We talk to Irish chef JP McMahon, author of the ambitious, artfully-produced 500-recipe doorstopper The Irish Cookbook, just out from Phaidon. McMahon’s book tries to transport the reader and home chef not just through Ireland’s recent history but to its prehistory, invoking Bronze-Age people sprinkling dulse on their smoked oysters like it’s a Michelin-starred tasting menu.

But how do mesolithic fantasies square with kitchen realities? And does this nostalgia for the ur-Irish leave room for the contributions of centuries of foreigners?

Warning: this episode may inspire you to light a turf fire in your flat; better to live the fantasy through our chat with McMahon and his culture-changing book.

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The Irish Cookbook 

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