Donnybrook Fair Malahide
Last Saturday, we trekked out to Malahide for a food fair that was being held there. We were going to dart it out (so himself could have a drink, if he liked) but thanks to the DART works, we had to drive.
I had originally planned on doing a post about the food fair - I had high hopes, But due to a change days before the event, poor organisation and an overall disappointment with what was on offer and the experience, I think the kindest thing I can do is communicate my views privately with the organisers and hope that they will execute a better fair in 2017.
However, thanks to the new Donnybrook Fair in Malahide, the journey wasn't a complete waste.
I've been in Donnybrook Fair a few times at their other locations around the city, but the Malahide branch is a place that true foodies will fall in love with.
On a glorious sunny day, their outside terrace was offering delicious BBQ'd things while families and friends kicked back, enjoying the Mediterranean experience.
Naturally enough, the interiors were just as lovely. Donnybrook Fair has a well deserved reputation for gourmet quality. Yes, the prices can be a bit steep at times and it's not somewhere most of us can do our weekly food shop.
But it's fantastic if you're looking for something special, hard to find, or what I like to often do - decide on one star ingredient you're going to use in a dish and buy the highest quality you can afford and marry it with more economical accompaniments.
So for example, if I'm doing a spaghetti carbornara with homemade garlic bread, I'll get my pancetta and ciabatta bread from Donnybrook Fair and go to Lidl/Aldi/Tescos for the rest of the ingredients.
Fresh fish selection
My aspiration in life though is to be financially comfortable enough to do all my shopping at Donnybrook Fair, The Butler's Pantry, etc. Well, a girl's got to dream.
They also have incredibly helpful and friendly staff there. When one of the fishmongers caught me covertly snapping the produce, instead of telling me off (which wouldn't have surprised me), he asked did I want to get a picture of the lobster. Legend.
One particular piece of meat caught my eye on this trip; club steak. A great honking piece of meat, it's on my pay day shopping list.
The Malahide store also has a beautiful and extensive wine and spirits selection, with a variety of everyday tipples and special vintages available.
If you're into your cheese (a taste himself is still trying to get me to acquire - I won't venture beyond Gouda most of the time) this next picture will make you all tingly.
I on the other hand got excited by their pastry and chocolate selection and cursed the fact that it would be too hot a day to transport some buys back in one piece.
I did however buy a beautiful loaf of freshly baked sourdough bed (which we consumed with pesto, grilled chicken and caramelised onions the next day) and two bags of Propercorn (lightly salted and coconut and vanilla flavours - both divine) and I doubt it'll be long before I'm back out to the shop.
Definitely worth a peruse.
Xoxo
PESTO CHICKEN AND CARAMELISED ONIONS ON SOURDOUGH
2 chicken fillets
1 tub of fresh pesto
1 red onion
1 white onion
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
Sprinkle of salt
Fresh sourdough bread
- Grill chicken fillets until fully cooked (10 minutes or so under a hot grill, depending on thickness)
- Lightly toast sourdough slices. Split garlic cloves in half and run along bread. Then, spread as much pesto as you like on top.
- Heat a large frying pan and pour in the olive oil. Cook onions on a high heat for ten minutes. Make sure that the onion has plenty of room to move around in the pan. Don't worry when bits start to stick, they're delicious.
- Slice chicken to your preference, spread on sourdough bread and top with onions. Best consumed while hot.
I had originally planned on doing a post about the food fair - I had high hopes, But due to a change days before the event, poor organisation and an overall disappointment with what was on offer and the experience, I think the kindest thing I can do is communicate my views privately with the organisers and hope that they will execute a better fair in 2017.
However, thanks to the new Donnybrook Fair in Malahide, the journey wasn't a complete waste.
I've been in Donnybrook Fair a few times at their other locations around the city, but the Malahide branch is a place that true foodies will fall in love with.
On a glorious sunny day, their outside terrace was offering delicious BBQ'd things while families and friends kicked back, enjoying the Mediterranean experience.
Naturally enough, the interiors were just as lovely. Donnybrook Fair has a well deserved reputation for gourmet quality. Yes, the prices can be a bit steep at times and it's not somewhere most of us can do our weekly food shop.
But it's fantastic if you're looking for something special, hard to find, or what I like to often do - decide on one star ingredient you're going to use in a dish and buy the highest quality you can afford and marry it with more economical accompaniments.
So for example, if I'm doing a spaghetti carbornara with homemade garlic bread, I'll get my pancetta and ciabatta bread from Donnybrook Fair and go to Lidl/Aldi/Tescos for the rest of the ingredients.
My aspiration in life though is to be financially comfortable enough to do all my shopping at Donnybrook Fair, The Butler's Pantry, etc. Well, a girl's got to dream.
They also have incredibly helpful and friendly staff there. When one of the fishmongers caught me covertly snapping the produce, instead of telling me off (which wouldn't have surprised me), he asked did I want to get a picture of the lobster. Legend.
One particular piece of meat caught my eye on this trip; club steak. A great honking piece of meat, it's on my pay day shopping list.
The Malahide store also has a beautiful and extensive wine and spirits selection, with a variety of everyday tipples and special vintages available.
If you're into your cheese (a taste himself is still trying to get me to acquire - I won't venture beyond Gouda most of the time) this next picture will make you all tingly.
I on the other hand got excited by their pastry and chocolate selection and cursed the fact that it would be too hot a day to transport some buys back in one piece.
I did however buy a beautiful loaf of freshly baked sourdough bed (which we consumed with pesto, grilled chicken and caramelised onions the next day) and two bags of Propercorn (lightly salted and coconut and vanilla flavours - both divine) and I doubt it'll be long before I'm back out to the shop.
Definitely worth a peruse.
Xoxo
PESTO CHICKEN AND CARAMELISED ONIONS ON SOURDOUGH
2 chicken fillets
1 tub of fresh pesto
1 red onion
1 white onion
2 tablespoons of olive oil
2 cloves of garlic
Sprinkle of salt
Fresh sourdough bread
- Grill chicken fillets until fully cooked (10 minutes or so under a hot grill, depending on thickness)
- Lightly toast sourdough slices. Split garlic cloves in half and run along bread. Then, spread as much pesto as you like on top.
- Heat a large frying pan and pour in the olive oil. Cook onions on a high heat for ten minutes. Make sure that the onion has plenty of room to move around in the pan. Don't worry when bits start to stick, they're delicious.
- Slice chicken to your preference, spread on sourdough bread and top with onions. Best consumed while hot.
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