Wild native oysters and, if at all possible, a suckling pig – that sums up joy in a last meal for me.
The oysters in season right now [November] are probably the most beautiful thing you could put to your lips. And there’s no meat as delicious as a suckling pig, even though it is pure gluttony and completely obscene to eat such a young animal.
The pork is so rich that I’d want very little with it – just a little condiment, harissa perhaps, along with bitter kales from our own gooseberry gardens. I like to chop my onion and garlic, then my kales, and put it all together in the oven with some oil for 80 minutes. You end up with a mouthful of pure delicious slow-cooked greens. That, with a glass of fino sherry, makes for the perfect meal.
I love sherry in general. It is fantastic value, with a natural, focused earthiness that anyone from the countryside totally understands.
I grew up on a farm, and the Irish countryside has always defined who I am. No matter the successes that have come my way, I have never lost that connection to the earth. Orchards, gardens, farms – that is still where I am at my most comfortable.
I’d have the feast in my little cottage on the Hook peninsula in County Wexford. It is right on a cliff, and I love being there in the wintertime, experiencing the full force of the elements: wild seas and 70-mile-an-hour winds. The oysters would reflect this side of me, while the suckling pig would recall my countryside upbringing.
I’m an inclusive type of guy, and usually the last man standing, although probably not in this instance. This wouldn’t be the time for new experiences. Rather, I’d want to re-immerse myself in everything that gives me the utmost happiness – the things I adore, like the woodburning oven I have in the cottage, the family and friends I love, and nature. With Nick Cave playing in the background.
And then for dessert, oh my God, it would have to be hot, hot stewed apples with cold, cold English custard.
