Sea Food Saga: Vol.1

If not for the headline, what would be your guess about this unassuming pie? 

This, my dear friends, is a seafood pie. A rustic dish, the course filling of this pie is where the play of balance of tastes and spices come in picture. A tad extra salt, and this pie is almost unpalatable. It's a mish-mash of fish, prawns, shrimps and calamari and is quite a mouthful. The sautéed vegetable and mashed potato balance the strong seafood aroma and flavour. 

This was my lunch at an inn in Doolin village on my way back from the Cliffs of Moher. The grandeur of the cliff was in sharp contrast to humility of this village and this cozy inn that served food to hundreds of hungry tourists during the peak lunch hour. 

Back to the pie, the crust was perfectly done, the mashed potatoes and veggies played their part right, however, my salt-averse tongue was in for a shock. The minced seafood filling had toppled to the salt-heavy side. Food on the plate shall never be wasted, is the motto that we Indians try to uphold and practice. So did I, in this instance.

Initially the second fiddle, the slice of lemon pastry saved the day. Zesty in a lemony way, it cleansed my palate of the last remnants of the briny baked let down of a pie. 

Throughout my tour of Ireland, I tasted salty dishes, even the classic fish and chips. I am no expert of Irish culinary style and trend, yet it made me wonder if the Irish favour salt over other spices.