Davis
(26 Jun 2008)
Derek Davis is a man of many interests. He is well known as a lover of fishing boats and anything to do with water. “A lot of people I know think of water as a mixer”, he jokes. “But for me its life itself, and one of the great gifts we’ve been given”. That’s about as serious as the big man from Co. Down gets. His TV series ‘Out of the Blue’ on RTE 1 was watched by a quarter of the viewing public, and you never know who might make a surprise appearance on the show. Tiger Woods turned up in episode one of the new series – who else might appear ‘out of the blue’?
Derek is currently presenting the daily afternoon programme Liveline, transmitted on RTE Radio 1.
Of course, Derek is a man who brought food to radio with the hugely successful
‘A Question of Food’, also transmitted on RTE Radio 1.
A food programme is like a good meal. There should be a genial host, really substantial and appetising food, and a sense of anticipation. It should also make your mouth water. “I meet people who tell me they missed the end of the programme because they had to go and find food”, says Derek, “that’s a real compliment. Some people say it’s impossible to make a good food programme on radio, but there’s an old saying to the effect that the best pictures are on radio. I have an image of people snug in their nests on a Sunday morning. My mission is to tempt them with delicious food and judging by the phone calls, e-mails and ‘hits on the web’ it works a treat”.
Derek’s interest in food and wine is a life long one, and he is in his own right, a fine cook with considerable expertise when it comes to picking a bottle and popping a cork. He has campaigned for conservation of our fisheries and the preservation of water quality. That’s well known. What’s not so well known are some of his good food crusades? “Most visitors here get their first taste of Ireland at breakfast time. Sausages are frequently the cheapest and nastiest available, reviled by customers and filled with rubbish. I’ve campaigned for this abomination to be replaced by sausages made by small craft butchers using the finest ingredients, the most important of which is pride”. He is an enthusiastic supporter of the Irish Craft Butchers Association and has appeared at many of their functions, and those of An Bord Bia.
He has also presented many Business Excellence awards and has compered the annual launch of ‘Georgina Campbell’s Jameson Guide to places to eat, drink and stay In Ireland’ since it’s inception.
This year he has many invitations to appear at various festivals and corporate events, a task he enthusiastically looks forward to.
Derek Davis is also a very funny after dinner speaker and conference chairman, much loved by the grocery trade. Food companies including ‘Walkers Crisps’ book the big man every year for his good natured chairing of their annual sales conference, and wine companies know they have an entertaining and knowledgeable guest speaker.
Derek is a very approachable celebrity who can sing a song, tell a joke or debate politics with the heavyweights. He is one of our finest broadcasters and most accomplished documentary makers, but as anyone who knows him will tell you “The Big Man is great craic”.
Among Derek’s favourite recipes for winter is hot cheese, potato and smoked salmon dish he learned in ‘Ahernes’ seafood restaurant in Youghal, Co. Cork.
Butter a baking dish, or individual scallop shells if you are using it for a starter, and build up layers of sliced cooked potato, grated cheddar, and sliced smoked salmon. Pour on fresh cream. Sprinkle black pepper, a squeeze of lemon, and top off with more grated cheese – bake quickly in a hot oven. This is delicious, very filling.
Stuffed round steak is a favourite too. Ask a butcher for two wide slices of round steak and get him to beat them flat. Put a good sage, onion and garlic stuffing, well seasoned with black and white pepper, and moistened with olive oil on top of one slice. Cover with the other slice, tie well with string and put the meat into a greased casserole dish. Cover the dish. Now here’s the real trick, stand the casserole dish on a tray of water and cook in a moderate oven (not too quickly). The water stops burning, the cover stops drying and the juice in the casserole dish makes a fabulous gravy. Great stomach fuel.
To find out more information, please contact us on 01 6190243 or email info@speakersolutions.ie