Rhubarb & Mixed Berry Crumble, Fisherman’s Pie, and Creating Fragrances...See What Our Irish Friends Have Been Up To!

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Hi, everyone!

We know you love hearing from our Irish guests, so look for a new blog from us on the 17^th of every month! You will hear from many of your favorite people from the Emerald Isle!

Here's some insight into what they've been up to since you last saw them on St. Patrick's Day...

Stephen Walsh, Connemara Marble

I recently got the Belleek “Everyday” Baker that was introduced during our Saint Patrick's Day celebration. Inside was a recipe for Chef Neven Maguire’s rhubarb and mixed berry crumble, and, as rhubarb is in season right now, I picked some from my own garden and got to baking. The recipe was easy to follow, and the baker was a perfect size to work with. The crumble was perfectly cooked in the baker and was enjoyed by my whole family. I enjoy cooking and plan to use this baker regularly as it is both practical to work with and beautiful to look at!

Here are some photos I had taken as I made this wonderful dish:

Gathering fresh rhubarb from my garden!

Chopping up the rhubarb!

Adding the baked rhubarb into the baker!

Putting the last of the rhubarb into the baker!

Adding the berries!

The crumble mix goes on top...

Then into the oven...

Ready to serve - yummy!

Did you pick up the Belleek “Everyday” baker on St. Patrick’s Day? What dishes do you like to make in it?

-Stephen

David Cox, Fragrances of Ireland

Coming from the company that created Inis: The Energy of the Sea, you could probably guess that I have a special affinity with the ocean – and that extends to food! Fisherman’s Pie is a firm family favourite. For me, one of the best things about the Belleek “Everyday” baker is that it be baked, served and stored in the same dish. In the unusual event of leftovers, we can move the baker into the fridge; less washing up for me, and the most elegant leftovers ever!

Although a favourite of mine to prepare, I cannot claim the recipe as my own – it’s the creation of Delia Smith and serves 4- 6 people (4 in my house!).

Pie

1 ½ lb (700g) white fish

4 oz (110g) butter

1 pint (570ml) milk

4 oz (110g) peeled prawns

2 hardboiled eggs, roughly chopped

1 level tablespoon capers, drained

3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and freshly-milled pepper

For the topping:

2 lbs (900g) freshly cooked potatoes

1 oz (25g) butter

¼ pint (150ml) soured cream

A little freshly-grated nutmeg

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C)

Start by arranging the fish in the baker and seasoning it well with salt and pepper. Then pour over ½ pint (275ml) of the milk, dot with a few flecks of butter, and bake in the oven for 15-20 mins. Pour off (and reserve) the cooking liquid, and remove the skin from the fish, flaking the flesh into fairly large pieces.

Now make the sauce: melt the remaining 3oz (75g) of butter in a saucepan, then stir in the flour and gradually add the fish cooking liquid – stirring well after each addition. When all the liquid is in, finish off the sauce by slowly adding the remaining ½ pint (275ml) of milk and seasoning with salt and pepper.

Add the sauce to the baker (which contains the fish), along with the prawns, hardboiled eggs, capers and parsley (taste at this stage to see if it needs any more salt or pepper), and stir in the lemon juice.

Next, cream the cooked potatoes with the butter and the soured cream, add some freshly grated nutmeg, then spread it evenly all over the fish. Bake on a high shelf (same temperature) for about half an hour, or until heated through and browned. Once cooked, you can keep in the oven (with the lid on) to keep it piping hot while ensuring the potato doesn’t burn!!

Enjoy!

-David

Barbara Campbell, Fragrances of Ireland

So summer has sort of arrived here in Ireland although we do seem to be a month behind the rest of the northern hemisphere with our April showers! Last weekend while the sun shone, my daughter Mae and I got out for a walk in the woods close to our home. The bluebells were out in full force, and it was pretty magical, so off we went hunting for fairies!

While we didn’t manage to get a good look at any of them (up close), they seemed to give Mae some magical ideas. Once home, she got VERY busy out in the garden collecting blossoms in bloom and those not quite there! After a bit of help from dad, a gift was ‘delivered’ to our doorstep: a jam jar containing ‘Eau de Mae’, with the cutest footnote - ‘just a sample’!

I brought it into the office, and everyone was very impressed. I have to say that I was thrilled with her efforts and also that she has an interest in what I get up to while she is in school! Mae has always loved visiting the office, going through our collections of bottles and sample oils. At Fragrances of Ireland, all our fragrances are inspired by moments – a walk by the beach, the magic of moonlight, golden moments with loved ones. When we created the Fragrance Wardrobe Set, she had great fun creating a ‘rainbow’ with all the bottles and also reading the pack and asking me where each fragrance had come from – she was obviously taking mental notes!