Thanks a million….

Week one is done! Although it feels like it’s been ages since I arrived (in the best way possible), it’s only been a week… And what a week it’s been, I am quite sad that only eleven weeks remain.

I am the first one up this morning, making myself bacon and boiled eggs for breakfast. Enjoying a cup of coffee with the windows open, the birds must be happy it’s Saturday too! It looks like it is going to be a beautiful day, which is nice for our first weekend here. Excited to explore the farm a bit more in the daylight.

Last night we invited everyone over to our cottage before we went onto The Blackbird. Everyone came with whatever they had, apple juice, cheese, a cooked pheasant, wine, beer, crisps, it was nice to get together with everyone outside of the school setting. The Blackbird was lots of fun, each person pays Michael, the local taxi driver €5 at the end of the night, not bad hey? I am sure many more evenings will be spent at the pub. Oh, and I had my first pint of Guinness – okay, maybe more than one.

Yesterday I had another good day in the kitchen, which actually kind of freaks me out. I feel like I am running with a false sense of confidence that won’t continue through my weeks here, anyway, we shall see what next week brings. I had brown soda bread, raspberry jam, and a simple tomato sauce on my work of order, I was done quite early, so I also made sweet white scones – delish! Next week we swap partners, and rotate around the kitchens, I am still in Kitchen 3, but will be with Clionadh. Haven’t sorted out what we will each make on Monday yet, but will do that over the weekend.

Rachel Allen taught the demo yesterday, and she is full of life, and of course knowledge in the kitchen. Jointing a chicken, segmenting a citrus fruit, a couple of fantastic chicken dishes, sorbets, how to boil spuds – it’s not a lie that The Irish are VERY serious about their potatoes, and proud of their potatoes for that matter. Into a pot of seawater, with the skins on they go, and you never let them boil for too long, the trick is to let them steam at the end. Who knew we’ve all been cooking potatoes wrong?

“Thanks a million,” seems to be such a common saying, I thought it was just a Darina-ism at first, but it seems that all of the Irish say it.

Rachel was talking about her morning ritual which includes oil pulling for twenty minutes, and drinking a brew of spices that has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.

¼ tsp turmeric

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp cinnamon

a shake of cayenne

few grinds of black pepper

1 tsp local honey

1 tsp raw cider vinegar

squeeze of lemon juice

fill the glass up with warm (not boiling) water

 

‘I do all of this in the morning, go for a run, go to work, come home and go ‘oh god, I need a gin and tonic.’” Rachel Allen