Given the week that’s in it, it would be remiss of me not to wish the hurlers all the best for this weekend. I have no doubt the excitement will reach fever pitch by Sunday morning and the whole country will watch as the drama unfolds. Come Sunday evening we may be the home of championship hurling, but I can confirm today that we are already the home of championship food. I am resolute in that because Tipperary Food Producers had their ‘All Ireland’ last Wednesday night and came out triumphant. Now to be fair, what has now become the annual Long Table Dinner is more of an event than a contest, but it is still a huge test of produce, expertise and excellence in what the County has to offer from a food point of view. We were not disappointed and once again the Premier County well and truly lived up to its name.
This year, for the sake of variety and given the increased interest, the event was held simultaneously at four different venues throughout Tipperary. In all 237 people sat to eat at the same time with four different menus constructed entirely of food sourced in Tipperary. Indeed some of the people attending had travelled further than many of the ingredients. In thought I had devoured each of the menus finding it hard to choose where I most wanted to eat. Fully aware that I have yet to master the power of bi-location I was left with a dilemma. In the end, thankfully, the decision was taken out of my hands and I was told to be in Chez Hans in Cashel. The other venues were The Old Convent in Clogheen, Brocka on The Water in Nenagh and Inch House in Thurles.
Events like this are always a risk. We boast in the advance publicity that it will be a triumph. We promise Epicurean delights and orgasmic bursts of flavour. We assure quality and guarantee that you will be inspired, stimulated and enthused by the food on offer. Then the night arrives and while I have true faith in the producers involved in Tipperary Food Producers Network, nerves make a concerted effort to move me towards fear. You see with food there are ten thousand variables from the storage of it, delivery to the kitchen, preparation, cooking and ultimate presentation.
I shouldn’t have paid any attention to the doubting Thomas inside me. As each course came, one was more perfectly prepared than the previous and it was hard to choose a favourite. We tasted lamb, pork and beef and sampled an array of vegetables, fruit and cheese all locally produced and brilliantly used in original recipes for each of the eight courses. Once the starting gun went off and the first course of Mushroom Soup, Lovage Cappuccino arrived the bar was set very high. Soon however, all nerves were allayed and as we settled into a perfectly paced culinary jaunt around the county I found myself marvelling once again at the variety of flavoursome food we have on our doorstep. We should be shouting it from every rooftop and not hiding our light under a bushel. The taste sensations never let up. Each meat course and its various accompaniments was a stand alone success. The cheese course was transformed from the common to an exhilarating and exceptional taste explosion involving mature Crozier Blue cheese, warm plums, toasted brioche, candied walnuts and aged balsamic. Indeed just listing the ingredients does this fusion no justice whatsoever as it was a feast for the eyes also. Right to the very end there was no let up. This wasn’t a slow climb to the summit and then a quick run back down the other side. Oh no, this was a continuous gentle caress, a slow build to the fireworks of the homemade vanilla ice cream and hand made biscotti.
While the food was the obvious star of the show let us not negate the chef’s magic touch. Jason Matthiae of Chez Hans is a true original and if cloning is ever perfected we should make ten of him and keep them in cold storage! His ability is outstanding and the preparation of each course while witty, daring and youthful still achieved a traditional precision that is sometimes hard to find these days. Of course a true food experience is a combination of many elements. While we like to think that what we are eating is the most important part, the setting, the service and the atmosphere all either add or subtract to the overall. In this instance nothing fell short and once again it is a testament to the entire staff of Chez Hans. If you haven’t ever eaten in this true shrine to wonderful cuisine at the foot of the Rock of Cashel I urge you to do so. You won’t be disappointed.
The feedback from the other three restaurants was equally good but obviously I can only truly comment on where I was. Indeed for anyone enjoying the new social media of Twitter #tipperaryfood, a quick glance at last Wednesday night’s duelling tweets from TJ Crowe of Crowe’s Meat Dundrum and Gary Gubbins of Red Nose Wines will confirm that each restaurant involved was equally fantastic. I wanted to be at them all.
Regardless of where we were last Wednesday evening the truth is that we have something very special in our local food and our local food producers. Perhaps it’s the passion of the people involved, perhaps it’s the Tipperary soil and environment in which we all do our thing, maybe it’s a combination of God given gifts, talents and our location. Whatever the reasons we can be confident of where Tipperary food is today. We can hold our heads high and stand at our farm and plant gates as proudly as any French or Italian. It may have taken us a few years to shake off our modesty and proclaim such parity but in Tipperary we have certainly earned and achieved it.
Please God next Sunday will be as successful for the hurlers as The Long Table Dinner was for the food sector. Up Tipp! Now where’s that book I had on bi-location? I welcome feedback always. pat@jwb.ie
Pan-fried Pork Chops with orange and rosemary
These pork chops are cooked until they’re beautifully golden but still tender and moist. Of course they would also be delicious cooked on the barbecue or under the grill.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 orange
2 tablesp. olive oil
1 teasp. good quality mustard
1 teasp. rosemary, chopped
4 x 150g bone-in loin pork chops, each about 2.5cm thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Jacket potatoes and lightly dressed mixed salad, to serve
To Cook
Preparation time
30 minutes
Method
Finely grate the rind from the orange into a bowl and then squeeze in the juice. Whisk in the olive oil, mustard and rosemary. Season and pour into a shallow non-metallic dish. Add the pork chops, turning to coat. Cover with clingfilm and set aside for at least 15 minutes or up to 24 hours in the fridge to allow the flavours to penetrate the meat.
When you are ready to cook, preheat a griddle pan until smoking hot. Shake off the excess marinade from the pork and add to the griddle pan. Cook for 10-12 minutes until cooked through, turning once. Remove from the heat and leave to rest for a couple of minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Arrange the pork chops with the jacket potatoes on warmed plates. Have a bowl of salad to hand around separately.
