Corinna Dunne

Marc, I'd love to hear more about Moo, Alkimia and Abac if you've got a chance.

Thanks so much for posting the pics smoz. The bon bon looks quite different from the one I had last year. I'd be interested to hear more about the raspberry fondant. Was it soft in texture, like a typical fondant? And did you eat it first and then take the spoon of vinegar? It sounds like a very unusual sweet, hot, sour combination of tastes, and possibly something that could be tried out at home? Any suggestions about how to replicate it?

I enjoyed last night's episode. But wow... a lot of Ramsay seems to have rubbed off on Stuart Gillies. He sounds so like him, his intonation, everything! Those scallops looked wonderful too. Apparently there is some EU regulation which prohibits selling them in their shells, which isn't an issue anywhere except in the Republic of Ireland where it is stupidly enforced.

That's interesting.... This is very similar to how I make them (my mother's recipe), and I love them this way. I just use some cheap cuts of beef (no wagyu over here), and use about one egg to 2lbs of meat. The egg doesn't seem obvious in the finished burger, just helps them to bind. I used to add finely chopped onions, but now put them throught the grinder as well, so they are kind of mushed. OK this may not be for purists who like the unadulterated taste of beef, but I like the extra angle. I also add a good glug of tomato ketchup, some Worcester sauce, a few dashes of soy sauce and salt and pepper. I shape them gently with floured hands and they stay very light and open in texture. I'm having them tonight actually! And key to a really good burger is homemade mayonnaise and if time permits, homemade buns. And handcut chips!!!

I’m a bit late to this series, but watched a recording of the Friday final (between Corrigan and McMeel) last night. I thought Corrigan’s pudding was clever. A sublte old meets new interpretation using very earthy ingredients. Just looking at the recipe on the website here, I see he used carrageen moss, agar agar and gelatine to thicken the pudding. Did he give any reason for using three different types of thickener? Also, it really highlights one of the big “seasonal” difficulties with the competition… in springtime, we see Corrigan cooking an autumnal dessert (blackberries, apples and rosehips) which is to be served in summer. I too find Jenny Bond a bit grating... very Watercolour Challenge.

It sounds like Hell’s Kitchen is going to be interesting.

Heston also won the "Chef's Choice" Award, which is a good story. I didn't hear the R4 interview... what was the thrust of the questions?

Baggy, are you talking about the moisture content of the rice here? How do you determine what its moisture content is? I'm looking forward to the results of your experiments.

No wonder it's so hard to get a table at elBulli! ← This is an interesting point. In 18 months el Bulli is open for a maximum of 12 months, but depending on when the voting takes place, this could be closer to nine. Added to this, there is only one service daily, 5 days a week, and the place seats something like a maximum of 50. 250 covers x 36 weeks = 9000 covers. If only half of the voters placed el Bulli on their lists somewhere then nearly 4% of el Bulli's customers in the past 18 months, or two at every service, were panelists on Restaurant Magazine's juries. Sounds reasonable, not. ← Yawn. ← So, if elBulli isn't No 1 next year, will it be because the panelists didn't get a booking or because they've found somewhere better?

No wonder it's so hard to get a table at elBulli!

I have never tried it, but I read about a knife skills course in Billingsgate, so if he is interested in some hands on stuff, this could be interesting. Welcome to eG Forums btw.

Town Bar & Grill we regretted a bit, as it seems to take itself a bit too seriously as a dining destination, while not quite living up to its prices with the quality of food or service. ← eje, do you remember what you had to eat in Town Bar & Grill? I have found the food to be very good quality in the past (actually I'm going there next week), and the prices to be competitive relative to the market... but yes, I know what you mean by taking itself a bit too seriously. So glad you enjoyed The Winding Stair. I think it's a great spot. I just wish they'd answer the telephone a bit more.

Thanks for the great post eje. What did you think of the 'sound of the sea' and the ipod idea? Did it add to your appreciation of that particular course or was it more like an interesting quirk?

Yes, if you start all over again, with a new yolk, you can gradually add the split mixture to it. Click here for more details on a recent thread on making mayonnaise. You will find the links to the EGCI course at the beginning.

Certainly, drying them out a bit in the oven will keep them crisper and stop them deflating. But this does give a different result, and as alanamoana mentioned, it depends on taste. Personally, I think that Yorkshire puddings fresh out of the oven are far superior to the more dried out option that never seems to soften properly, no matter how much gravy you pour over. Invariably, I make them using lard and keep the juices/dripping from the roast to make the gravy. Doing this will allow you more flexibility if you want to cook them in advance and hold them.

That's interesting. Sesame seed is ground to make tahini which is an essential ingredient in hummus.

Did the cook mention the name of the fish? It looks a little bit like yenem, a small delicate flat fish, which is one of the most beautiful fishes I have ever tasted. There really is nothing quite like eating grilled yenem with a bit of lemon just moments after it has been caught. Did you have any other types of fish? Hamoor (grouper) is very common out there, often served as matchboos with rice, and sebaiti (sea bass) is highly prized. There are also some enormous sting ray in the sea because they are haram in the muslim diet.

Rona... this is great, thanks so much for the pics. It's so long since I've been in the Middle East and this brings it all back, the fresh orange juice, the spice souk etc. But I find it bizarre to see mezze on square plates with cheffy touches. A sign of the times!

Rona... you went! I hope it was all that you had hoped for. And it's great that you took some pics. Could you give a bit more detail on your meal? I'm not familiar with salta... is it the green dish in your picture? And have you any recollection of what sort of spices or herbs were used in the beef stew? The impromptu meal in the shop sounds cool. I love when spur of the moment things like that happen.

Hi smoz, thanks so much for the report. Were the tangerine bon-bons frozen and were they filled with liquid? Judging by your friend's reaction they sound a bit like a pre-dessert I had there last year (although there was no peanut and curry element). Also, how were the wontons served? Were they in a bowl of soup and do you remember what was in the filling?

Masana in Girona is worth a visit. It's Catalan food with a restrained contemporary twist. You might find some more recommendations on this thread.

To be honest, I can never remember whether ingredients should be chilled or ambient for making mayonnaise. I keep my eggs in the fridge, so they are always cold. In reality, I think the key is to add the oil slowly, particularly if you are using just the yolks and a whisk. I've made mayonnaise with a fork in the past, it just takes a bit longer. I think that purists make it in a pestle and mortar!

And it's interesting that Tamarind tweaks the menu a bit for children

If you add a bit of curry powder (just for a subtle hint) to your reduction sauce it is surprisingly good. In fact, it's good with any white fish.

Interesting to see that Pete Hamill did a piece on Dublin for Gourmet magazine. The focus was more on the mood of the city and how it has changed, but at the end there were some restaurant recommendations by Colman Andrews: - Chapter One which combines “French finesse with the finest Irish raw materials” and a mention that it just got a Michelin star - Ely Winebar for wine and simple food - King Sitric for fish - The Lord Edward for fish - Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud where the “contemporary French food is consistently delicious” - Shanahan’s for their “exceptional Irish oysters, smoked salmon and aged Angus beef”