No menu was tendered. Anticipation is an excellent starter!
As the Six Courses of platters were delivered to our tables the serving staff explained, with a wonderfully refreshing enthusiasm, their well-imparted knowledge of the food being provided. (Why all restaurants can't take the few extra minutes that Harry's Bar has done to educate their floor staff on the menu they are serving, I'll never know.) Ultimately, the floor staff is the link between the kitchen and the diner.
We started off with good fresh breads, a rendered porkfat with rosemary and butter. A tasty selection of four butters was delivered to the table, one of which was hand-made by Imenm with Ella McSweeney as part of a production demonstration earlier in the day.
First, up came a selection of Pates: A smooth Brawn Terrine, A rough Pork, Prune & Wild Garlic pate and a Chicken Liver Parfait all served with the home baked and toasted brioche & a cranberry chutney. All delicious and plenty of each to give us all an appetite for what was still to come.
Harry's Bar has always advocated the use of the fresh fish that comes in off the local fishing boats on a daily basis. The next course was proof of this: Greencastle Scampi in a light crumb, Breaded Langoustine on skewers and a Salt Cod Fish Cake with a simple tartare dip and chunky Lemon wedges. This was accompanied by a little shot glassful of a Langoustine & Cognac Bisque - a wonderful side addition to this sea-to-the-plate course of Donegal Seafood.
This was followed by a Shin of local Beef cooked inside homemade Ravioli and tossed in a celeriac, wild garlic & horseradish cream. Light and lovely, this was a great dish to share with the great company we were in!
Next up in this roll call of #inishfood Honour came the House Dry-Cured Greencastle Pollack served on a lightly spiced sweet Red Pepper sauce and topped with a little dried filo-pastry slice.
With almost 70 food writers, chefs, food-stylists and food producers from all over Ireland in the Restaurant, the style, presentation and delivery of this #inishfood feast was impeccable!
Our next platter on the table came as a selection of Rare Breed Saddleback Pork from Marshall's Farm in Burt (which is only fifteen minutes from the venue) and Wild locally culled Venison. The Confit of Venison rolled in hazelnut breadcrumbs with amaretto & butternut Squash puree and a beetroot jelly was a melt in the mouth dish combining some distinct flavours into a perfectly balanced mouthful. This was served with a finely sliced carpaccio of Venison Loin, rolled in cumin & cardamon.
Our next platter on the table came as a selection of Rare Breed Saddleback Pork from Marshall's Farm in Burt (which is only fifteen minutes from the venue) and Wild locally culled Venison. The Confit of Venison rolled in hazelnut breadcrumbs with amaretto & butternut Squash puree and a beetroot jelly was a melt in the mouth dish combining some distinct flavours into a perfectly balanced mouthful. This was served with a finely sliced carpaccio of Venison Loin, rolled in cumin & cardamon.
The Confit of Shoulder of Pork came with a delicate Cauliflower puree and a slow-roast pork Belly. The most impeccably cooked crackling left most of the diners begging for the secret but Donal's chef Raymond Moran was giving nothing away! To top off this amazing platter of locally farmed meat was some of Jack McCarthy's famous Chocolate, Pistachio & Mint flavoured Black Pudding. The combination of these flavours, through the rich dark pudding, left a taste of true passion on the lips. Genius.
By this stage many of those collected for the event were halfway to Foodie-heaven. The Dessert plate put the icing on this #inishfood cake! A delicate panacotta flavoured with locally made McDaid's Football Special (a unique fruit-flavoured soft drink) was served with a quenelle of Sligo-based Yeat’s Country Foods cream cheese Cheesecake with white chocolate & Donegal made Tyrconnel Whiskey. Added to this was a Braemar Farm buttermilk Ice cream which rounded the meal and mellowed the palette’s amalgamated flavours.
I have to say congratulations to Donal, Kevin, Raymond, their friends, families and all the extended Harry's Bar and Restaurant Foodie Family for a wonderful evening.
It was certainly one that will be talked about for some time to come!!
Don’t forget to feed the fish at the bottom of this Post!
What a great way to meet some great people! For all of you who couldn't get up to Donegal for the world's first Twitter-based pop-up Food Festival.. don't miss the next one!!
zack.
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