Cookery Feature - Irish Whiskey Cookbook

For anyone unfamiliar with the story of Irish whiskey, the press release that accompanied Oisín Davis’s new book The Irish Whiskey Cookbook: 50 Recipes to Cook, Sip and Savour provided a great introduction: “Boom, bust and boom again – a five-word synopsis of the Irish whiskey industry over the last couple of hundred years. From being a global spirit leader in the 19th century to being nearly decimated in the 20th, Irish whiskey in the 21st century has seen a global resurgence. Like Champagne in France or sherry in Spain, Irish whiskey also has a protected designation of origin. The way that it’s distilled, aged and blended in Ireland gives it a character like no other and reflects the liquid landscape of the island”. And there’s plenty more to expand on that in the book itself, which is a follow-on from Oisín’s very popular first book, Irish Kitchen Cocktails (Nine Bean Rows 2023).

Well known in Ireland - and further afield – for his Beár Bia podcast, among many other things, the former nightclub manager and music promoter behind Ireland’s first dedicated drinks marketing and publicity company, Great Irish Beverages, has now turned his attention to the versatility of Irish whiskey as an ingredient in cooking, and an accompaniment to his recipes (either straight, or in cocktails). For this, he has teamed up with the Canadian-owned alcoholic beverage group, Mark Anthony Brands International’s Gendalough Distillery in Co Wicklow, so the recipes include ingredients exclusively selected from their respected collection of ten or so brands - although other Irish whiskeys can of course be substituted. The recipes themselves are wide ranging – savouries and accompaniments, upbeat versions of many a popular main course. I especially like the venison recipe below, which would make a great alternative at Christmas time, for smaller gatherings and festive meals generally - wild Irish venison is available from some butchers and good supermarkets, or contact Wild Irish Game for retail outlets in your area. Plenty of desserts too and, of course, those cocktails, although - probably to allow space for less predictable treats - some old favourites that have a special traditional relationship with whiskey, such as fruit cakes and Christmas pudding, are not included.
A sure-fire winner in the making, The Irish Whiskey Cookbook is destined to find a space under many a Christmas tree this year.

The Irish Whiskey Cookbook: 50 Recipes to Cook, Sip and Savour by Oisín Davis (€20.00 from Nine Bean Rows https://ninebeanrowsbooks.com/products/the-irish-whiskey-cookbook & good book shops.)

Irish Whiskey RECIPES TO TRY:

BOXTY WITH WHISKEY-CURED GOATSBRIDGE TROUT
While I am all in favour of spreading the gospel of cooking with Irish whiskey, once you put them on your radar, there are actually a myriad of food products out there that contain our national spirit. Ice creams from Dingle, jams from Connemara, pork medallions from Dunnes Stores and what would appear to be thousands of chocolates in the airport. My favourite food product made with Irish whiskey, though, hails from Kilkenny. It’s the whiskey and dill-infused cold smoked rainbow trout from Goatsbridge Trout Farm – marvellously made and versatile as bejaysus. I had one of the owners, Mag Kirwan, on my podcast and she was gas craic. I’ve been a major fan ever since. Boxty is a quintessentially Irish potato dish that’s been sinfully neglected, especially as a brunch option. It’s banging with the whiskey-infused trout. Serves 2

a small knob of salted butter
8–10 black kale leaves, stripped from the stems and roughly chopped
150g (5oz) Goatsbridge Whiskey and Dill-Infused Smoked Trout, cut into strips
2 poached eggs
For the boxty:
4 medium-sized Rooster potatoes, scrubbed and peeled
1 tbsp milk
30g (2 tbsp) butter
2 spring onions, finely chopped
60ml (¼ cup) buttermilk
1 tbsp plain flour
sea salt and ground white pepper
To garnish:
a pinch of pul biber chilli (Aleppo pepper)

Chop up two of the potatoes and boil them in salted water until they’re soft, then strain off the water. Mash them right in the hot pan with the milk and half of the butter, then season with salt and white pepper.
Grate the remaining two potatoes and put them in a clean tea towel, then use the towel to twist them tightly over the sink to squeeze out all the water. Add them to the mashed potatoes, then mix in the spring onions and buttermilk before adding the flour. You should now have a thick batter.
Melt the remaining butter in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. When the butter starts to foam, try to pour the batter into the pan in such a way that you get equal-sized boxty cakes – you should get six smallish ones (three per person). Fry them off for about 5 minutes in total, until they’re nice and crispy on both sides. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
After they’re cooked, melt a small knob of butter in your frying pan. When it starts to foam, add the black kale and let it wilt lightly before adding the trout. You’re just looking to warm the trout up a bit, so stir it in for about 10 seconds.
To serve, stack two or three boxty cakes on top of each other on each plate, then spoon some of the kale and trout around them. Top each plate with a poached egg, then garnish with a pinch of pul biber chilli.
TO DRINK: Glendalough highball (recipe given in The Irish Whiskey Cookbook) with sparkling water and lemon

VENISON WITH WHISKEY AND BLACKBERRIES
There’s certainly no shortage of wild deer and wild blackberries in Ireland. We should therefore be grateful that they both pair and cook beautifully with our whiskeys. You will often encounter game served with berry-based sauces, so when you introduce a little whiskey to the proceedings, its natural honey notes amplify the sweetness of the fruit. The spice of the whiskey brings a whole new layer of flavour to the sauce. All in all, it’s a belter of a dish for the autumn. Serves 4

600g (1lb 5oz) wild Irish venison loin, trimmed
olive oil, to coat
12–14 wild Irish blackberries (or shop-bought; fresh or frozen)
a knob of salted butter
2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and lightly crushed
5–6 sprigs of fresh thyme tied together with butcher’s twine
60ml (¼ cup) Glendalough Single Grain Double Barrel Finish Irish Whiskey or the Single Grain Burgundy Cask Finish, plus extra for soaking
2 tbsp blackberry jam
120ml (½ cup) rich beef stock
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Venison loin is exceptionally tasty but also very lean, which is why it’s a good idea to do a reverse sear when cooking it, so preheat your oven to 100°C (210°F).
Coat the loin in olive oil and massage it in, then season generously with salt and pepper. Put the loin on a baking tray, then cook it in the preheated oven until the internal temperature hits 48°C (118°F) – this should take 25–30 minutes. Remove from the oven.
When the venison comes out of the oven, put the blackberries in a bowl, pour over a teaspoon of whiskey and let them soak while you make the sauce.
Put a frying pan on a high heat. When it’s smoking, pour in a drizzle of olive oil, then add the venison loin and cook until all sides are browned. Reduce the heat to medium, then throw in the butter, garlic and thyme. Use a spoon to baste the foaming butter onto the venison for a couple of minutes, until you see that it’s caramelised. Remove the venison from the pan and set aside to rest. Keep the pan on a medium heat.
Add the whiskey and quickly scrape up the fond (aka the browned bits) from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon before adding the jam. Stir it around for a few seconds, then stir in the beef stock and cook for a couple of minutes, until you get a nice glaze-like consistency. Add the sherry vinegar for some acidity, then check the seasoning.
To serve, slice the loin against the grain. Pour over the sauce, then garnish with the whiskey-soaked blackberries.
If you’re looking for other things to fill the plate, roast some root vegetables like carrot, parsnip and beetroot with fennel seeds and honey and season with a pinch of pul biber chilli (Aleppo pepper) after they’re cooked.
TO DRINK: Manhattan (recipe given in The Irish Whiskey Cookbook) or Double Barrel boulevardier

IRISH COFFEE BROWNIES
In my first book, Irish Kitchen Cocktails, I made a passionate plea for Irish bars and restaurants to better embrace the Irish coffee and make it a prominent fixture on all their menus, where it fully deserves to be. Well, here’s the super simple dessert accompaniment for it: a brownie with boozy benefits. Makes 8

225g (½lb) salted butter, plus extra for greasing
200g (7oz) milk chocolate
150g (5¼oz) 70% dark chocolate
250g (heaped 1 cup) Demerara sugar
60ml (¼ cup) Glendalough Single Grain
Double Barrel Finish Irish Whiskey
60ml (¼ cup) freshly brewed espresso
1 tbsp finely ground coffee
3 eggs
275g (2? cups) plain flour
For the whipped cream topping:
125ml (½ cup) cream
1 tbsp Glendalough Single Grain Double Barrel Finish Irish Whiskey
1 tsp whiskey and vanilla-infused sugar or plain icing sugar
freshly grated nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F). Line a 20cm (8in) brownie tin with non-stick baking paper.
Put the butter in a heatproof bowl and break all the chocolate into it. Lash it into the microwave for 1 minute, then take it out and stir it up. Repeat until the butter and chocolate have melted and emulsified together. Alternatively, you can melt them together in a heatproof bowl set on top of a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl.
Whisk in the sugar, whiskey, espresso and coffee grounds until it’s all combined, then whisk in one egg at a time before adding the flour. Stir until you get a smooth batter.
Pour the batter into the lined tin, then bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes if you like your brownies to have a bit of chew and decadent ooze to them or 30 minutes if you prefer your brownies to be less gooey. Set aside on a wire rack to cool.
Using an electric mixer, whisk the cream with the whiskey and icing sugar until it’s firm. Dollop the whipped cream on top of each brownie, then grate over a little nutmeg.
TO DRINK: Double Barrel Irish coffee (page 108) or a neat serve of Glendalough Pot Still Irish Oak Finish
From The Irish Whiskey Cookbook: 50 Recipes to Cook, Sip and Savour by Oisín Davis (Nine Bean Rows, €20.00)

A COUPLE OF DRINKS TO TRY from The Irish Whiskey Cookbook: 50 Recipes to Cook, Sip and Savour by Oisín Davis (Nine Bean Rows, €20.00)

DOUBLE BARREL IRISH COFFEE
Makes 1

35ml (2 tbsp + 1 tsp) Glendalough Single Grain Double Barrel Finish Irish Whiskey
1 tsp Demerara sugar
100ml (? cup + 4 tsp) freshly brewed hot coffee
1 tbsp double cream
a pinch of whiskey and vanilla-infused sugar (optional)
freshly grated nutmeg, to garnish
cocoa powder, to garnish

Heat a Georgian (vintage style) Irish coffee glass with some hot water, then pour it out. Pour in the whiskey, then drop in the sugar. Pour in the hot coffee and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Pour the double cream into a jug with a pouring spout. Add a pinch of whiskey and vanilla-infused sugar (if using) and lightly whip – it should be slightly thickened but still pourable.
Carefully top the cocktail with the lightly whipped cream by putting the back of a teaspoon on top of the glass, then pouring the cream over it. Garnish with freshly grated nutmeg and a light dusting of cocoa powder.

WHISKEY SOUR
Makes 1

ice cubes, for chilling and shaking
60ml (¼ cup) Glendalough Single Grain Double Barrel Irish Whiskey or Glendalough Pot Still Irish Oak Finish
30ml (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
15ml (1 tbsp) simple syrup (mix 2 parts white sugar with 1 part boiling water until clear – this will keep in the fridge for up to one week)
15ml (1 tbsp) egg white (or egg substitute)
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
fresh orange slice, to garnish

Chill a tumbler glass with ice. Put all the ingredients except the orange slice in a cocktail shaker and shake for 15 seconds. Add some ice and shake again for 30 seconds. Strain into your iced tumbler and garnish with a fresh orange slice to serve. You can change the flavour of your whiskey sour by replacing the simple syrup with another sweetener like maple or apple syrup or elderflower cordial.