Sinead Hanley and her delicious Market Sausage Company can be found at our markets in Stillorgan, Christchurch (on Thursdays) and at the Grand Canal.  We got her to answer a few questions for us!

Tell us about your stall, how did it come to be?

Having studied at Ballymaloe Cookery school last summer I wanted to progress my career in cooking by starting a market stall.  As we were shown how to make sausages in the school, the idea came to me and I started to experiment with sausage recipes at home and eventually settled on two flavours.  I then asked Jane Russell to manufacture the sausages for me which has worked very successfully for me.  I am now eight weeks into the business and and am learning something new every day!

Have you always had a passion for food?

Ever since I was a young child I was cooking and helping my mother in the kitchen and always dreamed of going to Ballymaloe, which came to fruition last year.  I like experimenting with flavours and producing tasty food made from seasonal ingredients and most importantly which derives from Irish producers.

When you’re not feeding people, what do you like to do?

I love music and enjoy going to gigs around all the excellent venues in Dublin.  I also enjoy going to the cinema, the theatre, reading and travel.  The best holiday I’ve ever been on was our honeymoon 2 years ago where myself and my husband travelled to Thailand and Vietnam for 3 weeks, unforgettable!!

What is the best thing you’ve ever eaten, and where did you eat it?

I think one of the best dishes I’ve ever eaten was when I was in Koh Samui in Thailand a couple of years ago.  I had the most amazing Thai Red Chicken curry.  Don’t think I’ve ever tasted anything like it since!  A close second would have to be the blaa blaa that I serve, that’s two chilli and cracked black pepper sausages with dijon, homemade ketchup and fried onions on top. YUM!!

Other than your own, what stall would you recommend people visit at Irish Village Markets?

Jimmy Malone’s Dabba. Authentic Tandoori chicken on a naan bread, just delicious!!

You can sample some deliciousness from Dux and Co. at our markets in East Point, Mespil Road, Sandyford and Grand Canal.  We grabbed them for a quick chat about how they came to be at Irish Village Markets:

Tell us about your stall, how did it come to be?

Dux & Co came to be in the summer of 2010 after we (Leah Duxbury & John Coady) decided to take the plunge and get stuck in with their own take on what good food and good value means to them.  Leah hails from Manchester & John from Waterford - we met in Cork, moved to Spain and settled on the business idea in India. After much travelling, working abroad and various jobs at home in Ireland, we decided to take our passion for food and turn it into a business.

Have you always had a passion for food?

We have always had a passion for food and cooking and both of us had worked in the food industry at some points of our lives. We moved away from it for a time into the corporate sector but are much happier being back working in the food business.

When you’re not feeding people, what do you like to do?

We love to socialise with our friends, as often as possible, checking out the great restaurants and pubs of Dublin or trying new recipes on them at home, we also love to travel when we get the chance!

What is the best thing you’ve ever eaten, and where did you eat it?

It’s hard to narrow it down to one, but a simple but fantastic meal we had was on the Portuguese Coast just north of Lisbon.  It consisted of freshly caught and cooked Clams and Prawns with a bottle of Vinho Verde (Portuguese Green Wine).  We also haven’t forgotten the amazing meal we had in Ristorante Cracco in Milan, with Scallops and White Truffle, Lemon & Chocolate Rissotto and Panfried Pigeon Breast.  And we have to mention street food in Asia….but you just asked for one………..

Other than your own, what stall would you recommend people visit at Irish Village Markets?

All the food is great but we keep coming back to Kanum, Dave’s Wood Fired Pizza, Lebanese, Chilli Bar, Say Fish…oh, we just love them all!

A diplomatic final answer from this lovely pair!  We also managed to eke out one of their treasured recipes (thanks John and Leah!), so if you fancy making some of their Patatas Bravas at home, here is your chance!

Dux & Co’s Patatas Bravas

Bravas Sauce:

• Fry white onion in olive oil.
•  Add garlic and fry a bit more.
•  Add a dash of paprika, a bay leaf, a pinch of chili flakes, tomato paste, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
• Cook into a paste
• Add some tinned chopped tomatoes (and a bit of sugar if its too acidic).
• Simmer for a bit.

Garlic Mayo (Aioli):

• Roast garlic cloves
• Puree and add to Hellman’s Mayo

Potatoes (we like to use Roosters):

• Cut into large cubes
• Deep fried until crisp, (or roasted in the oven)
• Lightly Season.

Spoon Sauce onto Fried Potatoes and add a squirt of garlic mayo.

Enjoy!!

Just a quick heads-up that our markets in Christchurch will not be on this week as the annual General Synod is taking place.  We’ll be back as normal next week!

Say Fish can be found at our markets in Stillorgan, East Point, Spencer Dock, Blanchardstown, Mespil Road and Grand Canal, so it’s fair to say Dave is kept busy!  We asked him a few questions so you could get to know him better:

Tell us about your stall, how did it come to be?

I started street trading on the east pier in Dun laoghaire in 2004, selling hot dogs and burgers.  Then I went on to selling at night in Dublin city center from 10pm till the early hours of the morning.  This job gave me a real insight into the workings of night trading!  Needles to say, it’s not for everyone.  From there I started to get bored with the product I was selling and looked for something new to bring to the market.  I traveled around and viewed what was on offer and saw that there was no one selling seafood.

It’s amazing that for an island with a great source of fish, some of the best in the world, we as a nation simply don’t eat much of it!  There are so many different types of sustainable fish available.  We started our menu with the likes of clams and mussels and squid with chorizo but soon found that bringing our menu back to only one thing, fish and chips, was the best way to sustain a manageable business plan with only two hours to sell your goods.

When you’re not feeding people, what do you like to do?

I would love to say I have a life outside of the markets but for now I’m working seven days a week!  The few hours I do have off I spend with my loving family, my wife Katka, my beautiful daughter Sophia and my son Luke.

Other than your own, what stall would you recommend people visit at Irish Village Markets?

If I had to recommend a food stall other then my own I would recommend Dave’s Wood Fired Pizza, Kerala Kitchen, Dux and Co, Kanum and Mango burgers are a great treat. But if I’m honest I would recommend all the stalls as I think every one of the traders does a great job.  Believe me, all the guys are a great bunch of people and I am privileged to work alongside them.

You can spy Dave’s delicious sauces in the background there – they are all homemade, and according to him, you won’t get the lemon cajun anywhere else!