Archive2021

What gorgeous weather for a picnic…well at least it’s heavenly here, blue skies and the sun’s shining.  Sod’s law will probably dictate that it’s lashing rain as you read this…but there’s optimism in the air so grab your picnic basket and head for the countryside…

I come from a long line of picnickers, those who know me will be well aware that there’s always a picnic basket in the boot of the car plus a ‘Granny trolley’ (not sure if that’s what you call one of those roll-along deep shopping bags).  In case I need to schlep my picnic over rough terrain to reach the perfect spot – a sheltered nook along the seashore, in a woodland, on a river bank or beside a lake or babbling brook…

I also keep an old frying pan, some firelighters, a little pack of kindling, a box of matches and some newspaper so I can build a little fire on a circle of stones (where appropriate) to cook a few sausages.  Good breakfast sausages take on a whole new dimension of flavour when cooked and eaten outdoors.

So what to pack into your picnic basket.  My picnics are often super simple, a loaf of good soda or sourdough bread and Jersey butter….a few ripe cherry tomatoes, a bunch of radishes, perhaps a smoked duck or chicken breast or maybe some smoked mackerel or salmon to slice into thin slivers – all brilliant pantry standbys.  The Gravlax recipe I gave on the 1^st May 2021 is also a brilliant picnic food, we’ve been having fun experimenting with a beetroot and dill version which is moist and succulent as well as gorgeous to look at when sliced into thin beetroot tinged slices.  Bring a little pot of sweet dill mayonnaise to drizzle over the top and enjoy it with a brown yeast or rye bread. 

It’s hard to beat a freshly roast chicken.  Time it to come out of the oven just before you leave so it’s still juicy and gorgeous when you unpack your picnic.  A bowl of homemade mayonnaise with a little tarragon snipped in would complete the simple feast and of course a jar of Ballymaloe Relish.  Another favourite is a piece of glazed freshly cooked loin of bacon with a sugary glaze spiked with cloves.  A picnic can be super simple, I love to have some artisan salami or chorizo, canned mackerel or sardines too…  For bang for your buck, it’s hard to beat a couple of ripe avocados sprinkled with flaky sea salt, what could be easier…

Pop in some fruit, maybe ripe cherries or a punnet or two of Irish strawberries.  We love to dip them in a little mound of castor sugar and then into a little pot of whipped cream – simple, delicious and super easy.  Bring a chilled ripe watermelon in a cold box and cut it into wedges– instant deliciousness and of course an oozy cheese and crackers.

For a less spontaneous picnic, one can make a creamy quiche or some empanadas, a crunchy filo pie and a seasonal fruittart. 

Don’t forget Myrtle Allen’s chest of sandwiches which takes a little time to prepare but always gets a brilliant reaction and is pretty much a complete picnic in a loaf.  Bring along a bottle of chilled rosé and maybe some homemade lemonade, elderflower fizz and some artisan beer.

Here are a few suggestions….

Myrtle Allen’s Picnic Chest of Sandwiches

Serves 8 approx.

1 x 900g (2lbs) pan loaf

50g (2oz) approx. butter

a long sharp knife with a pointed top

a serrated bread knife

Sandwich fillings might include:

scrambled egg and chives

gravlax with sweet mustard sauce

roasted pepper, Mozzarella and pesto

mature Cheddar cheese with Ballymaloe Country Relish and cucumber pickle

roast chicken with red pepper mayonnaise and sunflower sprouts

tomato, buffalo Mozzarella, tapenade and basil leaves…..

Garnish: salad leaves, watercress, flat parsley, cherry tomatoes, spring onions

Insert the knife at the side just over the bottom crust, just inside the back of the loaf. Push it through until it reaches but does not go through the crust on the far side. Without making the cut any bigger through which the knife was inserted, work the knife in a fan shape as far forward as possible, then pull it out. Do the same from the opposite corner at the other end of the loaf. The bread should now be cut away from the bottom crust inside without a noticeable mark on the exterior of the loaf.

Next cut through the top of the loaf to make a lid, carefully leaving one long side uncut, as a hinge.

Finally, with the lid open, cut the bread away from the sides. Ease it carefully, it should turn out in a solid brick or a round, leaving an empty case behind.

Cut it into slices, long horizontal ones, square vertical ones or rounds, depending on the shape of the loaf. Carefully stack them, butter them and fill them with your chosen filling or fillings in the order in which they were cut. Don’t forget to season each sandwich. Press the sandwiches together firmly and fill them back, still in order into the loaf.

For a picnic.

Close the top of the case and wrap it up, it will gape slightly because of the extra bulk of delicious filling. The sandwiches will keep very fresh.  Add some crisp lettuce and watercress leaves, small ripe tomatoes, spring onions etc. to look like a little hamper overflowing with fruit and vegetables.

Cheddar Cheese Focaccia Sandwich

This soda bread focaccia can be whipped up in 2-3 minutesand it takes just 20-30 minutes to bake.  It is best eaten on the day it is made but is still perfectly edible next day and is also very good toasted.  Here we bake it flat with a bubbly Cheddar cheese topping.

Cheddar Cheese Focaccia (see recipe)

Filling

slices of chorizo or salami of your choice

hard-boiled eggs

homemade mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce

rocket leaves

First make the bread (see recipe).

To Assemble

Cut the bread in squares and split or hinge. Butter or drizzle with extra virgin oil, top with slices of chorizo, hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, sweet chilli sauce and rocket leaves or another filling of your choice.

Cheddar Cheese Focaccia

450g (1lb) plain white flour, preferably unbleached

1 level teaspoon salt

1 level teaspoon bread soda (Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda)

sour milk or buttermilk to mix – 400ml (14fl oz) approx.

110-175g (4-6oz) Irish mature Cheddar cheese

1 rectangular tin with deep sides 31 x 21cm (12 x 8 1/4 inch)

First fully preheat your oven to 230ËšC/450ËšF/Gas Mark 8.

Sieve all the dry ingredients.   Make a well in the centre.  Pour all of the milk in at once.  Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky.  When it all comes together, turn it out onto a floured board.  Tidy it up, flip over and roll the dough into a rectangle, approx. 31 x 23cm (12 x 9 inches).   Brush the tin with extra virgin olive oil. Press the dough gently into the tin. Scatter the grated cheese evenly over the top.

Bake in a hot oven for 5 minutes, then turn down the oven to 200ËšC/400ËšF/Gas Mark 6 for about 20-25 minutes or until just cooked. The cheese should be bubbly and golden on top.

A little sprinkling of sliced spring onions would be delicious over the top.

Heirloom Tomato and Ricotta Tart

How about this gorgeous tart for your picnic.  It was originally inspired by a photo on the cover of Delicious magazine. The ricotta and pecorino filling is uncooked, so be sure to assemble the tart close to the time of eating.  Choose really ripe tomatoes.  I use the delicious buffalo ricotta made in West Cork for this dish.

Serves 8

For the Pastry

150g (5oz) plain white flour

75g (3oz) cold butter

a little water, to bind

1 beaten organic, free-range egg, to seal

For the filling

250g (9oz) buffalo ricotta

100g (3 1/2oz) pecorino cheese, grated

2 tablespoons double cream

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons chopped basil, thyme and marjoram, plus extra leaves to garnish

zest of 1/2 organic lemon

flaky sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

650g (1 1/2lbs) mixed ripe heritage and cherry tomatoes, including striped zebra (green), red and yellow cherry tomatoes, if available

First make the pastry. All the ingredients should be cold. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes. Toss the cubes into the flour and then proceed to lift up a few cubes of butter at the time in each hand. Using your thumbs, rub the cubes of butter across the middle three fingers, towards the index fingers.

Allow the flakes of floured butter to drop back into the bowl, then pick up some more and continue until all the butter is rubbed in. As you rub in the butter, hold your hands well above the bowl and run your fingers through the flour to incorporate as much air as possible to keep the mixture cool. This whole process should only take a minute or two – careful not to rub the butter in too much, or the pastry will be heavy. The pieces should resemble lumpy breadcrumbs. If you are in doubt, shake the bowl and any larger pieces will come to the top. Add salt if using unsalted butter.

Using a fork, toss and stir the pastry as you add just enough water to bind, 2–3 tablespoons should do the trick. If you are in doubt, discard the fork and collect up the pastry with your hand as you will be able to judge more easily by feel if it needs a little more water. Careful not to make the pastry too wet or it will shrink in the oven. If the pastry is too dry, it will be difficult to roll out.

When the pastry has come together, turn it out onto the work surface and flatten it into an approx. 30cm round. Cover with greaseproof paper and, if possible, set aside in the fridge to rest for at least 15 minutes to allow the gluten to relax. The pastry will then be less likely to shrink in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°C/Gas Mark 4.

Roll out the pastry to a circle approx. 25cm (10 inch) in diameter. Lift the pastry over a 23cm (9 inch) greased tart tin and press down gently around the sides. Trim around the edges with a sharp knife and prick the base gently with a fork. Line with baking parchment and fill with baking beans.

Transfer the pastry case to the oven and bake ‘blind’ for about 25 minutes until pale and golden. Remove the baking beans and paper. Brush the part-baked pastry case all over with a little beaten egg and pop it back into the oven for 5–10 minutes until pale golden brown all over. Set aside to cool.

To make the filling, combine the ricotta and pecorino in a bowl. Add the double cream, extra virgin olive oil, honey, herbs, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Mix gently together. Taste a little dollop of the filling with a slice of tomato and correct the seasoning, if necessary. It might need a little more honey.

Slice the larger tomatoes and cut the smaller cherry ones in half lengthways or crossways, as you prefer.

Not long before serving, spoon the ricotta filling into the cooked pastry case and arrange the tomatoes on top. I like to arrange the sliced, bigger ones, including the green zebra over the base and top with the smaller cherry tomatoes. Season with salt, pepper, a little drizzle of honey (about 1/2 teaspoon) and lots of thyme and marjoram leaves. Garnish with a few little basil leaves and serve soon.

From ‘One Pot Feeds All’ by Darina Allen, published by Kyle Books

Spanakopita

Greek Spinach and Cheese Pie

Spanakopita can also be made in individual ‘snails’, but this delicious flaky version comes in a sauté pan.  This version is good for a picnic feast as it serves 12–15 people.  You can halve the recipe if you’re serving smaller numbers.

Serves 12-15

150g (5oz) butter

900g (2lbs) leeks, sliced and washed really well

6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

500g (18oz) onions, finely chopped

8 spring onions (both white and green parts), finely sliced

900g (2lbs) fresh spinach, weighed after the stalks have been removed, washed really well

6 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

6 tablespoons chopped dill

350g (12oz) feta cheese, crumbled

125g (4 1/2oz) Parmesan cheese, grated

4 organic, free-range eggs, beaten

9 sheets of filo pastry, 30 x 43cm (12 x 17 inch) (about one packet)

15g (1/2oz) melted butter, for brushing

egg wash, made by beating 1 organic, free-range egg with 2–3 tablespoons whole milk

flaky sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Melt the butter in a 26cm (10 inch) ovenproof sauté pan and cook the sliced leeks with 2–3 tablespoons of water for 4–5 minutes until tender (older leeks may take slightly longer). Scoop the leeks out of the pan and set aside on a plate while you cook the spinach.

Heat the olive oil in the sauté pan, add the onions and spring onions, and sweat over a low heat for 3–4 minutes, covered, until soft but not coloured. Increase the heat to medium, add the spinach and toss well to coat it in the oil.  Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Add the chopped parsley and dill, and continue to cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until the spinach has wilted.  Turn out the spinach mixture into a colander and set aside to drain and cool.

Combine the crumbled feta and 100g (3 1/2oz) of the grated Parmesan in a medium bowl and beat in the egg.  Add the well-drained spinach and the leeks and season to taste.

Brushing each sheet of filo with melted butter as you go, layer up the pastry in the base of the sauté pan or roasting dish so that it comes up the sides, leaving enough pastry hanging over the sides to fold over and encase the filling.

Spread the filling evenly over the pastry and bring up the sides of the filo to enclose the filling.  Score the top of the pie into a diamond or square pattern and brush all over with the egg wash.  Sprinkle the surface with the remaining 25g (1oz) grated Parmesan.

Put the sauté pan onto a gas jet at medium, cook for 3-4 minutes or until the pan heats and the base starts to brown.  Transfer to the oven and bake for about 45 minutes until puffed up and golden.

Serve, cut into wedges, while still warm and fluffy.

From ‘One Pot Feeds All’ by Darina Allen, published by Kyle Books

JR Ryall’s Dundee Cake

This cake is famous – we all love it.  JR Ryle, head pastry chef at Ballymaloe House is also an avid picnicker and always includes this in his basket.

Makes 1 x 18cm (7 inch) round cake or 900g (2lbs) loaf

225g (8oz) softened butter

225g (8oz) caster sugar

grated rind of 1 large orange

4 eggs

225g (8oz) plain flour, sifted

50g (2oz) ground almonds

25g (1oz) mixed candied peel

100g (4oz) currants

100g (4oz) sultanas

100g (4oz) raisins

50g (2oz) glacé cherries, quartered

40-50 split blanched and peeled almonds

Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 and line an 18cm (7 inch) round tin or a 900g (2lbs) loaf tin.

Cream butter and sugar until smooth and light.  Beat the eggs.  Add in three stages alternating with a tablespoon of the flour between each addition. Beat thoroughly.  Mix ground almonds, dried fruit and orange rind before folding into the mixture.  Fold in the remaining flour carefully.  Turn the mixture into the prepared tin and arrange the split almonds over the entire top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 2 1/2 – 3 hours until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool.

Prompted by National Herb Week, this week’s column is all about my beloved herbs – not just parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme… I’ll encourage you to be extra adventurous – experiment with less familiar herbs. I’m loving the bright celery flavour of the new season’s lovage that’s popping up in the Ballymaloe Cookery School Herb Garden. It’s a leafy perennial that grows about 5 feet tall and comes back every year. The tender young growth is particularly delicious in salads and in soups but we also enjoy this under-appreciated herb in scrambled eggs, omelettes and potato and tomato salads with lots of slivered spring onions and parsley.

Fresh herbs can literally transform the flavour of dishes and just like spices, herbs have many different flavours depending on how they are used. Whether they are added at the beginning of the cooking process, in the middle, at the end or scattered in sprigs over the final presentation.

Some, like rosemary and thyme oxidise and discolour within minutes of being chopped, sage is similar. You’ll also have noticed that the fresh young growth is milder than the robust flavour of the evergreen perennials so use accordingly.

The blue, nectar rich flowers of rosemary, thyme and sage attract bees in spring and early summer and also provide flowers and leaves for an aromatic posy on your kitchen table. All of these herbs have medicinal as well as culinary uses. Rosemary is a powerful anti-inflammatory, a rich source of antioxidants, boosts the immune system and helps to improve memory.

So how about a simple glass of rosemary tea every day, just pour boiling water over a generous sprig of rosemary, allow it to infuse for 3 or 4 minutes and enjoy.

Sage too has similar properties, the latter is another underused herb but I fry copious quantities of young leaves to scatter over fried eggs, pasta or a risotto. They’re addictive and have you tried the Tuscan snack Salvia Fritti or Sage and Anchovy Fritters.  Talk about addictive, there never seems to be enough… the perfect nibble with a glass of crisp dry white Soave or a fino.

As ever I am encouraging you to grow your own herbs, close to your kitchen door so you can pop out on a whim to snip a few leaves (and flowers) to add magic to what might otherwise be a totally mundane dish.

Urbanites can grow lots on a window sill, in large pots or in galvanised buckets.

Check out your local garden centre or seek out passionate small growers at Farmer’s Markets to find unusual varieties of familiar herbs. For example, there are numerous forms of mint – apple mint, strawberry mint, pineapple mint, ginger mint, liquorice mint, chocolate mint, Moroccan mint…but spearmint and peppermint are probably the most useful. Apparently there are over 600 varieties on the planet.

There are also numerous sages, the purple and variegated are also easy to source but at least have common sage. Lemon balm is another perennial ‘must have’ and the variegated version, with its green and cream leaves is also worth looking out for.

But back to Herb Week, now in its 15^th year, it was created in 2006 to celebrate the nutritional and medicinal value of herbs.  Check out the web for further information.

This year, parsley is the herb of the year – well doesn’t this versatile favourite deserve to be celebrated. I grow both curly and flat parsley and use it in copious quantities. No one should have to buy parsley and one can never have too much. It is a biennial (lasts 2 seasons) and bet you didn’t know that it has more Vitamin C than an orange. Just pick a couple of outside stalks off the plant at a time.  Flat parsley seems to be more fashionable now but both are equally delicious. Use all of the stalk too and at the end of the second year harvest the root, you’ll be blown away by the flavour, use in stews, salads, parsley pesto or the stock pot.

I’m not sure where to start with recipes, there are so many but here are a few of my current favourites – Sage and Anchovy Fritters, Melon in Lovage Syrup, Syrian Mint Lemonade, Parsley Pesto, Chimichurri, Parsley, Red Onion, Pomegranate and Sumac Salad.

Melon in Lovage Syrup

A beautiful ripe melon needs little embellishment, but even a mediocre melon is greatly enhanced by the haunting flavour of borage syrup.

Serves 4

1 ripe melon

2 tablespoons shredded mint leaves

Lovage Syrup (see recipe)

Slice or cube the ripe melon.   Put into a large bowl. Drizzle with the lovage syrup.  Toss gently and leave to marinate in the fridge for an hour or so.

Toss the melon with the shredded mint leaves.

Divide among four chilled plates and serve immediately.

Lovage Syrup

Makes 350ml (12fl oz)

175g (6oz) sugar

225ml (8fl oz) water

25g (1oz) lovage leaves

Put the sugar and water into a saucepan, add the lovage leaves.  Bring to the boil, stirring until the sugar dissolves.    Allow to infuse for an hour or two.  Taste.

Strain the syrup, discard the lovage leaves.  Store in a glass bottle in the fridge.   It will keep for several months.

Fresh Mint Lemonade

(Syrian Laymoun bi-na na – Fresh Lemon Juice with Mint)

Freshly squeezed juices were widely available, lots of orange and pomegranate of course, but we particularly enjoyed this refreshing lemon and mint drink.

Serves 6

juice of 6 lemons

300ml Stock Syrup (see recipe)

2 fistfuls of fresh mint leaves

300ml (10fl oz) cold water

Squeeze the lemons, pour the juice into a liquidiser.  Add the syrup (see below), fresh mint leaves and cold water. Whizz until mint is fine and the drink is frothy. Pour into a tall glass with lots of ice, drink through a straw while still fresh.

Stock Syrup

Makes 825ml (scant 1 1/2 pints approx.)

350g (12oz) sugar

600ml (1 pint) water

Dissolve the sugar in the water and bring to the boil.  Boil for 2 minutes then allow it to cool.  Store in the fridge until needed.

Parsley Pesto

Serve with pasta, over goat cheese or halloumi or drizzle over salads.

Makes 2 x 150ml (7fl oz) jars

50g (2oz) flat parsley leaves (no stalks)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

35g (scant 1 1/2oz) cashew nuts

200ml (7fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

50g (2oz) freshly grated Parmesan

salt

Chop the cashew nuts finely first.  Then put all the ingredients except the Parmesan, oil and salt into the food-processor.  Whizz for a second or two, add the oil gradually.  Add the Parmesan, whizz for another couple of seconds and a little salt.  Taste and correct seasoning.

Chimichurri Sauce

Chimichurri sauce is a hot perky sauce from Argentina.  Great with a pan-grilled steak, drizzle over a fried egg, vegetable pizza or pasta – have fun!

Makes 225-250ml (8-9fl oz) approx.

50g (2oz) flat parsley leaves

4 large cloves garlic peeled and crushed

2 tablespoons water

100ml (3 1/2fl oz) extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil

50ml (2floz) red wine vinegar

1 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 chilli seeded and chopped or 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes

salt

Chop the parsley finely with the garlic and water. (Alternatively, whizz in a food-processor, scraping down the sides of the bowl until well pulsed). Transfer to a bowl. Whisk in the oil and vinegar gradually. Add the red onion, chilli and salt. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary.

Parsley, Red Onion, Pomegranate and Sumac Salad

Keep this gorgeous fresh tasting recipe up your sleeve for when you have a glut of flat parsley.

Serves 4-6

4 handfuls of flat parsley leaves

175g (6oz) red onion, thinly sliced

2 teaspoons of sugar

a tiny pinch of flaky sea salt

1 tablespoon Forum white or red wine vinegar

Dressing

3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Forum white or red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon of pomegranate molasses

1 teaspoon of sumac

seeds from 1/2 pomegranate

Put the thinly sliced onion rings into a small bowl with the sugar, a tiny pinch of salt and vinegar. Allow to macerate for 30 minutes. Add the extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and pomegranate molasses and toss to mix evenly.

Put the parsley into a serving bowl. Add the pickled onions, sprinkle with sumac and toss well but gently. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Taste and tweak the seasoning if necessary. Serve soon as a starter or with pan-grilled lamb chops.

Salvia Fritti – Sage and Anchovy Fritters

I always used to associate these delectable fritters with Tuscany where I first tasted them but I’ve also enjoyed them in Sicily.

Makes 20

40 large young sage leaves

20 finest-quality anchovy fillets

lemon wedges

Light batter

200g (7oz) plain white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 egg

150ml (5fl oz) soda water

First, make the batter. Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the lightly beaten egg. Gradually whisk in the soda water, working from the centre to the outside of the bowl to make a smooth batter. Cover and allow to rest for an hour.

Heat the oil, preferably pomace olive oil in a deep fryer to 280°C (alternatively, use a frying pan with 6cm-7cm (2 1/2 – 3 inch) of oil).

Meanwhile, dip a sage leaf in the batter and shake off the excess. Lay an anchovy fillet or half if they’re too long, on top and press on another sage leaf to make a little sandwich. Dip the sandwiches, one at a time into the batter, shake off the excess. Cook in batches in the hot oil, turning once or twice – a minute should be sufficient. Drain on kitchen paper and serve immediately with a lemon wedge.

Can you imagine the excitement when you open a letter – rare enough these days. Who can this be from? At least it doesn’t have a ‘window’ so hopefully it’s not another bill – WOW…. Guess what, we’ve won an Irish Food Writers Guild Award…!

Variations on this conversation happened in six different food producers’ kitchens recently. It was such a boost to the winners who have battled to stay afloat in unprecedented times.

Kristin Jensen, chair of the Irish Food Writers’ Guild (IFWG) remarked that the choice of winners reflected the times we are in.  During Covid – there has been a newfound appreciation for the simple pleasures in life.

Irish spuds topped with a generous knob of creamy, hand-rolled butter and served with traditional spiced beef are the makings of a fine feast and the cornerstone of many an Irish meal.  The kind of produce we take for granted in Ireland, these oft-considered store cupboard ‘basics’ have each been singled out for a 2021 Irish Food Award, and for good reason. 

That gives you a clue as to the winner’s identity.
Tom Durcan’s spiced beef was one of three awards to go to Co. Cork. Tom’s Spiced Beef can be found not just at his stall in the English Market but also in stores and restaurants nationwide, including Dublin’s Chapter One restaurant, where chef-proprietor and fellow Cork man, Ross Lewis is an enthusiastic champion of the tender, sweet-savoury delicacy.

www.tomdurcanmeats.ie

Irish staples such as spuds and butter are also award winners. 

Abernethy Butter from Co. Down also impressed the judges.  The award recipients haven’t the slightest clue that they have been secretly nominated by a Guild or several Guild members until they get notice.  Allison and her husband, Will Abernethy, are custodians of a near-lost tradition of handmade butter which they revived around ten years ago and have grown it with a variety of flavours as well as handmade fudge and lemon curd. A unique dairy product, there isn’t any other comparable commercial butter in Ireland in terms of process, their small-batch, slow-churned, hand-rolled butter shaped with wooden pats is made using Draynes Farm grass-fed, single-herd superb quality cream. Top chefs both here in Ireland and the UK frequently list Abernethy Butter on menus as a star ingredient in their dishes. Check out a slew of stockists and their walls covered with prestigious awards.
www.abernethybutter.com

And next the spuds.
Ballymakenny Farm Irish Heritage and speciality potatoes have developed a cult-like following in Ireland over the past few years for good reason, and despite the challenges of 2020 they continue to be the spuds everyone wants on their plates. Maria and David Flynn started out growing the usual potatoes for supermarket retail until Maria, unenthused by what they were doing, decided to literally inject a bit of colour into their farming by trying out the ‘purple spuds’ they have become best known for.
www.ballymakennyfarm.com

The Irish Drink Award went to Kinsale Mead – Wild Red Mead – Merlot Barrel aged, which was established by Kate and Denis Dempsey in 2017 – Ireland’s first commercial meadery for over 200 years. In 2020, Kate and Denis, inspired by the legends of Ireland’s Wild Geese, wanted to explore the potential of their mead further by ageing it in French wine barrels for twelve months. The IFWG Award is for their Wild Red Mead – Merlot Barrel Aged, a three-year-old fermented off-dry mead flavoured with tart Irish blackberry and juicy cherry, then aged for twelve months in Bordeaux wine casks. 2020 was a challenging year for the duo as direct sales were impacted, meadery tours were limited and tastings, food festivals and other promotional opportunities all ceased due to COVID-19 restrictions. They responded by creating virtual Online Mead Talk & Taste Zooms comprising tastings and intriguing insights into the history of mead in Ireland and the importance of mead in Irish food culture, held in high esteem and value.
www.kinsalemeadco.ie

The Outstanding Organisation Award went to NeighbourFood, the ‘virtual farmer’s market’, started in Cork in 2018 by Jack Crotty (Ballymaloe Cookery School Alumni) and Martin Poucher.
NeighbourFood has helped immeasurably to brighten people’s lives during the pandemic but also to save the livelihood of countless food producers, artisan bakers, cake makers, fish mongers, vegetable and herb growers, dairy farmers, cheese makers, brewers…who supply more than 65 locations in Ireland and 20 in the UK
Suppliers know in advance what is required of them, so there is no waste. Minimal packaging is used – another win for the environment. NeighbourFood has become an essential service and resource for growers and producers whose livelihoods were threatened as a result of the shrinking of the hospitality industry.
www.neighbourfood.ie

Ballymore Organics Porridge, Stoneground Flour and Semolina Loaf

The Environmental Award went to Ballymore Organics, a Co. Kildare producer for their outstanding organic porridge oats, stoneground flour and semolina.

Makes 1 loaf or 3 small loaves

350g (12oz) stone ground wholemeal flour

75g (3oz) white flour, preferably unbleached

50g (2oz) semolina

25g (1oz) oatmeal (use half for sprinkling on top of the loaf before it goes into the oven)

1 teaspoon salt

1 level teaspoon bread soda, sieved (Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda)

1 egg, preferably free range

1 tablespoon sunflower oil, unscented

1 teaspoon honey or treacle

425ml (15fl oz) buttermilk or sour milk approx.

Loaf tin 23 x 12.5 x 5cm (9 x 5 x 2 inch) OR 3 small loaf tins 14.6cm x 7.5cm (5.75 x 3 inch) 

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/Gas Mark 6.

Put all the dry ingredients including the sieved bread soda into a large bowl, mix well. Whisk the egg, add the oil and honey and buttermilk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in all the liquid, mix well and add more buttermilk if necessary. The mixture should be soft and slightly sloppy, pour into an oiled tin or tins – using a butter knife, draw a slit down the middle. Sprinkle some sunflower or sesame seeds on the top. Bake for 60 minutes approximately (45-50 minutes for small loaf tins), or until the bread is nice and crusty and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

Rory O’Connell’s Radishes with Smoked Eel Butter

Delicious served as a little nibble before dinner.

Serves 4-6 as a starter

Smoked Eel Butter

100g (3 1/2oz) smoked eel

50g (2oz) Abernethy’s butter 

a few drops of lemon juice

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

To Serve

16-24 chilled radishes with leaves attached

Blend the eel and butter in a food processor until just blended. Season with a few drops of lemon juice, a little pepper and if necessary a little salt.

Place the butter in a bowl and serve alongside the radishes sprinkled with a little sea salt.

If plating the dish individually, spread a little of the butter on each plate and simply but artfully lay the radishes alongside with a sprinkling of sea salt.  Serve immediately.

Tom Durcan’s Spiced Beef with Avocado and Roast Hazelnut Salsa

Avocado and Roast Hazelnut Salsa

1 ripe avocado, halved, stone removed, peeled and diced into neat scant 1 cm dice

3 tablespoons of hazelnuts, roasted, skinned and coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons of hazelnut or olive oil

1 tablespoon of chopped flat parsley

Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix the ingredients for the avocado and hazelnut garnish. Taste and correct seasoning. This mixture will sit quite happily in your fridge for an hour as the oil coating the avocado will prevent it from discolouring.

Purple Potato, Pickled Beetroot, Red Onion and Scallion Salad

Purple potatoes cook pretty much the same as any other potatoes.  They can be boiled, mashed, roasted, made into soups…they also make delicious potato crisps, wedges and chips.  They always create a frisson of surprise and excitement when served and like all potatoes benefit from lots of seasoning, e.g. fresh herbs, spices, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil or a generous pat of butter.  Here I’ve paired them with new season’s pickled beetroot and onions and a few scallions for extra flavour and a touch of green.

Serves 4-6

1kg (2 1/4lb) purple potatoes, freshly cooked

225-350g (8-12oz) pickled beetroot and onion

110g (4oz) scallions, green and white, sliced at an angle

small fistful of fresh mint leaves

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Dressing

175ml (6fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

50ml (2fl oz) white wine vinegar

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Garnish

Red Nasturtium flowers and leaves (if available)

First make the dressing by whisking the ingredients together to emulsify. 

Slice the cooked potatoes in half, quarters or wedges.  Season with salt and freshly ground cracked pepper.  While still warm, drizzle with the dressing and toss gently.  Transfer to a serving dish, add the coarsely diced beetroot and lots of the pickled onion slices.  Top with scallions and mint and mix very gently.  Garnish with red nasturtium flowers and pop a few small peppery nasturtium leaves around the edge if available. 

A gorgeous salad – both visually and nutritionally and of course delicious.  A little chorizo could also be tucked in with the purple potato for an even more substantial salad but don’t overdo it or better still, serve with Tom Durcan’s Spiced Beef.

Old-Fashioned Pickled Beetroot

Serves 5-6

450g (1lb) cooked beetroot

225g (8oz) sugar

450ml (16fl oz) water

175g (8oz) red or white onion, peeled and thinly sliced

225ml (8fl oz) white wine vinegar

Dissolve the sugar in water, bringing it to the boil. Add the sliced onion and simmer for 3-4 minutes. Add the vinegar, pour over the peeled, sliced (diced or cut into wedges) beet and leave to cool.

How to cook Beetroot

Leave 5cm (2 inch) of leaf stalks on top and the whole root on the beet. Hold it under a running tap and wash off the mud with the palms of your hands, so that you don’t damage the skin; otherwise the beetroot will bleed during cooking. Cover with cold water and add a little salt and sugar. Cover the pot, bring to the boil and simmer on top, or in an oven, for 15-20 minutes (in May/June when they are young) depending on size (they can take 1-2 hours in late Autumn and Winter when they are tough). Beetroot are usually cooked if the skin rubs off easily and if they dent when pressed with a finger.  If in doubt test with a skewer or the tip of a knife.  Use in chosen recipe or store in covered sterilised jars for up to three months…in a cool dark cupboard.

A Madeira Cake with a glass of Kinsale Merlot Barrel Aged Wild Red Mead

Serves 10

110g (4oz) butter, soft

175g (6oz) caster sugar

3 eggs

finely grated zest of 1 organic lemon

175g (6oz) plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 tablespoon milk

1 x 18cm (7 inch) cake tin with high sides, base and sides lined with parchment paper

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Cream the butter, add the caster sugar and beat until light, fluffy and pale in colour.  Add the eggs one by one, beating well between each addition so the mixture comes back to the original texture.  Stir in the grated lemon zest.  Add the baking powder to the flour, sieve gradually into the base, stirring gently rather than beating – add 1 tablespoon of milk to moisten.  Turn into the prepared tin, make a little dent in the centre and pop into the oven without delay.

Cook for 40-45 minutes or until fully cooked, the cake will have started to shrink in from the sides and be firm in the centre.

Allow to cool in the tin before turning out. 

Dust lightly with icing sugar and enjoy with a glass of Kinsale Wild Red Mead. 

Sadly Ireland, the ‘green clean island’ has consistently ranked among the poorest performing countries on the environmental sustainable development goals (SDG’s) presenting ‘a very disturbing picture of pollution and biodiversity loss’.  According to the latest Sustainable Progress Index (SPI) commissioned by Social Justice Ireland, we rank 11th out of 15th comparable countries in the EU.  It’s also pretty shocking to learn that although some areas are performing well, the biggest transgressor of environmental law in Ireland is the State.

In 2015, countries worldwide came together for the first time under the United Nations and adopted the 17 sustainable development goals.  They covered a wide range of areas from climate change to health, education and food waste.  An ambitious agenda for a better world by 2030. 

Since then, there has been many missed deadlines and many summits including a recent 2-day virtual summit hosted by President Biden to celebrate World Earth Day.  The US, China, Russia and EU participated.  Greta Thunberg has rocked the world with her clear science based message and direct challenges to world leaders and more recently Pope Francis appealed for the world to ‘take care of biodiversity, take care of nature’ and reminded us that Covid-19 and climate change demonstrated what scientists have been screaming from the roof top for decades we no longer have time to waste. 

Not for the first time, the general public are well ahead of the politicians, we’re all properly fed up of empty, flamboyant promises.  We crave action and direction.  We long for courageous leaders who will walk the walk not just talk the talk and we are ready to walk with them.  Time is most definitely running out. 

Coupled with the trauma of living with Covid, the enormity of the challenge can seem overwhelming. 

What can we do?  Let’s rack our brains to think of little things we can change in our everyday lives to live more sustainably and benefit the planet.

First, let’s pick up our pens and write to our politicians to emphasise that as citizens, we want Ireland to step up to the plate and honour our commitments.  I’ve always dreamed of Ireland, the Organic Food Ireland – think of how it would enhance the prosperity of our farmers and food producers at a time when people are craving food they can trust and are well aware of the damage pesticides and herbicides are doing to our health, the health of the soil and the environment in general…

In no particular order:

1. Avoid single use plastic and switch to reusable water bottles.

2. Let’s grow some of our own food – check out Grow Food not Lawns

3. Grow our own herbs, immediately we are eliminating all those plastic trays.  Grow perennial vegetables, herbs and flowers. 

4. Shop at a Farmers Market which also supports local farmers and food producers and small food businesses. 

5. Keep a stash of reusable shopping bags in your car.

6. Carry a coffee mug or glass in your bag.

7. Work towards Zero Waste, almost 50% of plastic waste globally is generated by shopping.  Leave the packaging behind and politely urge your supermarket to reduce unnecessary excessive packaging. 

8. Buy loose vegetables and fruit…

9. No need to line your trash bin with plastic – these bags takes 10-20 years at least to decompose.

10. Keep a few hens – 3 or 4 hens in a little coop in your garden will eat all your food scraps and reward you with eggs instead.  They are the ultimate recyclers and the manure will make your soil more fertile to grow more nutritious food – or link up with a neighbour who has hens, swap eggs for food scraps.

11. Keep bees, even one hive on your roof or in your garden, if you don’t want to be a beekeeper, why not contact a local beekeeper, they may be happy to look after your bees, buy the honey from them in exchange…see www.irishbeekeepersassociation.com

12. Think natural cleaners.  Make your own all-purpose cleaner.  Combine half a cup of white malt vinegar with a quarter cup of bread soda and 4 pints of water. 

13. Use cloth rather than paper napkins and washable wipe down cloths.

14. Let’s try not to buy more than we need, get creative and have fun with leftovers.  You’ll be surprised how much money you save and how little food you waste.

15. Buy local flowers, about 90% of flowers sold in florists are imported and heavily sprayed.  Ask for Irish foliage and flowers. 

16. Learn ‘how to recognise’ food in the wild, forage…

17. During Covid, many of us have realised we need a lot less ‘stuff’.  Shop in thrift or charity shops, donate, reuse, recycle, repair. 

18. Use a bar of soap rather than liquid soap in dispenses that have a far heavier carbon footprint. 

19. Use timber chopping boards and wooden spoons rather than plastic – they are more hygienic and in many cases are easier to clean. 

20. Collect kindling when you go for a walk in the country.  There are a million other ways we can make our homes more energy efficient.

21. Support small local shops, your local butcher and fish monger.  Seek out lesser known fish and cuts of meat, less expensive and absolutely super delicious.

22. Use all parts of vegetables, the green part of leeks for stocks and soups, stalks and leaves of beets, leaves of radishes…

23. Make the most of seasonal gluts, have fun preserving in oil, vinegar, jams, chutneys, ketchups, make kimchi….

24. Leftover bread can be whizzed up for breadcrumbs, frozen and used for stuffing’s or gratins, alternatively dice and use for instant croutons.

We can all make a difference in a myriad of ways and enjoy the feel good factor.

Nettle and Wild Garlic Soup

In late April, the air in the wood is heavy with the smell of wild garlic interspersed with nettles.  The pretty white flowers of the wild garlic mix with the bluebells and primroses. 

Use the wide leaves of the allium ursinum (ramsons) and the flowers of the allium triquetrum, the pretty flowers are divine sprinkled over the top of each soup bowl. 

Serves 6-8

45g (1 1/2oz) butter

150g (5oz) peeled and chopped potatoes

110g (4oz) peeled and chopped onion

salt and freshly ground pepper

900ml (1 1/2 pints) water or homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock

300ml (10fl oz) creamy milk

75g (3oz) chopped nettles

75g (3oz) chopped wild garlic leaves

Garnish

wild garlic flowers (preferably allium ursinum)

Melt the butter in heavy bottomed saucepan, when it foams, add the potatoes and onions and toss them until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the nettles (use plastic gloves) and wild garlic leaves. When the vegetables are almost soft but not coloured add the stock and milk bring to the boil and cook until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Add the chopped nettles and wild garlic and boil with the lid off for 4-5 minutes approx. until the leaves are cooked. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh green colour. Purée the soup in a liquidiser or food processor. Taste and correct seasoning.  Serve sprinkled with a few wild garlic flowers.

Roast Megrim with Dill Butter

This is a very simple ‘master recipe’ which can be used for all very fresh flat fish, e.g. plaice, dover sole, lemon sole, brill, turbot, dabs, and flounder.  Megrim is less expensive but also delicious when super fresh.  Depending on the size of the fish, it can a starter or a main course.  It’s also delicious with Hollandaise Sauce, Mousseline or Beurre Blanc.

Serves 4

4 very fresh megrim on the bone

Dill Butter

50-110g (2-4oz) butter

1 generous tablespoon of finely chopped fresh dill

salt and freshly ground pepper

dill flowers (optional)

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5.

Turn the fish on its side and remove the head.  Wash the fish and clean the slit very thoroughly.  With a sharp knife, cut through the skin right round the fish, just where the ‘fringe’ meets the flesh.  Be careful to cut neatly and to cross the side cuts at the tail or it will be difficult to remove the skin later on.

Sprinkle the fish with salt and freshly-ground pepper and lay them in 1cm (1/2 inch) of water in a shallow baking tin.   Roast in a moderately hot oven for 20-30 minutes according to the size of the fish.  The water should have just evaporated as the fish is cooked.  Check to see whether the fish is cooked by lifting the flesh from the bone at the head; it should lift off the bone easily and be quite white with no trace of pink.

Meanwhile, melt the butter and stir in the freshly chopped dill.  Just before serving catch the skin down near the tail and pull it off gently (the skin will tear badly if not properly cut).  Lift the fish onto hot plates and spoon the herb butter over them.  Serve immediately with a few dill flowers sprinkled over the top if available.

Breast of Lamb with Sea Salt and Coriander

Breast of lamb – also called flank, flap or lap – is the sweet and delicious equivalent of pork belly and is a very inexpensive cut of meat. Lean layers are interspersed with layers of fat, which renders out and gives the meat a sweet, succulent flavour. Freshly roasted and ground cumin is also delicious in this recipe, as is a mixture of coriander and cumin.

Serves 6

1-2 breasts of lamb, about 1kg (21⁄4 lb)

1 1⁄2 tablespoons coriander seeds

1 1⁄2 tablespoons sea salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Score the fat side of the breast of lamb with a sharp knife.

Roast the coriander seeds over a medium heat for 3–4 minutes or until they begin to smell aromatic. Turn the seeds into a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder and grind into a coarse powder.

Mix the coriander powder with the sea salt. Sprinkle and then rub it evenly over both sides of the lamb. Roast for about 45 minutes.

Serve with roast potatoes.

Rhubarb, Fresh Ginger and Sweet Geranium Jam

This delicious jam should be made when rhubarb is in full season and not yet thick and tough.  Even if you don’t have access to sweet geranium leaves, it will still be delicious.

Makes 8 x 450g (1lb) jars

1.8kg (4lb) trimmed rhubarb,

1.3kg (3lb) granulated sugar

grated rind and juice of 2 lemons

8 sweet geranium leaves, finely chopped

25g (1oz) bruised ginger plus 1 teaspoon grated ginger

50g (2oz) chopped crystallized ginger or stem ginger preserved in syrup (optional)

Wipe the rhubarb and cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) pieces.   Put it in a large bowl layered with the sugar, add the lemon rind and juice.  Leave to stand overnight.  Next day put into a preserving pan with the chopped sweet geranium leaves and the grated ginger.  Bash the ginger with a rolling pin, add the bruised ginger tied in a muslin bag to the pan.  Steadily bring to the boil until it is a thick pulp – 40-50 minutes approximately.  Remove the bag of ginger and then pour the jam into hot clean jars, cover and store in a dry airy cupboard.

If you like 50g (2oz) chopped crystallized ginger or preserved stem ginger can be added at the end.

Rhubarb and Ginger Bakewell Tart

We sometimes omit the pastry lattice and sprinkle flaked almonds over the top instead.

Serves 6

Pastry

50g (2oz) butter

110g (4oz) flour

pinch of salt

25g (1oz) castor sugar

1 beaten egg (use about half)

50g (2oz) butter

40g (1 1/2oz) castor sugar

1 egg

25g (1oz) ground almonds

40g (1 1/2oz) flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3-4 tablespoons Rhubarb, Fresh Ginger and Sweet Geranium Jam (see recipe)

Garnish

Sweet Geranium leaves

1 x 18cm (7 inch) tin with a ‘pop-up’ base

Make the shortcrust pastry.

Sieve the flour and the sugar into a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes, toss in the flour, rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg with 2 teaspoons of cold water and add enough to bind the mixture. But do not make the pastry too wet – it should come away cleanly from the bowl. Flatten into a round and wrap in parchment paper and rest in the fridge for 15 minutes.

Line the flan ring.  Spread a thin layer of rhubarb, ginger and sweet geranium jam in the base of the flan. Cream the butter, add the castor sugar and beat until white and creamy, add the beaten egg, and then stir in the flour, ground almonds and baking powder. Spread this mixture carefully over the jam and smooth the top. Cut the remaining pastry into thin strips and arrange in a lattice pattern over the top of the flan. Egg wash carefully and bake in a moderate oven 180-190°C/350-375°F/Gas Mark 4-5 for approx. 40 minutes. Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve warm or cold with a bowl of softly whipped cream.  Garnish with Sweet Geranium leaves.

* If you would like to decorate the tart with a pastry lattice, use 62g (2 1/2oz) butter and 125g (4 1/2oz) flour.

Wild Food of the Week

Pickled Wild Garlic Buds

By the end of April, wild garlic or ramps will be about to flower.  Pickle the unopened flower buds – they are delicious.   Serve with pâtés, starter salads and cheese.

3 parts white wine or cider vinegar

1 part granulated sugar

Fill a jar with unopened wild garlic flower buds.  Warm the vinegar, add the sugar, stir to dissolve and bring to the boil for 1-2 minutes.  Cool.  Pour over the buds, cover the jar and leave for 2-3 days before use.  Add to starter sala

Instagram – @niamhs_larder  

As I write this column the skies are blue and the sun is shining and new seasons produce is leaping out of the ground in the garden and greenhouse.  I so hope you too have managed to sow some seeds and experiment the sheer joy and excitement of seeing the seeds germinate and the first leaves unfurl and then there’s the gradual growth until your crop reaches the peak of perfection, ready to enjoy even if it’s just a few salad leaves in a seed tray on your kitchen windowsill.

Your very own organic leaves will taste sooo much better, because you, yourself have grown them, you’ll relish every bite and want everyone else to know how you grew and looked after and anticipated enjoying them for weeks.   When you grow some of your own food, it gives an added insight into the work and commitment that goes into producing beautiful produce, you’ll never want to complain about the price of food again and will want to hug every farmer and producer you meet.  I’m super lucky to have several garden heroes here who grow beautiful produce for us to enjoy and cook with and to sell in the Farm Shop, Farmers Markets and NeighbourFood.  So far we’ve had rhubarb, outdoor sea kale and now the asparagus is gleefully popping up out of the bed.  We’ve even had a few beets, they are about the size of table tennis balls at present but swelling every day.  Look out for new seasons beets in the Farmers Markets and use every scrap of the stalks and leaves as well as the beets themselves.  They are every bit as delicious as spinach, if anything, more delicious and meltingly tender and cook in minutes – also fantastic for juicing.  I’m a huge beetroot fan, love it hot as well as roast and pickled, for me it’s the vegetable that keeps on giving.  The new season’s crop is so mild and delicious compared to the end of last year’s crop which by now is woody and unpleasantly strong.  Try this beetroot gravlax with a side of salmon, it’s a delicious riff on the classic Nordic pickled salmon, gorgeous for a Summer lunch or as a nibble before a Summer BBQ, you love the cucumber and dill sauce and find lots of other ways to enjoy it. 

This week, I also include my new favourite cake which I told you about in November, it’s called Lori De Mori’s Olive Oil cake from Towpath, a little café on the edge of Regent’s Canal in London.  It may not sound appealing but for me it’s my new ‘best find’ of the last few months, a richly flavoured ‘madeira’ type cake that keeps brilliantly and if anything improves with age.  Try it, you’re going to love it, delicious with a cup of tea or coffee but also perfect as a dessert with some berries and a blob of crème fraiche.  This is ‘definitely a keeper’ as Rory O’Connell would say.

Wild garlic will soon come to an end so make a batch of Wild Garlic Pesto for your store cupboard before it disappears until next year.  Pick the smaller, sweeter leaves for best flavour. 

Another Tip…rhubarb is also at its best at present, so buy or harvest more than you need.  Chop into slices and freeze in kg bags for Winter –best to do this now while rhubarb is at its best.

Hope you too are feeling uplifted by the Summer weather, the bounty of the seasons and the gradual easing of Lockdown.

Here are some delicious recipes to enjoy this week.

Leila’s Olive Oil Cake

I find it just delicious on its own or with a little sprinkling of icing sugar.  I loved it recently with a compote of kumquat and some coarsely chopped pistachio over softly whipped cream but a generous tablespoon of roast rhubarb would be pretty irresistible too.

Serves 12

butter, for greasing the tins

3 organic eggs

300g (10oz) caster sugar

175ml (6fl oz) best quality olive oil

180ml (6 1/4fl oz) full-fat milk

1 organic orange, zested and juiced

325g (11oz) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

Preheat the oven to 180°C /350°F/Gas Mark 4 (160°C Fan).

Line, butter and flour a 24cm (9 1/2 inch) cake tin.

In a large mixing bowl or mixer, beat together the eggs and sugar until pale yellow. This should take about 5 minutes.

Slowly, in a continuous stream and on a high speed, pour in the olive oil, milk, orange zest and juice. You may need to lower the speed towards the end to prevent the mix from splattering everywhere.

Gently, fold in the flour, until fully incorporated.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for about 45 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick or skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin.

(from Towpath by Lori de Mori & Laura Jackson, published by Chelsea Green Publishing)

Use every Scrap – Zero Waste Beetroot Tops (Stalks and Leaves)

Young beetroot tops are full of flavour and are often unnecessarily discarded; but if you grow your own beetroots, remember to cook the stalks as well. When the leaves are tiny they make a really worthwhile addition to the salad bowl, both in terms of nutrition and flavour. This isn’t worth doing unless you have lovely young leaves. When they become old and slightly wilted, feed them to the hens or add them to the compost.

Serves 4

450g (1lb) fresh beetroot tops

salt and freshly ground pepper

butter or olive oil

Keeping them separate, cut the beetroot stalks and leaves into rough 5cm (2 inch) pieces. First cook the stalks in boiling salted water (1.8 litres/3 pints water to 1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt) for 3–4 minutes or until tender. Then add the leaves and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Drain, season and toss in a little butter or olive oil. Serve immediately.

Beetroot Tops with Cream

Substitute 75–125ml (3–4fl oz) cream for olive oil in the recipe above. A little freshly grated nutmeg is also delicious.  Taste and correct the seasoning.

Beetroot Gravlax

This modern Scandinavian version results in a two-tone gravlax, with a deep-red beetroot colour on the outside and salmon pink within.  Wild salmon is very difficult to source but why not try a side of fresh haddock.   

Serves 30–40

2 sides of wild salmon or organic farmed salmon

2 heaped tablespoons sea salt

3 heaped tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons dill, chopped

175g (6oz) beetroot, peeled and grated

Cucumber and Dill Sauce (see recipe)

First prepare the salmon.

Fillet the salmon and remove all the bones with a tweezers. Mix the salt, sugar, pepper and dill together in a bowl.  Place the fish on a piece of parchment paper and scatter the mixture over the surface of the fish. Wrap tightly with parchment paper and refrigerate for a minimum of 24 hours.

Line a long oval dish with parchment paper. Put one fillet, skin side down, on the lined dish. Mix together the salt, sugar, pepper, dill and freshly grated beetroot and spread over the surface of the salmon.

Place the other salmon fillet on top and wrap the salmon tightly with the cling film. Place a weight on top (I use a chopping board). Turn a couple of times during the next few days. Serve with the Cucumber and Dill Sauce (see recipe).

Cucumber and Dill Sauce

Serves 8 – 10 depending on how it is served.

1 crisp cucumber, peeled and diced into 1/2 – 1cm (1/4-1/2 inch) dice approx.

salt and freshly ground pepper

1-2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 heaped tablespoon of freshly chopped dill

450ml (15fl oz) Greek yoghurt or best quality natural yoghurt

4 tablespoons cream

Put the cucumber dice into a sieve and sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for about 30 minutes.  Dry the cucumber on kitchen paper, put into a bowl and mix with garlic, a dash of wine vinegar or lemon juice and the yoghurt and cream.  Stir in the dill and taste, it may need a little salt and freshly ground pepper, or even a pinch of sugar.

Boost your gut biome

Beetroot Kvass

This is a slightly sour/salty tonic of a deep-red colour known to help clean the liver and purify the blood.

2 large beetroot
1 1/2 litres (2 1/2 pints) filtered water (or non-chlorinated)
2 teaspoons sea salt
50ml (2fl oz) starter – this could be whey, water kefir, sauerkraut juice or kombucha

Scrub the beetroot but do not peel.

Chop into small chunks – 2cm (3/4 inch) cubes (roughly).

Put into a 2 litre Kilner jar or something similar with a lid.

Add the water, sea salt and starter and secure the lid tightly.

Allow to sit in a warming undisturbed place for about 5 days.

Bubbles will start to appear (fermentation is taking a hold) – taste it after day 3, if it is to your liking.  Strain out the beetroot chunks.  Bottle and store in the fridge once it reaches the desired sourness.

New Season’s Asparagus with Mussels and Hollandaise on Toast

Swap out seakale for asparagus if you are fortunate to have some.

Serves 4

8-12 stalks of asparagus in season

20-24 mussels

Hollandaise Sauce

2 egg yolks

1 dessertspoon cold water

110g (4oz) butter cut into dice

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, approx.

4 slices of pan loaf bread for toasting

sprigs of chervil or dill

First make the hollandaise.

Put the egg yolks into a heavy bottomed saucepan on a low heat.  Whisk with 1 tablespoon of water, then gradually whisk in the butter, cube by cube as it thickens gradually – careful it doesn’t overheat.  If it does, pull the saucepan off the heat and dip the base in cold water for a minute or two.  When all the butter has been incorporated, whisk in some freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste.  Transfer to a small Pyrex bowl or measure and keep warm in a stainless-steel saucepan of hot but not even simmering water while you prepare the asparagus and mussels. 

Break off the ends of the asparagus spears where they begin to get woody.  They will snap at that point if you bend over your index finger. 

Bring about 2.5cm (1 inch) of water to the boil in a saucepan, season well with salt and add the asparagus.  Cover the saucepan, bring the water back to the boil and cook for 3-4 minutes (depending on the size of the asparagus spears) or until the tip of a knife will pierce the thickest end.  Drain while still al-dente, it will continue to cook a little.

Wash the mussels, check they are all tightly shut.  Choose a wide sauté pan, add the mussels in a, maximum, double layer and cook for 3-4 minutes over a medium heat which is usually enough for the mussels to open.  Remove, strain and save the mussel liquor.

To Serve

Meanwhile, toast and butter the bread. 

Cut the asparagus spears into 2 or 3 pieces at an angle.

Remove the mussels from their shells, scatter over the asparagus, drizzle with Hollandaise and garnish with sprigs of chervil or dill and serve ASAP.

Rhubarb and Sweet Cicely Compote

Sweet Cicely is one of the first herbs to pop up in Spring, the seeds are spicy and the leaves have a liquorice sweet anise like flavour.  Use liberally to garnish sweet dishes. 

Serves 4

450g (1lb) red rhubarb, e.g. Timperely early

450ml (16fl oz) stock syrup (dissolve 175g/6oz of granulated sugar in 300ml/10fl oz of water and boil for 2 minutes)

4-6 sprigs of sweet cicely

Cut the rhubarb into 2.5cm (1 inch) pieces. Put the cold syrup into a stainless steel saucepan, add the rhubarb and sweet cicely.  Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for just 1 minute, (no longer or it will dissolve into a mush). Turn off the heat and leave the rhubarb in the covered saucepan until just cold.  

Remove the sweet cicely, serve garnished with fresh sprigs of sweet cicely and lots of softly whipped cream.   

Yippee, the BBQ is back out in the garden, always a brilliant moment but this year there’s the added sense of escapism…More than ever, we’re relishing the thought of cooking outdoors and maybe having a few socially distanced friends to share the giddy joyous experience of eating al fresco.  We’ve really been counting the days until we can fire up the BBQ and get a sizzle going.  So let’s jump right in…

The choice of barbeques now available in mesmerising, but no need to feel deprived if you don’t have all manner of fancy kit.  Cooking over fire is as old as time and definitely adds an extra ‘je ne sais quoi’ to the flavour. 

A circle of stone or a simple brick frame to balance a rack or pan will get you started.  If you can source a piece of flat iron, you’ve got a plancha to widen your cooking options.  Practice makes perfect with any cooking over fire or even on a gas barbeque. 

 When maestro of open-fire cooking from Argentina (Francis Mallmann) did a guest chef BBQ here in 2016, he cooked over fire in five different ways.

1. A grate over live coals – parilla.

2. On a spit

3. Plancha – an iron plate, could be flat or with edges.

4. Asador – a metal cross to cook a whole lamb or goat.

5. Hung chickens over a fire on metals or wire chains.

Lighting a charcoal barbeque is never as easy as gas of course but it’s all part of the fun.  Wood and charcoal impart lots more flavour and I particularly love apple wood. 

The key to successful grilling is heat control, learning how to build a good fire and judging the temperature is even more crucial to success than the type or brand of grill or barbeque, you buy or the type of fuel you opt for.  Create two zones on the grate – a cooler 120ËšC and a hotter 175ËšC section – it’s not difficult to do this – pile the glowing hot coals higher in one area, this will enable you to create and cook at two different temperatures. 

You’ll need to cook large pieces of meat more slowly.  It’s all about temperature control – you might want to start something on a high heat to sear the outside to get a delicious crisp crust and then transfer onto lower heat to cook through or perhaps grill ingredients requiring different temperatures simultaneously.  If you are using a gas grill, just turn one side up and the other down.  On a BBQ, if the fire gets too hot, reduce the heat by spreading out the coals and raising the grate if that’s an option.

The Tools: (In a box)

A long-handled tongs

Long metal spatulas are top of the list must have’s –

Flat metal skewers for kebabs

A hinged grill rack

2 wire cake racks for turning whole fish or small fragile items easily

A natural bristle basting brush

Bamboo skewers

Instant read thermometer

Stiff wire brush for cleaning the grill

There’s something for everyone’s pocket and style nowadays from disposable foil trays available in supermarkets and petrol stations to a stylish, state of the art, range of gas barbeques that are pretty much a second kitchen with extra cooking rings –

I still love to cook a few sausages by the sea, there’s something about cooking outdoors that makes everything taste a zillion times better.  Virtually anything can be cooked on the grill or Barbie. A covered BBQ hugely widens the options and adds an extra smoky kick to the food.  I even cook pizza, roast a chicken or turkey…once again, practice makes perfect.

Butchers and supermarkets are offering a growing selection of ready to grill options but for the most part, the marinades are commercially made and very often contain a whole range of ‘unnatural’ ingredients that are either too sweet or too sharp.  A good olive oil, a squirt of freshly squeezed lemon juice, flaky sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper and a few fresh spices or spice rubs will add magic to your cooking.  Scatter some fresh herbs over the food just before serving, to add brightness.

Resist the temptation to have numerous meats, one joint of meat, or a side of fish or a variety of veg and some complimentary sauces and salads complete the feast.

Here are a couple of my favourite recipes and a spice rub but I’ll do another column on outdoor cooking in a few weeks.

Halloumi Skewers

Halloumi the squeaky Cypriot cheese brilliant for grilling and Summer salads. See hot tips.

500g Halloumi

extra virgin olive oil

freshly ground pepper

thyme, rosemary or oregano

Heat the barbeque or a pan-grill. If the halloumi is excessively salty, soak in cold water overnight or for at least an hour, discard water. Dry well, with kitchen paper.

Cut the cheese into 4 long pieces and thread into flat metal skewers or soaked satay sticks. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary, thyme or some dried wild oregano and some freshly cracked pepper. Grill for 2-3 minutes each side until golden and hot through.

Serve with smokey tomato sauce, chimichurri or aji green sauce.

Rachel Allen’s Spatchcock Chicken with Sumac, Thyme and Garlic

Serves 4-6

1 whole chicken

75ml (3fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

4 large cloves of garlic, crushed or finely grated

1 tablespoon ground sumac

1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped

salt and pepper 

To Serve

1 lemon, cut in wedges

a few sprigs of thyme

To remove the back bone of the chicken, use very sharp scissors and cut through all the way down from top to bottom. Place the chicken breast side up on your work top and using the palm of your hands flatten the chicken down. Using a sharp knife make a few slashes in the legs of the chicken.

To make the marinade, in a bowl use a whisk to mix together the olive oil, garlic, sumac and the chopped thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a shallow bowl or dish and pour the marinade over making sure it gets into every little area. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes or even covered in the fridge overnight on a wire rack to allow any excess marinade to drip off.  Then grill ideally on a Weber barbeque or a barbeque with a cover over a medium heat for 45 – 60 minutes approximately (the internal temperature of cooked chicken is   75 – 80°C/165 – 175°F).  To test, prick the thickest part at the base of the thigh and examine the juices, they should be clear.

Alternatively, to cook the chicken in an oven, preheat to 220°C/425°/Gas Mark 7.  Place the chicken on a roasting tray with all the marinade and cook for 45 minutes – 1 1/2 hours (the cooking time will vary greatly depending on the size of the chicken) until cooked. When cooked the legs will feel loose. Allow the chicken to rest somewhere warm for about 15-20 minutes if possible.

When ready to eat, carve the chicken into pieces, scatter with the thyme leaves and serve with some wedges of lemon.

Lamb, Pork or Chicken Satay

Cubes of tender meat (pork, chicken, beef or lamb) are marinated in spices, then threaded onto bamboo satay sticks and cooked on the barbecue or under the grill. Satay is especially versatile – serve as a starter with drinks, or as a light meal with rice and salad. Kids love them.  Shrimps work really well in this recipe too.

Makes 24 approx.

450g (1lb) lean lamb leg or chicken breast or thigh meat (boned and skinned) or organic pork fillet

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

2 shallots, or 1 small onion, finely chopped

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice or red wine vinegar

To Serve

24-26 bamboo satay sticks or metal skewers (soak satay sticks in water 30 minutes before)

1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil

225g (8oz) Satay Sauce

lettuce leaves and flat breads

Cut the meat into 5mm thick strips and marinate with all the ingredients for at least 1 hour. Thread onto the soaked bamboo satay sticks so the end is covered. Allow to drain on a wire rack.  Heat a barbeque or pan-grill until very hot.

Brush each satay with a little oil and chargrill turning frequently until just cooked.  Serve hot with Satay Sauce (see 000), lettuce leaves and flat breads.

Spicy Peanut Satay Sauce

This satay sauce recipe given to me by Eric Treuille of ‘Books for Cooks’ in London can be made up to 3 days in advance. 

Makes 500ml (18fl oz)

225g (8oz) peanut butter

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon Tabasco

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

4 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons runny honey

juice of 1 lemon

125ml (4 1/2fl oz) water or coconut milk

Make the satay sauce. 

Place the peanut butter, garlic, ginger, turmeric, Tabasco, oil, soy sauce, honey, lemon juice and water in a food-processor or blender, pulse until smooth.  Cover and let stand for 30 minutes at room temperature to allow flavours to blend.  Serve chilled or at room temperature. (Add a little more coconut milk if too thick).

Tomahawk Steak

A seriously macho cut, tomahawk steak is a ‘bone-in’ ribeye cut from the 6^th -12^th rib with the bone left intact so it resembles a tomahawk. It’s sometimes called a cowboy steak. It can weigh between 30-45 ounces (850g-1.275kg), and will be close to 2 inches thick. It’s perfect for BBQ because the bone, usually 6-8 inches long, creates a handle which makes it easy to turn over on the BBQ.

1 tomahawk steak

flaky sea salt

freshly cracked pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Make sure the steak is at room temperature. Heat the barbeque or an iron pan grill on a high heat. Score the fat side. Season the flesh generously with flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Grill first on the fat side on a medium heat for 4-5 minutes to render out the fat. Then sear the flesh sides on a high heat, turning only once when a crust has formed.  Reduce the heat to medium or move to a cooler part of the grill. Cook for 7-8 minutes on one side then 6-7 minutes on the other for medium-rare.  (check the inner temperature, it should read 57°C/135°F).

Allow to rest on a warm surface for 8-10 minutes before carving to allow the juices to redistribute themselves.

Slice the rested steak off the rib bone. Cut into slices across the grain and serve with the sauce and accompaniment of your choice – a creamy gratin dauphinoise, roast onions, wild garlic butter and salt, smoked paprika butter, anchovy and chervil butter, honey whole mustard butter….

Roast Onions with Rosemary

Serves 8

4 medium onions

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

skewers

Cut the onions into thick slices – about 2cm (3/4 inch) thick.  Thread 2 or 3 rounds onto flat skewers. 

Mix the oil, vinegar and chopped rosemary in a bowl.  Dip or brush both sides of the onion rings, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Cook on a medium grill until cooked through and nicely charred. Turn occasionally and drizzle a little more dressing over the top to serve. Great with steak or halloumi.

Indian Spice Rub

Use for chicken, pork, lamb, fish and prawns.

Makes approx. 110g (4oz)

2 tablespoons of cumin roasted and ground

2 tablespoons of coriander roasted and ground

1 tablespoon black peppercorns roasted and ground

1-2 teaspoons cloves roasted and ground

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

Toast the cardamom, cumin, coriander, pepper and cloves in a pan over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly for 3-4 minutes. Cool and crush in a pestle and mortar or whizz in a spice grinder. Add the freshly ground cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well. Store in an airtight jar. It will keep for up to 3 months but try to use earlier. Store away from direct light, preferably in a dark glass jar.

This week, I wanted to understand more about the Muslim holy month of Ramadan which, this year starts at sunset on Monday 12^th April. It follows the lunar calendar and begins and ends with the appearance of the crescent moon. Islamic tradition states that it was during Ramadan that God revealed the Qur’an, the Muslim holy book to the Prophet Mohammad as guidance for his people.

Ramadan in the ninth month of the Islamic calendar marks the beginning of Sawm, the Arabic word for fasting.

Many of us would know that Muslims fast from dawn to sunset for the whole month of Ramadan. Fasting is one of the five pillars of Islam, by which Muslims live their lives, along with faith, prayer (five times a day), charitable deeds and a pilgrimage to Mecca.  Fasting and hunger pangs are a stark reminder of our human fragility and how much we depend on food and those who produce it for our energy, vitality and very existence.

It clearly illustrates what it feels like to be hungry and thirsty which helps us to empathise, feel compassion and offer help to the poor and needy.

Muslims, apart from those who are vulnerable or pregnant, fast from food, drink, cigarettes and any sexual activity from dawn til dusk during Ramadan.

Fasting is not easy. At school, children find it particularly difficult while their friends are enjoying lunch and snacks. The last meal they will have eaten was Suhur before dawn and the next after sunset, will be Iftar which means breaking the fast.  First with a few dates and water, a concentrated source of energy and easy to digest.

After sunset prayers, many families invite neighbours and friends to join them to break the fast so Ramadan is also a time of sharing and celebration.  In non-Covid times, many mosques host community dinner on weekends, a wonderful break from cooking, a feast for students, the poor and everyone in the community.  Ramadan ends on the 13^th May 2021, Muslims will celebrate Eid al Fitr – the Festival of the Breaking of the fast.

Traditionally, children receive presents from family and friends. There are special prayers followed by the fasting and celebrations.

I was intrigued to know what foods were traditionally enjoyed to break the fast. There are of course, many. 

Families around the world have their special favourites.  The women cook together to prepare the meal, often with recipes learnt from their mothers, mothers-in-law and sisters…. Virtually every list mentioned Moroccan Chorba, a comforting nutrient dense soup made with chickpeas or lentils, potatoes, root vegetables, lamb and spices like turmeric, ginger and saffron. There were lots of variations, try this delicious version.

Pide – Turkish handmade flat bread was another must have – you’ll love it and so will the kids.

Harira, a hearty soup of lentils is another favourite. One of the many versions of Kebabs with thick Greek yoghurt, or with a dollop of tzatziki on flat bread is another versatile irresistible speciality. Poached eggs with yoghurt and paprika oil is super delicious and really easy to whip up at home. Don’t forget to wish your Muslim friends Ramadan Kareem –Happy Ramadan.

Moroccan Lentil Chorba

This is a delicious nourishing soup filled with all sorts of good things.

Lots of vegetables to chop, the neater the dice, the better your soup will look and taste. The soup works well with either vegetable stock or chicken stock but chicken stock gives the most robust flavour.

175g (6oz) green lentils

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion diced into 7mm (1/3 inch) dice

pinch of salt

pinch of cayenne

1 small carrot diced into 7mm (1/3 inch) dice

1 stick of celery diced into 7mm (1/3 inch) dice

1 red or yellow pepper diced into 7mm (1/3 inch) dice

1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly roasted and ground

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, lightly roasted and ground

pinch of turmeric

1 tablespoon of peeled and grated fresh ginger

4 cloves garlic, crushed

700g (1 1/2 lb) ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped or 500g (18oz) tinned tomatoes

1.35 litres (48fl oz) vegetable or chicken stock (see recipe)

salt, pepper and sugar to taste

110g (4oz) vermicelli, broken into pieces

4 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped

Rinse the lentils in cold water and place in a saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes or so until tender.

While the lentils are cooking, heat the olive oil in another saucepan and add the onions, pinch of salt and cayenne. Cover and cook on a gentle heat until the onions are soft. Add the diced vegetables and the rest of the spices. Cook for 5 minutes, add the ginger and garlic and cook for another minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and stock, taste and correct seasoning and simmer gently for a further 20 minutes.  Add the vermicelli and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes or until the diced vegetables are tender. 

Strain the cooked lentils, reserving the cooking water and add the lentils to the broth. If the soup is too thick, thin out with some of the lentil cooking water. Bring to a simmer. Taste again and correct seasoning. Serve with lots of chopped fresh coriander or parsley.

Gilbir – Poached Eggs with Yoghurt, Paprika and Mint

Another favourite Turkish way to serve poached eggs – called Gilbir – you’ll love this combination with toast or flat bread.

Serves 2

4 freshly laid organic eggs

30g (1 1/4oz) butter

2 teaspoons paprika or smoked paprika

1 clove of garlic, crushed

150ml (5fl oz) natural yoghurt

4 – 6 fresh mint leaves

First poach the eggs; bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Reduce the heat, swirl the water, crack the egg into a cup, slip gently into the whirlpool in the centre. This avoids getting the tips of your fingers burned as you drop the egg into the water. The water should not boil again but bubble very gently just below boiling point. Cook for about 3–4 minutes, until the white is set and the yolk is still soft and runny.

Add 1 small crushed garlic clove to 3 tablespoons of natural yoghurt. Remove the poached egg with a slotted spoon to a warm bowl, add a good dollop of yoghurt. Melt a little butter in a small pan, when it begins to foam, add the paprika, stir for 30 seconds, careful it doesn’t burn. Drizzle over the eggs and yoghurt. Shred 2-3 mint leaves and scatter over the top. Serve immediately with some Turkish bread or toast.

Spiced Vegetable Pakoras with Mango Relish

Vegetable fritters in a spicy batter, delicious to snack on or as a starter with a relish of your choice.

Serves 4-6

A selection of vegetables:

1 thin aubergine cut into 5mm (1/4 inch) slices or into chunks at an angle

1 teaspoon salt

2 medium courgettes, cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) slices, if they are very large cut into quarters

12 cauliflower or Romanesco florets (walnut size approx.)

6 large flat mushrooms, cut in half

spinach leaves

Batter

175g (6oz) chickpea or plain white flour

1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

1 scant teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons curry powder

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

175-225ml (6-8fl oz) iced water

vegetable oil for deep frying

Garnish

lemon wedges and coriander or parsley.

Put the aubergine wedges or slices into a colander, sprinkle with the salt, and let drain while preparing the other vegetables.

Blanch and refresh the cauliflower florets separately in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water, and dry well.

Rinse the aubergine slices and pat dry.

Put the flour, coriander, salt and curry powder into a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, lemon juice and water until the batter is the consistency of thick cream.

Heat good quality oil to 180°C/350°F in a deep fry. Lightly whisk the batter and dip the vegetables in batches of 5 or 6.  Slip them individually into the hot oil. 

Fry the pakoras for 2-3 minutes on each side, turning them with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a moderate oven (uncovered) while you cook the remainder. Allow the oil to come back to 180°C/350°F between batches.

When all the vegetable fritters are ready, garnish with lemon wedges and fresh or deep-fried coriander or parsley. Serve at once alone or with mango relish.

Mango Relish

Mangoes are a great source of betacarotene and Vitamin C.  They aid digestion, reduce acidity in the system and help cleanse the blood. 

50ml (2fl oz) medium sherry

50ml (2fl oz) water

50ml (2fl oz) white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cinnamon stick

1 star anise

1/2 teaspoon salt

pinch of ground mace

1 mango, peeled and diced

1 small red pepper, seeded and diced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Put the sherry, water, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon, star anise, salt and mace into a small, heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the mango, pepper, and lemon juice, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes more. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Spoon into a screw top jar and refrigerate until required.

Falafel with Tahini

Itamar and Sarit from Honey and Co in London shared their favourite Yemini falafel recipe with us. 

Makes 20 approximately (25g/1oz weight)

1/2 onion (approx. 60g/2 1/4oz)

1 clove of garlic (peeled)

250g (9oz) soaked chickpeas (125g (4 1/2oz) dried)

1 green chilli, seeds and all

3 springs of parsley, picked

1 small bunch of coriander (about 15-20g/1/2 – 3/4oz), leaves and top part of stems only

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon freshly ground cardamom pods

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons garam flour (use plain if needs be)

1 teaspoon baking powder

To make the falafel

In a food processor, start with the onion, garlic, chilli and herbs and pulse them to chop roughly, then add the chickpeas and blitz until everything becomes a thick paste with small, even-sized bits.   You may need to scrape the sides down and blitz for another pulse or two to make sure that everything is evenly chopped, but do not overwork.  The best way to check whether it is done enough is to scoop up a small amount and squeeze it together in your palm – it should hold its shape.  If it falls apart, return it to the processor for another spin.  Tip the mixture into a large bowl, add the spices, salt, flour and baking powder and mix until all is combined well.

Preheat the deep fry 170°C/325°F.

Test the oil temperature by placing a small piece of bread or falafel mix in the hot oil – as soon as it starts to bubble up and float, you are ready to go.

You can shape the falafel mix in a few different ways:

Use damp hands and make little balls or torpedo shapes or you can simply drop in spoonfuls of the mixture for free-form falafel.  You want to be making them about the size of a walnut, no bigger, so that they cook through and crisp up at the same time. 

Carefully place the falafel in the oil – don’t overcrowd the pan and fry until the exterior is browned and crisped (about 2-3 minutes).  Remove to a plate covered with a paper towel to absorb the excess oil and repeat the process until you have fried them all.  

Serve immediately with tahini (see recipe).

Tahini 

The quality of your tahini depends hugely on the type of tahini paste you use. 

We use Al-Yaman from Lebanon which is delicious, but if you are lucky enough to find any of the Palestinian varieties, especially the Prince and Dove brands, you are in for a treat.  As a rule, you are looking for something from Lebanon, Palestine or Turkey.  

We make our tahini in a food processor, as it gives a smooth, airy, mousse-like texture, but you can achieve good results with a bowl, a spoon and some wrist action.

Makes about 240g (8 3/4oz)

125g (4 1/2oz) tahini paste 

1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced

a pinch of salt, plus more to taste

juice of 1 lemon, plus more to taste

about 120ml (4 1/3fl oz) water 

Place the tahini, minced garlic, salt and lemon juice in a bowl or food processor, add half the water and mix. It will go thick and pasty but don’t fear – just continue adding water while mixing until it loosens up to a creamy texture. Don’t be tempted to add too much water as the mixture will go runny, but if this happens, you can always bring it back with a little extra tahini paste. Taste and adjust salt and lemon to suit your taste buds.  

Note

You can keep tahini in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days, but it will thicken and the flavour may need adjusting with a little more salt and/or lemon.  As a result we think it’s best to make it and eat it the same day – fresh is best.

Pide (Turkish Seeded Flat Bread)

Makes 2 breads

2 teaspoons dried yeast

1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar

300ml (10fl oz) tepid water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

500g (1lb 2oz) strong white flour

1 teaspoon salt

egg wash, whisk 1 egg yolk with a pinch of salt

2 teaspoons nigella seeds

Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) of the slightly tepid water in a bowl.  Leave for 5 minutes, then stir to dissolve, add the olive oil.

Sift the flour and salt together in a large bowl.  Make a well in the centre and pour in the liquid.

Add enough of the remaining water to make a firm but softish dough.

Turn out the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.  The dough will be quite stiff initially but it will become more supple as it is kneaded. 

Coat the dough evenly with a little olive oil.  Allow to rise in a bowl,   covered with a tea towel, until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours.  Knock back, then leave to rest for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into two equal-sized pieces and roll each into a smooth ball.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece into a round 25cm (10 inch) across, and 5mm (1/4 inch) thick.  Transfer to a baking tray, cover with a tea towel and leave to rise for another 20 minutes.

Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7.

Score the top of each round of dough with a criss-cross pattern. 

Sprinkle each with nigella seeds, and brush with egg wash.

Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until puffy and lightly coloured.  Wrap the breads immediately in a tea towel to keep the crusts soft and to prevent drying out.  

Enjoy with soup, kebabs…

Konafa with Orange Blossom Water and Pistachios

A favourite dessert and super delicious.  You can buy the soft white vermicelli-like dough frozen in Lebanese, Turkish and Greek stores. In Lebanon, it is called knafe here and issold by its Greek name kataifi in 400g packets; it should be defrosted for 3 hours. The quantities below will make one large pastry to serve 10 but you can also make two, half the size, one to serve fewer people and one to put in the freezer to bake at a later date. It freezes well uncooked.   This version is called osmaliyah. 

Serves 10

For the syrup

350g (12oz) sugar

250ml (9fl oz) water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons orange blossom water

For the filling

500g (18oz) mozzarella cheese, grated

250g (9oz) ricotta

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons orange blossom water

For the pastry

400g (14oz) kataifi (knafe) pastry, defrosted

200g (7oz) unsalted butter, melted

Garnish

100g (3 1/2oz) pistachios, chopped

Make the syrup first. Boil the sugar with the water and the lemon juice over a low heat for 5-10 minutes, until it is just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Another way to test it is to pour a drop onto a cold plate and if it does not spread out like water, it is ready. Stir in the orange blossom water and cook a moment more. Let it cool then chill in the refrigerator. (If you have overcooked the syrup and it becomes too thick to pour when it is cold, you can rescue it by adding a little water and bringing it to the boil again.) 

For the filling, in a bowl, mix the grated Mozzarella cheese with the ricotta, sugar and orange blossom water.

Put the kataifi pastry in a large bowl. With your fingers, pull out and separate the strands as much as possible. Melt the butter and when it has cooled slightly, pour it over the pastry and work it in very thoroughly with your fingers, pulling out and separating the strands and turning them over so that they do not stick together, and are entirely coated with butter.

Spread half the pastry at the bottom of a large round cake tin or pan, measuring 28-30cm (11-12 inches) in diameter. Spread the filling over it evenly and cover with the rest of the pastry. Press down firmly and flatten it with the palm of your hand. Bake in an oven pre-heated to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4 for about 45 minutes. Some like to brown the bottom – which comes out on top when the pastry is turned out – by running it over heat on a hob for a brief moment only. Others prefer the pastry to remain pale.

Just before serving, run a sharp knife round the edges of the osmaliyah to loosen the sides, then turn it out onto a large serving dish. Pour the cold syrup all over the hot pastry and sprinkle the top lavishly with the chopped pistachios.  

Alternatively, you can pour only half the syrup over the pastry and pass the rest around in a jug for everyone to help themselves to more if they wish.  Serve hot.

Walks in the countryside have helped to keep many of us sane during these past few troubling months.  At this stage we know every inch of our local area intimately, those of us who live close to the sea or a woodland feel fortunate indeed to be able to breathe in sea air and gather sea beet along by the seashore.

I’m a foraging nerd and now that Spring is definitely here, a walk takes on a whole extra dimension.  I scan the hedgerows, streams, woodland and seashore for wild things to gather.  There’s an abundance of fresh growth to nibble on and the young leaves of ground elder are at their best at present, eat them raw, in salads or add to a foragers soup, cook them like melted greens or make a ground elder champ.  Gardeners regard ground elder as a pest, a perennial weed that re-emerges and spreads every year but, where others see weeds, I see dinner…

For weeks now, we’ve been enjoying both kinds of wild garlic, both ramps and the snow bells that grow along the roadside and resemble white blue bells. Allium Triquetrum or Three-Cornered leeks are named because of their triangular stem, leek like leaves and pretty white, bell like flowers.  The broader leaved ramps or ramsons unlike its namesake, grow in dappled shade, under trees or in woodlands.  The leaves come first followed by the delicious flower buds, then the pretty whitepom pom like flowers and finally the pungent green seed heads that make a feisty pickle – all delicious.

JP McMahon described wild garlic as ‘the gateway drug for the novice forager’ because of its distinct garlicky aroma which makes it easy to identify.  It’s also super versatile in the kitchen and we keep finding more and more ways to enjoy it.  Add some chopped leaves to white soda scones, dip the top in cheddar cheese and how about this spicy riff on the wild garlic pesto recipe in my Grow, Cook, Nourish book.  The perky young leaves are also delicious in salads – I particularly love them with devilled eggs but try adding some to a Alfredo sauce with strips of roast red pepper to anoint some pasta before sprinkling with a shower of the pretty white wild garlic flowers.

Do you have a clean stream closeby?  Wild watercress is almost at its peak just now, before it begins to go to flower.  For identification purposes, remember the top leaf of the cress family is always the biggest and the leaves get progressively smaller as they go down the stem whereas the opposite applies to the wild celery that always grows side by side with watercress in the stream.  Make sure the water is clean and fast flowing and wash well before you use in soups, salads or your favourite recipe. 

Ever had butterfly sandwiches?  A memory from my childhood – simply, sliced white bread, slathered generously with butter, filled with chopped watercress and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.  Press down and cut into triangles, surprisingly delicious, better still, add to egg and mayo sandwiches. 

I also love to nibble the first young leaves of hawthorn, we call this ‘bread and butter’,

These are known to be good for your cardiovascular system, an old wives tale that’s now backed up by science but don’t over do it…

You’ll find wintercress or bittercress growing everywhere at present, in gravel paths, flower beds.  It grows in basals and it too has a slightly mustardy flavour.  It’s alsoone of our favourite Winter and early Spring treats.  Enjoy now because it’ll soon get leggy and go to flower.  Add it to salads or use as a garnish to embellish starter plates.  The soft new growth of spruce look like pale green tassels, gather them to make a pine flavoured syrup before they get prickly.

Finally for this article, I must mention primroses and sweet cicely.  The latter is one of the earliest perennial herbs to re-emerge in Spring.  Add it to rhubarb or simply use it as a stencil on top of a cake.  Sprinkle with icing sugar and remove it to find a delicate fernlike pattern.  Primroses also make a pretty garnish or a delightful addition to a salad but are most enchanting when crystallised to decorate Wee Primrose Buns.

Watercress Soup

Wild watercress has more depth of flavour than farmed versions, so see if you can find some.  This soup has been a favourite on the menu of Ballymaloe House since it opened in 1963.

Serves 6-8

45g (1 1/2oz) butter

150g (5oz) peeled and chopped potatoes

110g (4oz) peeled and chopped onion

salt and freshly ground pepper

900ml (1 1/2 pints) water or homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock

300ml (10fl oz) creamy milk (1/4 cream and 3/4 milk)

225g (8oz) chopped watercress (remove the coarse stalks first)

Melt the butter in heavy bottomed saucepan.  When it foams, add the potatoes and onions and toss them until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare the watercress. When the vegetables are almost soft but not coloured add the hot stock and boiling milk.  Bring back to the boil and cook until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Add the watercress and boil with the lid off for 4-5 minutes approx. until the watercress is just cooked. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh green colour. Puree the soup in a liquidiser. Taste and correct seasoning.

Wild Garlic and Cheddar Cheese Scones

Makes 9-12 depending on size

450g (1lb) white flour, preferably unbleached

1 level teaspoon salt

1 level teaspoon bread soda (Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda)

1 – 2 tablespoons finely chopped wild garlic

350-400ml (12-14fl oz) approx. sour milk or buttermilk to mix

110g (4oz) grated Cheddar cheese,

First fully preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8.

Sieve the dry ingredients and add the chopped wild garlic.  Make a well in the centre.  Pour most of the milk in at once.  Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary.  The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. 

When it all comes together, turn it out onto a floured board, knead lightly for a second, just enough to tidy it up.  Pat the dough into a square about 2.5cm (1 inch) deep, brush with egg wash, cut into 9-12 square scones.  Dip the top of each scone into the grated Cheddar cheese, place on a baking sheet. 

Bake on a hot oven for 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8 for 5 minutes, then turn down the oven to 200°C/ 400°F/Mark 6, for 6-10 minutes or until cooked.  Cool on a wire rack.  Serve with soup or as a snack.

Buffalo Mozzarella with Spruce Syrup and Wild Bitter Greens

We collect the soft spruce tips in April while the new growth is still soft and green, try them – they have a delicious, mild piney flavour.

Serves 4

4 handfuls of wild bitter greens – e.g. bittercress, wood sorrel, watercress, dandelion, pennywort….

extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 buffalo mozzarella (we use Toonsbridge)

2 tablespoons spruce syrup (see below)

Toss the greens in the olive oil, season with sea salt and pepper.

Strew on a plate, top with torn mozzarella – 1/2 a ball per person.  Drizzle 2 teaspoons of spruce syrup over each mozzarella.  Serve with crusty white bread. 

Spruce Syrup

Makes 300ml (10fl oz)

100g (3 1/2oz) of fresh spuce tips

200g (7oz) granulated sugar

150ml (5fl oz) cold water

pinch of salt

freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

Whizz the spruce tips in a Magimix.  Place in a saucepan with the cold water and sugar.  Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 minute.  Allow to cool.  Strain through a muslin lined sieve.  Discard the solids.  Add the freshly squeezed juice of one lemon.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1-2 months. 

Serve with cream cheese or soft goat’s cheese.

Spicy Wild Garlic Pesto

Chilli adds extra oomph to this wild garlic pesto, use 1 or 2 depending on your taste and the heat of the chilli.

Makes 3 x 200ml (7fl oz) jars

110g (4oz) wild garlic leaves, destalked

50g (2oz) cashew nuts, chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 – 2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

350-450ml (12-16fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

80g (3 1/4oz approx.) freshly grated Parmesan, (Parmigiano Reggiano)

sugar to taste (it can take quite a bit towards the end of the season)

Wash the wild garlic leaves.  Spin and dry very well.

Whizz in a food processer with the chopped cashew nuts, crushed garlic, chopped chilli, salt and olive oil or pound in a pestle and mortar.  Remove to a bowl and fold in the finely grated Parmesan cheese.  Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary.  Store in a sterilized covered jar in the fridge.

Roast Rhubarb and Sweet Cicely  

Serves 4

450g (1lb) red rhubarb, e.g. Timperely early

4 tablespoons of sugar

4-6 leaves of sweet cicely

Cut the rhubarb into 1cm (1/2 inch) pieces. Chop the sweet cicely and scatter over the base of an ovenproof dish.  Lay the rhubarb on top in a single layer.  Sprinkle with sugar and allow to macerate for an hour or so until the juices begin to flow. 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.

Cover the rhubarb with a sheet of parchment paper and roast in the oven for 10–20 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks, until the rhubarb is just tender. Keep a close eye on the rhubarb as it can disintegrate very quickly

Decorate with wispy bits of fresh sweet cicely and serve with softly whipped cream. 

Wee Crystallised Primrose Buns

These adorable buns or cupcakes make an enchanting present to bring cheer to a friend during the challenging times.  This is our favourite basic cupcake recipe, they can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion!

Makes 9-10 cupcakes or 16-18 buns

150g (5oz) butter (at room temperature)

150g (5oz) caster sugar

150g (5oz) self-raising flour

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

Icing

225g (8oz) icing sugar

zest of 1/2 – 1 lemon depending on size

2 – 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 bun tins lined with 18 bun cases.

crystallised primrose to decorate

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Put all ingredients except milk into a food processor, whizz until smooth.  Scrape down sides of the bowl, then add milk and whizz again.

Divide mixture evenly between cases in the bun trays or muffin tins. 

Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until risen and golden.

Meanwhile make the icing.

Put the sieved icing sugar into a bowl.  Add just enough lemon juice to mix to a spreadable consistency. 

When the cupcakes are cold, spoon over a little icing on top of each one.  Arrange a crystallised primrose at an angle on top of each cupcake – adorable. 

Crystallized Flowers

Flowers and leaves crystallized with sugar will keep for months, although they may lose their initial vibrant colour. This is what we call a high-stool job – definitely a labour of love and not something suited to an impatient, Type A personality. The end result is both beautiful and rewarding and many family and staff wedding cakes have been embellished with crystallized flowers over the years.

Flowers and leaves must be edible and are all worth doing.

Smaller flowers are more attractive when crystallized e.g. primroses, violets, apple blossom, viola’s, rose petals….We crystallize lots of leaves as well as flowers so one can make attractive arrangements.  Use fairly strong textured leaves – e.g. mint, lemon balm, sweet cicely, wild strawberry, salad burnet or marguerite daisy leaves.

The caster sugar must be absolutely dry, one could dry it in a low oven for about 30 minutes approx. Break up the egg white slightly in a little bowl with a fork. Using a child’s paintbrush, paint the egg white very carefully over each petal and into every crevice. Pour the caster sugar over the flower with a teaspoon. Arrange the crystallized flowers carefully on silicone paper so that they retain a good shape. Leave to dry overnight in a warm, dry place such as close to an Aga, over a radiator or in an airing cupboard. When properly crystallized, these flowers will last for months, even years, provided they are kept dry. We store them in a pottery jar or a tin box with an airtight lid.

Happy Easter to you all….These beautiful clear sunny days lift our spirits. The soil has warmed up in the garden, and the perennial plants are popping up again after their Winter hibernation.  Our little seedlings are growing in the garden and the greenhouses. I’ve been snipping chives to scatter over Easter egg sandwiches for a picnic on the cliffs and picking the first of the tiny pungent horseradish leaves to add to Spring salads.

This is the time to enjoy melissa or lemon balm leaves too; they are still tiny and have a haunting lemony taste. Delicious raw or in a lemon balm tisane a long time favourite after dinner infusion at Ballymaloe House but the treat from nature that really gives me a ‘Ooops in my tummy’ is sea kale. We’ve been blanching them by covering the plants with terracotta seakale pots or black plastic dustbins to exclude the light since shortly after Christmas. Now the pale yellow delicate stalks with a little frilly leaf on top are ready to eat so that will be our Easter feast. It’s so special that it needs little adornment apart from melted butter and perhaps some Hollandaise sauce, but here I pair it with a few oysters which we can still enjoy until the end of April.

I’ll cook my Easter lamb with just a sprinkle of sea salt flakes, no cumin, coriander or harissa with this sweet young lamb, just some fresh mint sauce.  I will use the first spears of fresh mint to make a simple mint sauce from Myrtle Allen’s recipe in the Ballymaloe Cookery Book.

If you don’t have a clump of spearmint, plant it now – it’s a perennial and will re-emerge every year after it’s winter snooze.

Hope you managed to make some Hot Cross Buns from the recipe in last week’s column. We’ve been making lots, they disappeared like hot cakes but any left overs make the most delicious Hot Cross Bread and Butter Pudding. Perfect for an Easter Sunday pud. If you  can’t find the time to make them, buy the best you can find from the growing number or artisan bakers around the country www.realbreadireland.org

Rhubarb is always linked to Easter in my mind and who doesn’t love a rhubarb tart (insert column date from recipe) but here’s a recipe for a Roast Rhubarb slice with Rose Geranium sugar that we’ve been enjoying here – It’s kind of a hybrid – delicious with a cup of coffee or a dessert.

If you have a food processor it’s super easy to make and this Rose geranium sugar is worth having in a jar to sprinkle over other cakes and desserts.

Happy Easter to each and everyone – good times are coming…!

Sea Kale and Oysters on Toast with Hollandaise Sauce

Cooking time depends on the freshness of the seakale. As you can imagine cooked mussels and prawns would be delicious here also. Check out the Farmers Markets at Midleton and Mahon Point for sea kale during the next few weeks.

Serves 4 – 6

600ml water

1 teaspoon salt

450g seakale

30g butter

8 – 12 Irish oysters

6 slices of toast, buttered

Hollandaise sauce (see recipe)

Garnish

A small bunch of chervil

Open the oysters and turn into a bowl.

Wash the seakale gently and trim into manageable lengths – about 10cm. Bring the water to a fast boil and add the salt. Add the seakale, cover and boil until tender – about 4 – 6  minutes. The cooking time depends on the freshness of the seakale. Just as soon as a knife will pierce the seakale easily, drain it.

Melt the butter in a pan on a gentle heat and toss in the oysters to warm through.

Serve the seakale with the oysters on hot buttered toast. Drizzle generously with Hollandaise sauce. Pop a little bunch of chervil on top of each toast and serve immediately.

Hollandaise Sauce

Serves 4-6, depending on what it is to be served with

Hollandaise is the mother of all the warm emulsion sauces.  The version we use here is easy to make and quite delicious with fish.  Like Mayonnaise it takes less than 5 minutes to make and transforms any fish into a feast.  Once the sauce is made it must be kept warm: the temperature should not go above 70-80C or the sauce will curdle.  A thermos flask can provide a simple solution on a small scale, otherwise put the Hollandaise Sauce into a delph or plastic bowl in a saucepan of hot but not simmering water.  Hollandaise Sauce cannot be reheated absolutely successfully so it’s best to make just the quantity you need.  If however you have a little left over, use it to enrich other sauces or mashed potato.

2 egg yolks, preferably free-range and organic

110g butter cut into dice

1 dessertspoon cold water

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, approx.

Put the egg yolks in a heavy stainless saucepan on a low heat, or in a bowl over hot water.  Add water and whisk thoroughly.  Add the butter bit by bit, whisking all the time.  As soon as one piece melts, add the next piece.  The mixture will gradually thicken, but if it shows signs of becoming too thick or slightly scrambling, remove from the heat immediately and add a little cold water if necessary.  Do not leave the pan or stop whisking until the sauce is made.  Finally add the lemon juice to taste.  If the sauce is slow to thicken it may be because you are excessively cautious and the heat is too low.  Increase the heat slightly and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens to coating consistency. 

It is important to remember that if you are making Hollandaise Sauce in a saucepan directly over the heat, it should be possible to put your hand on the side of the saucepan at any stage.  If the saucepan feels too hot for your hand it is also too hot for the sauce.

Another good tip if you are making Hollandaise Sauce for the first time is to keep a bowl of cold water close by so you can plunge the bottom of the saucepan into it if becomes too hot.

Keep the sauce warm until service either in a pyrex bowl over hot but not simmering water (do not have gas jet on).  A thermos flask is also a good option.

Myrtle’s Mint Sauce for Easter Lamb

Traditional mint sauce, made with tender young shoots of fresh mint, takes only minutes to make. For those who are expecting a bright green jelly, real mint sauce has a slightly dull colour and watery texture.

Makes about 175ml (6fl ozup)

Serves about 6

25g (1oz) fresh mint, finely chopped

1 tablespoon sugar

110ml (4fl oz) boiling water

25ml (1fl oz) white wine vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon juice

Put the freshly chopped mint and sugar into a sauce boat. Add the boiling water and vinegar or lemon juice. Allow to infuse for 5–10 minutes, before serving.

Easter Devilled Eggs

Makes 8 – Serves 4

4 free range eggs

2-3 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped chives

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1 box anchovies

Garnish

Watercress and chervil

For the egg mayonnaise, hard boil the eggs for 10 minutes in boiling water, drain and put immediately into a bowl of cold water. (Eggs with a black ring around the yolk have been overcooked). When cold, shell, slice in half lengthways and sieve the yolks, mix the sieved yolk with mayonnaise, add chopped chives, 2 mashed anchovy fillets and salt and pepper to taste. Fill in to a piping bag and pipe into the whites. Garnish with a whole wiggly anchovy and a sprig of chervil over the top.

Serve with thinly sliced brown yeast bread and a few sprigs of watercress if available.

Hot Cross Bun Bread and Butter Pudding

A great way to use up left over Hot Cross buns and of course this recipe can be adapted for scones, Panetonne, even spotted dog or barmbrack. 

Serves 6-8

6 – 8 Hot-Cross buns (depending on size)

50g (2oz) butter, preferably unsalted

1⁄2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, cinnamon or mixed spice

25g raisins

25g candied peel

450ml (16fl oz) cream

225ml (8fl oz) milk

4 large organic eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

110g (4oz) sugar

pinch of salt

1 x 20.5cm (8 inch) square pottery or china dish

Split the hot cross buns in three horizontally, butter each side, but not the top of the buns. Arrange the base, in one layer in the dish. Sprinkle the buns with half the spice and half the raisins and candied peel, arrange the next layer of buns. Sprinkle the remaining nutmeg, raisins and candied peel. Cover with the tops of the hot cross buns.

In a bowl, whisk together the cream, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, sugar and the pinch of salt. Pour the mixture through a fine sieve over the buns. Let the mixture stand, loosely covered, at room temperature for at least 1 hour or chill overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Place the pudding in a bain-marie and pour in enough water to come half way up the sides of the baking dish. Bake the pudding in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour or until the top is crisp and golden. Serve warm with some softly whipped cream.

Good to know: This pudding reheats perfectly.

Roast Rhubarb and Sweet Geranium Sugar Cake

You’ll find yourself reaching for this recipe over and over again. Here I use rhubarb with sweet geranium, but I also love it with green gooseberries and elderflower, or plums or blackberries and apples. I enjoy arranging the rhubarb in neat lines, but if you are super busy just sprinkle them it the top of the sponge base.   

Serves 10-12

Roast Rhubarb

1kg (2 1/4lb) red rhubarb

200–250g (7-9oz) granulated sugar

8–12 lemon geranium leaves (Pelargonium graveolens)

For the Sponge Base

225g (8oz) softened butter

175g (6oz) caster sugar

275g (9ozups) self-raising flour

3-4 organic, free-range eggs

6-8 sweet geranium leaves

Sweet Geranium Sugar

2 large or 4 smaller sweet geranium leaves

50g (2oz) caster sugar

To Serve

crème fraîche or softly whipped cream

Preheat the oven to 160°C/320°F/Gas Mark 3.

First roast the rhubarb.

Trim the rhubarb stalks if necessary. Slice the rhubarb into 2.5cm (1 inch) pieces and arrange in a single layer in a 45 x 30cm (18 x 12 inch) non-reactive ovenproof dish. Scatter the sugar over the rhubarb and leave to macerate for 1 hour or more, until the juices start to run.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.

Cover the rhubarb with a sheet of parchment paper and roast in the oven for 10 minutes – remove the paper and continue to roast for 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks, until the rhubarb is just tender. Keep a close eye on the rhubarb as it can disintegrate very quickly, it may only take 10 minutes in total. Cool.

Line the base of a 30 x 20.5 x 2cm (12 x 8 x 3/4 inch) cake tin with parchment paper, allowing it to hang over the sides.  If available, arrange 6–8 sweet geranium leaves over the base – these give the sponge a haunting lemony flavour.

To make the sponge base, combine the soft butter, sugar and flour in the bowl of a food processor. Whizz for a second or two, then add the eggs and stop as soon as the mixture comes together. Spoon the mixture over the base of the tin as evenly as possible (over the sweet geranium leaves). Arrange the rhubarb carefully over the sponge mixture, there should be enough to cover it generously. Bake for about 50 minutes.

Sweet Geranium Sugar

Meanwhile, whizz the sweet geranium leaves with caster sugar in a food processor. Spread over a baking tray and set aside at room temperature to dry out.

When the cake is fully cooked, the centre of the cake should be firm to the touch and the edges slightly shrunk from the sides of the tin.  Leave to rest in the tin for 4–5 minutes, sprinkle with sweet geranium sugar and cut in portions. 

Serve with crème fraîche or softly whipped cream.

Spring Lamb’s Liver with Harissa Mayo and Wild Garlic Pesto

Lambs liver is delicate and tender, ask your butcher to tell you when they have spanking fresh liver.

Serves 4

500g Spring lamb liver

Flour, well seasoned with salt and freshly cracked pepper

Clarified butter or extra virgin olive oil

Harissa Mayo

Wild garlic pesto

Wild garlic flowers if available for garnish

First make the harissa and add ½ – 1 tablespoon to 5flozs  of mayo. Make or buy a jar of wild garlic pesto. Put into 2 squeezy bottles, if available.

Wash the liver, slice thinly dry in kitchen paper. Dip the liver in the well-seasoned flour. Melt the butter or heat the olive oil in a pan on a medium heat. Cook the liver in batches 1 – 2 minutes on one side then flip over onto the other side, careful not to overcook. Transfer to hot plates. Drizzle with harissa mayo and a little wild garlic pesto and serve immediately.

Harissa

Serve with grilled meat, fish and vegetables and in soups

6 chillies, roasted, seeded and peeled

1 1/2 tablespoons of tomato purée

8 cloves of garlic crushed

3 teaspoons of ground and roasted cumin seeds

3 teaspoons of ground and roasted coriander

6 tablespoons of olive oil

1 teaspoon of red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons of chopped coriander leaf

salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar

Place the chillies on a small roasting tray and roast for about 20 minutes. The skins will be blackening and blistering and coming away from the flesh. Place the roasted chillies in a bowl, seal tightly with cling film and allow to cool. When cool, peel off the skins and slit the chillies to remove the seeds. You just want the roasted flesh of the chilli for the harissa.

Place the chillies in a food processor or use a pestle and mortar. Add the tomato paste, garlic, and ground spices and process to a smoothish purée. Gradually add in the oil and vinegar. Add the chopped coriander leaves and season to taste, adding a tiny pinch of sugar if you feel the flavour needs a lift. The taste should be strong, hot and pungent.

Store in a covered container such as a jam jar in the fridge.

The harissa will keep perfectly like this for several months.

Wild Food of the Week – Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm, a perennial herb might not be in your top ten of ‘must haves’ but I just adore it and so do the bees. It’s also called bee balm and our bees love the tiny white flowers. Given half a chance, lemon balm or melissa as it’s also known hops around and is given to tucking itself in here and there in between plants.  It can become invasive but the roots are shallow so it’s easy to pull up, unlike horseradish. Lemon balm was dedicated to the Roman Goddess Diana by the ancient Greeks and used medicinally by them for over 2000 years – it’s known to be an aid to digestion and helps to ease colic and flatulence and can help those suffering with insomnia.

The weeks are whizzing by Easter is virtually upon us. We’ve just made our Simnel Cake, and wrapped it up to marzipan and ice closer to the feast day. Easter is particularly early this year so it’ll be more difficult to get milk fed lamb but if you contact your local family butcher they will hopefully be able to source it for you. It’s so worth making the effort for the sweet delicate flavour and melting texture but there’s still time to make the Simnel cake, with a delicious layer of moist almond marzipan in the centre.

I’m sharing my favourite recipe for hot cross buns too. They take time to make but the anticipation and satisfaction are so worth it. We’ve also discovered that they freeze well, both cooked and uncooked and will taste miles better then virtually anything you can buy.

We’ve also experimented with a hot cross bun loaf which is fun to make in a tin or a tear and share version. I’ve also ordered a mould to  make Flores Fritas, the crackly rose shaped fritters so beloved of Spaniards for Semana Santa at Easter time. The batter is super simple to make, then simply dip the hot mould into the batter, cook in hot oil until it crisps. When it slips off the mould continue cooking, we’re only talking seconds until evenly golden. Drain on kitchen paper, dredge with icing or vanilla sugar. Enjoy immediately, the problem is where to stop – everyone loves them! Another simple way to bring joy into our Covid 19 world.

Finally, for this week , Torrejas, another Spanish Easter speciality for Holy Week that’s also eaten all over Latin America, can be enjoyed year round. It’s the Spanish version of French Toast. Sliced, slightly stale bread, dipped in a mixture of milk, eggs, sugar and occasionally a splash of wine or better still sherry, preferably soaked overnight so the stale bread absorbs the maximum amount of liquid. A rich bread like Brioche gives best results. Apparently this simple treat dates back to Roman times. It differs from French Toast principally because its cooked in olive oil. It’s easy to see how it became popular, especially in households where money was scarce, a delicious way to transform leftover bread into an inexpensive dessert. In the middle ages it became common to eat Torrejas during Lent, particularly during Semana Santa (Holy Week) to compensate for the absence of meat and wine. Traditionally eaten with a glass of wine, the combination was said to represent the body and blood of Christ – not exactly a penance in my book….

Torrejas still feature on traditional Menu del Dia all over Spain as an affordable workers lunch. It was in fact a legal requirement in Spain for decades. One way or another this recipe will become a favourite in your repertoire of ‘go to’ dishes loved by all the family. Get going on your symbolic Easter Simnel cake  –  to decorate with marzipan ice and the 11 of the 12 apostles to enjoy on Easter Sunday but meanwhile have fun making Torrejas with your little ones, who’ll no doubt want to drizzle them with chocolate spread rather than traditional honey.

Simnel Cake

Simnel Cake is a traditional Easter cake. It has a layer of almond paste baked into the centre and a thick layer of almond icing on top.  The 11 balls represent 11 of the 12 apostles – Judas is missing because he betrayed Jesus.

8oz (225g) butter

8oz (225g) pale, soft brown sugar

6 eggs, preferably free range

10oz (275g) white flour

1 teaspoon mixed spice

2 1/2fl oz (35ml) Irish whiskey

12oz (350g) best quality sultanas

12oz (350g) best quality currants

12oz (350g) best quality raisins

4oz (110g) cherries

4oz (110g) homemade candied peel

2oz (50g) whole almonds

2oz (50g) ground almonds

rind of 1 lemon

rind of 1 orange

1 large or 2 small Bramley Seedling apples, grated

Almond Paste

1lb (450g) ground almonds

1lb (450g) castor sugar

2 small eggs

3 of 4 drops of pure almond extract

2 tablespoons Irish whiskey

Line the base and sides of a 9 inch (23cm) round, or an 8 inch (20.5cm) square tin with brown paper and greaseproof paper.

Wash the cherries and dry them. Cut in two or four as desired. Blanch the almonds in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, rub off the skins and chop them finely. Mix the dried fruit, nuts, ground almonds and grated orange and lemon rind. Add about half of the whiskey and leave for 1 hour to macerate.

Next make the almond paste.

Sieve the castor sugar and mix with the ground almonds. Beat the eggs, add the whiskey and 3 or 4 drops of pure almond extract (careful it’s really easy to put in too much), then add to the other ingredients and mix to a stiff paste. (You may not need all the egg). Sprinkle the work top with icing sugar, turn out the almond paste and work lightly until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Cream the butter until very soft, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs and add in bit by bit, beating well between each addition so that the mixture doesn’t curdle. Mix the spice with the flour and stir in gently. Add the grated apple to the fruit and mix in gently but thoroughly (don’t beat the mixture again or you will toughen the cake).

Put half of the cake mixture into the prepared tin, roll about half of the almond paste into an 8 1/2 inch (21.5cm) round. Place this on top of the cake mixture in the tin and cover with the remaining mixture. Make a slight hollow in the centre, dip you hand in water and pat it over the surface of the cake: this will ensure that the top is smooth when cooked. Cover the top with a single sheet of brown paper. 

Put into the preheated oven; reduce the heat to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 after 1 hour. Bake until cooked, 3 – 3 1/2 hours approx., test in the centre with a skewer – it should come out completely clean. Pour the rest of the whiskey over the cake and leave to cool in the tin.

NOTE: When you are testing do so at an angle into the cake mixture because the almond paste can give a false reading.

Next day remove the cake from the tin. Do not remove the lining paper but wrap in several layers of parchment paper until required.

When you wish to ice the cake, roll the remainder of the almond paste into a 9 inch (23cm) round. Brush the cake with a little lightly beaten egg white and top with the almond paste. Roll the remainder of the paste into 11 balls. Score the top of the cake in 1 1/2 inch (4cm) squares or diamonds. Brush with beaten egg yolk, stick the ‘apostles’ around the outer edge of the top, brush with beaten egg. Toast in a preheated oven 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7, for 15-20 minutes or until slightly golden. Decorate with an Easter Chickens and flowers if you fancy. Cut while warm or store for several weeks when cold.

NB: Almond paste may also be used to ice the side of the cake.  You will need half the quantity of almond paste again.

This cake keeps for weeks or even months, but while still delicious it changes both in texture and flavour as it matures.

Names of the Apostles

(1).   Simon (also known as Peter)

(2).   Andrew (Simon Peter’s brother)

(3).   James

(4)     John (James’s brother)

(5).   Philip

(6).   Bartholomew

(7).   Thomas

(8).   Matthew (tax collector)

(9).   James

(10). Thaddaeus

(11). Simon the Cananaean

(12).           Matthia

Hot Cross Buns

Hot Cross Buns were traditionally eaten in Ireland only on Ash Wednesday and on Good Friday but nowadays they are available right through Lent. This practice would have been frowned on in the past when these were several black fast days and the people would scarcely have had enough to eat, not to mention spicy fruit filled buns. Buns can be made larger if desired.

Makes 22 (50g/2ozs dough)

25g (1oz) fresh yeast

110g (4oz) castor sugar

450g (1lb) bakers flour

75g (3oz) butter

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2-3 teaspoons mixed spice, depending how fresh it is

1 level teaspoon of salt (important to add)

2 organic eggs

225-300ml (8-10 fl oz) tepid milk

75g (3oz) currants

50g (2oz) sultanas

25g (1oz) candied peel, chopped

egg wash made with milk, sugar, 1 organic egg yolk, whisked together

Liquid Cross

50g (2oz) white flour

1 tablespoon melted butter

4-5 tablespoons cold water

Bun Wash

Put 600ml (1 pint) water and 450g (1 lb) sugar into a pan and boil for 2 minutes. Brush over the buns as soon as they come out of the oven to give them a sweet, sticky glaze. This makes a large quantity of bun wash but it keeps very well.

To Make the Hot Cross Buns.

Dissolve the yeast with 1 tablespoon of the sugar in a little tepid milk.

Put the flour into a bowl, rub in the butter, add the cinnamon, nutmeg, mixed spice, a pinch of salt and the remainder of the sugar.  Mix well. Whisk the eggs and add to the milk. Make a well in the centre of the flour, add the yeast and most of the liquid and mix to a soft dough, adding a little more milk if necessary.

Cover and leave to rest for 2 or 3 minutes then knead by hand or in a food processor until smooth.  Add the currants, sultanas and mixed peel and continue to knead until the dough is shiny. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.

“Knock back”, by kneading for 3 or 4 minutes, rest for a few minutes.  Divide the mixture into 14 balls, each weighing about 50g (2oz). Knead each slightly and shape into buns.  Place on a lightly floured tray.  Egg wash and leave to rise. 

If using shortcrust, arrange a cross of pastry on each one.  Leave to rise until double in size.  Then egg wash a second time carefully.

We tend to decorate with what we call a “liquid cross”.  To make this, mix the flour, melted butter and water together to form a thick liquid.  Fill into a paper piping bag and pipe a liquid cross on top of each bun.

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/gas mark 6.

Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes then reduce the heat to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6 for a further 10 minutes or until golden.  Leave to cool on a wire rack.  Split in two and serve with butter.

Alternatively, brush each one with bun wash while still warm.

Hot Cross Bun Loaf

Brush the bottom and sides of the loaf tin (13x20cm (5x8inch) approx.) with oil. Make the dough in the usual way – Knock back.

Roll 8 x 50g/2ozs balls of dough and arrange in the tin. Egg wash, cover and allow to rise for 20 minutes. Preheat the oven to 230°C, just before baking brush with egg wash, pipe a liquid cross on each bun.

Bake for 10 minutes at 230°C reduce temperature to 190°C for a further 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, paint with the bun wash. Cool on a wire rack and pull apart and eat slathered in butter.

Hot Cross Tear & Share

Brush the base and sides of a 23cm (9 inch) round spring form tin with oil. Arrange 12 – 14, 50g/2oz balls of dough almost side by side in the tin, egg wash and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size. Egg wash again, pipe a liquid cross onto the top of each bun. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 190°C for a further 10 – 15 minutes.

Remove from the oven and brush with bun wash while still warm. Cool on a wire rack.

Torrejas

A speciality for Semana Santa – Holy Week in Spain but enjoyed year round. It’s a brilliant way to use up any leftover bread deliciously. Cook in olive oil rather than butter.

Makes 8 pieces

8 slices Baguette, challah or brioche

175ml (6 floz) Milk

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To Cook:

Olive oil

For Sprinkling:

Cinnamon sugar, honey or icing sugar

Slice the bread approx. 1” thick slices, whisk the eggs, milk and sugar well together and pour into a gratin dish. Dip the slices in the liquid and flip over. Leave to soak, for at least an hour. In Spain they sometimes soak overnight.

To cook, heat some extra virgin olive oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Cook until golden 3 – 4 minutes on each side.  Sprinkle with icing sugar, cinnamon sugar or drizzle with honey. I love Torrejas warm with a dollop of crème fraiche but it’s usually served cold or at room temperature in Spain as a dessert or a nibble with a cup of strong coffee.