Cuimhní Cinn ar Bheatha

Or for those of you who aren’t conversant in Gaeilge I’ll translate, Fond Food Memories.  

Whilst drinking my early morning cup of tea and perusing my kitchen bookshelves today, I was transported back in my mind to one of my many holidays in Ireland (Dublin to be precise).  That is something I often find myself doing, day-dreaming about previous trips and planning return visits in my mind; whether they become actual or culinary trips is neither here nor there really.

My day-dream of Ireland got me bringing out my Irish cookery books and my attention was drawn to one I bought in a tiny bookshop called The Winding Stair near the River Liffy in Dublin; Irish Food and Folklore (Clare Connery).  The Winding Stair now has Michelin stars to its name but I can fondly remember the time that this little establishment was a rough edged gem in North Side Dublin, a favourite amongst the student population, selling basic but traditional Irish fare.

This then got me thinking of one of the most amazing meals I ate at The Oliver St John Gogarty restaurant in Temple Bar – chicken frigasse. The Oliver St John Gogarty is a fabulous place to visit, full of locals, excellent food, great entertainment and to top it all great craic. 

So that settled it; we were having Clare Connery’s Chicken Frigasse (the Irish term for a Fricassee) and colcannon, but to give a twist to this traditional Irish food I decided to use sweet potatoes.  I’m so glad I did, they added a sweetness that wasn’t overpowering at all, very mellow and light.  Well suited to the rich and heavy cream sauce of the frigasse.  

The meal went down a storm. 

The recipe I used can be found here.

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