What Are You Eating? Episode 6 of 6, RTÉ One, April 5th at 8.30pm
Partytime
It’s present at every rite of passage, every celebration, every commiseration, and many a wake: the drink. We’re known for our love of a good time, but is our fondness for partying taking new forms?
Traditionally when Irish people socialised they went to the pub but nowadays many of us party at home and this is reflected in what we drink. Philip Boucher-Hayes learns about the arrival of craft gin, makes his own at Listoke Distillery, and finds out what some partygoers make of the resulting brew.
In the kitchen, chef Hilary O’Hagan-Brennan looks at post-pub grub while Pitmaster Andy Noonan introduces Philip to the latest craze in barbecuing: low and slow. But does barbeque fuel matter?
Colin O’Loan of the Irish Charcoal Company thinks so for both health and flavouring reasons. In the hospital pathology lab Dr Niamh Nolan, shows Philip the kind of damage caused by cirrhosis of the liver and Dr Frank Murray explains how as a nation we must moderate our drinking habits.
And liquid can’t make you put on weight, right? Philip and some partygoers guess the calories in some popular drinks and taste test Andy’s freshly made pulled pork against a commercial version.
In the food lab, scientist Dr Alan Reilly analyses chicken cooked over artisanal charcoal against chicken cooked on a disposable tray.