Monday 24 September 2012

Head Chef Chad Byrne brings you King Scallops with Monkfish ,Courgette and Lemon Thyme Sauce



Head Chef Chad Byrne brings you King Scallops with Monkfish ,Courgette and Lemon thyme Sauce

Serves 4

8 Large King Scallops
4 x Monkfish at approx 180g each
6 x Shallots
2 x cloves garlic
8 x caraway seeds
5 Podded cardamom seeds
2 x courgettes grated
500ml of fish stock
8 Sprigs of lemon thyme
8 very thinly Sliced pickled Beetroot
50g of Spinach Washed
1x lemon
80g of butter
150 ml of a good fruity olive oil
Sliced carrots for garnish
Sprigs of chervil

Remove the Roe from the scallops. (Here at The Brehon we would usually dry these out and grind them into a powder and add to celery salt this makes a great seasoning for fish.)
Ask your Fish monger to trim of any sinew from the monkfish, this is done for 2 purposes, if its not removed when frying your monkfish will curl and get tough .

To make the courgette sauce;  on a low heat gently cook shallots, lemon thyme, seeds and garlic in ½ the olive oil without colouring for 20 mins , add the fish stock and bring to the boil to this add the grated courgette and spinach, cook out for 2mins blend to a fine puree with 50g of butter and seasoning, your sauce should be velety and bright green. This sauce can easily be made in advance and kept for 2days

Season the monkfish and cook on a medium heat pan with olive oil.  Usually for a 180g fish I would cook one side until the fish has changed colour to opaque, then I would turn the fish and finish with butter, let the butter go brown to get a nutty flavour and finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon.  This process should not take longer than five minutes

Whilst doing this also start the Scallops in exactly the same manner in the same pan as the fish, just add them when the monkfish is about 2 minutes off.


Serve garnished with Slices of pickled beetroot, just folding of the scallops and russet carrots nicely put around the monkfish with chervil

Tuesday 18 September 2012

The Brehon – Nominated as Best 4* Hotel and Best Spa at The Hotel & Catering Gold Medal Awards



The Brehon, Killarney has once again been nominated in the Best Four Star Hotel category in the prestigious Hotel & Catering Gold Medal Awards and this year has also been nominated in the Best Spa category.

The Killarney hotel has been nominated in this category five times in recent years, scooping the award in 2008.

This nomination reflects the consistency in standard that our team provides. To be nominated again this year is a fantastic achievement. We are very fortunate to have a team who are very focused on providing excellent service to our guests and it is a fantastic tribute to their dedication and commitment, This year we have also received a nomination in the Spa Category which again is a credit to our team in The Angsana Spa” says Gary Curran, General Manager of The Brehon.

The Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Awards recognise and reward excellence across the hotel and catering industry. Hundreds of hotels, restaurants, caterers and hotel groups across the country compete for the coveted Award for Excellence across 14 categories. The Brehon is nominated in the Best Four Star Hotel Category, having been visited by an anonymous Gold Medal jury member earlier in the year. This member evaluated every aspect of their stay from their reservation right through to their departure. They report their findings to the Gold Medal Jury who in turn will choose the overall winner. 

The 123 bedroom luxury Brehon Hotel opened its doors eight years ago and has since achieved many accolades including an AA Rosette, Awards from CIE Tours & The Irish Accommodation Services Institute, as well as recommendations from Georgina Campbell, The Michelin Guide & Conde Nast. It was also rated as the best four star hotel in the Country by Fáilte Ireland. The Brehon is owned by The O’Donoghue Family, who also operate The Gleneagle Hotel and the INEC.




The winning hotel will be announced at a gala ceremony in The Burlington Hotel, Dublin on 25th September.

Wednesday 5 September 2012

Head Chef Chad Byrne brings you CRÈME BRULEE


Head Chef Chad Byrne brings you
CRÈME BRULEE
 
500 ml of Cream
5 x Egg Yolks
2 Whole Eggs
½ Vanilla Pod
½ tsp of Vanilla Essence
½ Tablespoon Honey
50g Sugar

1.Boil the cream, vanilla pod, vanilla essence and honey in a saucepan.
2.Mix together the 2 whole eggs, the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl.
3. Reduce the heat down under the pan and fold in the egg, yolk and sugar mixture. 
4. Stir until the mixture is slightly thickened.
5. Take off the heat and strain through a sieve to remove the vanilla pod.  Leave the mixture to cool. 
6. Transfer to 4 ovenproof ramekins.  Bake in the oven at 100c for approx 45min-1 hour until firm to the touch.  Enjoy.

Our sommelier, Andras Toth recommends a white wine,  Araldica Alasia Sec, Piedmont to accompany this dessert.  It is made from Moscato grape and will be delicious with this Brulee.