This Week’s Guest Chef – Enda O’Rourke

Enda O’Rourke, @quennelles, of The Village Tavern, Mountcharles, Co. Donegal

Enda O’Rourke is one of south Donegal’s best-known chefs and owns the Village Tavern in beautiful Mountcharles. He trained in the Killybegs Catering College in 1987/88 and has spent most of his working career dedicated to the food profession. Enda has received many awards and accolades throughout the years for his food and he was instrumental in bringing the foodie taverns of the southwest of Donegal together under the recently launched Donegal Good Food Taverns banner.

This recipe is one of his most popular Summer Salads and is available on the “Specials Board” at the Village Tavern whenever the sun shines!

Donegal Bay Lobster & Watermelon Salad

"Poached Lobster makes a fantastic salad and is a great change from the usual grilled offerings" said Enda. "I am lucky that we have local fisherman from the nearby port of Inver that deliver this product fresh to my kitchen. Rocket Salad is a fantastic salad leaf and is easily available from all good local supermarkets."

"We grow our own salad leaves in our garden at the Tavern" he said.  "Watermelon oozes with freshness and for me is the taste of summer! Finally, the lemon and black pepper dressing with a hint of orange bring this dish together! Serve it all with thinly sliced red onion and vine cherry tomatoes. Enjoy!"

Enda's Donegal Bay Lobster & Watermelon Salad  

 Ingredients:

1 lobster (ask your local fisherman to get you one, its worth it!)

1 watermelon.

1 red onion

3 cherry tomatoes

A handful of fresh rocket leaf,

1 lemon

Donegal rapeseed oil

white wine vinegar

1 orange

Dijon mustard
black pepper

salt to season

marie rose (pink) sauce to garnish

Method:

1. Gently simmer the lobster for 20 mins over a light heat. When it’s cooked drop it into iced water to cool quickly. This stops the cooking process so the lobster does not get tough.
2. Mix your rocket leaf, red onion and cherry tomatoes together and chill. To make the dressing use 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar. Season with pepper and salt and add the juice of a lemon and orange to the oil.
3. Add a spoon of Dijon mustard and whisk it all together.  Coat the rocket salad evenly with the dressing.
4. Set on your plate and place the shelled lobster meat on top. Neatly arrange the thinly sliced watermelon and salad on the plate and finish with a spoon of marie rose sauce.

Great for summer evenings and Barbeques!

You can contact Enda @quennelles on Twitter
on Facebook: Follow This Link

or at The Village Tavern, Mouncharles, Co. Donegal on 074 97 35622

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this post!
zack