Cooking in Canada for St Patrick's Day, we showcased Irish food traditions, from the traditional, such as brown soda bread and lamb, to the contemporary, using seaweed and different wild foods.
It was interesting to see how traditions are translated. We often simplify the cuisine of other nations in order to understand them. Most people will have a vague idea of what Irish food is, in terms of associating it with particular ingredients, such as potatoes, beef, lamb and cheese. It is more difficult to convey the finer details.
One way of overcoming those difficulties is to combine the familiar with the unfamiliar. On one occasion, we roasted lamb shoulder with milled nori (available online from Wild Irish Sea Vegetables). The shoulder was rubbed in oil and salt before being covered with the milled nori. It was then placed over some root vegetables and roasted for about two hours, until pink and tender. This is a simple dish to feed the family – just ask the butcher to bone and roll the shoulder for you. It also works with leg of lamb as well.
Flavouring with trees
On another occasion, we flavoured buttermilk panna cotta with Douglas fir. The tradition of using trees to flavour foods is not an entirely new one, but I don’t think it is one that most people would associate with Irish food. In Aniar, we use different pine trees as ways to flavour dishes, from fish to dessert. Douglas fir adds a wonderful citrus note to anything it is sprinkled over.
For most cooks, buttermilk is something used in the baking of soda bread and scones. But did you know it pairs wonderfully with oysters? I love the ways its tangy acidity complements the briny richness of the oyster.
For the oysters we served for a St Patrick’s Day breakfast, we added a little buttermilk and chive oil (just for a little greenness). Guests were pleasantly surprised. The next time you’re having oysters, maybe ditch the lemon and reach for some buttermilk instead.
