The Real Reason People are Anti-Hunting

The furore that erupted over "that" photo of Rachel Allen today, prompted me to put forward my theory about the real reason people are anti-hunting and field sports.  I should say firstly that I hunted with the Meath Hunt for a good number of years as did both my children from quite an early age.  During that time I was able to observe the type of people who hunt in this country and the type of people who are vociferous in their opposition.  I have overheard some of the "antis" comments while they were demonstrating against the hunt and the vast majority were more against their perceived bias of the participants than any real empathy for the fox.

The people who hunted were from every walk of life - farmers, professionals, titled and manual workers.  Everyone who hunted had both a love of, and respect for the countryside.  Most were into hunting for the joy and freedom of galloping through fields and the excitement of clearing huge ditches, drains, stone walls, gates and barbed wire.  The feeling of being at one with your horse as he shivers in anticipation when the hunting horn is sounded.  I always remember my daughter's pony used to get so excited when we arrived at a hunt he was often in a sweat before he even got out of the horse box.  Every horse loves hunting with a passion.  I only ever "saw" one fox caught in all the years I hunted and I didn't even witness the actual killing as the hounds caught him in gorse bushes.  In contrast I have seen hundreds of foxes killed on the roads.  I have seen foxes lead hounds on a right merry dance as one sauntered up one side of a ditch with the hounds in full cry on the other side hunting in the wrong direction.

The anti-hunt lobby have been vocal at their perceived cruelty of hunting.  However the fox is classified as vermin and therefore the population must be controlled.  The fox is a natural predator as are the dogs that chase him.  The people who hunt are not a rabid, bloodthirsty mob.  I never met one person who expressed a wish to see any fox killed while on a hunt.  The only sentiment ever expressed was that we got a good chase which led us over decent country (by country they meant good jumping).

The hunt members are very far removed from the idle-rich landed gentry with their nose-in-the-air.  They are, for the most part decent, hard-working people who love horses and animal and outdoor pursuits.  They are considerate of road users, land owners and each other.

I have always wondered why the anti-hunt lobby don't turn their energy into doing some good for animal welfare and employ their energies against intensive, factory-farming which inflicts real cruelty on animals.  Intensively farmed animals in this country have probably the worst life imaginable.  Instead they concentrate their energy on an animal that has for the most part a natural, wild life and against the people they perceive to be something that they are not.

                  Myself and my daughter hunting St. Stephen's Day, Kells, 1999

Fox Hunting   Meath Hunt  Rachel Allen  Anti Hunt Lobby  Fox and Hound

New Years Thoughts and Resolutions

If I could find the magic way to lose weight whilst still being able to enjoy my food and wine then wouldn't I be onto a good thing?  Every year I make a resolution that this will be the year I get back to my ideal weight so as to be able to wear all the clothes I can't bear to throw away, but to date I have not managed to.  It's not that I am obese or even hugely overweight but I do need to lose a few kilos.  I am fit and I eat healthily although I do have a sweet tooth.  When I was younger my friends used to wonder how I was so slim despite the fact that I ate probably twice as much as they did.  One even told me that one day it would catch up with me and she was right.  It has caught up with me now. 

I can't say that I want to get fit because as I said I am reasonably fit.  I have two dogs who torture me if I don't walk them.  It's not as if they haven't plenty of space to run about and exercise themselves but they never seem to bother and only charge around the fields if I am with them. 

I want to try to raise pigs this year and have made a resolution to do this although I am dreading getting too attached and not being able to bring myself to kill and eat them.  I am a real soft touch when it comes to animals.  Even a wicked rooster who used every opportunity to attack me; when he eventually got killed I couldn't bear to eat him.  It just seemed wrong especially as a few hours before he was running around my garden. 

But my primary resolution has to be the desire to finally take an idea I have and turn it into a business opportunity.  I suppose I am bit scared to take the plunge and feel a bit like a sky diver standing at the door of a plane trying to decide to jump.  I know that once I jump I will probably be fine but it's just getting the courage to make the move.  My grandfather was a supreme entrepreneur and I often wonder why I did not inherit that gene.  I wish he was alive to ask him had he similar doubts but he died at the age of 45 from a heart attack.  But in his short life he certainly lived - built up a business, went broke and built the business back up again.  My father tells a great story that when the second world war broke out he knew that petrol would be rationed so he dug two holes in the garden for underground tanks and filled them.  However, the government then issued a directive that the only cars allowed on the road were to be driven by doctors and priests.  He was one of the few people who actually had a car at the time so he would have been very obvious on the road. 

                                                      My grandfather on the left

Curry Sauce for Leftovers

For the time of year that's in it, here is a blow-your-mind curry paste recipe.  It can be used for raw meat or is perfect for leftovers


2 large onions
2 cloves of garlic
Piece of ginger (size of half your thumb) chopped finely with skin on
Good shake of sea salt
2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil

Blitz the above in a food processor or one of those small blenders. I got a cheap one in Lidl and it's a cracker for making pesto and other type sauces.  When it is a paste remove and place in a bowl.

1 tbsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. coriander seeds
half tsp. mustard seeds
half tsp fenugreek seeds

Heat the seeds above on a dry frying pan for a couple of minutes to draw the flavour out. Transfer to blender and grind. Add the spices below.

2 tsp. turmeric
2 tsp chilli powder plus a fresh chilli(s) chopped depending on how hot you like it
1tsp garam masala
half tsp cinnamon
pinch of mace blades (optional)

Then add in 5 cloves, 5 cardamon pods, a cinnamon stick and some curry leaves and galangal (one small piece) if you can get it. Add all the spices into the onion mix from first step. This seems like a lot of work but you can make double quantities or more and save in a clean jar in the fridge. It will keep for at least a week.

500g meat of choice
1 tin tomatoes plus use tin to measure out 2 tins of water. Add more later if necessary.
1 tin coconut milk
Good pinch salt

If you are using raw meat such as chicken then mix the pieces of meat into the above paste and leave to marinate for a few hours or overnight in the fridge. I use about 4 good sized chicken breasts for this quantity of spice paste.  To cook just pour it into a large pot and heat with no oil or any other liquids stirring continuously to heat the spices in the mix. Then add in some water or stock if you prefer or a tin on tomatoes.  Simmer until the meat is tender and add some coconut milk ten minutes before end of cooking, stirring continuously so it does not split.  Either serve immediately or leave sit for a day for the flavour to improve.

For cooked meats such as turkey then make the sauce by frying the onions and spices until well cooked and browned stirring continuously to prevent it sticking or burning.  Add in your liquid as above and simmer for an hour or until it reduces and thickens.  Add your coconut milk (half tin) and then finally add the cooked meat and heat until the meat is piping hot.  Serve immediately with basmati rice, naan and poppadoms and some chutney.