Liebster Blog Awards

I was away on my "foodie weekend" in Cork when I got a notification that I had been included in this award by Colette from cakesbakesandotherbits.blogspot.com.  I was needless to say delighted, but a bit "under the weather" as they say from a night dining out in Cork's finest and partaking of some lovely wine!  

It's a nice surprise to be included and a really good idea to promote other blogs.

So how does it work?

• You thank the person who gave you the award
• Then link back to that person's blog
• Copy and paste the Liebster award to your own profile
• Pick 5 blogs who you feel deserve to be noticed (they have to have under 200 followers)
• Then finally blog it and leave a comment to let your 5 choices know they have been chosen.

My 5 choices in no particular order are;

1.  haapsandbarley-jhaap.blogspot.com Jill is a student and a passionate foodie blogging about everything to do with food from Ann Arbour, Michigan and also about her travels in Germany.  

2. pigletinfrance.wordpress.com Piglet is an Englishwoman married to a Frenchman and living in France in a rural area. The blog is a lovely record and journey of her life's trials and tribulations dealing with the French and living in the country.  This blog is a real find and I love her posts.

3. irishherault.wordpress.com This is a couple blogging about living in France for part of the year and also in Dublin.  The blog is not only about food but also very interesting observations on the difference between the French and the Irish.  They are based in my favourite part of France and an area I have come to know very well of late.  I envy their lifestyle and love their blog.

4. ihaveafriendincheeses.blogspot.com  Rory is a passionate foodie who works in the food industry and has a passion for cheese as well as all things Italian food and wine wise.  The reason I love this blog is I have an Italianophile brother (if that is how you say it) and Rory reminds me of him.

5. ayearinredwood.com Margaret blogs about her life in rural Tipperary and raising free-range pigs as a business.  Lots of lovely recipes feature many of which I have tried recently, the apple beer being the most successful which really says a lot more about me than her recipes ;-)

So there you go - pass it on and share the "Blove" especially as it's Valentine's Day tomorrow!

The English Market Cork

I am just back from a weekend in Cork and a visit to the English Market.  I had wanted to visit the market for ages and a couple of years ago I booked myself in for a charcuterie course with a friend in Ballmaloe.  Unfortunately she injured her leg and was unable to make the trip and our plan to visit the market had to be put on hold also.

The English Market is the oldest market of it's kind, trading since 1788 on the same site and surviving famine, fire and economic decline.  It predates the Boqueria in Barcelona by 80 years.  There are many differing theories why it is called the English Market, varying from only English was spoken there to only
"English" were allowed trade there.  According to an article by Donal Ó Drisceoil in his historical overview, the Market was created in 1788 by the Protestant or “English” corporation that controlled the city at that time. It was a new flagship municipal market located at the heart of the new commercial city centre.  The other market in the city, St. Peters was often referred to as the Irish Market to differentiate them.

                                                      View of the market from Farmgate Cafe



The stalls are varying and include fabulous cheese selections, baked goods including a stall dedicated to amazing macaroons, butcher counters, fish mongers, dried goods and olives.  The fish selection is one of the best I have seen in Ireland and the butchers sell local delicacies such as drisheen, crubeens, and spiced beef. It is a "foodie" paradise buzzing with people doing their weekly shopping and gawkers like me.  Although, I bought some beef cheeks, sausages and spiced beef, hoping the car boot would be cold enough to preserve them until I got home. 


Above in the gallery is the Farmgate cafe and restaurant, serving really good coffee and cakes as well as a sit down section for lunch - sourcing local delicacies.  Booking is advisable at weekends.  The staff are lovely, friendly and knowledgeable.  We had big, steaming bowls of seafood chowder, more than adequade as we intended dining out that evening.  But you can have tripe and drisheen or local big, meaty sausages and mash as well as salads with local black pudding.


The English Market is truly a fine place to visit and browse.  I can't wait to go back and really wish there was something similar in this neck of the woods. 

                                                                   A stunning Monkfish

                                                       The fabulous O'Connell's fishmongers

Killing the Ducks

I see duck occasionally in the local supermarkets around here and sometimes I am tempted, but they are invariably just fatty with little real flavour.  I have a friend who rears poultry and she has given me some of her ducks in the past.  They really are a different beast.  Much smaller and not as meaty and somehow the fat seems different - not so lardy.  My passion at the moment is Cassoulet so rather than buy a "lardy" duck I decided to get some from my friend.  However, she said although she had some ready to go she did not want to kill them.

I decided if I was prepared to eat them, then I should be prepared to kill them right?  Now, I have never killed anything in the past but how difficult can it be?  Two ducks arrived yesterday evening in a box.  I was also getting a new Khaki Campbell for egg laying and she was duly transferred into the duck house.  The time came to kill the other two and cautiously I opened the box.  Inside were two male Aylesbury ducks, white fluffy with yellow legs.  The "puddle-ducks" of my childhood.  I picked one up gently and could feel his little heart pumping with fear.  My son and a friend were here to do the job.  My one request was that I did not want to see the actual act but that they must make it fast.  My son looked scared and apprehensive and I was thankful that I had brought up a human with a love and respect for animals.  He had looked up on the internet how to do it and settled on the River Cottage method.  Hugh said they are the most difficult animals to kill as they look so cute!  Not an easy comment to read when you are about to do the job.

The two of them gently took the duck from my arms and carried him out.  Two hits and he was dispatched but they had to hold him for a good few minutes while he continued to twitch.  The second one was the same and then we had to start plucking.  My son informed me he had been dreading it but it was easier than he had thought and at least he was happy it was fast and humane.

Plucking is a nightmare and not only do they have the familiar duck feathers they have a deep layer of "eiderdown", beautifully soft and white.  I was tempted to try to save some.  We spent over an hour trying to remove all the quills and gave up and decided to gut them.  I wanted to save the livers and the heart so we removed these carefully.

Today we have to finish trying to remove all the quills, which may be easier now they are cold.  I am hoping to confit the legs today and remove the breasts from one and to roast the other.

How do I feel now?  Well last night I had nightmares about finding my new hens running around headless.  So it certainly has had an effect on me and I did not even watch the act.  But at least I know that these ducks were reared free to roam and had a natural, happy life.  I think it would get much easier to do subsequently but the first time is always going to be difficult.  One comment that stuck with me was from my son.  He said "it's just as well we are not trying to conceal a murder scene, because if we were, we would not have done a very good job"!

Killing Ducks   Khaki Campbell  Aylesbury  River Cottage  Duck Recipes