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Sally Barnes smokes. Mackerel, hake her renowned wild salmon. But she also rolls and smokes cigarettes, a refreshing divergence from the polished imagery of Irish culinary tourism offerings. With Sally, you get the same level of care, but you're also bound to get some matters-of-fact on the state of Irish salmon and the authorities governing its demise.
Sally walks guests through a two-part lesson, hot and cold smoking, along with filleting; sourcing, wood, and her own story of a skill set built from necessity. Sally was married to a Cork-based fisherman when she learned to smoke fish for sustenance.
Barnes makes it look simple, all the while extolling concerns of temperature ranges and worm prevention. At lunch, she serves stunningly impressive cold smoked filets alongside an array of fresh greens, prepared salads, and light fare that, taken in chapters over enriching conversation, leaves guests full in both belly and mind. Barnes sends everyone home with vacuum packed fish they've smoked themselves. With wild fisheries in free fall, her course is a lesson in ideals.
