I HAVE always maintained that our Atlantic salmon (Salma salar) should rate alongside the Seven Wonders of the World. To understand their path through life is possibly the clearest indication of nature at work in its truest form.
Beginning at the tiny alevin stage in the freshwater streams, their mammoth journey on the high seas is fraught with danger until returning fully-grown to within a stone’s throw of where their life began to restart a new generation.
From the culinary angle of this silver treasure, world renowned food writer and chef, Máirín Uí Chomáin has penned an absolute gem entitled: Celebrating Irish Salmon with more than 100 recipes guaranteed to whet the appetite of most seafood lovers.
Speaking at the launch in l’Ecrivian on Baggot Street in Dublin, Uí Chomáin commented: “The inspiration for this book came from my father who was a ghillie on the Costelloe River in Connemara. I was reared on salmon from the river, we knew nothing else.”
“Salmon is the love of my life and recently summed up nicely as ‘A love letter to the Prince of Fish’. That really is the book and, you know, if you eat loads of salmon you’ll feel very romantic,” she said with a smile.
Officially launching the book, l’Ecrivian proprietor, Michelin star chef, Derry Clarke, said: “This multi-talented lady has written this book in such a way it will be used by professionals and domestic cooks alike. There is something in it for everyone.”
Celebrating Irish Salmon is divided into three sections beginning with bites and starters, progressing to brunches and lunches and concluding with 34 ideas for dinner and those special occasions.
Each serving includes an easy-to-follow ingredient content and preparation details, as well as suggested wines and, in 40 recipes, exquisite photographs by Walter Pfeiffer. Add in accompaniments and therein lies the perfect salmon meal.
Uí Chomáin is the author of two previous best sellers namely: Irish Mussel Cuisine and Irish Oyster Cuisine, but concedes she realised her dream with this book celebrating the prince of all fish, the wild Atlantic salmon.
Uí Chomáin’s contribution of more than 50 recipes is augmented by recipes from the top chefs of every Michelin- starred restaurant and salmon smokehouse in Ireland.
Prof Ken Whelan provides the foreword with a comprehensive insight into the life- cycle of Atlantic salmon – from fresh water to ocean and back again to the present 'hot potato' of the coexistence of wild and farmed salmon.
Concluding, he says: “it is hoped that a fine balance between the farmed salmon and recreation angling industries can be found in the very near future.”
Celebrating Irish Salmon is published by Artisan House Editions in Letterfrack, Connemara, Co Galway and is on sale in all good bookstores, priced at €20. It is also available at www.artisanhouse.ie with a special launch offer of two books for €30 plus p&p.
Editorial Director, Mary Ruddy, said: “It has been such a wonderful pleasure working with Máirín. The end result is a beautiful collaboration of colour, flavour and creativity and reflects the importance of cooking with locally produced fresh food.”
Note: The book will enjoy a second launch in Lough Inagh Lodge in Recess, Connemara, on Sunday, December 1st. For more details, contact inagh@iol.ie or phone +353 95 347 06.
For the past 10 years, professional photographer and lifeboat crew member Nigel Millard has captured the spirit of the RNLI in his portraits and reportage-style photographs.
This year, a new book, entitled: The Lifeboat: Courage on our Coasts offers an insight into the day-to-day work of the RNLI around Ireland and the UK with almost 500 of Nigel's iconic images.
A selection of photographs from the book will feature in an open-air exhibition at six locations: Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Dublin and Birmingham. The exhibition is in Grand Canal Square, Dublin from November 15th to December 2nd.
*angling@irishtimes.com.
