Parador de Santiago

Lorna will be holding her 1st OPEN PARADOR EVENING here in Connemara this week on Thursday 21st July between 8-10pm. Lorna’s 2nd EVENING WILL BE THURSDAY 4TH OF AUGUST . Graham will be here with all his products from the Connemara Smokehouse and there will be wine from Marques de Caceres.

Lorna Roberts, is the official representative for the Spanish Parador hotels. This is a group of 93 state owned hotels all over Spain, many of which are in historic buildings – castles, palaces, convents etc. Others are in nature reserves, Medieval villages and in idyllic coastal locations away from the resorts.

The Paradores have many SPECIAL OFFERS & PROMOTIONS. Paradores are affordable and are also a wonderful romantic settings for Honeymoons and Weddings.

Lorna can check out the best deals available and help with route planning for those doing a fly drive holiday. She also accompanies small groups traveling around the Paradores.

She is holding “OPEN HOUSE” here in Ballyconneely at BARR AN BHAILE (on the road to the Connemara Golf Club) to hear more about Paradores and to enjoy some of the products from the CONNEMARA SMOKEHOUSE and some wine from MARQUES de CACERES in La Rioja.
View

Barr an Bhaile, Ballyconneely, Co Galway, Ireland in a larger map

AUTUMN TOURS:
The holiday in GALICIA: 10th – 17th September (Paradores at Santiago, Santo Estevo and Baiona) is almost full but able to hold 2 more rooms until next Friday – 22nd July. As the return flight on 17th September is now very expensive it is possible to join the group for 5 nights from 10th – 15th September which reduces the cost to 1195 +  much cheaper flights. This would be 2 nights in Santiago, 2 nights at Santo Estevo and 1 night in Baiona – arrriving in time to have the afternoon and evening at the Parador on the 14th and the morning of the 15th, (leaving for the airport at midday)
****I only have 2 rooms available and I do not expect to have any spaces in  the Paradores after 22nd July****

The 4-night mini break in the Parador at NERJA:  17th – 21st October. There are spaces on this short holiday which will be escorted for 5 days with all transport, excursions, dinner on 3 nights (with drinks – wine etc), – one of which will be at the Parador at Malaga Gibralfaro – and all tips and taxes included. As there are flights to Malaga every day, if anyone would like to extend the holiday, nights can be added in Nerja or Malaga either before the 17th or after the 21st, but it would be necessary to make your own arrangements for transport to or from the airport. We will be meeting the flight from Dublin on the 17th October and returning to the airport for the flight to Dublin on the 21st, but anyone extending the holiday would have to make their own arrangements for transport to the airport.  Price per person sharing:  845 Euro + flights. Single supplement 40 Euro per night. Supplement for a superior room (if available) is 30 Euro per night.

Contact Lorna for more details:

Barr an Bhaile, Ballyconneely, Co Galway, Ireland
Keytel International Ireland,
Barr an Bhaile,
Ballyconneely,
Co. Galway,
Ireland.
Tel: +353 (0) 95 23511
Fax: +353 (0) 95 23539
www.lornarobertsholidays.com

Cara Magazine-Enjoy your flight-Aer Lingus-July Issue 2011

EAT AND DRINK YOUR WAY AROUND THE WEST OF IRELAND, WHERE AN AVUNDANCE OF ARTISAN PRODUCERS ARE MAKING THE MOST OF THE FINEST LOCAL INGREDIENTS. LIZZIE GORE-GRIMES GIVES HER TASTE BUDS A TREAT FROM CONNEMARA TO CONG.

ALONG GALWAY’S RUGGED Atlantic coast, near the town of Ballyconneely, low-lying, whitewashed building sits perched on a pier, with the strong cold water of the Atlantic crashing almost to its door. This is the Connemara Smokehouse. It appears an unassuming place at first, until you step inside and meet the Roberts family. Graham, in thid mid-thirties, runs the smokehouse with his wife Saoirse and thier four young children (all artisan-smokers-in-the-making). Together they produce the best smoked Irish Salmon and line-caught Irish tuna you are ever likely to taste. There is a freshness and delicacy of flavour to Graham’s smoked salmon that is hard to equal. To taste it, with the mellow aroma of beech smoke in the air and the crashing waves of the Atlantic outside, leaves you in no doubt that this is, indeed, Ireland the food island.

We’re here in the west of Ireland, as part of a seafood appreciation weekend taking place in Ashford Castle. Arriving late at night after a long drive from Dublin, it’s hard not to be impressed by the stunning vista of the sweeping drive, bridging the river to the fairytale castle by the lake. Ashford Castle knows how to make a big impression, but David the doorman tops the lot – you’re definitely somewhere special when the doorman knows your name. All we have to do after that is settle into our sumptuous room, drink in the view over Lough Corrib and wander downstairs for dinner.

The next moring we get up early to head west, about as far west as you can go. Passing through the popular town of Clifden and on out to Ballyconneely and Bunowen Pier, we arrive at the smokehouse at the edge of the world. As Graham Roberts takes us on a tour of the smokehouse, it’s evident how hands-on he is at every stage of the process. As he deftly fillets, trims and preps a whole salmon in minutes, he explains the true depth of connection he has to the area. “fishermen I work with today are the sons of the fihermen my father worked with. Most of our fish come from nearby Killary Harbour. We have wild salmon in season in June & July (until stocks last), and we also get fantastic organic salmon from nearby Clare Island”. Graham opens the thick steel door of the smokery to show us the racks of salmon sides all deepening in colour in the fog of gentle beech smoke.

“We prefer to burn beech rather than oak,” continues Graham, “as oak contains more tannins and can produce a slightly more bitter flavour in the fish” Graham takes a side of salmon from the smoker to his slicing station where he still prefers to slice the majority of the salmon by hand. The way this man wields a filleting knife would make Nobu Matsuhisa look clumsy. A whole side of salmon is perfectly sliced in a matter of minutes. While he is doing this, his four immaculately behaved children hand out plates of smoked salmon and tuna for us to taste. The tuna is something you don’t see too ofter; it’s line-caught off the Irish coast, and Rick Stein was so impressed with it when he came here (to film Graham and Saoirse as part of his Food Heroes television series) that he now serves it in his famous seafood restaurant in Cornwall. Other piscatorial pleasures to stock up on are the Roberts’ family recipes of smoked tuna mousse, as well as gravadlax and traditional smoked kippers.

From one fish feast to another. We leave the Connemara Smokehosue to make our way to Rossroe Pier……

Aer Lingus - Cara Magazine - July Issue

Other wonderful places/producers mentioned in this article:

Cullen’s Bistro – Ashford Castle

Air dried meats – James McGeough

Mussels – Marty’s Mussels

Stefan Matz – Ashford Castle

Seaweed – Seamus Moran Lo-Tide Foods

Butcher – Sean Kelly

Aran McMahon – Café Rua

Farmhouse butter – Cuinneog

Homemade Jam – Grove Jams

Mixed leaves – Stephen Gould

Cheeses – Carrowholly

Chocolate – Helena’s Chocolates..

To view this article I’m afraid you will just have to take an Aer Lingus flight to view their inhouse “Cara Magazine”.  Food & Drink – The West of Ireland – July Issue 2011

Irish Times-Food File by Marie-Claire Digby 2/7/2011

Graham and Saoirse Roberts produce some of Ireland’s best smoked fish products at their Connemara Smokehouse, situated right on the water’s edge at Bunnowen pier in Ballyconneely. Their cold and hot smoked salmon is superlative, but they also smoke mackerel, kippers and tuna – the latter is supplied to UK chef Rick Stein for his Padstow seafood restaurant.

The cold smoked tuna is a revelation – meaty, delicately smokey and sweet at the same time. As part of a smoked seafood platter it steals the limelight from its more common cousin the salmon. Roberts says he uses only Irish albacore tuna, line-caught in an environmentally-friendly way. You can buy this delicacy at the smokehouse, or from the couple’s website and it costs €15 for a 200g pack. Delivery of up to 25kg to addresses within Ireland adds a further €12. “If customers are visiting during June, July or August, they can come on one of our tours of the smokehouse which we run at 3pm every Wednesday”, Graham suggests (booking is advisable).

Saoirse suggests using the hot smoked tuna (€15/200g), in a salad with beetroot ribbons (pictured), while Graham prefers the cold smoked atop thin rounds of toast smeared with cream cheese, with a delicate sliver of cucumber. “Normally we serve it very simply, and it goes very well with some bubbly,” he says. See www.smokehouse.ie.

Honey Roast Smoked Tuna

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Connemara Mussel Festival

When most outsiders think of Irish food, the first thing that comes to mind is lamb and possibly smoked salmon.  However one of the best kept secrets is the mussels that come from the Killary in Connemara.  The Killary is Ireland’s only fjord; a long narrow inlet with steep sides that is usually formed by a glacier.  These waters produce mussels that have  a delicious sweet and briny flavor with a texture that is delicate and never tough.  Frankly, I have eaten mussels in many places around the globe, but the mussels from the Killary top them all.  To use an Irish expression; “Fair Play To Them”.

My love affair for mussels from the Killary began when my Yank friend (who is a Connemara resident) was showing me the beauty of Connemara, and we stopped at the Blackberry Cafe in Leanne to have a quick lunch.  As I looked around the dining room, almost every table had a pot of mussels.  At that point the question of “what to order” became null and void.  I certainly wasn’t ordering a burger.

A few months later, I learned of The Connemara Mussel Festival; an event that was born of the simple gesture of a “good mussel feed” in 2006 at Paddy Coynes pub in Tully Cross. So, I dragged my NY Yank along for the ride.

Walking to the entrance,  there was a great  atmosphere in the town.  Inside, the marquee was lined with local crafts and food vendors.

Inside the cooking demonstration area, attendees grabbed a seat and, as you do, headed next door to Paddy’s pub to get a pint while enjoying the festivities. After a night on the piss, I was no exception!

Over the course of the festival weekend, there were many great cooking demonstrations, tours of the Killary Harbour, amateur chef competitions and even a fly casting class.  I saw two demonstrations; one from Jack Duffy who is the Executive Chef for the international chain, Elephant and Castle, and another by Graham Roberts who operates his family business,  The Connemara Smokehouse.  The smoke house  supplies some of the best restaurants with fine quality smoked fish.

Jack featured mussel dishes that he prepares at his restaurants, and represented an incredible array of food.  My favorite was his impromptu and simple smoked mussels served with their own juices.  The mussels for the entire festival were graciously provided by  Marty’s Mussels http://www.martysmussels.ie

Graham Roberts hosted the other demonstration.  Graham runs his family’s business, Connemara Smokehouse (www.smokehouse.ie). The Connemara Smokehouse has been touted by Rick Stein as both a “Hero of Food” and a “Food Super Hero”.

Graham demonstrated an extremely unique technique for slicing the salmon that I will have to practice and master.    After seeing and tasting so much good cooking it was time to hunker down for a good mussel feed.  Back to the pub, for a crisp glass of house white with  mussels from the pot out in the back. They were simply served with brown soda bread in garlic, tomato and basil or cream, they could not have been better.
Fair play to the great local Irish cuisine, and the passion from which it is born!

Posted by Gastro Chef at Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Wild flowers thickly strewn across low green cliffs, larks in full song suspended on invisible wires over my head, and a blue summer sky above the Errismore peninsula of westernmost Connemara.

If I’d gone any further west, I’d have been on my way to America. But who’d want any such thing on an afternoon like this?

Down below the golf links, where the sward met the sand, a herd of brown and cream cattle moved with fantastic deliberation, contentedly munching a salad of grass, orchids and seaweed. No need to add salt to the butter hereabouts. Their hooves left deer-like slots in the pure white shell-sand.

The rocks lay blackened with algae, patched orange with lichens. When the Connemara sun shines like this, it passes everything through a colour filter of psychedelic intensity. Great tuffets of pink sea thrift sifted the afternoon breeze, the big powder-blue blooms of sea-holly rose from prickly collars of leaves, and the white sand under the waves gave the shallows a hue of jade green that the most brazen swimming pool manufacturer would blush to use.

I walked the strand of Trá Mhóir and the headlands beyond, looking out to a jigsaw of dark rocks and islets. Herring gulls skimmed the sea with creaky cries. A woman was hanging out her washing behind her white cottage, which looked out from its knoll over a pitch-encrusted pier and three red-and-blue trawlers.

There was a masterpiece right there, just waiting for an Impressionist to slouch by.

Crunching over carpets of sun-dried kelp as black and crisp as fried onions, I came to Bunowen Pier. A seductive smell of smoked fish and tarry rope hung round the Connemara Smokehouse. I’d put a bun in my pocket before setting out, in the hope of finding their door open.

Resistance was useless. Smoked tuna and brown bread, eaten on the pier with legs a-dangling and a sight of the basalt plug of Doon Hill across the crescent of Bunowen Bay. You couldn’t beat that.

Up and on along the road, with the castellations and blank windows of Bunowen Castle rising under Doon Hill like something belonging to the Hammer House of Horror. The castle began life as an O’Flaherty stronghold, the most westerly one they possessed. In the 1550s it was the trading and freebooting base of the young Granuaile and her first husband, Dónal an-Chogaidh O’Flaherty. In the 19th century John Augustus O’Neill bankrupted himself turning the old house into a Gothic fantasy, and it’s been a ruin now for the past hundred years.

Opposite the castle lay Lough Caffrey, riffled by catspaws of wind. The claw-shaped lough has a great story attached, told by Tim Robinson in his admirable Connemara gazetteer.

After a massacre of the Conneelys of Ballyconneely by the O’Flahertys, the son of the sole survivor returned to wreak revenge at a time when An Bioránach, the O’Flaherty chief, was living on a tiny islet in Lough Caffrey.

Young Conneely (having first prudently practised his long-jumping) sprang from the shore on to the island in one tremendous leap, killed An Bioránach and reinforced his triumph by marrying O’Flaherty’s daughter. Ruthlessness, athleticism, murder and romance: the absolute cornerstones of Irish myth.

I passed the skeleton of the old factory where alginic acid was once processed from seaweed for the manufacture of (among other items) toothpaste and ice cream. Side roads snake among widely scattered houses in the low, rocky landscape of Errismore.

I followed them between boglands bright with yellow flags.

In the tiny, irregularly shaped pastures the ruins of houses crumbled and the stone walls let the sky through in shards of blue and white. A pure white mare came to show her nose over the wall, and her suede-brown foal put his silky muzzle up to be stroked.

Round the next bend I came on a Connemara roadblock. Half a dozen burly cows and their calves were munching their way up the boreen, an inch at a time. I was happy enough to sit on the wall and wait in the evening sun and wind for them to pass.

Christopher Somerville – Travel - Irish Independent

When we were in Ireland last week we took the windy road from Clifden to Bunowen Pier and the Connemara Smokehouse. The setting of the smokehouse is stunning perched out on a pier cutting the Atlantic shoreline.

The folks at the Connemara Smokehouse are friendly – and imagine our surprise to find ourselves being served by a frenchman! They even smoke french crooner Pierre Perret’s fish when he comes to Ireland!

The Smokehouse specialises in wild products and their range even includes smoked tuna – I was amazed to discover that tuna can be fished in Irish coastal waters but Nicholas explained that this is due to the famous mexican gulf stream. You have to be passionate to work at the smokehouse, with working weeks of up to 80 hours, as fish is smoked as it comes off the boats. The fish is smoked using beechwood. And have no fear your purchases are put in special insulated boxes ensuring they survive the journey home.

We bought lots of wild smoked fish but did not indulge in wild salmon choosing the organic farmed version instead. When so much effort has gone into a product you want to serve it with only the best, here is a simple blini recipe that you do no need to prepare in advance.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup plain flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon each baking soda & salt
2 large eggs separated
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup melted butter

Method

1.Put all dry ingredients into bowl and mix well in another bowl whisk together egg yolks and milk then whisk into the dry ingredients

2. With an electric beater whisk egg whites until they form soft peaks and then fold into the mixture above taking care to keep mixture light and airy

3.Fold 3 tablespoons of the butter to this mixture until it forms a smooth batter

4. Brush a small non stick pan with some of the remaining butter and heat the pan until it is hot but not smoking

5. Spoon about 1 1/2 tablespoons per bilini and cook until surface begins to bubble then flip over for about 2 minutes

This makes about 8 blinis I normally make in batches and then keep warm in over until ready to serve

To serve

Place 2 slices of Connemara Smokehouse Smoked Salmon & two blinis on each plate, with a large spoon of creme fraiche with fresh chopped chives mixed through it, a small green salad and for an extra touch add some capers fried in olive oil.
Connemara is a longway from Paris but luckily you don’t need to make the trip to Bunowen pier you can buy online at http://www.smokehouse.ie/ and yes, they ship overseas!

By GIRL EATS IN PARIS BLOG – Glenda Brady