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A LONG WEEKEND IN…WITH RORY O’ CONNELL

(23)Rory with Lucio Blázquez in Casa Lucio. A Long Weekend in...with Rory O'Connell. New,programme four, (Madrid).Thursday June 6th, RTÉ One Image Name: (23)Rory with Lucio Blázquez in Casa Lucio. A Long Weekend in...with Rory O'Connell. New,programme four, (Madrid).Thursday June 6th, RTÉ One
(23)Rory prepares his Octopus salad. A Long Weekend in...with Rory O'Connell. New series, programme four, (Madrid).Thursday June 6th, RTÉ One,7p Image Name: (23)Rory prepares his Octopus salad. A Long Weekend in...with Rory O'Connell. New series, programme four, (Madrid).Thursday June 6th, RTÉ One,7p
(23)Rory enjoys tapas at the Mercado De La Reina restaurant. A Long Weekend in...with Rory O'Connell. New series, programme four, (Madrid).Thurs Image Name: (23)Rory enjoys tapas at the Mercado De La Reina restaurant. A Long Weekend in...with Rory O'Connell. New series, programme four, (Madrid).Thurs
(23)Rory at the graffiti display area in Madrid. A Long Weekend in...with Rory O'Connell. New series, programme four, Thursday June 6th, RTÉ On Image Name: (23)Rory at the graffiti display area in Madrid. A Long Weekend in...with Rory O'Connell. New series, programme four, Thursday June 6th, RTÉ On
(23) Rory enjoys breakfast in Madrid. A Long Weekend in...with Rory O'Connell. New series, programme four (Madrid).Thursday June 6th, RTÉ One,7p Image Name: (23) Rory enjoys breakfast in Madrid. A Long Weekend in...with Rory O'Connell. New series, programme four (Madrid).Thursday June 6th, RTÉ One,7p

Programme four: Madrid

This week Rory visits Madrid, a city famous for its vibrant cultural attractions and cuisine. 


Keen to discover a typical Madrid breakfast, Rory’s first stop is San Gines, a traditional chocolatería renowned for its porros, a local snack similar to churros. Porros are typically served with thick hot chocolate for dipping – a delicious start to the day.

Rory then heads to Sobrino De Botín, which is not only the oldest restaurant in Madrid, but the oldest in the world. Established in 1725, the speciality here is Roast Suckling Pig and Roast Baby Lamb cooked in wood-fired ovens. As it’s still quite early, Rory opts for a ‘pre-lunch’ of succulent local Roast Lamb.

Madrid is celebrated for its amazing selection of art museums, where major classical and contemporary masterpieces can be found. But Rory decides to go off the beaten track and take a look at the city’s spectacular graffiti art. At the Tabacalera, a former tobacco factory, talented street artists are commissioned to create new graffiti every six months, and Rory is suitably impressed by their work.

No trip to Madrid would be complete without sampling the city’s mouth-watering tapas, so Rory goes to the Mercado De La Reina restaurant. There he tries a delicious selection of tapas, including skewered octopus, sliced carpaccio and a rich oxtail dish.

Rory’s next stop is Museo Chicote, a cocktail bar where the chic 1930s interior is still intact. Once frequented by Ava Gardner and Sophia Loren, the bar retains its historic glamour and Rory ends his first day in style with a classic cocktail.

In Madrid it’s popular to eat breakfast at the neighbourhood market, so the next morning, keen to enjoy the full Madrid experience, Rory ventures to the Mercado De La Paz where he tries a local delicacy – a tortilla with a slightly runny centre.

Feeling inspired to make his own tortillas, Rory goes in search of an authentic Spanish tortilla pan. He visits Alambique, a cookery store brimming with every kitchen utensil imaginable, and Rory’s idea of heaven.

Next, Rory visits Casa Lucio, an acclaimed Madrid restaurant where 86-year-old owner Lucio Blázquez still works. Rory has come here to try the Egg and Chips, a dish that might sound familiar, but at Lucio’s is made with high quality, flavoursome Spanish ingredients. He follows this with Tripe, Offal and Black Pudding in Tomato Broth, another of Lucio’s signature dishes.

Back home in Co.Cork, Rory creates Octopus salad with red and green peppers inspired by his long weekend in Madrid.
 
A Long Weekend in … with Rory O’Connell is produced by David Hare of
InProductionTV for RTÉ and sponsored by Neff.

Series Overview
Rory O’Connell’s brand new series ‘A Long Weekend in…with Rory O’Connell’ on RTÉ One, sees the popular Cork chef enjoying the culture as well as the cuisine of eight European cities – Palma de Mallorca, Vienna, Lisbon, Madrid, Bath, Nantes, Copenhagen and Edinburgh.
This new eight part series sees Rory visiting a different city in each episode, and while the primary focus is on food, Rory is a knowledgeable guide to so much more, with art and design being particular interests of his.  

“Food becomes much more interesting when seen in context – the culture it is part of, the landscape it’s produced in, the history that has influenced it”, he says.


“We’ve chosen eight very different cities and the series has been exciting for me because it’s the first time that I’ve visited many of them, so there’s a genuine sense of discovery.  We film each city in two days, but it’s amazing what can be packed into 48 hours if you set your mind to it.”
At the end of each episode, Rory makes a delicious dish with the local produce which he sources on his travels.


Press enquiries:
TVPR
Ann Coughlan 00 353 87 6778045
Pauline Cronin 00 353 87 2629967