Coqbull | French Church Street, Cork

Coqbull is Cork's latest new restaurant which can be found in the middle of French Church Street. I've been here twice already and feel it deserves to be praised somewhat for its authenticity in Cork. It is a quirky restaurant with an open kitchen and cocktail bar. It specializes in burgers, roast chicken and ribs. Luckily for me I can now say I have tried nearly everything on the menu and it is definitely worth a visit

The first thing you will notice is the funky surroundings in Coqbull. There is white tiles on the wall, old school chairs and tables and extremely friendly staff. Their waiters/waitresses seem very relaxed working there wearing jeans, converse and vans. This hipster look adds to the whole atmosphere of the place which I loved.

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I first started with a Coqtail with my friend Aisling as we waited for our other two friends to come along. I was indecisive as always but went for the 'Coqbull Martini Cooler'. It was so colourful and tasty! I could see it being made by the Mixologist at the bar where he cut up fruit to put inside it. This reassured me how fresh and how much effort was put into it.

Coqbull Martini Cooler ~ Martini Bianco, lemon juice, sweet and sour, sugar and cranberry juice.

€9.00

We began our meal with the combo platter which was a "Little taste of everything". It sure was! We got Coqbull wings with blue cheese sauce, buttermilk chicken wings with salsa and cider glazed pork ribs.Luckily we were sharing as there was a great amount of food there. Everything was delicious. The buttermilk wings were tender as were the ribs. They were cider glazed and the hint of sweetness could definitely be tasted from it. The Coqbul wings were marinated and slightly crispy served with creamy homemade blue cheese sauce. The Coqbull wings and ribs were both Gluten Free which makes it so much easier and enjoyable for people who need this type of option on the menu.

Combo platter~ Coqbull wings (GF) cider glazed pork ribs(GF) and Buttermilk Chicken wings

The first time I was here I got 'The bacon Bull' (picture above) which was more than what I was expecting. Insead of fries I got a side salad as I get full very easily. The side salad was very interesting as it had baby corn on the cob and mange tout in it. It was unusual but tasty and also healthy with some cool vegetables! The Burger..... was AMAZING. I have never tasted something like it here in Cork. It was so juicy and tender. The bacon that was used was streaky bacon giving it an all American feel.

Bunless Bull~ Beef, crisp bacon, cheddar, onion and crisp iceberg lettuce (GF)

The second time I was here I ot the 'Bunless Bull' This was also gluten free and came out well presented on the plate. I tasted there mac and cheese but i started to get a 'food baby' and  could not possibly enjoy to eat any more. 

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I needed something to wash down all the food I had eaten and got this Fentimans Victorian Lemonade. The menu is very quirky consisting of lemonades, craft beers and funky course names. Coqbull is definitely adding excitment to dining out in Cork and surely is a new place for my friends and I to eat out.

Find out more on their website and FB page ! :)

Apple and Blackberry Jam | Autumn 2014

Autumn is one of the best times of year to go foraging for fruits. It is the season of Blackberry picking which I am very familiar with since I've been young. I live on a country road with an endless sight of fields which are full of blackberries every year. This year I went picking with my little sister Eve. Unfortunately we are both under 5ft4 so we couldn't reach the ones very high up but we managed to get enough for a few jars of yummy jam!

 Ingredients:
-800g of Blackberries
-800g of peeled, sliced cooking apples
-Juice of 1 lemon
-1.3 kg of granulated sugar
-6-7 Jam jars
Tip: Make sure jam jars have been cleaned and labels taken off. I like to put them through the dishwasher then use a cloth and scrubber to take off the label.

Pick the blackberries in a safe area during the day. Make sure with every blackberry you pick has a white core once picked from the vine (This means the berry is ripe!) . After picking, leave the berries soak for an hour.

Step 1. Put the apples, blackberries, lemon juice and 150ml of water into a large pot. Leave it on a medium heat for 25 minutes until reduced.
Tip: Place lemon in the microwave for 20-30 seconds until warm then cut in half and squeeze. This makes it easier to get all the juice out

Step 2. In the meantime, put a saucer into the freezer to chill.
Step 3. Add the sugar and keep stirring until dissolved. Bring to the boil and boil rapidly 5 minutes.
Step 4. Take the chilled saucer out of the freezer and place a teaspoon of jam on it for 1 minute. Drag your finger over it and if it wrinkles , it has reached setting point. If not, leave the pot of jam boil more as this will reduce it then try again with another chilled saucer.

Step 4. Take the pot off the heat and leave cool for 40 minutes
Step 5. Microwave the jam jars for for 30-45 seconds depending on the size of the jar. This will sterilise them and extend the longevity of the jam.
Step 6. Pour the cool jam into a jug then pour into the jam jars.
Step 7. leave settle for 15 minutes

Refrigerate and enjoy :)

~Serve with scones, croissants, toast, oat cakes, rice cakes, pancakes, cake, porridge~