Restaurant Review: Aniar

If what you’re looking for is an unpretentious restaurant that serves delicious, locally sourced food, Aniar in Galway City is the place for you.  The restaurant is small but in no way claustrophobic with comfortable seating and was buzzing with diners on the Tuesday we dined there despite the inclement weather outside.

The restaurant, under head chef Ultan Cooke has recently changed its menu structure and now offers a range of tasting options leaving the diner with the choice of selecting from 3, 4, 6, 8 or 10 courses from the tasting menu on offer. At first glance, the menu appears minimalist, offering only 12 choices, and between the two of us my friend Eithne and I sampled most of what was on the menu opting for 6 courses at a price of €70 (or €100 with wines specially chosen to complement each course) per person. We eschewed the wine option in favour of a carafe of Chateau Grand Champs Bordeaux.



Amuse Bouche

Breads arrived shortly after we were seated and included a sourdough with little nuggets of a cheddar-like cheese running through it and brown soda bread which we were informed was made with Dungarvan stout. These were served with a generous disc of butter topped with a few flakes of sea salt. One of my pet hates in restaurants is when the bread is whipped away as soon as the first course is finished. Not here! The bread was replenished throughout the meal which was great because they were delicious and we happily nibbled away between courses.

 

Whilst we perused the menu we were served an amuse bouche duo of kale crisp with an oyster gel and bread crisp with black garlic purée. Both were lovely.
 

To start we chose:

• Swede, Celeriac, Ramson
• Fermented Barley, Clams

Fermented Barley and Clams

It was wonderful to see swede on the menu as this is a vegetable that is often overlooked by restaurant kitchens. Here it was sweet and buttery and along with the celeriac had an earthiness that was accentuated by the gentle garlic note of the ramson.

The fermented barley and clams was fresh and light on the palate and tasted of the sea without being overpowering. This dish had a risotto-like presentation, but was more complex in character than its Italian counterpart, being at the one time sweet and salty with a very slight sour back note presumably due to the fermentation referred to on the menu. A delightful dish that remained in the memory long after we had dined.



Next up was:

• Mushroom, Egg
• Oxtail, Marrow, Garlic

Oxtail, Marrow, Garlic

The gently sautéed wild mushrooms were served with a water-bath poached egg yolk, which when pierced with a knife oozed out to create a beautiful sauce which complemented the mushrooms perfectly.

 

Slow-cooked oxtail was served with a sauce made from bone marrow. Words cannot describe how delicious this dish was. The oxtail was rich and meaty but melted in the mouth. The bone marrow sauce was rich and buttery and completely addictive. Textural contrast was provided with what seemed to be a garlicky flavoured crumb to create a dish that was perfect in every way and a wonderful example of how wonderful cheaper cuts of meat can taste. Eithne declared it to be an ‘umami orgasm’!!!

• Tea Sorbet

Tea Sorbet

Next we sampled one of the most unusual flavoured sorbets I have ever eaten. It looked absolutely fabulous with a simple borage flower setting off the pale pink of the sorbet beautifully. Our friendly waiter informed us that the tea had been specially created for the restaurant to use as the basis for the sorbet. Sorbets, served mid-meal are intended to be palate cleansers and this one did just that. It was floral and fruity but also incredibly refreshing full of the flavours of the wild blueberries and herbs that had been used to make it. I absolutely loved this dish and yearn to taste it again!

 

We were now ready for our next course.

• Pigeon, Endive, Kohlrabi
• Halibut, Seaweed, Herbs

Pigeon, Endive, Kohlrabi

The pigeon dish arrived looking resplendent with feather-like streaks of a sweet  carrot puree which really stood out as a colourful statement on the plate on which it was presented. The pigeon was beautifully cooked and beautifully tender. The endive was yielding in texture which suggested that it had been lightly braised but had a slightly charred and caramelised appearance and a gentle bitterness that cut through the sweetness of the other elements of the dish. A kale crisp finished everything off wonderfully.

 

The halibut was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Its caramelised exterior gave way to sweet, soft flakes of fish that tasted wonderful with the rich buttery sauce that included some well-chosen sea vegetables.

It was now time for dessert.

• Parsnip, Malt, Chicory
• Apple, Blackberry, Buttermilk



Parsnip, Malt, Chicory

Our desserts really turned our culinary preconceptions on their heads! Both looked beautiful and were light and sweet and unlike anything we had tasted before. The first of these, a parsnip parfait, was served with chicory meringues and wispy malt flavoured tuile curls. The parfait was velvety in texture with a wonderful natural sweetness that married wonderfully with the crunch of the granola it was served with. Little bursts of intense sweetness were provided by the accompanying carrot gel and by the chicory flavoured meringues.


Apple ‘cloud’ was accompanied by an apple gel, blackberry ‘leather’, blackberry gel, fresh apple and buttermilk served on a sprinkling of hazelnut granola. Everything about this dish was perfect. The apple ‘cloud’ mousse was as light as air but intensely apple flavoured. The different texture of apple and blackberry played tricks with your mind but ended up being completely satisfying.

 

And finally…

• Cheese, Pear, Honey



Cheese, Pear, Honey

We finished our meal with a wonderfully light blue cheese mouse served with fresh slices of pear served with a honey gel/syrup and seedy crackers which were beautifully crisp. Blue cheese, pear and honey is one of those classis taste combinations and it worked wonderfully here, each element complementing the other. The saltiness of the blue cheese with the sweetness of the honey and crisp freshness of the pear left us with nothing to complain about.

 

Coffees and petits fours finished everything off beautifully. We left Aniar promising ourselves that we would return soon.

 

This is a taste experience that is strongly recommended and well worth a visit to the west of Ireland for.

 

Aniar: 53 Lower Dominick Street, Galway. Open: Tues – Thurs 6pm-10pm; Fri & Sat 5.30pm-10pm. Tel: 091 535947.

Rhubarb & Apple Petits Fours

 

Eve's Pudding

There are times when I think it is all too easy to forget the reason why certain dishes and recipes have stood the test of time and have been popular for generations. These days we are spoilt for choice when it comes to the range of ingredients that are easily available to buy and as a result, I think that there is a desire to create increasingly weird and wacky recipes to use these ingredients in new and supposedly innovative ways. Doubtlessly, it is good to experiment and try out new ideas, because it is easy to get stuck in a culinary rut but different or new doesn’t always result in delicious! The reality is that unusual ingredients combinations often need the knowledge and skill of an experienced cook in order to become something amazing on the plate!

 

In addition to the wealth of ingredients now available, many processes that previously could only be carried out in a well-kitted out professional kitchen can now be attempted on a smaller scale in home kitchens by the enthusiastic, amateur home cook.  Water baths, vacuum packing machines, so-called molecular gastronomy kits and a whole range of other equipment has been scaled down and can be purchased -often at a reasonable cost- for use at home.

 

In this relentless pursuit of the unusual, people often eschew old reliable dishes that they have been cooking for years; foods that are simple to make and taste wonderful. I have also been guilty of this! However, there are times when you cook or bake one of these dishes and you are reminded that they have so much going for them!

 

Yesterday, my gang were looking forward to sitting down in front of the TV and watching Ireland take on England in the Six Nations rugby match taking place in the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Both teams were unbeaten in the championship thus far so it was always going to be interesting to see which team would prevail in this showdown. The weather was cold and snowy outside so watching the sporting battle that was about to take place whilst sitting on a comfortable couch in front of a warm fire seemed an attractive option. About an hour before the match was due to start, I decided that it would be nice to have something tasty to eat during the match.

 

I had initially toyed with the idea of making an Apple & Blackberry Meringue Tart, but knew it would not be ready in time for the beginning of the match and I was determined not to miss a minute of the action. Given that I had a load of cooking apples, I briefly considered making an Apple Crumble, but decided instead to make Eve’s Pudding an old childhood favourite that I hadn’t made in years.

 

This is such a simple pudding to make and the resulting dish, which is basically baked apples topped with a light sponge, is so much more than the sum of its parts. The recipe that I use is based on the one that my grandmother had handwritten into the back of one of her old cookery books, but with the important addition of finely grated lemon zest and lemon juice. I find that the inclusion of the lemon prevents the pudding from seeming too sweet and at the same time really accentuates the flavour of the apples. This pudding is a perfect example of why we shouldn’t let these wonderful old recipes fall into oblivion.

 

Serve with a dollop of lightly whipped fresh cream or some warm custard and you will have the most wonderfully delicious dish, which from start to finish was ready in under an hour, so I didn’t miss a moment of the match!!! (For the record, the final score was Ireland 19 – 9 England).

Ingredients:

Apple filling:
500g Bramley cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

75g caster sugar

30ml water

1 lemon, finely grated zest and juice

Sponge:

75g butter, plus extra for greasing the baking dish

75g caster sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

100g self-raising flour

25g flaked almonds

To finish:

A little icing sugar for dusting
 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Generously butter a medium sized baking dish (about 5-6ms high with a 1litre capacity) and set aside.

Apple filling:

2. Place the sliced apples, caster sugar, water and zest and juice of 1 lemon in the prepared baking dish and mix together so that the ingredients are evenly distributed. Level the surface of the apples as much as you can and place the dish on a baking tray. Set aside while you make the sponge.

Sponge:

3. Place the butter and caster sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mix beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the egg beating well after each addition. Finally mix in the flour, but do not over-mix as this will result in a heavier sponge.

4. Drop teaspoons of the mixture evenly over the apples and spread out with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Don’t worry too much if there are small gaps as the sponge mixture will rise to cover these during baking.  Sprinkle the flaked almonds over the top of the sponge.

5. Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 35-40 minutes until the sponge is well risen and a deep golden brown and the apple juices are beginning to bubble around the edge of the pudding. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving, dusted with a little icing sugar, if desired.

Serves 6.
 

 

Mini Lemon & Pistachio Bundt Cakes

Have I ever mentioned how much I love the flavour of lemons?!!! Hmmm… I may have done so once or twice! It is a well-established fact with readers of my blog posts that I am totally and absolutely head-over-heels in love with lemons. Cakes, puddings, desserts, biscuits, sweets, savoury dishes… if it’s got lemon in it, I am pre-destined to love it! I’ve said this many times before, but whilst some people may be chocoholics, I’m a lemon lover all the way! The funny thing is that two of my favourite desserts of all time are Lemon Surprise Pudding (AKA Lemon Delicious) and Lemon Meringue Pie, but I have not yet posted my recipes for either of these dishes to date. This is a situation that I am determined to rectify over the coming weeks.
 

The great thing about lemon as a flavour is that it can be paired really successfully with so many other ingredients and flavours. One of my favourite taste combos at the moment is lemon and ginger. The zingy freshness and acidity of lemon just works so well with the fragrant, spicy warmth of ginger and together they create something that enlivens and excites even the most jaded palate. Another pairing that I am currently very enamoured with is lemon and pistachio. There is nothing new about this flavour combination and these two ingredients are often seen together especially in Middle Eastern inspired recipes.

 

Here I have used them together to make mini-bundt cakes, but if you don’t have mini-bundt cake tins, you can bake these in muffin or cupcake tins. The sponge is flavoured with lemon zest and is studded with pistachios roughly chopped into small pieces. Each cake is then enrobed with an intensely flavoured lemon glacé icing and some freshly chopped pistachios. The pistachios have an earthy sweetness that compliments the acidity of the lemons beautifully so that each flavour is wonderfully highlighted.

 

This mixture makes 6-8 small bundt cakes around the size of a large cupcake.
 

Ingredients:

To prepare tins:
25g butter, melted
25g plain flour

Cakes:

175g butter, softened

175g caster sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

175g plain flour

75g self-raising flour

50ml milk

Finely grated zest of 2 lemons

75g pistachios, roughly chopped into small pieces

Icing:

150g icing sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

30g pistachios, roughly chopped into small pieces
 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c/Fan Oven 160C/gas Mark 4. Brush the inside of your mini-bundt tins with some melted butter using a pastry brush. Dust the inside of each buttered tin with some of the plain flour and shake out any excess. Set aside.

Cakes:

2. Place the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer, beat together until light and fluffy. Gradually add the eggs, beating well after each addition.

3. Sift the plain and self-raising flour together and fold into the creamed mixture along with the milk. Once everything is mixed together, add the lemon zest and chopped pistachios and mix through evenly.

4. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared mini-bundt tins, filling each one 2/3 full with the batter. Bake in the pre-heated oven for 18-22 minutes until well risen and golden brown, or until a thin skewer inserted into one comes out clean.

5. Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

To finish:

6. Mix the icing sugar and lemon juice together to create a slightly runny glacé icing. Drizzle the icing over the cooled bundt cakes. Sprinkle with the chopped pistachios before the icing sets.

 

Makes 6-8 mini-bundt cakes.

 

Apple Shortcake Squares

I was recently looking back through my blog posts and noticed that to date I have included relatively few recipes that use apples. I was actually quite surprised because they are easily obtained, are hugely popular and I love them.

 

One of the most popular desserts in any Irish household is apple pie. In fact, most restaurant menus in this country always have an apple pie, tart or crumble of some type on it! To be honest, no matter how accomplished a baker you are, if you can’t produce a noteworthy apple tart, you might as well give up! In Ireland your baking reputation stands or fails on the quality of the apple pie you can produce. When making my apple pie, I like to use two or three varieties of apple; Bramleys, because they break down to a purée-like consistency when cooked, Granny Smiths because  they retain their shape and provide texture and I also sometimes use Pink Lady or Braeburn for their distinctive apple taste.  I have always preferred using a pinch of ground cloves rather than ground cinnamon in my apple pies, but each to their own. I know some bakers who like to use ground ginger, but for me, the judicious use of ground cloves (only a pinch is required) really bring out the flavour of the apples.

 

So many people, even in suburban areas have their own apple trees and this can be a wonderful source of freshly picked fruit later on in the year. I have a number of apple trees growing in my garden, which have been planted for six or seven years at this stage and provide me with some wonderful fruit at the end of the summer. It is a source of great annoyance to me that my children love to go out into the garden after a windy night and use the fallen fruit as makeshift sliotars when practising their hurling and camogie! Windfall apples, provided they haven’t been lying on the ground too long, can still be used for making chutneys or in baking… so you can imagine my irritation at seeing the apples being hurled down the garden at force rather than for being used to make tasty treats!

 

The recipe that I’m giving here is my version of the Apple Shortcake Squares which are on sale in many Irish bakeries. At their simplest these are made with apples sandwiched between two layers of pastry and dredged with caster sugar. My version uses self-raising rather than plain flour which creates a pastry with a more shortcake-like consistency but without being spongy like a cake. The pastry dough is on the soft side so I don’t roll out the base but rather press it gently into the tin with the tips of my fingers to create an even layer. For the top I flour some non-stick baking parchment and place the pastry on this, flattening it out slightly with my hands. I then flour the slightly flattened pastry and place another layer of non-stick baking parchment on top. I then proceed to roll out the pastry into a thin layer, large enough to cover the top of the Apple Squares. This is such a handy way of rolling out any pastry, but particularly this one which is very soft and a little difficult to manage.

 

Finally, I should mention that I recommend using Granny Smith apples for making these squares. I find that cooking apples are too mealy and break down too much, but that the Granny Smiths retain some texture. Also unlike ‘normal’ pastry which should be given a chance to rest, you can roll out and use this pastry once you have made it.

 

Ingredients:

Apple filling:
5-6 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped into 1cm cubes

25g caster sugar

25ml water

Pastry:

240g self-raising flour

125g butter, cubed

15g icing sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

30ml cold water

To finish:

25g caster sugar for dredging
 

Method:

Apple filling:

1. Place the apples, sugar and water into a medium sized saucepan over a moderate heat. Bring up to simmering point and allow to cook for 8-20 minutes until the apples have softened but not broken down. Remove from the heat, set aside and allow to cool completely.

Pastry:

2. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Line a 30cmx20cm traybake tin with non-stick baking parchment and set aside.

3. Place the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the cubed butter. Rub the butter into the flour using the tips of your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre and add the egg and water and mix together using a fork until everything comes together.

4. Divide the dough in half. Press one half of the dough into the bottom of the prepared tin, flattening it out with your fingers or the back of a spoon to create a level surface. Spoon the COOLED apple mixture onto the pastry into the tin, spreading it out evenly.

5. Roll out the other half of the dough between two sheets of floured non-stick baking parchment into a rectangle the same size as the tin (30cm x 20cm). Remove the top sheet of baking parchment and lifting the rolled out pastry on the other layer of baking parchment flip it over to cover the apple filling. Tuck in the edges of the pastry making sure that the apple is covered.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30minutes until light golden brown. Remove from the oven and dredge with the caster sugar. Set aside to cool before cutting into 12 even squares.

Makes 12 squares.