When Tom and Laura Sinnott of Wexford Home Preserves decided to add a Seville orange marmalade to their range of handmade jams, Laura went in search of the best supplier of this seasonal citrus fruit she could find.
“Social media was full of mentions of Ave Maria oranges, and they were the oranges that were being used in the marmalades that were winning a lot of awards,” she says.
So the Sinnotts and their children took a family trip to Ave Maria farm, 20 minutes outside Seville, run by José Manuel Bautiste and his wife, Amadora, to see the orange groves and bring home a sample.
The marmalade that the organic fruit made impressed the Sinnotts so much they put in an order immediately, and 45 x 18kg boxes of the fruit were delivered to them in New Ross.
That consignment made 8,000 jars of high-fruit marmalade (60:40 fruit and sugar as against the usual 50:50), all but 500 of which were snapped up for the Simply Better range at Dunnes Stores, where it is on offer as a limited edition, with the Sinnotts also making 500 jars for sale under their own label.
“We make a lot of marmalade, but this is my favourite,” Laura says. The fruit is hand cut and made by traditional methods in open pots. The pips are also removed by hand, but are retained. “We keep them to make pectin [a natural setting agent]. We soak them in water and it turns to a jelly, which helps the marmalade to set.”
PERONI POP-UP
The House of Peroni pop-up returns to its rooftop location at 1, Dame Lane in Dublin 2, on May 25th to June 4th. Aoife Noonan, executive pastry chef at Luna restaurant, and pizza-maker Michael Ryan of Dublin Pizza Company will be overseeing the contemporary Italian food on offer, and the beer company's global brand ambassador, Federico Riezzo, has designed six "infusions" – including a new take on the classic Negroni – for the residency.
Noonan and Ryan collaborated with Italian chef Francesco Mazzei, chef patron at Sartoria in London, on the menu for the Dublin event. It will feature brunch, cicchetti (snacks) and pasta dishes created by Mazzei, pizzas by Ryan and desserts and gelato by Noonan. The pop-up will be open to the public and no reservations will be required.
SPANISH WINE TASTING IN STILLORGAN
Codorníu spells holidays for some, with the image of an icy, chilled bottle of the Spanish sparkling wine summoning up hot, lazy days and balmy evenings filled with tapas and copas.
Stillorgan, Co Dublin might not be able to compete with the Costas, but the walled garden at Beaufield Mews, which bills itself as Dublin's oldest restaurant, will be the venue for a tasting of the Spanish winemaker's cava, rosé cava, Anna de Codorníu cava, and Vina Pomal Rioja Reserva and Gran Reserva, on Wednesday, May 17th. Bruno Colomer, head winemaker at Codorníu Raventos, Spain's oldest vineyard, will introduce the wines.
The evening will begin with tapas and then barbecue food and desserts will be served. The ticket price is €50, and booking is essential. Email bookings @beaufieldmews.com or telephone 01-2880375.
GLUTEN-FREE WEEK
Aileen Markey, who was working in HR in New York before recently returning to Ireland, is opening a pop-up shop, Unglu-d, at 53 South William Street, Dublin 2 on Monday, May 8th for seven days – to coincide with Coeliac Awareness week. The shop, open from 10am-6pm, will sell a range of gluten-free food products from brands including Cool Beans, Maria Lucia, Ballymaloe, Odlums, Kelkin and Rule of Crumb, and there will be new product sampling and giveaways. Nick's Coffee Company will be on site so you can buy a coffee to go with the GF cookies and snacks that will be available. Proceeds will go to the Coeliac Society of Ireland.
