We stayed in Daisy Cottage for a couple of days this week before our current guests arrived and I just love the availability of fresh fish down there. We drove over to the fishing port of Killybegs (9km) to get some fish for dinner. We were spoilt for choice with all the locally caught fish, the only fish on sale not caught locally was the sea bass. We went for the brill.
Lots of Choice
Baby Potatoes & Carrots
Over then to the fruit & veg seller a few steps away where I got some beautiful new potatoes, courgette, chilli pepper, carrots, mange tout, and French beans. I also got some perfect plums and nectarines and a few lemons & limes (lemons for the fish, and both for the pre-dinner g&t!).
Of course I couldn't resist taking pics when I was there and spent a lovely half hour just snapping away at the boats in the harbour and the sea birds flying around.
SEAGULLS RESTING ON AN OLD BOAT, KILLYBEGS HARBOUR
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Back home to Daisy Cottage and I cleaned and chopped all the veg and half the chilli to make a stir fry of veg to accompany the fish. I boiled the baby potatoes in their very fine skins too. To cook the brill I simply heated the oven, laid them out on a baking tray and drizzled with olive oil and the fresh juice from one of the lemons, a quick grind of black pepper and into the oven. They cooked in minutes and the whole meal was delicious. I had taken a bit of a chance doing just nicely hot from the chilli stir fried veg but they went beautifully with the brill and didn't overwhelm it at all.
Brill Cooked with Olive Oil & Fresh Lemon Juice
Stir Fried Vegetables
Baby Potatoes
On Thursdays and Fridays there is a fish van in the village so the next morning my husband walked over to the van and bough some luscious looking sea trout. We've stopped eating trout for years because it had become such a disappointment and lost it's flavour, but this was sensational. Once again I just laid the fish out in a baking tray with olive oil, lemon juice, and black pepper, and as these were a bit meatier than the previous evenings brill, took a little longer to cook but still only a short time and came out just perfect ~ firm but moist. I had some courgette left and half the chilli so did a spaghetti of courget with a kick of chilli and used the remainder of my baby pototoes, this time lightly boiled and then finished off in the oven to crisp up the light skin. Delicious.
Fresh Sea Trout
Whilst at the van, my husband bought some fresh prawns too. I love prawns and these were delicious just with a little lemon juice.
We treated ourselves to a full Irish breakfast one of the mornings and bought some fabulous bacon and homemade sausages from the butchers in the village. Added to that some good quality black pudding, tomatoes, and free range eggs (all bought from the said butchers). A brunch feast!
Dunkineely is a great place to stay if you are a bit of a foodie and I think I have managed to get all the utensils & pans needed to help produce a meal into the kitchen of Daisy Cottage. It helps hugely to actually use the kitchen to double check that everything needed is there and so far I think I've it covered.
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