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.”
Programme seven: Edinburgh
Although he’s in Scotland, Rory starts the day with an Italian breakfast at the acclaimed Valvona and Crolla Italian delicatessen founded in 1934 to serve the fledgling Italian immigrant community. After enjoying some delicious Bombolini he heads out to explore the city.
Rory’s next stop is the Timberyard Restaurant to try Aqua Vitae, an ancient spirit drink which is making a comeback. Aqua Vitae was originally made by the monks of nearby Lindores Abbey as long ago as 1494, and after a break of over 500 years the distillery has been reopened. Working together, the Timberyard and Lindores Abbey teams have re-imagined the recipe for Aqua Vitae and brought it back to life. Rory is treated to a tasting and learns all about the revival of this historic drink.
Rory then goes to the picturesque harbour district of Leith to meet Araminta Campbell, a hand weaver who designs luxury tartans and tweeds. Araminta invites Rory into her studio to see the traditional hand weaving loom in action. Rory discovers that you don’t have to be Scottish to have your own tartan, as Araminta’s bespoke, contemporary designs are created for clients from around the world.
After a day of exploring, it’s time for a hearty Scottish dish – a bowl of Cullen Skink. Rory calls in at local restaurant A Room In Leith to try this tasty national delicacy, which is a thick soup of smoked haddock, potato, cream and onions.
The next morning, Rory takes a trip to the Secret Herb Garden, a specialist Herb Nursery and also home to the Old Curiosity Gin Distillery. Owner Hamish Martin is Rory’s guide, starting in the extraordinary glass house where Hamish gathers ingredients for a salad. As Hamish is keen to promote the nutritional value of plants that we tend not to eat, his salad includes carnations, peach leaves and chickweed. Hamish and Rory head outside to the garden where gin botanicals are grown to pick some ‘magic’ purple violas (magic because they cause the gin to turn pink when tonic is added). Rory rounds off his visit with a tasting of mouthwatering gins with unique flavours such as Apothecary Rose, Chamomile & Corn Flower, and Lemon Verbena.
No trip to Edinburgh would be complete without trying one of Scotland’s most celebrated foods – haggis. Keen to eat like a local, Rory stops at the On A Roll cafe to order a haggis roll which is simply sliced haggis in a buttered bap, but totally delicious.
One of Edinburgh’s leading cultural attractions is the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art, where artworks by the Scottish Colourist painters are housed. Here Rory meets Chief Curator Keith Hartley who shows him paintings by Samuel John Peploe and JD Fergusson, Scottish Colourist artists whose works are critically acclaimed and continue to captivate visitors from around the world.
Rory’s last stop is the Edinburgh Food Studio, a restaurant where traditional Scottish food heritage is the inspiration for modern menus. Chef Ben Reade, a former student of Rory’s, tells him about the vibrant culinary scene in Scotland, while Rory enjoys fresh mackerel cooked on an outdoor fire.
Back home in Co Cork, Rory creates a new recipe inspired by his trip – Black Pudding with Glazed Apples and Grainy Mustard Sauce.
A Long Weekend in … with Rory O’Connell is produced by David Hare of
InProductionTV for RTÉ and sponsored by Neff
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