A Taste O' The Irish On A Shoestring

Cathal Armstrong is the chef and co-owner of four-star reviewed Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Virginia. He was a Best Mid-Atlantic Chef nominee by the James Beard Foundation in 2007, and honored as one of Food & Wine magazine's "10 Best New Chefs" and a StarChefs Rising Star in 2006.

Cathal, a native Dubliner, grew up in a family unlike any other in Dublin at the time - they had a fruit and vegetable garden, ate plenty of garlic, and had their own travel business. "Growing up in our house, most everything we ate came straight from the garden," explains Armstrong. "Our food went right from the earth to the plate, maintaining their original flavors."

Through their family travels, Cathal was exposed to many different countries, cultures and cuisines. At the age of seven, in France, Cathal began his annual student exchange and food curriculum for life. Each summer, he lived with the same family, the Boudains', returning to the truffle farms, peasant food and local vineyards. Those influences taught Cathal the importance of fresh produce, the value of animals and respect for the land.

At the age of 20, he and two partners opened The Baytree, a fine dining restaurant in the Dublin suburbs. Two years later he moved to America to learn more of his craft. It was his time spent at a restaurant called Cities, where he met his wife, Meshelle Armstrong. Together they conceived a project that brought them to Virginia, a state where producers and farmers are plentiful and the lifestyle of shopping for food was similar to home.

At Restaurant Eve, Armstrong presents his version of elegant, yet straightforward food, sourcing the highest quality ingredients to create his regional American cuisine combined with influences of his youth.

With St. Patrick's Day right around the corner, our guest prepares a modern meal with some traditional flavors that is sure to get us in an Irish state of mind. Chef Armstrong's menu includes: Potato, Smoked Bacon and Cilantro Soup; Cockles and Mussels; and Strawberry and Lemon Curd Tartlet.

FOOD FACTS:

Kerrygold Irish Butter: This butter is so appealingly golden, that it looks as though it has been colored, although the color is natural, coming from the beta-carotene in the intense green Irish grass consumed by the cows. Made in the style of all premium European butters, Kerrygold's higher fat content gives its butter a distinctive richness.

Cockles: A cockle is a tiny, chewy, briny bite of ocean, its mottled shell a result of living near the surface in tidal basins and flats. Although technically they're a separate species, taste-wise and use-wise cockles are the equivalent of a grape-sized clam. Cockles can substitute for clams in any seafood dish - like clams, they're done when the shells open.

RECIPES:

Potato, Smoked Bacon and Cilantro Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 ounces Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter
½ White Onion, diced small
1 Large Idaho Potato, peeled and diced
3 cups Whole Milk
8 Slices Smoked Bacon, diced and rendered (*Optional: reserve the fat)
*2 tablespoons Bacon Fat
½ ounce Cilantro Leave, chopped

Method:

In a medium size sauce pan over medium heat, sweat the onion in the butter until tender. Add the potato and continue to sweat the ingredients for three minutes. Add the milk, and bring the pan to a simmer.

*If using the bacon fat, add to the pan. Cook until tender, about 10 minutes.

Pour ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until contents are thoroughly mixed. Pass the blended soup through a fine sieve to remove any remaining chunks. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with bacon and chopped cilantro.

Cockles and Mussels
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 pounds Mussels, cleaned
1 pound Cockles (Can substitute clams)
3 Large Shallots, minced
8 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 cup clam juice (can also use white wine)
2 ounces Parsley, chopped
3 ounces Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter

Method:

In a very hot, large skillet, add mussels, shallots, garlic, and cockles. Toss the ingredients over dry heat for 2-3 minutes. Next, add the clam juice and cover the skillet bringing the contents to a boil.

When the mussels open, after about 4 minutes of cooking, stir in the butter and chopped herbs. Remove the mussels and cockles from the pan. Pour the juices left in the saucepan into the serving plate or bowl. Adjust taste by seasoning with salt and pepper.

Serve with a shell bowl and a bib along with lots of soda bread.

*If you are using clams instead of cockles, you must cook them first then add mussels once the clams have opened.

Strawberry and Lemon Curd Tartlet
Serves 4

Ingredients for Pie Dough:
8 tablespoons Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter at room temperature
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
*Optional: Tart mold pan

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 425°.

In a mixer combine butter and sugar together, and slowly stir in flour and salt to form a soft paste. Wrap in plastic wrap then refrigerate about one hour. When the dough is cold, flatten it out and cut it into four equal parts, then form it into tart molds with fingers making a thin crust. Put tarts back in the refrigerator to keep cold. When ready to bake, place in oven and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden brown. Check halfway during baking and using a fork, prick the bottoms of any tart shells that are puffed.

Ingredients for the Lemon Curd:
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
Juice of two lemons, about ½ cup
6 tablespoons Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter

Method:

Mix sugar, eggs, egg yolk and lemon juice in a bowl. Set the bowl over a double boiler and cook till thick; then swirl in the butter, once the butter has mixed in thoroughly, remove from heat and set aside in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for the Strawberries:
2 ½ cups sliced strawberries (separate the end pieces from the middle pieces)
¼ cup granulated sugar

Method:

Place the end pieces of strawberries and the sugar in a bowl of a food processor and purée together.

Tart Assembly:

Fill each tart shell with lemon curd. Toss the sliced strawberries with the strawberry purée, reserving a few slices for garnish. Spoon strawberry mixture over lemon curd. Garnish with remaining sliced strawberries and enjoy.

Irish Soda Bread
Makes One Loaf

Ingredients:

16oz. All Purpose Flour
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 tsp. Salt
4 oz. Kerrygold Irish Butter, Unsalted
12 oz. Buttermilk
4 oz. Heavy Cream

Method:

Preheat oven to 400°F. Use butter to grease a baking tin.

Mix the dry ingredients together. Then, stir in the butter till the mixture is crumbly. Add the buttermilk then heavy cream. Mix together till the mixture becomes a dough. Be careful as to not overwork the dough.

Form the dough into a loaf. Score it and place into the baking tin. Add a dash of flour to the top of the loaf. Bake for 40 minutes or until the base sounds hollow.