Smoked Salmon

I need to come to terms with the fact that I’m on the verge of killing this blog by disregarding it.  Sadly pregnancy # 2 has me on a strict diet of the kind of food found on a T.G.I. Friday’s menu rather than things that I’m proud and inspired to write about.  Despite all that, I can’t put an end to Storkbite Stew without posting about the amazing salmon we searched out on a recent trip to West Cork, Ireland.

Smoked Salmon

Enter Frank Hederman…

Several years ago I read Colman Andrews’ article on the food revolution going on in West Cork in Saveur magazine. I have since been inspired to seek out these small artisanal producers.

My husband and my toddler decided on a whim to head to West Cork, rent a car and drive around.  The only rule we had was to stop at every sign that said “Honey For Sale” and that was our idea of an ideal family vacation.   Throw in a rented farmhouse, some sheep, cows and a quest for the finest smoked salmon and that is how we spent two lovely weeks which we can’t wait to repeat soon.

On this quest I went looking for both Frank Hederman of the Belvelly Smoke House and Sally Barnes of Woodcock Smokery.  Ms. Barnes proved impossible to find and after asking every farmer, sanitation worker and school kid getting off the bus in Castletownsend, we aborted our mission.  I’ve had Ms. Barnes’ salmon before at a bridal shower in Connecticut and it is indeed unforgettable.

Mr. Hederman on the other hand has a well marked smokehouse and a fancy little room where you can sample his wares.  It’s behind the house where he and his family seem to live.  He will even give you a demonstration of the cold smoke house which literally blows cooled smoke through a vent in the floor.  We saw oats being smoked for these delightful little Ditty’s Irish Oatcakes which are the perfect accompaniment to the smoked salmon.

Frank greeted us by telling us that Alice Waters rings him up every Christmas asking for his salmon which is her favorite.  And after sampling it, it’s my favorite too!  I’m telling you that this smoked salmon is a dream come true — it’s rich, buttery, silky, supple, fleshy and distinct of all other smoked salmon I’ve ever had.

I think I spent close to 60 euros on two small pieces and three slabs of mackerel as my only souvenir from our trip.

After my big purchase I had to shepherd this prize around Ireland as we traveled a bit before coming home.  The smoked salmon was a stowaway in a communal refrigerator at the Dzongchen Beara Buddhist meditation center where I was concerned that both my salmon and I would be tossed at any moment harboring a dead fish.  From there it traveled to the end of the Dingle Peninsula and on to Bunratty before our flight home.  We constantly checked it’s temperature and hoped for the best.   Of course it survived — it’s smoked!

We enjoyed it here in our own home kitchen alongside the first French breakfast radishes of the season and Ditty’s Irish Oatcakes with a nice white wine and some creme fraiche.  We savoured each piece and are very eager to return to Frank for more.

Cobb Salad

Spring is coming, so we thought.  All we have here in the Northeast are rain showers on the warm days and chilly winds on the sunny days.  I am no longer able to eat the yams in my cold storage – I must eat greens.  I finally went to the grocery store and for the first time in a very long time I bought lettuce.  I tried to eat a seasonal and local diet, but if you live in the Northeast like I do then at some stage you have to give up and just throw the green potatoes away.

Cobb Salad

Nothing in this salad was local, not the bacon, bleu cheese, avocado, chicken, lettuce, nor the cranberries.  It was very delicious and gave us hope that spring is on the way and soon little lettuce and arugula shoots will sprout and fill our CSA box once again.  In the meantime I have to buy my lettuce for $3.49 a head at our local rip-off Met Foods.

To make a Cobb, just arrange all the items I mentioned above over lettuce dressed with a simple vinaigrette.  It will make you feel like you are dining at a country club on a bright sunny day.

Egg Rolls

Sometimes I like a greasy egg roll, but I’m not brave enough to consume anything from my neighborhood Chinese dives.  They all seem to sell a combination of General Tso’s and tacos.  The silver lining is that my local grocery has egg roll skins at a reasonable price that fry up so nicely in about a 1/2 inch of hot oil.

Egg Rolls with Pork
You can put just about anything you want in an egg roll so I used whatever I had.  Roll them according to the directions on the package and seal them with egg wash for good results.

For mine, use 1/2 lb. ground pork, browned; 1 small cabbage, shredded; 2 large carrots, shredded; 6 scallions, chopped; 1 tsp. celery seed, and 1 sprinkle curry powder.

You may be curious to know why I used curry powder?  Well, it’s all I had and oddly enough it worked and made our little egg rolls much more compelling than they would have otherwise been.

Fry them in about 1/2 inch of screaming hot vegetable oil until browned and bubbly.  Let them rest of paper towels and serve with a chili or plum sauce.

It was better than being at a Chinese restaurant for me!