The “mystery chef” in Programme 5 of this brand new series is Jon Kenny.
The ‘new look’, new series of this hugely popular programme is back and, as before, a high-profile personality is given the chance – and the challenge – to be a chef for the night. Ernie’s in Donnybrook is the venue for the new series and a new professional chef joins the now familiar kitchen crew. Also in this new series, Tom and Paulo get to prove their expertise by blind-testing the wines (a 10 euro and 25 euro bottle each week) – let’s see if they really know their stuff?
Jon Kenny brings the same sense of humour and passion to the kitchen that he has shown on stage throughout a long and varied career. He is well known to us already as a comedian, actor, musician and writer. He has pursued all these parallel careers with great passion over the years, most recently appearing in a national tour of Dylan Thomas’s classic “Under Milk Wood”. But Jon’s other passion is about to come to the fore as he don’s the Head Chef’s jacket in The Restaurant. Jon loves to cook at home for his family and friends. Indeed he can often be found putting in a shift or two in the kitchen of The Olde Bake House in Bruff, Co. Limerick.
When it comes to food, Jon’s approach is unashamedly rustic. He loves nothing better than to bring out the flavours of traditional ingredients as rabbit, goose, duck and all sorts of game. His approach is to do as little as possible to the basic ingredients and uses lots of herbs to bring out the best in these meats. This approach is reflected in his menu for The Restaurant, where duck livers and rabbit feature, along with mussels simply cooked in cream.
As before, each ‘chef’ will create and cook a full dinner menu in a real restaurant. The diners will be real diners, and among them each week will be a critics table with three top food critics ready to give an instant verdict and a star rating from one to five. The resident critics are Tom Doorley and Paolo Tullio, with one other guest critic each week. The guest critic for this show is chef, autor and broadcaster Eamonn O’Catháin (biog. Below). The identity of the “mystery chef” will remain secret to all in “The Restaurant” until after the meal – but before the critics’ verdict is delivered.
The celebrities who become chefs for a night will be people who have a secret passion (and, who knows, perhaps even a real talent) for cooking. Now they have the opportunity to “go pro” for one night and serve up a real restaurant meal. But they won’t be all on their own. They will get expert advice – and the highly trained regular staff of “The Restaurant” will work with them at all times – even when they don’t agree with the approach and ideas of the new chef.
The celebrity chef’s menu must contain three appetisers and a soup or salad, two main dishes and three puddings. He / she will also be expected to create a wine list and in this new series this list must include one bottle costing 10 euro and one bottle costing 25 euro.
EAMONN O’CATHÁIN
Eamonn O’Catháin is a chef, author and broadcaster. His TG4 cookery show “Bia’s Bóthar” has seen him on a whirlwind tour of Ireland and Europe, as he cooks up dishes based on the best local produce. He is also a regular contributor to The Afternoon Show on RTE1 and the author of “Around Ireland with a Pan”- a book which pretty much does what it says on the cover!
Eamonn’s passion for world music is reflected in the wide variety of cuisines upon which his professional skills are unleashed. He has a great fondness for food from around the world and can cook up dishes from as far afield as Congo, Brazil, Cuba and Vietnam with equal aplomb. Will he enjoy Jon Kenny’s rustic menu in The Restaurant tonight? Only time, and his sense of taste, will tell!