoes and a baby carrot puree.

800g Connemara Smokehouse Organic Smoked Salmon slices
24 Baby boconcini balls
200g Dill pesto
24 Chives, blanched
Sliced lemon to serve
Dill leaves to garnish

Remove Connemara Smokehouse smoked salmon from packaging and separate the slices a couple at a time. Lay slices flat on a board and slice in half. Place a small dollop of pesto into the centre of each slice of smoked salmon, then top with a baby boconcini cheese. Gather up the edges of the smoked salmon to make a parcel and secure gently with a chive tying off firmly. Trim chive decoratively. Repeat with remaining smoked salmon and cheese. Arrange the smoked salmon bon bons on a large serving platter and garnish with sliced lemon and dill leaves.

by Christine Salins

Artisan food and crafts from Connemara took centre stage in France last week, with a number of local producers exhibiting at the Wine Festival Chalonnes-sur-Loire.

Graham Roberts, co-proprietor of the Connemara Smokehouse, was promoting his company’s smoked salmon at the annual festival, which is organised by the Brotherhood of Fins Gousiers d’Anjou.

What he didn’t know was that as well as giving demonstrations on salmon slicing, he was also about to join the brotherhood – a select group, known for their exacting standards in wine and food.

Graham’s wife, Saoirse, kept him in the dark until a few minutes before the ceremony, so it was, he says, a ‘great surprise’.

Describing his induction to the brotherhood, Graham said: ‘You’re asked about who you are, what you do, and about your passions. An enormous wine chalice is then presented, and each of the new inductees – there were eight of us – is given a wine glass, which is filled from the chalice. The brotherhood then sings a ceremonial song, and you have to drink your wine before the song is complete.’

A ceremonial sash is then placed around the new member by the Grand Master, who then lays a cutting blade over the inductee’s left shoulder before one final, all-important question is asked.

‘Being passionate about wines, the brotherhood want to know what each new inductee’s favourite wine is – and I suppose the tradition is that you’d say your favourite is a wine from the Anjou region.

‘But in my best French, I told them I’d go for Crémant – because it goes so well with our smoked salmon!’

Members of the brotherhood visited Claregalway Castle last September as part of the Galway Oyster Festival, and this return visit was part of ongoing efforts to build links with French food and craft buyers.

‘The Anjou region alone has a population of one million – so, given that the French love smoked salmon, building links there is potentially massive.’

Among the other Galway traders represented at the festival were Marty’s Mussels (Killary), Sandra Shattock (Clifden), Sheridan’s Cheese, Kelly’s Oysters (Clarinbridge), Galway Hooker Pale Ale and several other crafters from the ‘Made in Galway’ organisation.

The brotherhood may make return trip to Connemara in May for the Mussel Festival in Tullycross, though this has yet to be confirmed.

‘The trip was really worthwhile,’ Graham says, ‘not just in terms of creating commercial links and giving exposure to the fantastic products we have here in Galway, but also as a means of promoting the area to foreign visitors.

‘In a sense, our businesses were acting as ambassadors for the region.’

Locals were treated – quite literally – to a taste of Connemara during one of the demonstrations, which saw turf from Maam Cross being used to smoke an oyster.

Graham also came away with a positive impression of his hosts: ‘We stayed with host families, who really were so good to us. They showed us around the area and were up first thing in the morning to bring us to the festival.

‘Our connections with these people are connections for life.’

Tony Kiely – Connemara Journal

Ingredients

• 4 sheets leaf gelatine
• 60ml (4 tbsp) water
• 400g (14 oz) Connemara Smokehouse Organic Smoked Salmon slices
• 300g (11 oz) cream cheese
• 120ml (4 fl oz) crème fraîche
• 30ml (2 tbsp) mustard
• handful of chives, finely chopped [optional]
• juice of 1 lime

Method:

1. Soak the gelatine in the water in a small bowl until softened. Meanwhile, line a 450g/1lb loaf pan or terrine with clear film (plastic wrap). Use some of the smoked salmon to line the pan, laying the slices widthways across the base and up the sides and leaving enough hanging over the edge to fold over the top of the filling.
2. Set aside enough of the remaining smoked salmon to make a middle layer the length of the pan. Chop the rest finely by hand or in a food processor. Take care not to over-process the smoked salmon; it must not form a paste.
3. In a bowl, beat the cream cheese, crème fraîche, mustard and chives until well combined. Scrape in the chopped salmon and mix with a rubber spatula or a spoon until well combined.
4. Squeeze out the gelatine and put the sheets in a small, heavy pan. Add the lime juice. Place over a low heat until the gelatin has melted, cool slightly, then stir into the smoked salmon mixture.
5. Spoon half the mixture into the lines pan. Lay the reserved organic smoked salmon sliced on the mixture along the length of the pan, then spoon on the rest of the filling and smooth the top.
6. Tap the pan on the surface to expel any trapped air. Fold over the overhanging salmon slices to cover the top. Cover the whole pan with clear film and place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours, preferably 6-8 hours.