Achill & Mayo Chefs, 2012
A number of local chefs from Achill and across Mayo will be taking part in cookery demonstrations at the 2012 Féile bia na Mara. Scroll down to browse details of each chef or use the links below to go directly to the biography of a particular chef:
- Catríona Ní Ghallachobhair - Masterson's Restaurant, Dugort, Achill
- Orla Murphy (The Talbot Hotel, Barrack Street, Belmullet, Co Mayo)
- Rory Morahan – The Druid Chef
- Seamus Commons (Knockranny House Hotel)
- Catríona Ní Ghallachobhair (Masterson's Bar & Restaurant, Achill)
- Fáilte go hAcaill gach duine.
Rugadh agus tógadh mé i sraid bhaile bheag darbh ainm Tóin an tSean Bhaile, gar do nadúr agus timpeallaithe ag an fharraige. Fás mé i pobail dlúthchuideachta a bhfuil in ann a bheith inbhunaithe. Ón a bheith ag piocadh faochóga le meara a bhí préachta leis an bhfuacht ar maidin sa gheimhridh go dtí an tSamhraidh leis an ngrian ag taitneamh gan stad agus leis an boladh san aer ón caragín a bhí ag triomú ar bhainc na farraige.
Ní amháin gurbh oileán é Acaill ach is tslí beatha é freisin - saol a bhfuil mise chomh bródúil as. Saol a bheith i gcomhréir leis an tAingéan Atlantach agus an talamh. Ag foghlaim na mbealaí is feidir leat obair leis an nadúr agus na rudaí atá agat agus níos tabhachtach ag foghlaim an caoi is fearr tú féin a chló leis na séasúirí athraitheacha. Níl rudaí ró-difriúla anois, caithfidh muid dul arais chuig saol bhunúsach, arais chuig an nadúr agus arais ag ithe go sláinitiúil.
Lig dom a thaispeáint díobh cén chaoi a feidir libh éisc a chur ar do phlean béile go seachtainiúil. Lig dom a thaispeáint díobh bia simplí, easca agus níos tabhachtach blasta ar buiséad a cócaireacht.
Tá a fhios ag gach duine na mbuntáistí a bhaineann le bheith ag ithe éisc. Tá a fhios againn nach itheann muid ár sháith iasc - mar sin stop anseo, tarraing suas cathaoir agus lig dom sibhse a thabhairt ar turas siar in am. Tóg na páistí libh le do thoil, taispeáin dófa agus lig dófa draochta Acla a fheiceáil iad fhéin. Lig dófa a gcuimhne féin d'Acaill a dhéanamh agus an lá a lig an cócaire craiceáilte iad 'banyucks' a n-ithe.
Welcome to Achill everyone!
I was born and raised in a beautiful small village called The Valley, Close to nature and surrounded by the sea. I was grew up in a very much, self sufficient, close knit community. From picking winkles with near frozen fingers on a Winters morning to Summers of endless sunshine and the smell of freshly picked Carageen drying on the sea bank. Achill is not just an island, it's a way of life, a life i am very proud of. A life of living in harmony with both the Atlantic ocean and the land itself. Learning to work with nature and what you have, and more importantly learning to adapt to the changing seasons. Times are no different now, we need to get back to the basics, back to nature and back to eating healthily.
Let me show you how you can make fish part of your weekly meal plan. Let me show you how to cook simple, easy, and most importantly, tasty food on a budget. We all know the benefits of eating fish, we all know we don't eat enough of it so, stop by, pull up a chair and let me take you on a trip back in time, and please, bring the kids, let them experience the magic of Achill for themselves. Make their own memories of Achill and the day the mad chef let them eat banyucks.
View Catriona's recipes for Boxty (as Gaeilge) and Achill Island Fish Cakes / Cácaí Iasc ó Oileán Acla (as Gaeilge). - Masterson's Bar & Restaurant is located in Dugort, Achill Island, overlooking the Golden Strand. It is open all year round. Tel: 098-47216. Email: mastersonsgoldenstrand@live.ie.
- Orla Murphy (The Talbot Hotel, Barrack Street, Belmullet, Co Mayo)
- Orla Murphy grew up in Belmullet. Since starting work in the catering industry in a local hotel at 16 years she developed an interest in the trade. After finishing secondary school Orla went on to study professional cookery in the G.M.I.T. in Galway and then went on to work in kitchens in Galway and Dublin.
Having a love for Belmullet it was no time until Orla had the opportunity to return home. Orla joined the then expanding 'An Cheibh Seafood bar', as a commis Chef. Here she has had the opportunity to work with fresh local produce which has proven a success.
In 2011 the owners Tom and Orla Talbot of 'An Cheibh Seafood Bar' expanded into The Talbot Hotel where Orla remains at the helm in the kitchen. The Talbot Hotel now has a popular fine dining restaurant, a function room catering for up to 160 guests and the main seafood bar. With Orla and the kitchen teams' skills The Talbot Seafood Bar as it is now known has won many awards from Dining pub of the year to a BIM Seafood Circle - for quality seafood lunches, excellent customer service and good housekeeping practice and has been recommended by Georgina Campbell since 2007. - The Talbot Hotel is located in Belmullet, north Mayo, nestled between Broadhaven and Blacksod Bay. Dining is available at both 'An Cheibh Seafood Bar' and 'The Barony Restaurant'. Tel: +353 (0) 97 20484. Email: info@thetalbothotel.ie. Website: www.thetalbothotel.ie
- Rory Morahan – The Druid Chef
- Rory Morahan (Ruairi O'Morachain) was born in Dublin and educated at Scoil Lorcain, Colaiste Eoin and Rockwell College. A fluent Irish speaker and enthusiast of all things Celtica he graduated from DIT and Thames University College London before going on to refine his culinary talents in the kitchens of many of the world's greatest hotels including the Dorchester, the Ritz and the Berkeley in London, the Baur au Lac, Zurich, the Ritz-Carlton, New Orleans, the George V, Paris and the Nassuerhof, Wiesbaden, Germany.
Rory has cooked for Royalty, Presidents, Prime Ministers, Film Stars and many media stars. He has gone on to entertain and fascinate TV audiences in the US, Europe and here in Ireland with mouth watering displays of cookery presented in his own inimitable style.
On RTE with Pat Kenny he astonished his audience by cooking Christmas Dinner in three minutes. He also hosted Celtic True Food on TG4 displaying the art of cooking on open fire bringing alive culture through food.
Celtic Cuisine draws together the different strands of popular foods and cooking traditions from the various Celtic lands to produce an exciting and delicious presentation of Celtic food and which succeeds in being fresh, modern and delicious. - For more information and contact details for Rory Morahan please see his 'Druid Chef' website at: www.druidchef.com
- Seamus Commons (Knockranny House Hotel)
- Seamus Commons is Head Chef of La Fougère Restaurant at Knockranny House Hotel, which has become renowned for its fine dining, superb quality cuisine and wine list. Following on from its National title of 'Best Hotel Restaurant in Ireland' at the prestigious Irish Restaurant awards it also received Two AA Rosettes for culinary excellence 2011, in addition to this La Fougère has recently been included in the Michelin Great Britain & Ireland Guide 2012.
Chef Seamus Commons has been widely recognised for his outstanding talent having been awarded the title of ‘Best Chef in Connaught’ by by FOOD & WINE Magazine 2011 & The Restaurant Association of Ireland. He has also received a glowing review in the 2011 edition of the 'Bridgestone Irish Food Guide ' and in the 2012 edition of the '100 Best Restaurants in Ireland'. Author John McKenna refers to Seamus as "one of the great comtemporary Irish talents, and the good news is that he continues to innovate and continues to get better". - Knockranny House Hotel & Spa Tel: 098 28600 Email: info@khh.ie web: www.knockrannyhousehotel.ie
