Springtime in Cork: Part I, The City

The lobby of the River Lee Hotel, a 4-star, 182-room room in the heart of Cork City.

By Margaret M. Johnson

The dilemma you face when traveling around Cork, Ireland’s largest county, is where to go first — Cork City, East Cork, West Cork — and, of course, where to stay. I easily solved the hotel problem when I visited last spring and spent time at The River Lee in the heart of Cork City and at Castlemartyr Resort in East Cork (Part II, April 19).

The touring problem is a breeze when you’re based at The River Lee, a 4-star, 182-room hotel with gorgeous rooms and stylish décor that calls itself “the modern face of Cork in the heart of the city.” Not only does it occupy an enviable position on a picturesque bend in the River Lee, its city center location on Western Road/Lancaster Quay makes it only steps away from Saint Fin Barre’s Cathedral, University College Cork, the Grand Parade, Docklands area, Glucksman Gallery, Crawford Art Gallery, Fitzgerald’s Park, and the English Market, Cork’s famous eighteenth century covered food market (Queen Elizabeth paid a visit here on her 2011 trip to Ireland). Blarney Castle, scenic Kinsale, and other charming West Cork coastal towns are within a 20- to 30-minute drive.

Trendy restaurants and musical pubs are nearby, and for artistic types, the hotel is In the middle of Cork’s lively cultural scene that includes well-known theaters, museums, and concert venues. Depending on the time of your visit, you might find yourself rubbing elbows in the lobby or bar with headliners from a jazz, film, or food festival. As the Irish are fond of saying, “the craic here is mighty!”

Dining opportunities in the hotel itself can be found in The Weir Rooms, which include the Restaurant, Bar, and Terrace. The chefs here take full advantage of the abundance of local artisan produce but add distinctive international twists at every opportunity. On offer during my springtime visit were menu choices ranging from Thai Crab Cakes with Mango Chili Mayonnaise, Sri Lankan Black Pepper Curry with Tempered Beetroot, Grilled Octopus with Tamarind Curry, and Sea Scallops with Chorizo Breadcrumbs. Tapas-style Asian dishes, including bento boxes, and exotic cocktails are popular with natives and guests alike, especially during warm weather months when served on the terrace of the hotel’s cobbled courtyard or on the riverside deck. The weekend brunch scene is among the city’s most popular, with a local spin on traditional brunch dishes like Black Pudding Royale (eggs Benedict with black pudding) or Crab Royale (poached eggs with Kenmare Bay crab and hollandaise sauce).

For the health conscious traveler, there’s a 20-meter swimming pool, Vanilla Brown’s Day Spa, and a Juicery offering detox drinks like “Hollywood” (carrots, orange, turmeric, mint leaves) and “Vine” (celery, cucumber, apples, spinach, lime, mint, avocado), along with malted shakes and smoothies. The River Lee is a member of The Doyle Collection (www.doylecollection.com) that also includes The Westbury and Croke Park Hotels in Dublin.

riverleescallops

GRILLED SEA SCALLOPS WITH CHORIZO BREADCRUMBS

SERVES 2

This recipe is similar to one served at The River Lee. The breadcrumbs are also delicious sprinkled on other seafood dishes or on grilled chicken.

For the breadcrumbs

2 ounces dry chorizo, sliced

1 garlic clove

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup panko breadcrumbs

Ground black pepper

For the scallops

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoon butter

8 large sea scallops, patted dry

Remoulade sauce, for serving

Micro greens and grilled lemon, for garnish

1. Make breadcrumbs. Combine chorizo and garlic in a food processor and pulse 5 to 6 times, or until ground.


2. In a small skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add chorizo mixture and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until sizzling. Stir in panko and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden and crisp. Season with pepper.


3. Make scallops. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil and butter. Put scallops in pan and cook, without moving, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crisp.


4. Spoon some remoulade on serving plate, top with four scallops, and sprinkle with breadcrumbs; garnish with greens and lemon.

SERVES 2

Eggs Benedict, a classic American breakfast dish, gets an Irish makeover with black pudding subbing for the usual Canadian bacon. Assuming everyone knows how to poach an egg, toast an English muffin, and fry up some black pudding, here’s an easy recipe for Hollandaise and tips for assembling.

For the Hollandaise sauce

3 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

7 tablespoons butter, melted

For assembling

2 English muffins, sliced and toasted

4 large or 8 small slices black pudding, fried

4 large eggs, poached

Chopped chives or micro greens, for garnish

1. Make sauce. Put egg yolks, lemon juice, salt, and cayenne in a blender. Blend on high for 10 to 15 seconds and then carefully pour hot butter through hole on blender top; blend for about 15 seconds more, or until thick.


2. Assemble eggs. Place two halves of toasted muffins on plates. Top each with a slice of pudding and a poached egg. Spoon Hollandaise sauce over eggs and garnish with chives or greens.