Ballymaloe Day 34: The English Market

Stretching like a Chesire cat in the sitting room, I was reluctant to do anything with my day but stay in pyjamas.

But after a bit of gentle coaxing from fellow housemates, I pulled on clothes and headed off to the city for a few hours.

Away from the Ballymaloe Bubble, you sometimes forget that there’s civilisation outside of the 100 acres of countryside freedom where we house ourselves day-after-day.

First off and in the mood for a bite to eat, we headed to Fellini’s on Carey’s Lane where they seem to have some sort of obsession with balsamic vinegar (It featured on their eggs Benedict, scrambled eggs and chicken wraps and it looked more like chocolate syrup than balsamic!)

Our main focus for the day was the English Market which I hadn’t been to in a few years.

The English Market sits on Princes Street and is the municipal food market in the city. Supported locally it has become one of the city’s busiest tourist attractions (it even saw a visit from Queen Elizabeth in 2011).

Housing some of the best local and organic produce, the market has everything from meat, poultry, seafood and fresh fruit and vegetables.

In a bid to keep practicing my filleting skills, I bought a whole plaice off Ballycotton Seafoods and randomly picked up four lamb kidneys for 50 cent each!

Feeling content and with the energy restored, myself and fellow student Emma Buckley, headed home to Buttermaloe.

I’m currently sitting on the couch and staring at long lists of salad leaves and herbs – the midterms are just around the corner I’ve butterflies floating around my stomach.

(Myself with a rather terrifying monkfish)