Eat Only Irish: Cork buffalo mozzarella and La Cucina’s Irish menu
Irish buffalo mozzarella on sale at the Real Olive Stall
Eat Only Irish? Why of course, when you can pick up the most amazing Irish buffalo mozzarella in Cork’s English Market. The Real Olive Company stall has just started selling the creamiest balls of mozzarella made using raw milk from a herd of water buffalo which are based on the Lynch farm near Macroom.
Dairy farmer Johnny Lynch, together with the Real Olive Company’s Toby Simmons, are the men behind the cheese which is undoubtedly the freshest mozzarella that I’ve ever managed to get my hands on.
The good news is that it seems to be available at all the markets with a Real Olive Company stall so, even if you’re not in Cork, you don’t have to miss out on this treat.
Friday’s mozzarella made it onto a cheat’s pizza (chilled, ready made dough from Iago, also in the English Market, supplied by – I think – Arbutus Bread) with some Gubbeen chorizo. Next time I’m buying two balls: one for the pizza and the other to tear into a simple tomato and basil salad so that we can appreciate it’s sumptuous texture both cooked and uncooked. When eating Irish tastes this good, why would you want to do anything else?
– A ball of fresh Irish buffalo mozzarella costs just €2.50. Well worth it.
– For more on the Eat Only Irish for a Week campaign, check out www.eatonlyirish.com
La Cucina, Castletroy
For a well-thought out Eat Only Irish menu, check out what Italian Foodie is offering in La Cucina – I’d highly recommend the Ummera smoked chicken pasta salad (pic here!), crunchy with pinenuts, punchy with rocket and tossed in a fresh, zesty lemon and mint dressing.
Yesterday I also got a taste of their main pasta dish – thanks TJ! – with pancetta and fennel & chilli Italian sausage from Crowe’s Farm. The menu also includes producers like Yeats Irish Cream Cheese, Jim Cronin (salad), St Tola (cheese), Murphy’s (ice cream, of course) and Glenisk (cream).
Unfortunately I was too late to get my hands on Laura’s brownie for desert but I’m not exactly complaining – look at these happy grins on people about to tuck into their tubs of Murphy’s ice cream!
Dying to try some of that cheese! It’d be great if mozzarella production took off here – no reason why not!
I was thrilled to find it – and there seems to be a right buzz about it now. Hopefully they’ll be able to keep production up to meet demand and get it into a few restaurants as well.
The Husband – years before he decided to go down the brewing route – was interested in bringing water buffalo to Ireland after spending time with them in Nepal. Now he’s all “I told you so!”
Read an article about the mozzarella production in the Irish Times but thought they were only selling to restaurants etc so this is great news. Pretty sure the lads have a stall in the Temple Bar market on Saturdays so hopefully will get some there this weekend!
The restaurants are still waiting, as far as I know! La Cucina has been on to them and I know that Springfort Hall and the Old Convent are both interested as well but they’re not ready for wholesale just yet.
In the meantime, we get to appreciate it at home for ourselves. You should definitely be able to get your hands on it at the Temple Bar Market. Hope you enjoy it!
Yeah, got them on the weekend and they were lovely: just had it with some Italian tomatoes, basil and some good olive oil; great stuff all round!
Although I loved it on top of the pizza – sweeter and more caramelised than any other mozzarella I’ve ever come across – it really didn’t need cooking. Great texture and fabulous flavour. Need more now!
I got the mozzerella at The Real Olive Company’s stall on Coppinger Row one Thursday .. it comes in a mix with sundried tomatoes and is delish! I’d love to buy it on its own too though.
Thanks for the tip off 🙂
That sounds like a great mixture – might have to save some next time for just such a blend!