Two Galway Family Businesses

Two Galway Family businesses, both with third generations working in the business joined forces for a promotion in July.  Renvyle House (that's us!) were promoting our summer action-packed holidays and our Renvyle Foods and McCambridges of Galway were promoting their beautiful new restaurant 'Upstairs @ McCambridges' which is situated on the first floor of their store on Shop Street.  The two businesses have worked together over a number of decades but it was the first time a promotion was done and social networking involved. 

Those sampling the delights at McCambridges new restaurant had the opportunity to enter into a free draw for a break for two at Renvyle House.  And every guest staying at Renvyle House during the month of July were in with a chance of winning a gorgeous McCambridges Hamper full of all that's great in Irish food.

The joint promotion was a great success and the winners were drawn on Tuesday - Two very happy winners.

Recipe for Tim’s Carrot and Orange Soup

 It's still chilly enough in the evenings, but delighted with the extra daylight to get out and about.

 Here's a lovely recipe for a lighter soup, great at this time of year...

Carrot and Orange Soup

(c) 'At Home in Renvyle' by Tim O'Sullivan

Ingredients

30g butter
400g carrots, diced
400g onions, sliced
1.2 litres of chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 orange rind and juice
salt and pepper to season
half pint of cream

Method

Melt the butter in a large pot, add the carrots and onions and cook until soft.  Add stock and bring to the boil.  Simmer for 30 minutes.
Allow to cool, then puree in a blender.  Add the juice and orange rind.  Return to the pot and reheat gently.  Add cream and season to taste.

Serve with crusty white bread

Renvyle’s Recipe for Mince Pies

Some of our past guests are highly organised and are already preparing their larder for Christmas.  We have a great recipe for Tim's Mince Pies which, once made, can be frozen in batches and then cooked when required (impressing those pop-in guests over Christmas) - Delicious.

RENVYLE HOUSE MINCE PIES

taken from © “At Home in Renvyle”, 2005, On Stream Publications

450g mincemeat (see below)
1 egg white
caster sugar
shortcrust pastry (see below)

Shortcrust Pastry Ingredients

200g plain flour
½ teaspoon salt
50g lard
50g margarine
2 tablespoons water

Method:
Preheat oven to 220°c / 425°F / Gas 7
Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl.
Cut the lard and margarine into small cubes (1.5cm) and rub into the flour.
make a well in the centre and add the water, mixing to produce a soft dough.  Wrap in clingfilm or foil and chill until required.

Mincemeat ingredients
100g cooking apples, peeled and chopped
70g raisins
70g sultanas
50g currants
35g mixed peel
70g brown sugar
70g suet, finely chopped
10g chopped almonds
Juice and rind of half lemon
½ teaspoon mixed spice
1 tablespoon brandy.

Method:
Mince coarsely the apples, raisins, currants, sultanas and mixed peel.  Place in a bowl and add the sugar, suet, almonds, lemon juice and rind, mixed spice and brandy.  Mix all together.
This can be made one week in advance.  Store in tightly sealed jars.

To Finish the Pies:
Roll the pastry thinly and cut into rounds about 8cm for the pie bases. 
Line patty tins with these and fill about half their depth with mincemeat.
Cut out slightly smaller rounds for the covers.  Dampen the rims of the pie bases with cold water and place the cover on top, pressing the edges together lightly to seal them.
Make a small slit in the top of each pie, brush with egg white and sprinkle with caster sugar.  Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove and allow to stand for 2 to 3 minutes before removing from the tins.
Serve with whipped cream flavoured with vanilla.

Mrs. Coyle’s Crabapple Jelly

Crabapple Jelly

It's nearly that time of year again. The time where we start gathering our Autumn produce from the Orchard at Renvyle House. With trees full of apples, plums, crabapples and pears, Tim and his crew in the kitchen will have a busy time of it. This recipe, from Mrs. Coyle, produces a beautiful jelly of clear rose colour, good with pork, cold meats and cheeses but especially on hot bread or toast.

• Gather the apples as soon as they are ripe; don't wait for them all to fall.
• Rinse them in a sink of cold water, picking them over for mushy bits, discard these or cut them out.
• Empty apples into a large saucepan (no more than half- way up the side) cover with fresh, cold water and bring to the boil, stirring now and again.
• When all the apples have burst and are now mushy take them off the heat and spoon into a jelly-bag. Suspend this overnight. Don't squeeze it as this will make the jelly cloudy.
• Next Day, measure out the apple liquid and for every pint allow one lb of white sugar. Pour the apple liquid into a large, clean saucepan, bring to the boil then add the sugar and stir well to dissolve. Then keep boiling and stirring till setting point is reached, test either by waiting till the last drop on a stirred wooden spoon does not drop but holds on, or until a small spoonful on a saucer left in the fridge till cool forms a skin when pushed with a finger, or use a sugar thermometer.
• Pour into sterilized jars (a jam funnel is a great help and avoids sticky rims) and cover with waxed discs and screw-top lids or cellophane discs as desired.Crabapples will also freeze well, but use only the prettiest, and are a lovely accompaniment to turkey, chicken and pork. Put straight from freezer into roasting pan with joint of pork, a chicken or turkey for the last 10-15 minutes of cooking. Remove carefully to place around roast on serving dish.

Food & Wine Awards 2011

Food and Wine Awards 2011

A great day was had by all who attended the Food & Wine 2011 Restaurant Awards held at the National Convention Centre in Dublin yesterday.

There was a great gathering of very well respected Chefs and Restaurant & Hotel proprietors in attendance and a great number of new restaurants on the secene.

A wonderful 5 course meal was had by all and accompanied by beautiful wines supplied by Penfolds. We had great company at our table with the proprietors and chefs from Ginger restaurant, Belfast. There was a great attendance from the West with Jess and Dave from Kai and Alex and JP from Cava and Fergus from the Twelve.

Renvyle received two accoldades on the day which was an added bonus! Tim O'Sullivan was Highly Commended under the category of 'Connacht Best Chef Award 2011′ and Renvyle House Hotel was Highly Commended under the category of 'Connacht Best Restaurant Award 2011′.

Renvyle House Hotel
Here, the only stress is on relaxation

Apple and Onion Soup Recipe

Renvyle House Orchard

Tim's unusual combination of flavours works very wekk and as the apple and onion season come together is a great way of using windfalls of any type of apple –sweet or cooking varieties. Yoghurt can be used to finish instead of cream.

Ingredients:

• 6 onions, peeled and chopped finely
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped finely
• 2 shallots, peeled and chopped finely
• 110g butter
• 600ml chicken stock
• 300ml apple juice
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 150ml cream

Method:

Melt the butter in a large pot and stir in the apples, shallots and onions for about 5 minutes until soft but not browned.

Add the stock, parsley, thyme and apple juice; simmer for about 20 minutes.

Cool a little, then whizz in a food processor.

Return to the pot, add the cream and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Do not allow to boil.

Taste for seasoning and serve in warmed soup plates with a sprinkling of the remaining parsley.

Serve with freshly baked brown bread.

Renvyle House’s Breakfast Menu

We are launching our new breakfast menu later this month with some lovely new additions which have been prepared by Tim O'Sullivan and his Team in the kitchen.

You can preview the Renvyle House Breakfast Menu

photographs taken by Aoife Herriott

Photoshoot for new Website

Bread being prepared for the day

Yes, we will be renovating our website very soon. We hope it will be even easier for you the user to us, even moreso than the current one. Yesterday's excercise was to update our photographs with the updated bedrooms and of course Tim and his team's delicious food from breakfast through to dinner.

A busy morning and have to admit, I buckled at the warm chocolate pudding and once the photo was professionally taken I had a taste which led to a pretty clean plate!

Please find a gallery below. Keep in mind that these images are taken from my mobile phone so really don't do the food justice, but Aoife will have the real ones for us soon.

Tim’s Fish Recipes

Tim of Renvyle House Hotel Fish Recipes

We ran a great promotion with Ali's Fish Shops in Galway, Barna and Oranmora last month. Tim had prepared 6 of his many fish recipes to give out over the six week promotion. There has been many requests for copies of these so…..without further ado…..we have out them on a pdf format for you.

Please click here –> TIM'S FISH RECIPES

In preparation for St. Patrick’s Day

Shamrock

St. Patrick's day seems to be the turning point for Spring in Ireland. People come out of their shells and there's an air of celebration. Most try to keep to traditional meals on the day such as Bacon and Cabbage or a Lamb dish of some sort. An Irish Fry with brown sodabread is a great start to the day.

Here are some nice Irish phrases for you to try out tomorrow!

"Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile"
Translation: "One beetle recognises another"
Meaning: It takes one to know one; Like sees like

"Dúirt bean liom go ndúirt bean léi"
Translation: "A woman told me that a woman told her . . ."
Meaning: Don't believe everything you are told. It may be just gossip.

"Mol an óige agus tiocfaidh siad"
Translation: "Praise the youth and they will come"

"Níl aon tinteán mar do thinteán féin"
Translation: "There's no hearth like your own hearth"
Meaning: There's no place like home

Tim's Connemara Rack of Lamb

Tim has kindly given us a nice recipe for Connemara Rack of Lamb. Although it is still a bit early for Connemara lamb, lamb from other parts of Ireland can also be used with great success. In this recipe, Tim has timed the cooking for 'rare'. If you would like to cook it to 'medium', cook it for 35 minutes. And for medium to well done cook it for 40 minutes.