Stay Tuned

The Mill, Dunfanaghy, North Donegal

Derek and Susan Alcorn have been running a little jewel of a destination in Dunfanaghy's The Mill, a most beautiful, aesthetically precise little place where the six elegant rooms are congratulated by fine restaurant, for some years now.

Mr Alcorn has always been a fine cook, but a recent dinner here shows a chef who has really moved up a gear. The adult menu was a treat – superlative oyster carbonara with fantastic fresh linguini and pancetta; great starter of chicken livers with black pudding on a rosemary porridge fritter, then mains of Horn Head mackerel with basil mash and a seafood saffron broth, and confit shoulder of lamb with roast rump and some boulangere potatoes, a dish Mr Alcorn has adapted from Gordon Ramsay.

This is smart, light, deeply pleasing cooking, and if food for grown-ups is a joy, then the kid's menus are also a treat. None of the McKennas wanted to leave after only one night, so don't make a mistake; you need a few days in this little haven to get the very best from it.

The Mill is a Don't-Miss!

Figart, Dunfanaghy, Co Donegal Tel: (074) 9136 985 www.themillrestaurant.com

Country House News

Susan Wilson, lately of Boltown House, is joining Lucy and Johnny Madden at Hilton Park from April to September. Susan worked with the sadly missed Catherine Healy at Dunderry Lodge as well as doing a number of Courses at Ballymaloe Cookery School and working as a professional freelance cook. In the short time that Boltown House was a member of The Hidden Ireland, it achieved an enviable reputation as one of the culinary stars. Susan will share the cooking duties with Lucy, who will thus have the chance to spend more time in the garden growing for the table, and will help Johnny with the 'front of house'.

Meanwhile there are changes happening in the other great country house of the North West - Temple House. Legendary owner Sandy Perceval, who now spends his time working as a healer in nearby Derreen, has handed over the estate to his son, Roderick, who has moved back with his wife Helena. Deb Perceval still stays as part of this great team, helping run the house. We wish Sandy the very best in his new work, and Roderick, Helena and Deb all the best in their new partnership.

Temple House, Ballymote
Tel: (071) 83329, www.templehouse.ie
Hilton Park, Clones
Tel: (047) 56007, www.hiltonpark.ie

Shanks, Northern Ireland

The hottest news in Northern Ireland is the superb new value Supper menus introduced in Shanks by Robbie and Shirley Millar.

Between Monday and Thursday, between 7pm and 10 pm, you can now enjoy a 3-course dinner for only £23, with 2-courses for only £19. This is astounding value cooking from a chef who, almost ten years on at the stove in this beautiful restaurant, remains the most cutting-edge cook you can find. The elegance and precision of Millar's cooking, in starters such as his foie gras and chicken liver parfait, or a knockout dish of crispy pork belly with spiced couscous, tomato jus and mango salsa, is simply unmatched. Frankly, my dears, you may never cook dinner again.

Shanks, The Blackwood, Bangor, Co Down
Tel: 9185 3313 www.shanksrestaurant.com

Slowly does it…

Look out for the beautiful Slow Food Post Cards, available at €1, photographed by John Minihan

The second annual Slow Food weekend took place in Kenmare, County Kerry, and was a rollicking success, thanks to the meticulous standards established and maintained by the many addresses in the town that is the real food lovers capital of Ireland.

The Saturday expeditions to artisan producers were a great success, and when townies found themselves a few miles up the hill near Tuosist, visiting Olga and Peter Iverson's jersey cows and seeing when the Knockatee cheeses and butter are made, there were more than a few people who simply did not want to go back home to the big smoke. The sun shone, the panoramic view from the farm must have embraced a vista of 100 miles, and it was all too bleedin' blissful. Let’s chuck in the IFSC grind, darling, and go make cheese up a mountain…

Congratulations to the Slow Food organisers and to Slow Food Ireland's partners, Febvre Wines, on whose behalf Gregory Alkin contributed apposite and poetic speeches.

www.slowfoodireland.com

Better by Far

David Llewellyn's apple juices, ciders and cider vinegars exhibit the most precious quality of the artisan producer: they keep getting better and better.

Just look at the hip and stylish new bottles of juice, from varieties such as Pure Pearl – sweet, excellent – to Katy & Bramley – beautifully balanced with a little tart note at the end – to the sweet, viscous delight of Pure Discovery: great juice making that shows a producer working patiently, patiently at his craft. You will find the juices, ciders and cider vinegars (good for cholesterol!) at Farmer's Markets from Castlebellingham to Leopardstown: don’t miss these beauties.

Sausage Champion

"I put my heart into it" says Michael O'Kane, of the secret ingredient that flavours his sausages, "all the other ingredients are available on the open market!" And do you know what? He's perfectly serious. Michael O'Kane has just been awarded the Champion Sausage Maker of Northern Ireland for the 3rd time. Well, actually almost the fourth time, because last year he came second, only to be beaten by his apprentice. "I took it as an honour to be beaten by an apprentice".

The award was announced this Wednesday, 21 April, and judges and butchers alike were delighted with the number of new young entrants, butchers who have opened shops in the last year. Butchers in Southern Ireland can find out how he does it on 20 May, when Michael is giving a talk to the Association of Craft Butchers of Ireland.

O'Kane's Butchers, 69 Main Street, Claudy, Co Londonderry
Tel: (028) 7133 8944