weekend bites

THIS WEEK I’LL BE EATING...

Breast of lamb. Good butchers will have it, often at a ridiculously low price. It can be elaborately cooked, as in the French classic Sainte Menehoud version; twice cooked, pressed, and then grilled with buttered breadcrumbs. On the other hand I like it simply cut into strips, marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and some smoked paprika and then cooked slowly in the oven until crisp outside and really tender and melting within. Lovely with yoghurt enriched with a little garlic, lots of grated cucumber and some mint.

SUSAN’S LATEST BATCH

The indefatigable Susan Jane White has another cookbook out, this time the weighty Clever Batch (€24.99, Gill), an indisputably clever collection of recipes that can be cooked ahead and frozen. This week’s recipe is her Mushroom and Merlot Stew (see opposite page) which gives a flavour of what to expect. Not only are the recipes clear and well-thought out, they are a celebration of flavour and texture. Punchy, just like her infectiously enthusiastic writing style.

STAR-STRUCK EATERIES

Recently opened Aimsir on the Lyons Estate in Co Kildare last week went straight to two Michelin stars while The Greenhouse adds a star and joins Guilbaud’s in Ireland’s double stellar stable; Adare Manor, Bastion in Kinsale and the wonderfully off-beat Variety Jones in Dublin all got one stars. Such recognition is thoroughly deserved by several others, but that’s just the way with Michelin. Consistency is not its strong suit, but it puts bums on seats.

A DE-BIBBING DISSERVICE?

My big gripe with Michelin this year is the deletion of the so-called bib gourmand for several excellent restaurants. The bib denotes places where you can eat well for a ‘moderate’ price. I know that de-bibbed Bastible, Etto, Delahunt, Pig’s Ear and Forest & Marcy do fabulous fare and offer good value. Dublin is a very expensive place to run a restaurant. Beat a path to their doors is my advice.