Come on jamonJamon pata negra, the revered, and expensive, cured ham that comes from the black-hooved pigs who live on diet of acorns, is a treat not to be missed when in Spain, writes Marie-Claire Digby.
But if you crave the silky, rich meat, marbled with creamy fat that actually does taste nutty, you can get your hit at home as one of the leading brands, Cinco Jotas, which has been produced in Jubago for more than a century, is now available in Ireland. Sánchez Romero Carvajal's Cinco Jotas ham is matured for two to three years in cellars in the microclimate of the Jubago mountains, which provides ideal conditions for their production and maturation.
Ideally, it is cut to order from a whole leg (and served in the Spanish sunshine, with a glass of dry sherry and an olive or two), but the hand-sliced, vac-packs are a reasonable substitute. They are on sale in Mortons of Ranelagh; Fresh Good Food Markets, Smithfield and Grand Canal, Dublin; Nolans Victuallers of Kilcullen; Ardhealy Supermarket, Adare, Co Limerick; Get Fresh, Rathfarnham; and Deli on the Green, Moygashel, Dungannon.
The cost is €22 per 100g, and if you feel like splurging for a big occasion, a whole ham, on the bone, will set you back around €500. That's just €50 more than we paid in Spain at Christmas for a Cinco Jotas ham that was stripped bare by a hungry horde of 10 family members and friends every evening for more than a week. Cinco Jotas chorizo (€8.50/100g) and cured pork (€13/100g) are also worth trying.
Go nuts
Bugs bunny wasn't wrong . . . carrots can promote good eyesight, but so can nibbling a handful of pistachio nuts. Research from California has shown that most people are unaware that pistachios contain more lutein than any other nut, and lutein has been shown to protect against age-related macular disease (the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the western world) and cataracts.
They are also a good source of phytosterols, which assist in maintaining healthy cholesterol levels, the study claims. Best stick to the unsalted variety though. And neither carrots nor pistachios will help you see in the dark!
Under pressure
Pressure cookers are the new green gadget for the kitchen, heralded as being energy-efficient and very "now". So your granny's scary, hissing steam-throwing monster is back in fashion. Who would have thought it? But before you head for the attic to unearth your old model, a word: don't. The new ones have far more advanced safety features and are considerably more user-friendly.
Pressure cookers cut cooking times quite dramatically and this is especially useful when making a braise or stew using cheaper cuts of meat that traditionally take a long time to reach the required melting consistency. They can also be used to steam food.
Arnotts in Dublin stocks a bells-and-whistles model from the German cookware company Fissler (€185) and two sizes of the Tefal Clipso Vitamin model, which offers increased vitamin preservation in addition to pressure cooking. The six-litre versions costs €135 and the family-sized 10-litre one is €176. Tefal stockist information is available from 01-6774003.
Julie Fortune, department sales manager in the kitchen shop at Arnotts, has noticed a big increase in customers looking for these gadgets, and notes that buyers tend to be young, health-conscious couples, and older people replacing one thay have had for yonks. Prestige is another manufacturer to look out for when buying a pressure cooker.
Web Watch
[ www.chocolateandzucchini.comOpens in new window ]
The original, and some say the best, food blog. It's written by 28-year-old Parisian Clothilde Desoulier, a former software engineer turned food writer and author. The recipes are très chic, and as her writing career goes from strength to strength, and the book tours kick in, the blog has some great travelogues to dip into, too. This week, she's making butter cookies with flour that is gently toasted before use - can't wait to try them.
We wish we were in ... Paris
"Walking, and feeding the soul in a city that still inspires like no other. After a steaming breakfast bowl of café au lait, we might head to Erik Kayser's for a snack of his organic baked goods. Stopping at Patrick Roger, to ogle trays of chocolate truffles, and taste one or two, would be unavoidable. At La Charlotte d'Isle, at a tiny table in the slightly-worn backroom, we'd listen to them grind spices for our chocolat chaud - so delectable and dense, they serve it with a carafe of water. Since it's just down the street, we'd have to visit Berthillon afterwards. The fruit sorbets there are the best, but the scoops are small, and a selection of flavours wouldn't seem too decadent. We'd eat it on the steps of Notre Dame, satisfied, and it isn't even lunch time."
But we're not so...
"We'll be at home in Dingle, cooking our weekly, extended-family dinner. Fresh turbot from Ó Catháin's new fish shop will do nicely, roasted with local vegetables from the Dingle Farmers' Market. Ted Browne's crab meat, with lime, onions, tomatoes, and a bit of rocket makes a tasty starter. The family arrives, and the conversation flows. The dog looks hopeful under the table. The kids eat politely, but they are excited. It is almost time for dessert - we're lucky that we always have test-batch tubs of our ice-cream. The latest is chopped-up Skelligs truffles in a whispery-light base of chocolate."
In conversation with Marie-Claire Digby
Kieran and Séan Murphy own the Murphys Ice Cream shops in Dingle and Killarney. Their cookbook, The Book of Sweet Things, is published in early May by Mercer Press, €19.99. See www.icecreamireland.com