Meal Box Review: Thoughtful, hot, ready-to-eat dishes

I’m not sure I’ve ever had pickled elderberries. Which seems strange, because little has escaped the fermented, pickled and cured charge of young chefs intent on squirrelling away hedgerow morsels to stash in look-at-me Kilner jars. Or maybe it’s just that I’ve never had pickled elderberries used in a way where they literally ping.

Fermented organic celeriac, with confit duck egg, wild garlic pesto and pickled elderberries (€9) is a starter that clearly has plucked a leaf from the new Nordic playbook, and if you scrutinise that line-up, it becomes apparent why the humble elderberry has been called upon to add some lofty notes.

This dish is all about earthy, savoury flavours, and it is also about texture. Thin strips of celeriac, with an almost-leathery crunch, nestle an embryonic-looking egg, which, with a bit of gentle persuasion, releases a bright yellow stream and spills on to the vivid green of the wild garlic leaves. The pickled elderberries, sitting on top, add a dash of aromatics. Not too tart; the grainy crunch of the seeds is almost medicinal.

There is an art to combining these foraged and fermented foods so they make sense. The barely-cooked confit egg as a sauce is nothing new, but this is thoughtful cooking, and it is typical of the other dishes on the Woodruff takeaway menu. Laid out as snacks, starters, mains and dessert, it is essentially a restaurant menu, allowing you to order a la carte. We pick two from each course. There is no finishing at home, these are hot, ready-to-eat dishes so the nearer you live to Stepaside, the better.

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Speed is required to eat the baja fish taco, a chunk of fish in a light batter, in a soft, home-made corn tortilla, laden with crunchy red cabbage and a spicy dressing (€9). From the snacks menu, two substantial globes of salt cod croquettes (€5.50) respond well to being reheated briefly. In a crisp outer coat of golden breadcrumbs, they are light, with just the right balance between fluffy potato and salt cod, and have a little kick of heat from the kimchi mayo.

Our other snack of soused mackerel on rye cracker (€5) is a smaller bite, beautifully detailed, with beetroot meringue, smoked beetroot and crunchy matchsticks of apple, dusted with beetroot powder.

The roasted cauliflower (€18) for main course, looks a little bit monotone beside the Young Buck gnocchi and puree of elf cup mushrooms, but nothing has been sacrificed on taste. The rugged edges of the cauliflower are golden and nutty, the hand-rolled gnocchi are delicate, yet have the assertive notes from the cheese, and it is all brought together by a seriously good hazelnut and dillisk dressing. Our other main course, salt aged Feighcullen duck, is cooked pink and served with hay-baked swede, lentils, red kale and a sloe jus (€24). A classic pairing.

Dessert is a more sophisticated version of lemon meringue pie (€7.50). A crisp, buttery pastry case is filled with blood orange custard, topped with rosettes of pine meringue and toasted to soft, golden peaks. Our other dessert, white chocolate and caramelised whey on a crusty round of puff pastry (€7.50), is restrained and not too sweet, with black sesame seeds adding complexity.

Woodruff opened a mere three months before restaurants came crashing to a halt. It is clear from their weekly changing menu that they are eager to let people know what they’re capable of and, more recently, they have added a pop-up wine shop with a stunning list of low intervention bottles. As soon as restrictions ease, there are plans for outside tables stretching to the premises beside it, which is something to look forward to.

In the meantime, the meal box is very good. But be sure to have your table set so you can tuck in as soon as you get home.

A four-course dinner for two was €85.50

Where does it come from: Woodruff, Unit 7, The Village, Enniskerry Road, Stepaside, Co Dublin; woodruff.ie
The verdict: 8.5/10 Thoughtful and ambitious cooking
Difficulty factor: Ready to eat, get home as fast as possible
Food provenance: Top producers, many sourced directly from farms
Vegetarian options: Well composed, tasty vegetarian options
Delivery: click and collect only, Thursday to Saturday, 5-9.30pm

Three to Try

Berman & Wallace
Dublin 4, click and collect, Friday and Saturday, Deliveroo deliveries; bermanandwallace.ie
Keeping things simple for the weekend, organic hanger-steak burgers, beer-batter fish and chips, chicken laksa with jasmine rice, and spicy Mexican bean-and-lentil burger with sour cream and guacamole are among the options on this pop-up from a top-end caterer.

Dunraven Hotel
Adare, Co Limerick, click and collect, Friday and Saturday; dunravenhotel.com
There are two options on the Dunraven burger kits: their classic ribeye beef burger comes with aged cheddar cheese, hay-smoked onions and pickled cucumber; and the west Limerick spring lamb burger with crispy bacon, vintage cheddar, tomato chutney and wild garlic aioli. Both are served on a home-made brioche bun (€35 for four).

DropChef
Nationwide, order online, free delivery, Sunday and Monday; dropchef.com
If you've tried in vain to eat just a little bit healthier, it's worth trying a meal-kit service like DropChef. You have to do the cooking, but all the ingredients are measured, fully prepped, with easy-to-use recipes. Delivered to your home every week, weekly plans for three meals range from €41.70 to €65.