Sustainable continues to be quite the buzzword with many awards being meted out to establishments and companies who are making strides in this area. Yet Ireland with its clean, green image still ranks very poorly on the (SDG’s) Sustainable Development Goal’s. Having said that, we have apparently moved from 11th out of 15 comparable countries in the EU in 2022 to 10th out of 14 this year on the Sustainable Progress Index. Confusing or what…
Overall though, it seems the general public are anxious to make a difference and long for bold, courageous leaders to show us the way with legislation and incentives.
We fear that time is running out for our planet and desperately want to play our part in making a difference in the many little ways we can in our own environment.
Well, by coincidence, a brilliant new book I’d ordered recently arrived on my desk last week, It’s entitled ‘The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z’ by Tamar Adler, author of yet another gem, ‘Something Old, Something New’.
Regular readers of this column, and those of you who have been to the Cookery School will be aware that I have always loved to use up leftovers. It’s not a recent conversion on the road to Damascus…for me it’s almost like a game…I get terrific satisfaction out of using up leftovers deliciously. Plus, those of us who were brought up by parents who lived through the war and rationing will feel a kind of culinary caution until our final days. Butter, meat and eggs, no matter how plentiful are not to be lightly wasted. In the words of M.F.K Fisher, ‘there can be no more shameful carelessness than with the food we eat for itself’.
I suppose that dates back to my childhood, when wasting anything even a piece of spare string wasn’t an option, we actually washed and hung out plastic bags to dry on the clothesline in the early days…
I reckon to be able to do a ton of riffs on leftover bits of this and that but Tamar Adler has 1,500 recipes ‘for cooking with economy and grace’.
Here at the Cookery School, we have a ‘Leftover of the Day’ suggestion, so the students learn the art and skill of using up leftovers, creatively – an essential part of their culinary training.
After all, costs are so high and margins so small nowadays that the chef’s attitude to waste can quite easily be the difference between profit and loss in the hospitality business.
There is waste at every level in many different areas of production. There can be phenomenal waste in the vegetable and food sector on the farm, partly to do with the tight specifications on size and shape for the retail trade, but also for traditional reasons. Forever, we’ve chopped off and discarded the green tops of leeks and cauliflowers…dumped the turnip greens so sought-after in many countries.
Young beetroot, stalks and greens are delicious in salads or wilted with a lump of good butter or doused in a good extra-virgin olive oil.
The tender sprouting shoots at the end of the kale or broccoli crop are a true delicacy, meltingly tender. They ought to be sold at twice the price, that’s if you could even get them. Bravo to the Organic Stall at the Skibbereen Farmers’ Market for introducing them to their customers. Many will already know how good those thick broccoli stems are peeled and grated into coleslaw – free, delicious and nutritious food.
Use the tough ends of the asparagus that’s in season at present to make a simple asparagus stock… Remember you have paid a premium price for it, so use the stock to make an asparagus risotto.
Throw garlic and ginger peelings into a ‘stock box’ in the freezer with other vegetable peelings and fresh herb stalks to make a celebration pot of stock every now and then when you have the time.
The new season’s vegetables are jumping out of the ground right now. Don’t waste a scrap – we’re using broad bean shoots in soups, add to stews, gratins, risotto, frittatas, melted greens or use fresh in salads…
And on and on, once you begin to think zero waste, it becomes like an exciting challenge.
Enjoy the fun and feel-good factor of working towards being sustainable.

Soda Bread and Butter Pudding with Cheese and Herbs 

A delicious way to use up a few little slices of stale soda bread, vary the fresh herbs as you please.

Serves 4-6

12 slices of wheaten bread (brown soda bread) – 330g (generous 11oz) approx.

50g (2oz) butter 

2 teaspoons each of chopped thyme, rosemary and chives

100g (3 1/2oz) grated mature Cheddar cheese 

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

8 organic eggs 

100ml (3 1/2fl oz) milk  

1 x 1.2 litre dish, generously buttered

Butter the slices of soda bread.

Arrange half the bread side by side in the dish butter side up, allowing a little space between each slice. Sprinkle with half the chopped herbs and half the grated cheese. 

Whisk the eggs with the milk.  Season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Carefully pour half the egg mixture into the dish, making sure that the slices are evenly covered. Arrange the remainder of the soda bread on top.Pour the rest of the custard over the surface. Scatter with the remaining herbs and cheese.  Leave to soak for 30 minutes or more if time allows. 

Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.

When ready, pop the dish into the preheated oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the custard has puffed and the bread is golden brown at the edges.  Cover loosely with parchment paper if it’s getting too dark on top. Check that the custard is set in the middle – a skewer should come out clean when inserted into the centre, but careful not to overcook.

Serve with a salad of organic leaves in season. 

Ballymaloe Risotto with Asparagus

Everyone needs to be able to whip up a risotto, comfort food at its best and a base for so many good things, from crispy pork lardons or kale to foraged nettles…

Serves 6

225g (8oz) precious Irish asparagus, in season now

1 – 1.3 litres (1 3/4 – 2 1/4 pints) chicken or vegetable stock made from the asparagus ends

50g (2oz) butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

400g (14oz) risotto rice, such as arborio, carnaroli, or Vialone Nano

50g (2oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese or a mixture of Parmesan and Pecorino

sea salt

Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water for 2-3 minutes until al dente. Cut into 5mm (1/4 inch) thick slices at an angle.

Bring the stock to the boil, reduce the heat and keep it at a gentle simmer.  Melt half the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan with the oil, add the onion, cover and sweat over a gentle heat for 4-5 minutes until soft but not coloured.  Add the rice and stir until well coated.  Cook for a minute or so and then add 150ml (5fl oz) of the simmering stock, stir continuously, and as soon as the liquid is absorbed add another 150ml (5fl oz) of stock.  Continue to cook, stirring constantly.  The heat should be brisk, but on the other hand if it’s too hot the rice will be soft outside but still chewy inside.  If it’s too slow, the rice will be gluey.  It’s difficult to know which is worse, so the trick is to regulate the heat so that the rice bubbles continuously.

The risotto should take 25-30 minutes to cook.

After about 20 minutes, add the stock about 4 tablespoons at a time.  I use a small ladle. Watch it very carefully from there on.  The risotto is done when the rice is cooked but is still ever so slightly al dente.  It should be soft and creamy and quite loose, rather than thick.  The moment you are happy with the texture, stir in the asparagus plus the remaining butter and Parmesan, taste and add more salt if necessary.  Serve immediately on hot plates.

Alternatively, you can pre-cook the rice for finishing later.  After about 10 minutes of cooking, taste a grain or two between your teeth.  It should be firm, slightly gritty, definitely undercooked but not completely raw.  Remove the risotto from the saucepan and spread it out on a flat dish to cool as quickly as possible.  The rice can be reheated later with some of the remaining stock and the cooking and finishing of the risotto can be completed.  Risotto does not benefit from hanging around – the texture should be really soft and flowing.

Pasta Frittata

Taken from The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z by Tamar Adler published by Scribner

3 eggs (whisked with a little salt)

400 – 600g (14oz – 1 1/4lb) cooked pasta

olive oil

30g (1 1/4oz) chopped parsley (optional)

freshly grated Parmesan for serving

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

In a bowl, whisk the eggs and salt, stir in the other ingredients.

Heat a 20.5 – 23cm (8 – 9 inch) ovenproof saucepan over a medium heat.  Coat well with olive oil.  Add the egg mixture and move the set part toward the middle a few times.  As soon as the sides have started to cook, transfer to the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and sprinkle with Parmesan.  Cool briefly in the pan, then turn out onto a serving plate.  Frittatas are better served at room temperature than hot.

Egg Salad Fried Rice

Taken from The Everlasting Meal Cookbook: Leftovers A-Z by Tamar Adler published by Scribner

2-3 tablespoons peanut or grapeseed oil

3 tablespoons sliced or chopped onion or scallion

1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic

250g (9oz) leftover cold cooked rice

salt

anything else you want in your fried rice

1-3 tablespoons egg salad (see recipe)

Hea a wide pan or wok.  Add the oil, onion or scallion and garlic, fry for 5 seconds then add the rice.  Spread the rice over the surface of the pan and add salt to taste.  When it seems like every grain has had a moment to fry, scoop the rice all together, add anything you want and the egg salad and stir it through. 

Egg Salad

boiled eggs

mayonnaise

garlic

salt

grated lemon zest

minced chives

Smash the eggs with a fork and mix in mayonnaise sparingly.  You can always add more.  Pound the garlic to a paste with a little salt.  Add 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon garlic paste for every 2 eggs, then sprinkle with lemon zest and minced chives.  Mix, taste and adjust seasoning. 

Brown Bread Ice Cream

This is also known as ‘poor man’s praline ice cream’ because it gives a similar texture but uses cheaper ingredients. This is a great way to use up brown soda or wholemeal yeast breadcrumbs that would otherwise be wasted.

Serves 12–16

Ballymaloe Vanilla Ice Cream (see recipe)

350g (12oz) brown soda or wholemeal yeast breadcrumbs

150g (5oz) vanilla sugar

150g (5oz) soft dark-brown sugar

Make the Ballymaloe vanilla ice cream and freeze.

Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 4. 

Spread the chunky breadcrumbs on a baking tray. Sprinkle with sugar and toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Stir every 4 or 5 minutes until the sugar caramelises and coats the breadcrumbs. Turn out onto a Silpat mat and leave to cool. Pulse the caramelised breadcrumbs into small, chunky bits in a food-processor. When the ice cream is semi-frozen, fold in the mixture and freeze until fully frozen.

Ballymaloe Vanilla Ice Cream

Serves 12–16

4 organic egg yolks

100g (3 1/2oz) sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or seeds from 1/3 vanilla pod

1.2 litres (2 pints) softly whipped cream (measured after it is whipped, for accuracy)

Put the egg yolks into a bowl and whisk until light and fluffy (keep the whites for meringues). Combine the sugar with 200ml (7fl oz) of water in a small heavy-based saucepan. Stir over heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, then remove the spoon and boil the syrup until it reaches the ‘thread’ stage, about 106–113°C (223–235°F): it will look thick and syrupy, and when a metal spoon is dipped in the last drops of syrup will form thin threads. Pour this boiling syrup in a steady stream onto the egg yolks, whisking all the time by hand. (If you are whisking the mousse in a food mixer, remove the bowl and whisk the boiling syrup in by hand; otherwise, it will solidify on the sides of the bowl.)

Add the vanilla extract or vanilla seeds and continue to whisk the mixture until it becomes a thick, creamy white mousse.

This is the stage at which, if you’re deviating from this recipe, you can add liquid flavourings such as coffee. Fold the softly whipped cream into the mousse, pour into a bowl, cover and freeze.

I’m not the only one who gets excited about rhubarb. A recent post on our Instagram page of one of our students uncovering a forcing pot in the garden got over 3 1/2 million hits and 394 comments….
As a little girl, stewed rhubarb and custard was a favourite pudding. When I came to Ballymaloe in the late 1960’s, I discovered super delicious, rhubarb fool, which is simply softly whipped cream folded into stewed rhubarb. We love to serve it with shortbread biscuits. Try this version of the biscuit, made with half wholemeal flour and half white, it was an inspired find from a student’s experiment on the last 12-week course here at the Ballymaloe Cookery School.
Don’t waste a drop of the leftover juice, it makes a delicious lemonade or a rhubarb fizz…
Rhubarb is a kind of enigma… a vegetable masquerading as a fruit, pink and tart, plentiful, versatile and perennial. So, once you plant a few stools in your garden or flowerbed, (why not) it will re-emerge in Spring every year to delight you after the long Winter.
Older people used to speak of how it would clear the blood… We have just moved from the pale pink rhubarb forced under terracotta cloches or in dark sheds to the outdoor garden crop. The latter is tarter and a little less tender, but I love both and use it in a myriad of delicious ways, mostly cooked, but my Danish friend Camilla Plum introduced me to this raw rhubarb, cucumber and mint salad. The thinly sliced rhubarb is raw and tart, a delicious combination.
Have you tried serving stewed rhubarb with a pork chop yet? A delicious combination and rhubarb sauce is particularly tasty with a few freshly cooked pan grilled mackerel. It also cuts the sweetness of a meringue roulade. And how about rhubarb, ginger and sweet geranium jam…I’ve just filled a sponge cake with this jam and some softly whipped cream… it was a big hit to say the least…
Here are several of our new favourites to try and don’t forget to freeze a few bags of chopped rhubarb. It freezes brilliantly and it’s particularly good for jams. Combine with strawberries when they come into season for a really memorable flavour combination
If you don’t have your own homegrown rhubarb yet, seek it out in a local shop or Farmers Market but best of all swing by a Garden Centre and buy a few plants for your garden.

Raw Rhubarb, Cucumber and Mint Salad

Do try this fresh-tasting combination from Camilla Plum, you’ll be surprised how delicious it is.

Serves 4

2-3 stalks of young red rhubarb

1/2 crisp cucumber

1 tablespoon sea salt

2 handfuls of rocket leaves

1 tablespoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice

local wildflower honey or sugar to taste

fistful of shredded mint leaves

Using a vegetable slicer such as a mandolin or a thin-bladed knife, cut the rhubarb slightly on the diagonal into very thin slices.  Repeat with the peeled cucumber.

Toss the rhubarb and cucumber in a bowl with the sea salt and allow to stand for 10 minutes; rinse and drain.

Toss the rhubarb and cucumber with the rocket leaves in a salad bowl.  Drizzle with lemon juice and a little honey or sugar to taste. 

Scatter the mint leaves over the top and toss gently.  It should be fresh tasting.

Serve with pan-grilled salmon, grey sea mullet or sea bass.

Rhubarb Sauce

Delicious served as an accompaniment with roast pork, duck or grilled mackerel.

Serves 6 approximately

450g (1lb) red rhubarb cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) pieces

110g (4oz) sugar

Put the rhubarb into a stainless-steel saucepan, add the sugar and toss around, leave for 5 or 10 minutes until the juice from the rhubarb starts to melt the sugar.   Then, cover the saucepan and put on a gentle heat, cook until soft.  Taste and add a little more sugar if necessary.  It should not be too sweet but should not cut your throat either.   If you have a spoonful of really good redcurrant jelly, stir it in at the end, otherwise leave it out.   Serve warm.

Rhubarb and Custard Tart with Pistachios

We love to arrange the rhubarb in a chevron pattern but of course one can just scatter it on the base, not so pretty but equally delicious. 

Serves 10-12 

Rich Shortcrust Pastry 

225g (8oz) plain white flour 

175g (6oz) cold butter

pinch of salt 

1 dessertspoon icing sugar 

a little beaten egg or egg yolk and water to bind (save a little egg wash for the pastry shell)

Filling 

600g (1 1/4lb) or a little more rhubarb, cut into small pieces 

2-4 tablespoons caster sugar depending on how tart the rhubarb is

Custard

2 large or 3 small eggs 

3 tablespoons caster sugar  

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

300ml (10fl oz) cream 

Garnish

40g (1 1/2oz) coarsely chopped pistachio nuts

1 x 30.5cm (12 inch) tart tin or 2 x 18cm (7 inch) tart tins 

Make the shortcrust pastry.

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes, toss in the flour and then rub in with your fingertips. 

Keep everything as cool as possible; if the fat is allowed to melt, the finished pastry may be tough. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, stop.   Add the icing sugar.

Whisk the egg or egg yolk and add some water. Using a fork to stir, add just enough liquid to bring the pastry together, then discard the fork and collect it into a ball with your hands, this way you can judge more accurately if you need a few more drops of liquid. Although rather damp pastry is easier to handle and roll out, the resulting crust can be tough and may well shrink out of shape as the water evaporates in the oven. The drier and more difficult-to-handle pastry will give a crisper, shorter crust.

Wrap in parchment paper and leave to relax in the fridge for at least 1 hour before using.  It will keep for 3-4 days in the fridge and also freezes well.

Line the tart tin (or tins), with a removable base and chill for 10 minutes.  

Line the pastry shell with parchment paper and fill with dried beans.

Bake blind in a moderate oven 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 15-20 minutes. 

Remove the paper and beans (save for another use). Paint the tart base with a little egg wash and return to the oven for 3 or 4 minutes.   

Arrange the cut rhubarb close together in a pattern on the base of the tart shell (could be in lines, chevron or in circles). Sprinkle with 2-4 tablespoons caster sugar depending on how tart the rhubarb is.  Forced rhubarb is sweeter than garden rhubarb.  

Whisk the eggs well, with the 3 tablespoons caster sugar, vanilla extract and add the cream. Strain this mixture through a sieve, pour carefully into the tart shell around and over the rhubarb.  Cook in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until the custard is set and the rhubarb is fully cooked.  Cool on a wire rack. 

Sprinkle a 2.5cm (1 inch) rim of coarsely chopped pistachios around the edge of the tart.   Serve warm with a bowl of whipped cream. 

Good to know…

A little reduced rhubarb syrup or redcurrant jelly painted over the top enhances both flavour and appearance

Meringue Roulade with Roast Rhubarb, Rosewater Cream and Crystallised Rose Petals

A gorgeous combination of flavour and textures – always a wow for a dinner party.  Rosewater varies in intensity, add 1 teaspoon first, taste and add more if necessary.

Serves 6 – 8

4 egg whites

225g (8oz) castor sugar

Filling

300ml (10fl oz) softly whipped cream flavoured with 1-2 teaspoons rose water

Roast Rhubarb (see recipe)

Garnish

sprigs of mint, lemon balm or sweet cicely

Accompaniment

Crystallised Rose Petals *see note at end of recipe

Swiss roll tin 30.5 x 20.5cm (12 x 8 inch) or 33 x 23cm (13 x 9 inch) for a thinner roulade

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

First make the Roast Rhubarb (see recipe).

Put the egg whites into a spotlessly clean bowl of a food mixer.  Break up with the whisk and then add all the castor sugar together.  Whisk at full speed until it holds a stiff peak, 10 minutes approx.

Meanwhile, line a Swiss roll tin with parchment paper, brush lightly with a non-scented oil (e.g., sunflower oil).

Spread the meringue gently over the tin with a palette knife, it ought to be quite thick and bouncy. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. 

Put a sheet of parchment paper on the work top and turn the roulade onto it.  Remove the base paper and allow to cool in the tin.

To Assemble

Spread the whipped cream and drained roast rhubarb over the meringue, roll up from the wide end and carefully ease onto a serving plate. Pipe 6-8 rosettes along the top of the roulade, decorate as you wish with crystallised rose petals and mint leaves.  Serve, cut into slices about 2.5cm (1 inch) thick.

Note:  This roulade is also very good filled with fresh raspberries, loganberries, sliced ripe peaches, nectarines, kiwi fruit, bananas, or mango and passionfruit.

Roast Rhubarb

A dish of roasted fruit couldn’t be simpler – rhubarb, plums, greengages, apricots, peaches, apples, pears.  Once again, I love to add some freshly chopped herbs, e.g., rose geranium or verbena to the sugar or the accompanying cream.  

I’ve become a huge fan of the sweet and intense flavour of roast rhubarb

Serves 6

1kg (2 1/4lb) red rhubarb

200-250g (7-9oz) sugar

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/Gas Mark 6.

Stainless steel or non-reactive ovenproof dish, 45cm x 30cm (18 inch x 12 inch) (size depends slightly on the thickness of the rhubarb)

Trim the rhubarb stalks if necessary.

Slice the rhubarb into 2 1/2cm (1 inch) pieces and arrange in a single layer in an oven proof dish.  Scatter the sugar over the rhubarb and allow to macerate for an hour or more, until the juice starts to run. Cover loosely with a sheet of parchment paper and roast in the pre-heated oven for 10-20 minutes depending on the thickness of the stalks – until the rhubarb is just tender. 

Serve alone or with ice-cream, panna cotta, labneh or thick Jersey cream…

Good to know – uncover the rhubarb after 10 minutes for more caramelisation

Rhubarb Fizz

Purée the roast rhubarb, put 1-2 tablespoons in a glass, top up with Prosecco or Cava or sparkling water or soda water for a non-alcoholic fizz.

*Crystallised Rose Petals

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.

Rhubarb Fool

This simple combo is amazingly delicious for little effort.

Serves 6 approximately

450g (1lb) red rhubarb, cut into chunks

175g (6oz) sugar

2 tablespoons water

225 – 300ml (8-10fl oz) softly whipped cream

Put the rhubarb into a stainless saucepan with the sugar and water, stir, cover, bring to the boil and simmer until soft, 20 minutes approx.  Stir with a wooden spoon until the rhubarb dissolves into a mush. Allow to get quite cold. Fold in the softly whipped cream to taste. Serve chilled with shortbread biscuits.

Ruth’s Wholemeal Shortbread Biscuits

Thank you to Ruth O’Connell who recently attended our 12-Week Course for sharing this recipe – simply divine!

Makes approx. 20 biscuits

100g (3 1/2oz) wholemeal plain flour

75g (3oz) plain flour

110g (4oz) butter

50g (2oz) caster sugar

vanilla sugar

Preheat oven 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.

Put all the ingredients in a large bowl and rub in the butter until a pastry-like dough is formed. Knead lightly. Flour the work surface. Roll out to approx. 7mm (1/3 inch) thick. Cut into rounds. Place on a lined baking tray. Bake for 9-11 minutes, turning the tray in the oven halfway through baking. You want the biscuits to be golden and slightly crispy. Remove to a cooling rack and sprinkle with sieved vanilla sugar, while still warm.

Note

The scraps of dough can be re-rolled easily, and any extra dough can be stored in the fridge until ready to use.

California here I come…

Ever since I started the cooking school with my brother Rory O’Connell in September 1983, I’ve tried to go to California at least every second year to check out what’s happening on the food scene and to get an idea of the trends that are coming our way.

Originally it would take 4 to 5 years before things became mainstream over here. Needless to say, nowadays with social media, ideas travel much, much faster. Nonetheless, a visit to the West Coast can keep one ahead of the curve for at least a year or two.

The main raison d’etre for the trip was to attend several events to celebrate the launch of The Ballymaloe Desserts book, written by JR Ryall, Head pastry chef at Ballymaloe House, who worked alongside Myrtle Allen for many years, and carefully carries on the tradition of a sweet trolly piled high with the irresistible sweet treats that the guests have looked forward to at the end of their Ballymaloe meal for almost 60 years. JR has also added many of his own specialties to the repertoire, gradually over the years always respecting Myrtle’s philosophy and flavours…

The first event was in Los Angeles at Lulu in the Hammer Museum. JR, collaborated with former Chez Panisse chef, David Tanis and his wonderful team to recreate a selection of Ballymaloe deserts. The second event was at Caldo Verde in the Proper Hotel downtown. Both events were sold out and oversubscribed, and the fun thing for us was that so many people who had come to Ballymaloe over the years turned up to dinner as well as lots of Ballymaloe Cookery School alumni. It was like a wonderful party every night, The flavours brought back memories for so many, and sent them all on a trip down memory lane…

The food at Lulu was absolutely delicious, totally seasonal, small plates of good things made from ingredients carefully chosen at the crack of dawn from the Farmers Market by in-house, forager, Dorothy Pirtle…

I visited four different Farmers’ Market in LA, Santa Monica and South Pasadena with Dorothy and was fascinated to discover that she was not the only Forager, dashing from stall to stall just as soon as the markets opened to find the choicest things. All the top restaurants in LA were sourcing from the farmers market with the passionate young foragers from each establishment vying with each other to pick up the freshest items to put on their menu. That’s what I mean by walking the walk not just talking the talk…an all-too-common practice over this side of the world.

Apart from Lulu, I visited several other restaurants including Great White on Melrose owned by past student, Juan Ferriero and his wife Liza, who met and became engaged at the Cookery School in 2019.

There I enjoyed, possibly the best burger of my entire trip, which Juan was happy to tell me included 20% juicy beef fat, the reason for its succulence and delicious flavour. I was so proud of him…

So, what trends did I notice…Well, there was Crudo, (raw fish) in some shape or form on virtually every menu. Oysters were everywhere with the tasting plates from different bays around the coast, Tinned fish is a huge trend and virtually every café has a canned fish offering, not just sardines, tuna and salmon, but octopus, cockles and clams, mussels, mackerel…There was even a café in Grand Central Market in LA called Kippered…

It was right in the middle of the date and citrus fruit season, delicious, juicy fruit, but my best find was several varieties of kumquats that one can eat, skin and all, bittersweet and gorgeous, unlike the variety we get over here, which is altogether more bitter and really needs to be cooked.

Lots of Korean, Japanese food and Japanese ingredients even at the farmers markets. Greatly enjoyed our meal at The Ramen Shop in Oakland, put it on your list if you’re heading for the West Coast. Mother Wolf Restaurant on Wilcox Ave also richly deserves a mention. LA really is throbbing.

Sadly, San Francisco feels like a busted flush, very much a victim of its own success. Real estate has become so crazily expensive that restaurant staff simply cannot afford to live in the city, or even in Oakland or Berkeley. In the midst of it all, there is a beyond appalling homeless problem. I spoke to a dog walker who told me he was earning $150,000 a year but still could not afford to live in San Francisco…such a beautiful city if you have money but it’s in crisis at present. I picked up a copy of the San Francisco Chronicle on my way home and there in the property section were houses advertised for $20 and $24 million despite the techie crisis…

Feels like San Francisco is no longer leading the way, although I did have several delicious meals there too including one at Zuni, where there was yet another launch for the Ballymaloe Deserts Book, might be the most launched book that ever was…

Everything I ate at Rintaro, the Japanese restaurant on 14^th Street was memorable, I also loved several café bakeries and salon du thé… Don’t miss the flaky buttery Kouign-Amann at b patisserie on California St and superb baking in the The French Spot on Larkin St., a rundown part of town where you get a full-on glimpse of the other side of San Francisco but well worth a visit for the superb viennoiserie and coffee and The Mill on Divisadero where they do the most expensive but utterly delicious toast in town…Anyone for almond butter, sea salt and honey on whole-grain sourdough toast $7 or egg, garlic sage butter, flaky, sea salt and pepper on country bread for $9. Despite the prices, there’s a line out the door from morning till night, because all the toasts are super delicious.

I’ve run out of space, but I want to share a few recipes for some of the delicious things I enjoyed on my recent visit to California.

Crudo with Salmon Eggs and Fennel Flowers

One of the many crudo recipes we love.

Serves 8-10

450g (1lb) very fresh mackerel, bream or sea bass

freshly squeezed juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon

salmon eggs

24-50 fennel sprigs (or flowers in season) depending on size

flaky sea salt

Chill the starter plates.

Fillet the fish, if necessary and spoon some of the freshly squeezed juice over the fish. Cover and chill for 15-20 minutes depending on thickness. Slice into paper thin slices. Arrange in a line of overlapping slices in the centre of the plate, spoon little blobs of salmon eggs along the middle and decorate with fennel sprigs and flowers in season. Serve immediately.

Egg in a Hole

Inspired by Mill Bakery in San Francisco. 

A feast for one.

1 thick slice of country bread, 2.5cm (1 inch) thick

Garlic and Sage Butter

25g (1oz) butter

1-2 teaspoons fresh sage, finely chopped

a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice

1-2 cloves garlic, well crushed

1 fresh organic egg

flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper

First, make the garlic and sage butter.

Cream the butter in a bowl, stir in the sage and a few drops of lemon juice at a time.  Add the crushed garlic.  Use immediately or form into a roll and wrap in greaseproof paper, screwing each end so that it looks like a cracker.  Refrigerate.

Heat a non-stick pan on a low to medium heat.

Remove a circle of bread from the centre of the slice of bread, slather one side with garlic and sage butter. Pop onto the pan, butter side down, cook for 3-4 minutes until crisp and buttery on the base. Flip over, then butter the top side. Crack an egg into a cup and slide into the cavity. Cover the pan with a Pyrex lid or a plate and continue to cook until the egg is just set in the centre. Sprinkle with a few flakes of sea salt and a little freshly cracked pepper. Enjoy immediately.

David Tanis’s Chickpea Salad with Green Chutney

This salad is also delicious topped with roasted small potatoes, winter squash, pumpkin, cauliflower or any other seasonal vegetable.  

Serves 4-6

375g (13oz) dry chickpeas, soak overnight. 

Next day, cover with fresh water, bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 45 minutes until cooked. 

Alternatively use 850g (1lb 14oz) cooked chickpeas

Green Chutney

50g (2oz) coriander leaves and tender stems

10g (scant 1/2oz) mint leaves

50g (2oz) baby spinach leaves

1 Serrano or jalapeño chilli (add more chilli if you like it hotter)

good pinch of salt

2 teaspoon sugar

1-2 tablespoons water to bind

salt

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon toasted ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

pinch of cayenne

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Garnish

4-6 radishes, thinly sliced

2-3 ‘jammy’ soft-boiled eggs, halved

fresh coriander, roughly chopped

To make the green chutney.

Purée all the ingredients in a blender – add the water if necessary.  This makes a bright green medium spicy green chutney.  Best used on the day it is made.

Drain the chickpeas and place in a deep wide bowl. Season generously with salt and a drizzle with the olive oil. Add the toasted ground cumin, garam masala and a pinch of cayenne. Add a good squeeze of lime. Toss well, taste and adjust the seasoning.

Just before serving, add 2-3 tablespoons green chutney and toss again. Serve the remaining green chutney in a separate bowl.

To Serve

Garnish each serving with the soft egg half, some thinly sliced radishes and coriander.

Zuni Café Roast Chicken with Warm Bread Salad

‘You don’t need a brick oven for this perfect roast chicken from the legendary chef Judy Rodgers — but you do need a hot one, and a day or so to dry-brine the bird before using it. If you don’t have the time to dry-brine, don’t. You’ll still end up with one of the best roast chickens you’ve ever had. Just dry the bird really well with paper towels before seasoning and dab it again before putting it into the sizzling pan. Rodgers’s technique, which involves drying and seasoning the chicken, then flipping it while cooking, results in a wonderfully browned bird, with crackling skin and moist meat. Serve it over a bread salad, as she did, or with well-dressed greens and a baguette. You win either way.’

Serves 2-4

1 small chicken, 1.2-1.6kg (2 3/4 – 3 1/2lbs)

4 sprigs fresh thyme, marjoram, rosemary or sage

sea salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Sprinkle the chicken all over with salt 1-2 days before serving. Remove the lump of fat inside the chicken (render for roast potatoes). Pat the chicken very dry (a wet chicken won’t brown).

Slide a finger under the skin of each of the chicken breasts, making 2 little pockets, then use a fingertip to gently loosen a pocket of skin on the outside of the thickest section of each thigh. Push an herb sprig into each of the 4 pockets.

Using about 3/4 teaspoon sea salt per 450g (1lb) of chicken and pepper to taste, season the chicken liberally all over with salt and the pepper. Sprinkle a little of the salt just inside the cavity and on the backbone. Twist and tuck the wing tips behind the shoulders. Cover loosely and refrigerate.

When you’re ready to cook the chicken, preheat the oven to 240°C/475°F/Gas Mark 9.

Depending on your oven and the size of your bird, you may need to adjust the heat to as high as 250°C/500°F/Gas Mark 10 or as low as 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8 during roasting to brown the chicken properly.

Choose a shallow roasting tin or dish barely larger than the chicken or use a 25cm (10 inch) saucepan with a metal handle. Preheat the tin over a medium heat. Wipe the chicken dry and set it breast side up in the tin – it should sizzle.

Place in the centre of the oven and watch for it to start sizzling and browning within 20 minutes. If it doesn’t, raise the temperature progressively until it does. The skin should blister, but if the chicken begins to char, or the fat is smoking, reduce the temperature slightly. After about 30 minutes, turn the bird over (drying the bird and preheating the tin should keep the skin from sticking). Roast for another 10-20 minutes, depending on size, then flip back over to re-crisp the breast skin, another 5-10 minutes. Total oven time will be 45-60 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the roasting tin and put on a plate. Pour the clear fat from the tin, leaving the drippings. Add about 1 tablespoon of water to the hot tin and swirl. Slash the stretched skin between the thighs and breasts of the chicken, then tilt the bird and plate over the roasting tin to drain the juice into the drippings. As the chicken rests, tilt the roasting tin and skim the last of the fat. Place over a medium-low heat, add any juice that has collected under the chicken, and bring to a simmer. Stir and scrape.

Cut the chicken into 8 pieces and pour the tin drippings over the chicken.

Warm Bread Salad

This is, quite possibly, the bread salad to end all bread salads. Judy Rodgers, the legendary chef and bread lover, developed it to serve alongside roast chicken, but it’s perfect paired with any roast meat. Bread chunks are mixed with a sharp vinaigrette, softened currants, toasted pine nuts and lightly cooked scallions and garlic. Everything is piled into a roasting pan then slid into the oven just before the chicken comes out and stays in while the chicken rests (if you’re not making it with chicken, heat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8, turn it off and pop the salad in for 15 minutes). At the last minute, toss the bread mixture with arugula and vinaigrette. Top with the jointed Zuni Café roast chicken.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon dried currants

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon warm water

2 tablespoons pine nuts or cashew nuts

225-300g (8 -10oz) slightly stale ciabatta or other open-textured white bread

8 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar, approximately

salt and coarsely ground black pepper

3 garlic cloves, slivered

25g (1oz) thinly sliced scallions

4 tablespoons lightly salted chicken stock

110g (4oz) rocket leaves or mustard greens, rinsed and dried

Place the currants in a small dish, add the red wine vinegar and warm water, and set aside.

Heat the grill. Place the pine nuts or cashew nuts in a small baking dish, and toast under the grill until very lightly coloured. Set aside.

Cut the bread into three or four large chunks. Closely trim off most of the crust and reserve, if desired, to toast and use for breadcrumbs or croutons. Brush the bread all over with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Briefly grill the bread chunks, turning until crisp and golden on the surface. Remove from the oven, trim off any charred tips, and tear the chunks into the irregular pieces, from 5cm (2 inch) wads to large crumbs. Place in a wide metal, glass or ceramic salad bowl.

Whisk 50ml (2fl oz) olive oil with 1 1/2 tablespoons Champagne vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 1/2 tablespoons of this dressing over the bread and toss.

Place one tablespoon of olive oil in a small saucepan. Add the garlic and scallions, and cook, stirring constantly over a low heat until softened but not coloured. Add to bread and fold in with the drained currants and pine nuts. Drizzle the salad with stock and toss. Taste a couple pieces of bread. Add a little more vinegar, salt and pepper if necessary. Toss well, and transfer to a baking dish. Cover loosely.

Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8.

About 30 minutes before serving.

Put the bread salad in the oven, turn off the heat, and leave for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven. Return the salad to a bowl. Add the greens, remaining vinaigrette, and enough of the remaining olive oil so the bread is not dry. Toss again. Serve with Zuni Café roast chicken.

Lulu in LA Bay Leaf Ice Cream

Special thanks to David Tanis for sharing this exquisite ice cream recipe.

Makes 10-12

900ml (1 1/2 pints) of milk

450ml (16fl oz) cream

15 fresh bay leaves

1 pinch of salt

1 cinnamon stick, break in half

260g (scant 9 1/2oz) caster sugar

peel of 1 organic lemon

12 egg yolks

Put all the ingredients except the egg yolks in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring slowly to the shivery stage, turn off the heat and allow the flavours to macerate for at least an hour.

Whisk 12 egg yolks until light and fluffy gradually pour on the flavoured liquid whisking all the time.

Return to the saucepan and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly backwards and forwards with a straight end wooden spoon until the light crème anglaise coats the back of the spoon. Pour into a stainless-steel bowl and chill over ice, stirring regularly.

Churn in an ice cream machine.

Serve a ball of ice cream in chilled bowls on top of a blob of softly whipped cream (yes, that’s not a misprint)

Sprinkle with bay leaf dust and serve as soon as possible.

Bay leaf dust.

Dry the fresh bay leaves in a dehydrator until crisp, about 24 hours at 46°C/115°F (alternatively, hang up somewhere to dry at room temperature for a couple of days).  Whizz in a clean spice grinder, sieve, and store in a dark sealed glass jar.

Have you been fantasizing about a little break? how about a staycation of a few days break in Ireland…

I’ve just had an action-packed weekend in Belfast and I can tell you the city is rocking. The food scene is exploding, and I certainly couldn’t manage to fit all my ‘must do’s into my available meal slots, I’ll have to go back for more…
If you feel like driving, it’s an easy road trip from Cork but I hopped on the train to Dublin, took the Luas to Connolly Station and onto the super comfortable Enterprise to Belfast.
I had a long list of places to visit, delis, cafés, cool shops and of course restaurants.  St. George’s Street market on Friday or Saturday is a must. Pick up some soda farls and potato bread…Sunday is mostly for bric-a-brac hunters…
I also loved Mike Thompson‘s cheese shop on Little Donegal Street, a fantastic selection of cheese as well as his own raw milk blue veined, Young Buck, the first artisan cheese to be made in Northern Ireland after the troubles… Mike is a great fan of Hegarty‘s cheese and I also bought a Cavanbert made by another pioneer farmhouse cheesemaker Silke Cropp from Co Cavan…. I also added a little roll of Abernethy’s handmade butter and some charcuterie from the Cole family in Broughgammon.
Then onto a new Nordic influenced bakery round the corner on Donegal Street called Bakari owned by Jack Mowbray.  A really interesting range of breads and viennoiserie, many made from heirloom wheat.
Bread and Banjo on the Ormeau Road is another place to swing by for properly good artisan breads.
Foodies who don’t have time to do research, but want to pack as much as possible into a delicious weekend could sign up for one of several food tours. Caroline Wilson of Belfast Food Tours comes highly recommended.
We had a delicious dinner of small plates at Niall McKenna‘s Waterman House restaurant and the most delicious smoked ham with really good house-made sourdough bread and brown butter. Chef Cathal Duncan told me that they smoke the streaky bacon in their Little Green Egg barbecue and smoker. It was so good that I begged for some for my picnic on the train and I have to tell you that I was the envy of all my fellow travellers….
I also loved their arancini with celeriac and Young Buck purée and the pressed potato slices and the scallops with Jerusalem artichokes and…Top Tip – check out the schedule at the Waterman Cookery School www.waterman.house
Of course I wanted to get back to Michelin starred OX but didn’t make it this time…. Everyone says lunch is brilliant value for money at £40-45.
I did however get out to FRAE in Holywood (10 minutes by train or a bit longer by car). Loved Shaun Tinman’s eclectic little bites and little plates. The jambons made with ham hock and Coolea cheese were some of the best I’ve ever tasted. Even the bread from the Bara Bakehouse in Comber and the homemade butter were exceptional. The last of the squashed roasties with caramelised garlic could be the subject of a serious row…see frae_range on Instagram If you can’t bag a table there, (only 20+ seats), I believe Noble on Church Street in Holywood is also worth a detour.
Used to be that shops, restaurants and cafés were not allowed to open before noon on Sundays, to facilitate those who wished to go to church, but that’s all changed now that tourists are pouring back into Belfast from all over the world, all desperate for a Sunday brunch.
There is so much happening around the Cathedral Quarter. For those who want super lux accommodation, the Merchant Hotel is right there, in the midst of all the pubs, clubs, restaurants and cafés.
I return to Established Coffee on Hill St every time we visit Belfast and it’s still as good as ever, superb coffee, pastries and brunch dishes. Everyone raves about Neighbourhood Café too.  The Dirty Onion pub and Yardbird are close by too. It’s just around the corner on Donegall St and is owned by Ryan Crown and Oisin McEvoy.  I didn’t make it this time cause the queue was so long, I would’ve missed my train, but friends raved about the Turkish eggs with garlic yoghurt, chilli butter, dill and sourdough…
I also missed lunch at Yügo which does the most delectable Asian fusion tapas on Wellington St by just a few minutes. As I left, I was deeply envious of the diners, tucking into exciting looking multi-ethnic plates.  It too gets many plaudits from choosy critics.
Lots of cool shops of course but this is a food column.
I hasten to add that I have no affiliation to any of these places, those I recommend are just personal picks.
Thank you to the chefs who shared recipes for some of the dishes that I enjoyed so much on my brief interlude in Belfast city.

Waterman House Arancini with Young Buck Custard

Makes 50 approx./Serves 12

500g (18oz) arborio risotto rice

1 litre (1 3/4 pints) vegetable stock

1 shallot, finely diced

1 clove of garlic, finely diced

1/2 teaspoon chopped thyme

150ml (5fl oz) white wine

1 celeriac, peeled and chopped (750g – 800g/1lb 10oz – 1 3/4lbs approx.)

100g (3 1/2oz) Parmesan, finely grated

200g (7oz) butter

200ml (7fl oz) whipping cream

250g (9oz) Young Buck blue cheese, rind removed and crumbled

4 eggs, beaten with a fork

250ml (9fl oz) double cream

150ml (5fl oz) milk

flour, egg and breadcrumbs to bread arancini

oil for deep frying

To make Young Buck custard, heat the milk and cream to a simmer, pour mixture over the beaten eggs, whisk well and return to the saucepan.  Continue to cook over a gentle heat until the mixture has thickened slightly, if you have a temperature probe 82°C is the perfect temperature. Once the custard has thickened, pour over crumbled blue cheese, mix well and transfer to a blender. Blitz until smooth and chill until needed.

To make celeriac purée, sweat the chopped celeriac in half the butter until well softened, add the cream and bring to a simmer. Once the cream has reduced by half, transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth, reserve.

To make the risotto base.

Sweat the shallots, garlic, and thyme in a little olive oil until soft, add in rice, stir well ensuring each grain of rice is coated in the olive oil.  Allow the rice to toast for a couple of minutes until it takes on a translucent appearance. Add the wine and reduce completely over a medium heat, stirring constantly. Gradually add the vegetable stock to the rice one ladleful at a time, it will take around 12 minutes to thoroughly cook the rice, you may not need all the stock. The rice should be well cooked but still holding its shape, when you have reached this stage, add the remaining butter and Parmesan along with 500g (18oz) of the celeriac purée, season well with salt and pepper. Spread the risotto mixture out on a baking sheet and chill.

Once the risotto is completely cold, roll into 20-25g (3/4 – 1oz) balls and chill for 30 minutes. Then coat the balls seasoned in flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs.  Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer to 170°C and fry arancini for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown.  Gently warm the blue cheese custard without boiling.  Serve the arancini on top of the custard and top with freshly grated Parmesan.

Waterman House Seared Scallops with Jerusalem Artichoke & Truffle Jus

Serves 4

12 medium scallops, cleaned and roes removed

10 large Jerusalem artichokes, washed

100ml (3 1/2fl oz) milk

100ml (3 1/2fl oz) cream

500g (18oz) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

50g (2oz) preserved truffles, finely chopped

50ml (2fl oz) truffle oil

10ml (scant 1/2fl oz) chardonnay/white wine vinegar

1 small shallot, finely diced

salt

2 litres (3 1/2 pints) beef stock

freshly squeezed lemon juice

To make the artichoke purée.

Roughly chop 4 of the artichokes and sweat gently in 100g (3 1/2oz) of the butter until soft, add the milk and cream. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook out until the liquid has reduced by half, transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth, season with salt and reserve.

To make truffle butter, combine 250g (9oz) of butter with the truffles, oil, vinegar and shallot and season with salt. Roll the butter mixture in parchment paper and reserve in the fridge.

To make the artichoke crisps.

Slice 2 of the artichokes very thinly on a mandolin and put into a pan of cold water.  Bring to the boil and drain immediately, spread the artichokes out on a tray and allow to cool.  Pat dry with kitchen paper and deep fry at 160°C until crisp, season with salt and reserve in an airtight container.

Put the remaining artichokes in a pan of cold water and simmer until tender, remove and allow to cool. Once cooled, slice the artichokes in half and heat the remaining butter until it is foaming. Place the artichoke in the pan cut side down; cook gently on the stove until the artichokes start to take on some colour. Place the pan into the oven at 160°C/320°F/Gas Mark 3 for 25-30 minutes or until the artichokes are well coloured. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

For the truffle sauce, reduce the beef stock by two-thirds or until it starts to thicken, gradually whisk in the cold, diced truffle butter until you reach a nice saucy consistency.

To cook the scallops, heat a frying pan until very hot and sear the scallops on one side until golden brown, turn the scallops over and reduce the heat.  Cook for a further minute, then add a knob of butter and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  Baste the scallops for 30 seconds then remove to a warmed plate.

To serve, place some of the heated purée onto the plate, place the scallops on top, drizzle over some of the truffle jus. Sprinkle over some of the crispy artichokes and serve.

Chicken Marbella from Shaun Tinman at Frae

So, unlike the original recipe from the Silver Palette cookbook, we’ve prepared ours as chicken cooked over the charcoal BBQ and served with the accompaniments suspended in the sauce.

Serves 6

12 chicken thighs, skin on
olive brine reserved from gordal green olives

2 tablespoons aged malt vinegar

small bunch thyme

1 head crushed garlic

3 shallots, diced
4 bay leaves
250ml (9fl oz) white wine
splash of Madeira
1 1/2 litres (2 1/2 pints) good quality chicken stock

1 can gordal green olives, torn in half
25g (1oz) capers

50g (2oz) pitted prunes, roughly chopped
knob of butter

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

freshly ground black pepper

Ideally, marinate the chicken thighs in the gordal olive brine, aged vinegar, thyme and garlic overnight, but a few hours will suffice.

For the sauce, add a splash of oil to your saucepan and gently cook the shallots until translucent, no colour. Add bay leaves, then deglaze with the wine and Madeira. Add chicken stock and gently reduce to a consistency where the sauce just coats the back of a spoon then set aside.

The chicken is best cooked slowly over charcoal allowing the skin to render and become crisp without burning, intermittently brushing the flesh side with the reserved marinade. If the BBQ isn’t an option, good results can be achieved cooking the chicken on a wire rack under a medium grill.

As the chicken is resting, return the sauce to a low heat and add the olives, capers and prunes, allow to soften in the sauce for a few minutes then add the butter and parsley and stir until evenly incorporated. Adjust seasoning with salt pepper and a little aged vinegar as necessary.

Season and divide the chicken evenly between warmed serving plates, and spoon the sauce over the top.

Blood Orange Upside Down Cake, Armagnac Syrup from Shaun Tinman at Frae

You’ll need to be fast, blood oranges are just coming to the end of the season.

Serves 6

6 blood oranges

225g (8oz) of caster sugar
15g (generous 1/2oz) of butter
150ml (5fl oz) of whipping cream
150ml (5fl oz) blood orange juice
80ml (scant 3 1/4fl oz) of Armagnac

150g (5oz) butter
150g (5oz) demerara sugar
150g (5oz) self-raising flour
2 eggs

vanilla ice-cream and chopped toasted hazelnuts to serve

Peel and segment the blood oranges, juicing the excess.

For the caramel sauce, gently cook the sugar in a saucepan until it has fully dissolved and turned a medium caramel colour. Add the butter, followed by the cream and juice. Keep over a medium heat and stir gently until it comes together. Reduce until the consistency of the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and add the Armagnac.

For the cake mixture, cream the butter and sugar together, beat the eggs in one by one and fold in the flour. Transfer mixture to a piping bag.

Lightly butter dariole moulds, then add 1cm (1/2 inch) depth caramel to each, followed by a heaped tablespoon of the blood orange segment. Carefully pipe a 3cm (1 1/4 inch) layer of cake mixture into each dariole, covering the fruit below.

Bake at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 20-25 minutes, rest for 5 minutes before carefully turning out. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, a drizzle of the remaining syrup and some chopped hazelnuts.

Fadge or Potato Bread

Go along to St. George’s Market on Friday, Saturday or Sunday for a Belfast Bap on potato bread – OMG…Lots of stalls sell fadge or potato bread.  It can be cooked on a griddle, in a frying pan or in the oven.

Serves 8

900g (2lb) unpeeled ‘old’ potatoes e.g. Golden Wonders or Kerr’s Pinks

2 tablespoons flour

1 egg, preferably free range

25 – 50g (1 – 2oz) butter

seasoned flour

salt and freshly ground pepper

creamy milk

bacon fat, butter or olive oil for frying

Cook the potatoes in their jackets, pull off the skin and mash right away.   Add the beaten egg, butter and flour.  Season with lots of salt and freshly ground pepper, adding a few drops of creamy milk if the mixture is altogether too stiff. Taste and correct the seasoning. Shape into a 2.5cm (1 inch) thick round and then cut into eighths.  Dip in seasoned flour.  Bake in a moderate oven 180˚C/350˚F/Gas Mark 4 for 15 – 20 minutes or alternatively cook on a griddle over an open fire or fry in bacon fat or melted butter on a gentle heat.  When the fadge is crusty and golden on one side, flip over and cook on the other side (4 – 5 minutes approx. each side).  Serve with an Ulster fry or just on its own on hot plates with a blob of butter melting on top.

Variation

Once again, one can do lots of riffs on potato bread.  Add chopped chives, wild garlic, thyme leaves, seaweed…

What can be more adorable on Easter Sunday morning, than the joy and excitement on the children’s faces when they see the new-born chicks in the Palais des Poulets here on the farm… If our hens don’t get broody, Eileen and John take matters into their own hands.  A dozen or so eggs go into the incubator in the potting shed…twenty one days later, the chicks start to hatch out, pecking through the shells with their little beaks… yet another miracle of nature. Within a few hours, they are all fluffed up and cheeping, ready to tuck into a little fine oatmeal or chick mash.
Within 18-22 weeks the females are crowing with pride having laid their first egg. These smaller, initial attempts are referred to as pullets eggs… the term given to a chicken before it officially becomes a hen.
As I cook, I can scarcely imagine life without eggs or hens for that matter. Ever since I was a child, we’ve always had hens, they gratefully gobble up the food scraps and reward us with beautiful fresh eggs a few days later.
The hen manure goes onto the compost and eventually back into the garden to enrich the soil making it more fertile to grow even more nutritious vegetables. What’s not to love about that virtuous cycle…
Recently, the price of eggs has gone up for several reasons, not least because the price of organic and non-organic grain has increased since the Ukraine war.
Because of bird flu, we have been instructed to keep our flock indoors since mid-September (2022) and it looks like they won’t be released until maybe the end of April.
Just like all of us during lockdown, our hens hate being cooped up indoors and long to be able to roam freely through the grass and scratch for grubs and insects. They are altogether happier and healthier when they can wander around naturally outdoors not to speak of laying more delicious nutrient dense eggs.
Boiled eggs and soldiers are one of my favourite kitchen suppers. Friends love to join me, for many, it’s a trip down memory lane from when we were children, dipping little fingers of toast into the runny yolk.

For a posher version for Easter, look out for a few spears of new season asparagus. West Cork has some of the first asparagus of the season so if you’re in that area, get to the Skibbereen Farmers Market early on Saturday morning…tends to sell out…
For perfectly poached eggs, no need for any fancy gadgets…just pop a freshly laid egg, into barely salted simmering water…it will plump up deliciously unlike a stale egg that will splinter and spread all over the saucepan.
Really good eggs, add magic to cakes, the yolks add richness and the whipped egg whites, contribute lightness and a tenderness to the texture but surprise, surprise the quality really matters…
We’re loving our new Easter egg cake to add to the traditional Pasque afternoon tea. A lighter cake than the traditional simnel cake – see Examiner article 18^th March 2023.  The kids would love to help and they really enjoy making the Easter egg nests and arranging the fluffy chicks on top.
Have you come across Aussie folded eggs yet, a new one to me until recently…I came across them on an Aussie inspired all day brunch menu on a recent trip to California
They’re a kind of elegant hybrid version of a ruffled omelette/scramble that resembles a rose on the plate…. Tender and delicious, often accompanied by avocado or on top of avo toast… it’s become one of my new favourites…

Freshly Boiled Eggs with Asparagus and Soldiers

Mothers all over the country cut up fingers of toast for children to dip into soft-boiled eggs. In our family we call them ‘dippies’. A trip down memory lane…

2 fresh organic eggs

salt and freshly ground pepper

a few pats of butter

1 slice of fresh best quality white loaf bread

6-8 spears of fresh Irish asparagus

Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, gently slide in the eggs, bring the water back to the boil and simmer gently for 4-6 minutes, according to your taste. A four minute egg will be still quite soft, five minutes will almost set the white while the yolk will still be runny, 6 minutes will produce a boiled egg with a soft yolk and solid white.

Meanwhile toast the bread, cut off the crusts and spread with butter. Cut in fingers. Immediately the eggs are cooked, pop them into egg cups, put the dippies and asparagus on the side and serve with a pepper mill, sea salt and a few pats of butter.

To prepare and cook the asparagus.

Hold each spear of asparagus over your index finger down near the root end, it will snap at the point where it begins to get tough. Some people like to peel the asparagus, but we rarely do.

To boil.

Tie similar sized bundles of asparagus in bundles with raffia.  Choose a tall saucepan.

Cook in about 2.5cm (1 inch) of boiling salted water (1 teaspoon salt to every 600ml/1 pint) in an oval cast iron casserole. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes or until a knife tip will pierce the root end easily.  Drain and serve immediately.  If serving cold, refresh in cold water and drain again.

Perfect Poached Eggs on Toast

No fancy egg poachers or moulds are needed to produce a perfect result – simply use a really fresh egg laid by a happy, lazy duck or hen. The tips you hear about putting the vinegar in the water are really only valid for eggs that aren’t so fresh – if you have a fresh, organic egg, the albumen is strong enough to hold together. And in my book, what could possibly be the point of poaching an egg that wasn’t any good to start with?

Serves 1

2 organic eggs

toast, freshly made from a slice of pan loaf

Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil. Reduce the heat, swirl the water, crack the egg into a tiny bowl or a cup, and slip the egg 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.

Meanwhile, make a slice of toast. Cut off the crusts, butter the toast and pop it onto a hot plate. Lift out the poached egg or eggs on a perforated spoon; drain and place on top of the toast. Serve immediately.

Or you can poach the eggs ahead of time and then reheat them briefly in boiling water. Just cook them for a minute less than usual, and then slip them into a bowl of cold water to stop them from cooking further.

To reheat the poached eggs, bring a saucepan of water to the boil, draw off the heat and slip the egg back into the water for a minute or two until hot through.

Folded Eggs and Chives and Aleppo Pepper

You can also imagine how good it is with paper thin slices of chorizo or asparagus. We used wild garlic flowers to garnish while they are in season. 

2 organic eggs

1 tablespoon cream

flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

10g butter

25cm (10 inch) non-stick pan

freshly chopped chives and Aleppo pepper

Whisk the eggs with the cream.  Season generously with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Melt a blob of butter in the non-stick pan over a medium heat.  When it sizzles, pour on the egg and swirl to cover the base of the pan.  Allow the egg to set undisturbed for 10 seconds then gradually bring the edges of the egg to the centre with a spatula from all sides so it begins to look like a flower.  Just as soon as the liquid egg stops running, remove the pan from the heat, grind some coarse black pepper and sprinkle with finely chopped chives and Aleppo pepper.  Slide the egg onto a warm plate.  Serve as it is with toast or add bacon, avocado, tomato, smoked fish…Enjoy soon.

David Tanis’s Swiss Rösti with Smoked Salmon and Poached Egg

In Switzerland, rösti (pronounced roosh-ti) is considered a national dish, though it is most popular in the German-speaking regions of the country. Made from grated potatoes, it resembles American hash browns, fried in a skillet like a thick potato pancake and cut into wedges. Rösti is often enhanced with ham, bacon or cheese or served with sausages. This posh version is garnished with smoked salmon, sour cream and a poached egg, perfect for a weekend breakfast. For best results, boil the potatoes one day (or at least several hours) in advance and chill. Cook them until just done and still firm — check with a skewer or paring knife — or they will be impossible to grate.

Serves 4-6

900g (2lbs) yellow-fleshed potatoes, parboiled, peeled and chilled

salt and pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons clarified butter, duck fat or vegetable oil, plus more as needed

4-6 organic eggs, at room temperature

6 slices smoked salmon (about 225g/8oz)

225g (8oz) crème fraîche or sour cream

snipped chives, for garnish

watercress, for garnish

Using the large holes of a box grater, shred the parboiled potatoes onto a baking sheet. (Try not to mash them). Season with salt and pepper.

Place a 23cm (9 inch) cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons butter. When butter is hot, use a spatula to transfer all the grated potatoes to the skillet. Let the potatoes begin to brown, then turn heat to medium. Press down lightly with spatula to form a thick cake. Let the cake fry gently until the bottom is golden brown and crisp, about 10-15 minutes. Shake the pan to be sure the cake isn’t sticking; loosen with a spatula if necessary.

Lay a plate over the uncooked side of the cake and carefully invert the cake onto the plate, crisp side up. Return the skillet to the stove, add a little more butter to the pan as necessary and slip the cake back in, uncooked side down.

Fry gently for another 10-15 minutes, until crisp on the second side. Remove from heat and slide the cake (or invert) onto a plate or cutting board. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Keep warm.

Poach the eggs.

Fill a wide skillet halfway with water. Add a good pinch of salt and bring to a gentle simmer. Break each egg into a teacup, then carefully slip it beneath the water’s surface. Cook for 2 minutes, until eggs are barely set, then turn off heat. (Leave eggs in hot water to finish cooking as you prepare the plates).

Cut the rösti into wedges and divide among plates. Drape a slice of smoked salmon next to each wedge. Remove eggs one by one with a slotted spoon (holding a towel beneath spoon to catch excess water), and place on the other side of each wedge.

Top each wedge with a dollop of crème fraîche. Garnish with a sprinkle of chives and a sprig of watercress.

Asparagus, Rocket and Wild Garlic Frittata

This is an example of how we incorporate seasonal ingredients into a frittata.  Asparagus is an extra treat here; you can use any asparagus, but I tend to use the thin, weedy, but still delicious spears in frittata and to add to scrambled eggs.

Serves 6

225g (8oz) thin asparagus

8 organic eggs

50g (2oz) Parmesan or Pecorino or Coolea or a mixture, freshly grated

2-3 tablespoons roughly chopped wild garlic and rocket leaves

2 tablespoons olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

wild garlic flowers, to garnish (optional)

salad leaves, wild garlic and rocket, to serve

non-stick frying pan – 19cm (7 1/2 inch) bottom, 23cm (9 inch) top rim

Bring about 2.5cm (1 inch) of water to the boil in an oval casserole.  Trim the tough ends of the asparagus, add 1 teaspoon of salt and blanch for 2-4 minutes until.  Drain. Slice the spears at an angle, keeping 4cm at the top intact. Save for later.

Whisk the eggs together into a bowl.  Add the blanched asparagus, except the tops, most of the Parmesan and the wild garlic and rocket leaves.  Season well. 

Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the egg mixture and reduce the heat to the bare minimum – use a heat diffuser mat if necessary.  Arrange the asparagus tops over the frittata and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan.  Continue to cook over a gentle heat for about 15 minutes until just set.  Alternatively, after an initial 4 or 5 minutes on the hob you can transfer the pan to an oven (this is my preferred option), preheated to 170°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3 for 10-15 minutes until just set.

Pop under a grill for a few minutes, but make sure it is at least 12.5cm (5 inches) from the element.  It should be set and slightly golden. Turn out onto a warm plate, cut into wedges and serve immediately with a salad of organic leaves, including wild garlic and rocket.  Garnish with wild garlic flowers, if available.

Easter Egg Cake

A gorgeous, luscious Easter cake, fun for all the family. 

Makes 1 cake

400g (14oz) self-raising flour

300g (10oz) caster sugar

zest of 2 organic lemons (use the juice for homemade lemonade)

4 organic eggs, beaten

300ml (10fl oz) whole milk

300ml (10fl oz) light olive oil

Easter Egg nests (see recipe)

3 x 20.5cm (8 inch) round tins

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

Line the cake tins with parchment paper.

Sieve the flour, sugar and lemon freshly grated lemon zest into a bowl.  Whisk the egg, milk and oil together in a separate bowl.

Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and mix well.

Divide evenly between the three tins, bake in the preheated oven until well risen and golden on top for 30-45 minutes approx.

When the cake is fully cooked, it will have shrunk in a little from the sides of the tin.  A skewer inserted into the centre will come out clean.

Meringue Buttercream

Makes enough to ice one cake generously but you may want to use a little less.  Keep the remainder in an airtight box in the fridge to decorate cupcakes, cookies…use within 5 days.

150g (5oz) egg whites

225g (8oz) caster sugar

zest of 2 organic lemons (use the juice for homemade lemonade)

450g (1lb) butter, softened and cut into cubes.

Put the egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a food mixer, rest over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally until the egg whites reach 80°C. Whisk on maximum speed in the food mixer until stiffly whipped and cool. With the machine running, add the freshly grated lemon zest and butter, one piece at a time until it is fully incorporated. If the mixture begins to look curdled, continue to whisk until it re-emulsifies.

To Finish

Spread a layer of buttercream on 2 cakes, sandwich the three layers together.  Ice both the top and sides of the cake and decorate as desired. 

For this Easter Egg Cake, we make Easter Egg Nests to embellish the top but have fun, use your creative streak and get the kids to participate.  Enjoy and Happy Easter to one and all.

Easter Egg Nests

Super easy and fun to make – decorate with fluffy Easter chicks.

Makes 24

110g (4oz) Rice Krispies or Cornflakes

175g (6oz) chocolate

72 mini speckled eggs

cupcake papers or ring moulds

Put the chocolate in a Pyrex bowl over a saucepan of hot water.  Bring just to the boil, turn off the heat immediately and allow to melt in the bowl.  Stir in the Rice Krispies or Cornflakes.

Spoon into cupcake cases.  Flatten a little and make a well in the centre.  Fill with three speckled chocolate mini eggs.  Allow to set. 

There was a super buzz at the 30th Irish Food Writers Guild Awards at Suesey Street restaurant in Dublin‘s city centre recently. This was the first in-person award ceremony since 2020 and we were all thrilled to see each other once again.

The great and the good of the Irish food media were gathered together to celebrate the award winners…. Artisan producers – farmhouse cheesemakers, brewers, charcutiers, fish smokers…… plus two remarkable organisations.

The inspirational and much loved, Field of Dreams in Cork won the Community Food Award. This organic vegetable garden project used as a catalyst for learning and personal development has enriched the lives of the Cork Downs Syndrome community for many, many years.

Hero brothers, Kevin and Sheamus Sheridan, who have done so much for decades to encourage, support and promote Irish farmhouse cheesemakers won the Lifetime Achievement Award. From one small stall in the farmers market in Galway to 21 establishments in less than 30 years is quite the achievement. 

In the early 1980’s, we were a nation of Calvita eaters…. Kevin and Sheamus have not only provided a shop window for Irish Farmhouse cheeses but helped in no small way to change the image of Irish food both at home and abroad and opened up a brave new world for the distinctive cheeses of Ireland. 

The food writers who hadn’t met each other for over three years were delighted to catch up again and to meet the overjoyed award winners whom they had independently and anonymously proposed.

Nowadays, there are so many awards it’s difficult to keep track but crucial to the integrity of the IFWG Awards is the nomination and judging process. No company or individual can enter themselves but rather are nominated in a confidential process by the IFWG members. Products are bought and paid for, and a formal tasting meeting takes place where members vote, using proportional representation. 

Consequently, the IFWG awards are arguably the most coveted and prestigious of all the food awards. 

Apart from the last two winners, there were six others whom you really need to know about.

Two from Northern Ireland, both personal favourites of mine.

Ballylisk Triple Rose is a white mould ripened cheese, made by Mark Rice from a single herd on the family farm in Ballylisk in County Armagh, a gorgeous gooey feisty cheese… Watch this space, there’s already a range of accompaniments and several other cheeses with several more in development.

Lough Neagh smoked Eel is one of my all-time favourite traditional Irish foods with a wonderful backstory. Fishermen have been catching eels on Lough Neagh, the largest freshwater lake in these islands since the Bronze Age. The young elvers are born in the Sargosso sea and gradually make the long and perilous journey across the wild Atlantic Ocean to mature in the unique habitat of Lough Neagh. In 1965, the Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-Operative was set up with the express intention of safeguarding the traditional methods of catching eels and it has steadfastly maintained its focus on building a sustainable and viable future for succeeding generations of fishers.

It was a world that fascinated Sheamus Heaney, who wrote A Lough Neagh Sequence for the fishermen. 

In 2011, Lough Neagh eel was awarded a coveted PGI (protected geographical indication) by the EU. I love to enjoy it simply and savour it slowly with a little brown bread and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, perhaps a little horseradish.  The chef at Suesey Street made a beautiful starter plate of Smoked Lough Neagh Eel with Sheep’s Yoghurt Mousse and Dill.  I also love therecipe for Jeremy Lee‘s iconic smoked eel sandwich at Quo Vadis in Dean St in London’s Soho (see Examiner column 5^th March 2022). This recipe with many of Jeremy’s other classic recipes come from his new book ‘Cooking Simply and Well for One or Many’ published by 4th Estate.   

The Environmental Award went to The Wooded Pig.

Coppa from a range of artisan charcuterie made by Eoin Bird from ethically raised, rare breed pigs reared on his family farm near Tara in County Meath. The pigs roam freely in the woodlands in the time-honoured way though the ash, oak and beech trees snuffling up oak mast and acorns, which add immeasurably to the flavour of the charcuterie.

Eoin and his family fundamentally believe that as custodians of the lush verdant landscape, they must champion a biodiverse way of farming that is sustainable, places the animals welfare at the heart of what they do and is good for nature and wildlife also. www.thewoodedpig.ie

The Notable Contribution to Irish Food Award was won by Gabriel Flaherty of Aran Island Goats Cheese in County Galway. Gabriel became intrigued by cheesemaking after his wife gave him a birthday present of a course. He bought a herd of frisky Nubian, and Saanen goats who love the beautiful herby pastures on the island, he started to experiment and the rest is history. Gabriel combines his love of cheese with bespoke tours on the history, culture, and food of his beloved Inis Mór …www.arangoatcheese.com

And last, but certainly not least, the Irish Drink Award went to Béal Bán from Beoir Chorcha Dhuibhne also known as West Kerry Brewery. The Brewery is based in the garden of Adrienne Heslins pub, Tig Bric in Ballyferriter on the lovely Dingle peninsula. It was the first brewery in Kerry and the first in Ireland to be founded and managed by a woman. Still proudly independent, Adrienne brews what she calls ‘progressive, traditional’ beers…  Besides Béal Bán, they now have 17 beers in their portfolio so be sure to call in to the pub on your next visit to the Dingle peninsula.

www.westkerrybrewery.ie

Continue to seek out beautiful Irish artisan products to support those food heroes who enrich our lives so much….

Aran Island Goat’s Cheese and Thyme Leaf Soufflé

We bake this soufflé until golden and puffy in a shallow oval dish instead of the traditional soufflé bowl; it makes a perfect lunch or supper dish.

Serves 6

75g (3oz) butter

40g (1 1/2 oz) flour

300ml (10fl oz) cream

300ml (10fl oz) milk

a few slices of carrot

sprig of thyme, a few parsley stalks and a little scrap of bay leaf

1 small onion, quartered

5 eggs free range organic, separated

110g (4oz) crumbled Aran Island goat’s cheese

75g (3oz) Gruyère cheese

50g (2oz) mature Coolea farmhouse cheese, grated (Parmesan – Parmigiano Reggiano or Regato may also be used)

a good pinch of salt, cayenne, freshly ground pepper and nutmeg

2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

Garnish

thyme flowers if available

30cm (12 inch) shallow oval dish (not a soufflé dish) or 6 individual wide soup bowls with a rim

Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8.

Brush the bottom and sides of the dish with melted butter.

Put the cream and milk into a saucepan, add a few slices of carrot, a quartered onion, 4 or 5 peppercorns and the fresh herbs.  Bring slowly to the boil and allow to infuse for 10 minutes.   Strain and discard the flavourings, (we rinse them off and throw them into the stockpot if there is one on the go.)

Melt the butter, add the flour and cook for a minute or two.  Whisk in the strained cream and milk, bring to the boil and whisk until it thickens.   Cool slightly.   Add the egg yolks, goat’s cheese, grated Gruyère and most of the grated Coolea (or Parmesan if using.)  Season with salt, freshly ground pepper, cayenne and nutmeg.   Taste and correct seasoning. Whisk the egg whites stiffly and fold them gently into the mixture to make a loose consistency.   Put the mixture into the prepared dish, scatter the thyme leaves on top and sprinkle with the remaining Coolea or Parmesan cheese. 

Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until the sides and top are nicely puffed up and golden, the centre should still be creamy. Garnish with thyme flowers.

Serve immediately on warm plates with a good green salad.

The Wooded Pig Coppa-Wrapped Monkfish

Head Chef Deniss Laskeno of Suesey Street, kindly shared this recipe with me.

Serves 4

800g (1 3/4lb) monkfish

100g – 120g (3 1/2 – scant 4 1/2oz) The Wooded Pig Coppa

For the brine:

60g (scant 2 1/2oz) granulated sugar

30g (1 1/4oz) salt

15g (generous 1/2oz) light brown sugar

1 litre (1 3/4 pints) water 

2g ground black pepper

1g garlic powder 

10g (scant 1/2oz) Worcestershire sauce

1 fresh bay leaf 

For the morel sauce:

100g (3 1/2oz) fresh morels

10g (scant 1/2oz) butter

10g (scant 1/2oz) garlic, finely diced

10g (scant 1/2oz) shallots

100ml (3 1/2fl oz) Madeira

10g (scant 1/2oz) salt

2g black pepper

100ml (3 1/2fl oz) double cream

For the vegetables:

150g (5oz) peas, blanched and refreshed

150g (5oz) broad beans, blanched and refreshed

12 baby leeks, trimmed, blanched and refreshed

a little white wine

1/2 lemon

butter

olive oil

To prepare the monkfish:

To get your monkfish ready for brining, trim the tail, hold the skin with a towel in your hand, and pull it from the flesh like you would remove your socks.

Place all ingredients for brine in a large pot and bring to the boil.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Submerge monkfish in brine and leave in the fridge for 24 hours.

After removing monkfish from the brine, wash in ice cold water for a few minutes. Pat dry and place in the fridge to air dry for 2-5 hours.

Wipe down the workstation with a damp cloth to keep the surface slightly wet. This will help the cling film to stick to the table, preventing it from sliding around as you work.

Place a layer of cling film onto the working surface, ensuring that it covers the surface completely. Lay an even layer of coppa on top of the cling film, making sure that it is at least twice as wide as the thickness of your fillet. This will ensure that the coppa evenly covers the entire fillet.

Using the cling film, carefully roll the coppa and fillet into a tight roulade, being sure to squeeze out any excess air as you go. Once you have rolled it to your liking, tie off both ends tightly.

Steam at 63°C for 7 minutes. Once it has been cooked, place it into a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. When it has cooled, cut into four portions.

To make the morel sauce:

Start by cleaning the morels with a soft brush to remove any dirt or debris. Cut off the bottom part of the stems if they are tough and discard.

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the diced garlic and shallots and sauté until softened and fragrant.

Deglaze the pan with Madeira and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Add the cleaned morels to the pan and stir to coat them in the sauce. Season with salt and black pepper.

Pour in the double cream and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the sauce for about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it has thickened and reduced by half. Once the sauce has thickened, remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.

Transfer the morel sauce to a blender and blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, you can add a little water or more cream to thin to your desired consistency.

To prepare the vegetables:

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

Pan fry the monkfish portions to a golden colour on a hot pan, ensuring a delightful sear on all sides.

Carefully transfer monkfish to an oven tray and add a drizzle of lemon, a splash of white wine, and a dollop of butter on top of each piece. Place the monkfish in the oven and cook for 7-10 minutes, depending on the size of the fish. We aim to reach a temperature of 73°C, probing the fish close to the bone to ensure the entire piece is cooked to perfection.

Reheat the broad beans and peas in a sizzling sauté pan over medium high heat with a touch of butter or olive oil and season them with salt.

We prefer to char our baby leeks over an open flame, but feel free to use your preferred method of cooking.

To assemble:

Place the morel sauce on the plate and lay the vegetables on top. Add with the coppa-wrapped monkfish and delicate, fresh microgreen leaves.

Yoghurt and Cardamom Cream

If you can’t source Velvet Cloud, use the very best natural yoghurt that you can find.

Serves 8-10

225ml (8fl oz) milk

110g (4oz) caster sugar

200ml (7fl oz) cream

1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds, freshly ground – you’ll need about 8-10 green cardamom pods depending on size

3 rounded teaspoons powdered gelatine

425ml (15fl oz) Velvet Cloud natural yoghurt

Garnish: fresh mint leaves

8 moulds or serving dishes

Put the milk, sugar and cream into a stainless-steel saucepan with the ground cardamom, stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Remove from the heat and leave to sit to infuse while you dissolve the gelatine. Sponge the gelatine in a small bowl with 3 tablespoons of cold water. Put the bowl into a saucepan of simmering water until the gelatine has melted and is completely clear. Add a little of the infused milk mixture and stir well and then mix this into the rest. Beat the yoghurt lightly with a whisk until smooth and creamy, add into the cardamom mixture.

Pour into individual moulds. Allow to set for several hours, preferably overnight.

Just before serving.

Unmould a cardamom cream onto a cold plate and garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.  Alternatively, serve the cardamom cream in individual bowls and garnish with mint leaves.

Ballylisk Triple Rose with Homemade Crackers

We love these homemade crackers with Ballylisk Tripe Rose cheese.

Makes 20-25 biscuits

Ballylisk Triple Rose cheese

Homemade Crackers

225g (8oz) plain white flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

25g (1oz) butter

1 tablespoons cream

water as needed, 5 tablespoons approx.

Put the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.   Rub in the butter and moisten with the cream and enough water to make a firm dough.

Roll out very thinly to one sixteenth of an inch approx.  Prick with a fork.  Cut into 9cm (3 1/2 inch) squares with a pastry wheel.  Bake at 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 for 30 minutes approx. or until lightly browned and quite crisp.  Cool on a wire rack.

Note: For Wheaten Crackers – use 110g (4oz) wholemeal flour and 110g (4oz) plain white flour.

Touch wood, I’m almost afraid to mention it but at last, life has returned pretty much to normal here at the Ballymaloe Cookery School.
Excited students from all over the world bounce into the school every morning, eager to cook and absorb every new technique and every ounce of information. They will be with us for 12 action packed weeks, learning how food is produced, cooked, pickled, preserved and served from the much-hackneyed phrase…the farm to the fork.
It’s such a joy to also be able to invite guest chefs to the school once more.
This week, we had three lots of excitement in our lives.
Past Student Ben Fenton returned from the US to Shanagarry to celebrate his birthday at the Blackbird in Ballycotton and to tell the current batch of students about the microbrewery called Hop Yard All Works he has set up in Appleton, Wisconsin.  The beer was fantastically good…
On Thursday, Suzanne Nelson from Stissing House, the beautiful shaker house in Pine Plains, upstate New York, originally pastry chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley in California and for a number of years, lead baker in Ken Forkish’s viennoiserie section at his bakery in Portland (Oregon), joined us as guest chef to share some of the secrets of a pastry chef.
There were six nationalities on the course and people joined in from all over the world on Ballymaloe Cookery School Online.
It was so fun, Suzanne cooked six different dishes both sweet and savoury, guests favourites from Stissing House, all of which can be easily reproduced by enthusiastic home cooks.
Each had an interesting twist, I particularly loved the spiced venison stew with apricots and prunes. The stew itself is rich and delicious, but the pastry really intrigued me. It was made with tallow or what we call dripping…a sort of hot water crust, super easy to make and perfect for those who have a block about making pastry.
Dripping is super easy to make yourself, just ask your local butcher for the suet from around the beef kidney, chop it up coarsely, render it slowly into a liquid in a low oven. Both dripping and tallow keep for months, and it’s packed with minerals and vitamins, particularly Vitamin B. It also makes the most delicious chips and roasties and dripping toast…
The pastry for the onion tart was equally interesting, but this time it was made with butter and pressed into the tart tin, another gem for pastry shy cooks.
Suzanne likes to use red as well as white onions in her onion tart, but I was fascinated by the technique of adding the onions into the melted butter to pre-cook in three separate batches so there would be a difference of texture in the filling.
I’ve also included this recipe for Suzanne’s maple syrup and walnut ice cream which we served in an ice bowl,  surrounded by pink camellia flowers from the garden.
Our third celebrity visitor this week was an eighteen-year-old baker Kitty Tait from the Orange Bakery in Watlington, whose story is equally inspiring.
In her early teens, Kitty suffered from crippling  mental health problems, and eventually found solace and satisfaction through breadmaking… Seven years later, eager customers queue all along the High Street in this little Oxfordshire town for the bread and pastries she and her dad and their little team of enthusiastic bakers make in the Orange Bakery.

Her bestselling cookbook Breadsong was published in 2022 by Bloomsbury Publishing.
Here’s the recipe for Kitty’s Miracle Overnight White Loaf (no-knead bread).  The students were totally inspired by her story of depression and recovery and her new enterprise KittyKits …. all this while, she is still just 18 years of age….

Suzanne Nelson’s Onion Tart

This is a brilliant pastry for those who think they can’t make pastry.  The pastry keeps fresh in the fridge for 5-6 days.

Makes 1 x 30cm (12 inch) shallow (2.5cm/1 inch) tart

Serves 6-8

Butter and line the base of the tart tin

Pastry

110g (4oz) butter, melted

70ml (scant 3fl oz) water

1/2 – 3/4 teaspoon salt to taste

400g (14oz) plain flour

Onion Filling

6-7 medium onions (1.5kg/3lb 5oz) mix of red and sweet white onions (Vidalia if available)

100g (3 1/2oz) butter

salt and freshly ground black pepper

about 250ml (9fl oz) white wine

4 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

150ml (5fl oz) cream

50ml (2fl oz) crème fraîche

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons thyme leaves, chopped (optional)

nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 (or 180°C fan)

Pastry

Heat the butter, water and salt for the pastry in a small saucepan until bubbling. Have the flour in a bowl, then tip in the bubbling butter. Mix until you have a ball that comes away from the sides of the bowl.

Put the pastry into the tin in blobs and press with your fingers until it covers the base and all the way up the sides, so it sticks out a little around the top – trim the edges if preferred. Prick all over with a fork, reserving any extra pastry for patching. Bake blind for 20 minutes until golden and crisp – after 15 minutes, press down with the flat base of a glass or 1/4 cup measure.

Filling 

Peel and thinly slice the onions.

Melt butter in a large cast iron saucepan and add a quarter of the onions, sprinkle with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir well to coat with butter. Cook for approx. 20 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Add one third of the wine and another quarter of onions and cook for a further 20 minutes repeating the process until all the onions and wine have been incorporated. Cook until completely soft and all the liquid has been absorbed, this will take an approx. 1 1/2 hours, pay closer attention towards the end so it doesn’t burn.  Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, and a sprinkle of sugar to bring out the flavours of the onions. Take off the heat and leave to cool completely.  Tip into the partly baked tart shell.

Lightly beat the 4 eggs + 2 yolks with the cream and crème fraîche, add salt and pepper and pour over the onions. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of chopped thyme if desired.  Grate lots and lots of nutmeg on top.

Bake at 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 30 minutes until golden.

Suzanne Nelson’s Winter Venison Pie

The filling can be made several days ahead – rabbit can also be substituted for venison in season. 

Makes enough for a 1.2 litre/2 pint pie dish

Serves 6

Tallow Pie Crust

360g (scant 12 1/2oz) plain flour

225g (8oz) dripping (tallow) (rendered suet from beef kidney)

118ml (generous 4 1/4fl oz) water

1 teaspoon (5g) salt

Venison Pie Filling

1kg (2 1/4lb) shoulder of venison, off the bone and trimmed

sprinkle of salt

50-100g (2 – 3 1/2oz) dripping, bacon fat or butter

2 1/2 teaspoons black peppercorns

2 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds

1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries

1 teaspoon ground or 1 blade mace

2 teaspoons ground or 1 stick cinnamon

450g (1lb) onions

1 tablespoon flour

450ml (16fl oz) beef or venison stock and/or red wine

200g (7oz) dried apricots, cut in large chunks

200g (7oz) dried prunes

zest and juice of 1 orange

Egg Wash

1 egg plus 1 yolk lightly beaten with a splash of cream

Dripping Pie Crust

Put the flour in a bowl, make a well in the centre.

Melt the beef dripping (tallow) and water together in a small saucepan, add salt and stir to dissolve, pour into flour, and mix to combine. Form into a ball, flatten into a round, wrap and chill until needed.

Venison Pie Filling

Cut the meat into 2.5 – 4cm (1 – 1 1/2 inch) cubes and lightly salt.

Allow to rest for 15-20 minutes while the remainder of the ingredients are prepared.

Peel and slice the onions.

Leave the apricots and prunes whole unless any are larger than a reasonable bite size, in which case cut in half, combine with the orange juice and zest.

Grind the whole spices in an electric spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar and mix with the already ground spices.

Melt the dripping (tallow) or butter in a wide cast iron frying pan and have ready a lidded casserole to cook the meat in the oven.  Brown the meat in batches on a high heat and transfer to the casserole.  Deglaze the pan with a little stock and add to the venison. Add the spices, onions and flour to the frying pan and cook for a minute or so more to bloom the spices.  Add the stock and wine, bring to a simmer.  Stir in the dried fruits, orange juice and zest and pour over the venison in the casserole.

Bring to the boil then transfer to the oven 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2 for 2 1/2 – 3 hours until the meat is very tender.  Taste and adjust seasonings and allow to cool completely.

Put into the pie dish or individual dishes.

Roll out the tallow crust and drape over the top of the well filled pie dish. Crimp the sides, make some decorative holes in the top.  Egg wash.

Bake 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7 for 20 minutes then lower heat to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 20 minutes.  The pastry should be nicely golden on top.  

Serve immediately.

Suzanne Nelson’s Maple Walnut Ice Cream

Based on a recipe by Wolfgang Puck

This ice-cream base benefits from curing for up to 3 days, giving a fluffy ice-cream. 

475ml (17fl oz) maple syrup

475ml (17fl oz) milk

475ml (17fl oz) double cream

pinch of salt

8 egg yolks

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

200g (7oz) walnuts (halves or very coarsely chopped pieces)

Place the maple syrup in a pan over a medium heat, bring to the boil, lower the heat to avoid the maple syrup boiling over and/or scorching and reduce by half (approx. 235ml/8 1/2fl oz).  Cool completely.

Meanwhile, heat the milk and cream together with a pinch of salt and when hot, gradually add to the egg yolks whisking all the time. Continuing to stir, bring the mixture to 76°C/170°F to custard (use a thermometer).  Add the vanilla extract. 

Add in the reduced maple syrup, stir well and strain into a container, cover and chill for 24 hours.

Adjust with a little vanilla extract and more salt if needed before churning (spinning). Transfer from the container into a big wide bowl, stir in the walnuts and freeze again for a further 24 hours before serving. 

Kitty Tait’s Miracle Overnight White Loaf

From Breadsong published by Bloomsbury Publishing
This was the first bread recipe I learnt to bake, and how the simple ingredients transform into a loaf still feels like magic. All you need to make a loaf twice as fast as anything on the supermarket shelf, with a crunchy crust and pillowy crumb, is a casserole dish with a lid and an oven that can get up to 230˚C/450˚F/Gas Mark 8. If you make only a single recipe from this entire book, this one will probably give you the biggest thrill. It’s truly a miracle.

Makes 1 loaf

500g (18oz) strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
10g (scant 1/2oz) fine sea salt
3g (scant 1/8oz) instant dried yeast (1 teaspoon or slightly less than half a 7g (1/4oz) sachet)
330ml (11 1/4fl oz) lukewarm water

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl and add the salt and yeast. Stir everything together using either a sturdy spoon or your hands. Bit by bit, gently mix in the lukewarm water until a shaggy dough forms. We call this the Scooby dough in homage to Scooby-Doo.

Place a damp tea towel over the rim of the bowl and leave in a cosy (draught-free) place to prove for 12-16 hours, overnight is best. Time transforms your scrappy, dull dough into a bubbly, live creature of its own.

Once your dough has risen and is bubbling away, tip it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Remember, it’s alive, so the greater respect you show the dough with gently handling, the more it will reward you and the better your loaf will come out. Gently shape the dough into a ball (a well-floured plastic dough scraper really helps here), making sure there is a light coating of flour all over.

Place the shaped dough on a sheet of parchment paper, cover with a damp tea towel and set aside in a warm, cosy place to rest for 1 hour.

Halfway through the resting time, preheat the oven to 230˚C/450˚F/Gas Mark 8 (or as high as it will go). Put a large cast-iron casserole dish with a lid and a heatproof handle into the hot oven for 30 minutes to heat up.

Once the casserole dish is good and hot, carefully take it out of the oven and lift off the lid. Uncover the dough and using the parchment paper, lift and then lower the dough into the heated casserole dish. Using a sharp knife, razor blade or scissors; score the top of the dough with slashes in any pattern you like – one long slash, a cross, a square or even a smiley face.

Pour a couple of tablespoons of water inside the casserole around the dough, replace the lid and put the dish back in the hot oven. Bake for 30 minutes with the lid on. Remove the lid to reveal your magnificent loaf and then continue to bake uncovered for a further 10 minutes to get a nice, golden crust or 15 minutes if you like your loaf a bit darker.

Place the loaf on a wire rack and leave to cool for at least 30 minutes. This is the hardest part, but it’s also the most important as the bread keeps cooking after you take it out of the oven.

There’s a special day allocated to celebrate almost anything one can think of these days but I’m sure we all agree that if ever a celebration was warranted, it’s Mother’s Day.
It’s a movable feast so keeping up with the annual date is tricky enough. Here in these islands, it’s rooted in the Christian observance of Lent so Mothering Sunday is celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent, exactly 3 weeks before Easter. Not only does it land on a different date each year, but it’s celebrated at different times around the world. So, check it out…. If your mum is in the US, it’ll be the second Sunday in May.
My lovely Mum, mother of nine, passed away over a decade ago now.  Little things remind me of her almost every day, but Mother’s Day really brings memories flooding back.  I remember her delight when we would pick a simple little posy of primroses for her, bake a few fairy cakes or a rhubarb tart or bring her breakfast in bed…
Looking back with hindsight, many of us will remember with regret how obnoxious we were during our teens and look back with shame at the torment and annoyance we caused our long-suffering parents. Hopefully we have found the right moment to tell them how sorry we are for the hoops we put them through….
Invariably, we don’t remember just how abominable and unreasonable we were until our children are going through the same phase …!
Mother’s Day gives us all, young and old the opportunity to let actions speak louder than words.
If cooking isn’t your forte, you could treat your Mum to a slap up meal in anything from a ritzy restaurant to the local café depending on your finances.  If you’re broke as well as culinarily challenged in the midst of this cost of living crisis, not to worry, it’s time to get creative and offer your services instead…
How about a practical gift token instead…I bet that an offer to wash and valet the car or clean out the fridge will be greatly appreciated…
If you have green figures, a pledge to weed the flowerbed after Winter or dig the vegetable patch will be greeted enthusiastically. You might even manage to buy a few fresh herbs to plant into a tub or hanging basket by the kitchen door.
An offer to do the washing up every evening for a week or even once would win you serious brownie points. Most mothers loathe ironing with a passion, so that’s another way to show your devotion. If you too hate ironing, grit your teeth, and cheer yourself up that you are developing life skills…That’s the sort of ‘Mumsie’ remark that my daughters hate! I am one of the rare people who love ironing but rarely do it!
If you have the cash, newspapers, magazines and the internet are packed with ideas for special Mother’s Day gifts over and above the usual cards and flowers – a voucher for a spa treatment, a ticket to her favourite retro gig, maybe even a karaoke session…
And no, not an expensive tub of anti-aging cream. I’m totally happy with my wrinkles – honourable scars built up over the years. If I could make a wish, it would be that all mothers could be released from the beauty industry’s insistence that we must look forever young.  So let’s let go of ‘aging anxiety’ and embrace our very own natural beauty.
Flamboyant gifts are all very fine, but this is a cooking column.
This year, Mother’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day and Easter are all in quick succession so here are a couple of my mother’s delicious family recipes plus my favourite comforting Irish stew for Saint Patrick’s Day and a recipe for rainbow cake from the revised edition of Mary Berry’s ‘Baking Bible’ which has just arrived in the post.
Finally a recipe for Simnel cake which coincidentally was traditionally made by servant girls to bring home to their mothers as a gift on Mothering Sunday.
I have a feeling that it was unlikely to have been as rich and delicious as this version…make it now so it’ll be ready to enjoy for Easter Sunday afternoon tea with family and friends.

Ballymaloe Irish Stew

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a traditional Irish Stew, a classic one-pot dish.  The recipe varies from region to region – in Cork, carrots are a quintessential addition, not so in parts of Ulster.   Pearl barley is a favourite addition, originally added to bulk up the stew.

Serves 4-8

1.1 – 1.35kg (2 1/2 – 3lbs) lamb chops (gigot from the shoulder of lamb or a combination of gigot and neck chops) not less than 2.5cm (1 inch) thick

8 medium or 12 baby carrots

8 medium or 12 baby onions

8 -12 potatoes, or more if you like

salt and freshly ground pepper

850ml – 1 litre (scant 1 1/2 – 1 3/4 pints) stock (lamb stock, chicken stock) or water

1 sprig of thyme

1 tablespoon roux, optional (equal quantities of butter and flour cooked for 2 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally – it will keep at least a fortnight in a refrigerator)

Garnish

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives

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

Cut the chops in half and trim off some of the excess fat. Set aside. Render the lamb fat on a gentle heat in a heavy pan (discard the rendered down pieces).

Trim the root end of the onions.

Peel the onions and scrape or thinly peel the carrots (if they are young you may want to leave some of the green stalk on the onion and carrot). Cut the carrots into large chunks, or if they are small, leave whole. If the onions are large, cut them into quarters through the root, when small they are best left whole.

Toss the meat in the hot fat on the pan until it is slightly brown. Transfer the meat into a casserole, then quickly toss the onions and carrots in the fat. Build the meat, carrots and onions up in layers in the casserole, carefully season each layer with freshly ground pepper and salt. Degrease the pan with lamb stock, bring to the boil and pour into the casserole. Peel the potatoes and lay them on top of the casserole, so they will steam while the stew cooks. Season the potatoes. Add a sprig of thyme, bring to the boil on top of the stove, cover with a butter wrapper or paper lid and the lid of the saucepan. Transfer to a moderate oven or allow to simmer on top of the stove until the stew is cooked, 1 – 1 1/2 hours approx., depending on whether the stew is being made with lamb or hogget

If using floury potatoes (not waxy) such as Golden Wonder or Kerr’s pinks, do not add them into the stew until after 1 hour of cooking. Sit them on top of the meat and vegetables and continue to cook for 30 minutes more.

When the stew is cooked, remove the sprig of thyme.  Pour off the cooking liquid, de-grease and reheat in another saucepan. Thicken slightly by whisking in a little roux. Check seasoning, then add chopped parsley and chives. Pour over the meat and vegetables. Bring the stew back up to boiling point and serve from the pot or in a large pottery dish sprinkled with herbs.

Variations

Irish Stew with Pearl Barley

Add 1-2 tablespoons pearl barley with the vegetables.

Increase the stock to 1.2 litres (2 pints) as the pearl barley soaks up lots of liquid.

Mary Berry’s Rainbow Cake

Recipe from Mary Berry’s Baking Bible published by BBC Books/ Penguin Random House UK

A fun cake for Easter.  From the outside, it looks like any other cake, but once you cut into it, it reveals itself to be as colourful as a rainbow.  For St. Patrick’s Day, one could just do layers of green, white and gold and decorate it with crystallised primroses and wood sorrel leaves that look like Shamrocks – sounds cheesy but it’ll taste delicious.

Serves 20

6 eggs

375g (13oz) caster sugar

375g (13oz) soft butter or baking spread, straight from the fridge

375g (13oz) self-raising flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 tablespoons milk

food colouring paste or gel (in 6 different colours)

For the cream cheese icing:

375g (13oz) butter, softened

3 tablespoons milk

750g (1lb 10oz) icing sugar, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

275g (10oz) full-fat cream cheese

hundreds and thousands, to decorate

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

Grease and line two 20cm (8 inch) round loose-bottomed cake tins with non-stick baking paper. 

Measure one-third of the cake ingredients into a large bowl and whisk using an electric hand whisk for 2 minutes.  Divide the mixture into 2 bowls and add some food colouring to each bowl (two different colours) and mix well. 

Spoon into the tins and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, or until well risen and springing back when pressed in the centre with your fingertips.  Remove from the tins and leave to cool on a wire rack. 

Wash, grease and reline the tins.  Repeat the method to make four more cakes, all in different colours.

To make the cream cheese icing, beat the butter and milk with half of the icing sugar in a large bowl, using an electric hand whisk, until smooth.  Add the remaining icing sugar, the vanilla extract and the cream cheese and beat until light and fluffy. 

To assemble the cake, remove the baking paper from all six cakes.  Place the violet cake on a cake board and spread with a little icing.  Continue to layer the cakes with icing sugar until you have all six cakes stacked neatly with the red cake on top.  Cover the whole surface of the cake with a thin layer of icing, then place in the fridge for 20 minutes.  This will help to seal the crumbs. 

Once the icing is firm, cover with a final layer and spread to make a smooth finish.  Sprinkle the top with hundreds and thousands. 

Mummy’s Country Rhubarb Cake

This traditional Irish recipe is particularly interesting because it uses sour milk or buttermilk. The resulting texture is soft – more cakey than other pastries. Even though it is referred to as rhubarb cake, it was always made in the shape of a pie or tart on a plate. Mummy made it throughout the year with whatever fruit was in season: rhubarb or green gooseberries were especially irresistible because all the bittersweet juices soaked into the pastry. According to the season, she also used plums, apples, blackberries and damsons. It’s important that firm fruit (such as apples and rhubarb) is thinly sliced, otherwise it doesn’t cook properly.

Serves 8

For the Pastry

350g (12oz) white flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

40g (1 1⁄2oz) caster sugar

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

110g (4oz) butter

1 organic egg, beaten

about 125ml (4 1/2fl oz) sour milk or buttermilk

700g (1 1⁄2lb) rhubarb, thinly sliced

225g (8oz) granulated sugar

egg wash

To Serve

caster sugar, for sprinkling

soft brown sugar and softly whipped cream

25cm (10 inch) enamel or Pyrex plate

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

Sieve the flour, salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Rub in the butter. Add the beaten egg and enough sour milk to mix to a stiff dough. Turn out onto a floured board. Divide in two. Roll both pieces into rounds large enough to fit your enamel or Pyrex plate and line the plate with one of the rounds. Put a good layer of thinly sliced rhubarb on the pastry, sprinkle the sugar over the top and cover with the other piece of dough. Pinch the edges together. Brush the top with egg wash. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour or until the pastry is golden and the rhubarb is soft and juicy.

Sprinkle with caster sugar; serve warm with soft brown sugar and softly whipped cream.

Simnel Cake

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

225g (8oz) butter

225g (8oz) pale, soft brown sugar

6 eggs, preferably free range

300g (10oz) white flour

1 teaspoon mixed spice

65ml (2 1/2fl oz) Irish whiskey

350g (12oz) best quality sultanas

350g (12oz) best quality currants

350g (12oz) best quality raisins

110g (4oz) cherries

110g (4oz) homemade candied peel

50g (2oz) whole almonds

50g (2oz) ground almonds

rind of 1 lemon

rind of 1 orange

1 large or 2 small Bramley Seedling apples, grated

Almond Paste

450g (1lb) ground almonds

450g (1lb) caster sugar

2 small eggs

a drop of pure almond extract

2 tablespoons Irish whiskey

Line the base and sides of a 23cm (9 inch) round, or an 20.5cm (8 inch) 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 caster sugar and mix with the ground almonds. Beat the eggs, add the whiskey and 1 drop of pure almond extract, 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 a 21.5cm (8 1/2 inch) 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 your 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 for a further 2 1/2 hours approximately until cooked, 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 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 some extra greaseproof paper and tin foil until required.

When you wish to ice the cake, roll the remainder of the almond paste into a 23cm (9 inch) 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 4cm (1 1/2 inch) 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 Chicken.  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 almond paste again.

Empty baskets in the vegetable and fruit section of our supermarkets (and even more so in the UK) in recent weeks has sent a quiver of panic through the retail trade. Shoppers are having to become accustomed to gaps on the shelves.

The shortages are caused by a variety of factors, unpredictable weather conditions linked to climate change, soaring fuel costs, staff shortages and supply chain issues.

An unexpectedly cold snap in Spain during the past month resulted in 16 consecutive nights of below zero temperatures. The increasing energy costs have meant that many growers delayed planting crops or actually left their greenhouses empty altogether because they simply no longer afford to grow at a loss…

It’s crunch time, there simply isn’t enough product to go around. For far too long, we have ignored the vegetable and fruit growers’ warnings that they cannot continue to grow indefinitely unless they are paid a fair price for what they produce. Already many experienced growers who have been in business for generations have reluctantly locked their gates and are selling up.

It’s abundantly clear that our food supply system is deeply flawed and the just-in-time delivery model leaves us vulnerable to unexpected shocks. This wakeup call exposes the fragility of the modern supply chain.

Regular readers of this column will recall that I have highlighted this issue on many occasions. We urgently need a government food strategy that supports Irish farmers to produce fresh local food so we are no longer overly reliant on importing fresh products from thousands of miles away. Otherwise, we will have no Irish vegetable growers within a couple of years and then what….

Advance planning is crucial, fresh food cannot be spirited onto the shelves in a few days…… It takes 3 to 5 months for many vegetables to grow from seed to shelf.

Meanwhile, at home. Let’s take back control – let’s consider growing some of our own food. It couldn’t be a better time of the year, Spring is in the air, perfect time to sow seeds.

Even if you’ve never grown anything in your life before, you can certainly grow some salad leaves, even on your balcony or windowsill…. All you’ll need is a container, could be a recycled box or even a plastic mushroom container from your local greengrocer…Fill it up with some soil or compost, scatter some salad mix seeds over the top, sprinkle on a little more soil and mist with water…Cover with a sheet of damp newspaper…The seeds will germinate within a couple of days, remove the paper….They love plenty of light, then all you need is a bit of patience as you watch your salad leaves grow…Within a few weeks, you’ll be able to harvest your very own salad leaves several times.

Then you may want to progress to a raised (or otherwise) bed in your garden.

In the US, an enthusiastic movement to ‘Grow Food, Not Lawns’ has been gathering momentum for some time now – www.foodnotlawns.com

Meanwhile, let’s go out of our way to source freshly harvested local food, jumping with vital nutrients to ensure optimum health. We can all take matters into our own hands and make a difference by actively sourcing in local shops and farmers markets….

Hotels, restaurants, hospitals, universities around the country can also make a dramatic contribution by linking in with local farmers and food producers to commission them to grow, even staples like potatoes, carrots, salad leaves and onions at an agreed price, a win-win situation for all.

Our current food system is broken… it’s time for urgent action…

Meanwhile, on both a government and personal level, we can and must, all make a difference. Let’s make a concerted effort to eat with the seasons when local food is at peak flavour and perfection …

So, what’s in season?

It can be confusing, ask your local shop or supermarket to identify local seasonal produce on their shelves … Winter roots and greens are at their peak at present so look out for kales, chard, Savoy cabbage, cauliflower, leeks… Swede turnips, Jerusalem artichokes, black radishes, winter carrots, parsnips… The first of the new seasons rhubarb is ready for picking and if you have access to wild watercress, it’s deliciously peppery at present, perfect for salads, soups and garnishing.

Have fun experimenting, use lots of spices and lashings of gutsy winter herbs …. Enjoy and give thanks to Mother Nature for her bounty…

Soda Bread Focaccia with Roast Jerusalem Artichokes, Potato and Thyme Leaves

Jerusalem artichokes look like knobbly potatoes but have quite a different flavour and are really, really worth seeking out. If you don’t already have them in your garden you’ll find them in some of the better supermarkets and certainly on stalls in local farmers markets. For example, Midleton, Mahon Point and Skibbereen…They’re in season at present, incredibly versatile, here is yet another way to enjoy them…

450g (1lb) plain white flour

1 level teaspoon salt

1 level teaspoon bread soda

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

Topping

450g (1lb) Jerusalem artichokes

450g (1lb) cooked potatoes, sliced

salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves

225g (8oz) Gruyère and Parmesan

1 large Swiss roll tin with edges 32cm (13 inch) (length) x 23cm (9 inch) (width) x 5cm (2 inch) in depth

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

Slice the well-scrubbed artichokes into 1cm (1/2 inch) rounds. Toss the Jerusalem artichokes with the extra virgin olive oil and a generous sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves … Season well with salt.  Arrange in a single layer on a roasting tin.  Roast for 10 minutes or until pale golden on one side then flip over and cook on the other side.   Test with the tip of a knife – they should be just tender. 

To assemble.

First make the soda bread.

Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl. 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 well-floured work surface.  WASH AND DRY YOUR HANDS.  Tidy it up and flip over gently.  Pat the dough into a round, about 4cm (1 1/2 inch) deep and cut a cross on it to let the fairies out

Brush the tin with extra virgin olive oil.  Roll out the dough into a rectangle, line the tin and brush with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with Parmesan.  Cover with slices of Jerusalem artichoke and potato, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Sprinkle evenly with remaining thyme leaves and the grated cheeses.

Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas Mark 8.

Cook in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6 and bake for a further 10-15 minutes.  Remove from the tin, cook on a wire rack, cut into squares and eat soon.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Bacon, Cabbage and Scallion Champ Pie 

Who doesn’t love bacon and cabbage? St Patrick’s Day is coming up too…This version is a traditional Irish meal, all in one pot meal. Make from scratch or I sometimes love to whip this up with the leftovers from a bacon and cabbage and parsley sauce meal, it gets a terrific reaction.

Serves 8-10

650g (1lb 6oz) bacon (collar or oyster cut, rind on) or cooked ham

Parsley Sauce (see recipe)

1 teaspoon English mustard

2 tablespoons cream

450g (1lb) Savoy or Hispi cabbage, cored and sliced across the grain

450g (1lb) Scallion Champ (see recipe)

1 x 3 pint terracotta dish (25cm (10 inch) width x 2.5cm (1 inch) depth)

Cover the uncooked bacon in cold water, bring to the boil uncovered. Taste, if the liquid appears very salty discard and re-cover with hot water. Bring back to the boil, cover, and cook for 40-45 minutes approximately or until the rind will peel off easily. Remove to a plate, add the chopped cabbage to the bacon water and continue to cook until the cabbage is tender, about 10-15 minutes depending on the variety.  Drain well.

Meanwhile, make the Parsley Sauce (see recipe).

Add mustard and cream.  Taste and correct seasoning.

Make the Scallion Champ (see recipe).

Remove the bacon rind, if necessary, Cut the bacon into scant 2cm (3/4 inch) chunks. Add the cooked cabbage and mix gently. 

Bring the Parsley sauce back to the boil.  Fold in the bacon and cabbage, add a little bacon cooking water if necessary. Taste, correct the seasoning.

Fill into one or several pie dishes.

Pipe a generous layer of Scallion Champ on top. 

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, cook for 10-15 minutes until bubbling and beginning to colour on top.  Serve immediately with a little extra mustard on the side.

Parsley Sauce

Serves 6–8

4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves (retain the stalks)

900ml (1 1/2 pints) fresh whole milk

30-45g (1-1 1/2oz) Roux (see recipe)

salt and freshly ground pepper

Put the parsley stalks into a saucepan with the cold milk, bring slowly to the boil, then remove the stalks. Whisk the roux into the boiling milk until thickened and add the chopped parsley. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Simmer for 5-10 minutes on a very low heat, then taste and correct the seasoning.  The sauce should be thickish for this pie.

Roux

110g (4oz) butter

110g (4oz) flour

Melt the butter and cook the flour in it for 2 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally.  Use as required.  Roux can be stored in a cool place and used as required or it can be made up on the spot if preferred.  It will keep at least a fortnight in a refrigerator.

Spring Scallion Champ

Serves 6-8

1.5kg (3lb) unpeeled ‘old’ potatoes e.g. Golden Wonders or Kerr’s Pinks

110g (4oz) chopped scallions or spring onions (use the bulb and green stem) or 45g (1 3/4oz)

chopped chives

350ml (10-12fl oz) whole milk

50-110g (2-4oz) butter

salt and freshly ground pepper

Scrub the potatoes and boil them in their jackets in well-salted water.

Meanwhile chop finely the scallions or spring onions or chives.  Cover with cold milk and bring slowly to the boil.  Simmer for about 3-4 minutes, turn off the heat and leave to infuse. 

Peel and mash the freshly boiled potatoes and while still hot, mix with the boiling milk and onions.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, beat in the butter. 

Serve in 1 large or 4-6 individual bowls with a knob of butter melting in the centre.  Scallion champ may be put aside and reheated later in a moderate oven, 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. 

Cauliflower or Broccoli Salad

Cauliflower or broccoli salad is not an obvious choice, but it is surprisingly delicious. The secret as is the case with many salads is to dip the florets in a good dressing while still warm, so they really absorb the flavours.

Serves 6

1 small head cauliflower

110ml (4fl oz) Ballymaloe French Dressing (see recipe)

Ideally this should be made with slightly shot heads at the end of season. Take a head with the leaves on, trim off the damaged ones. Wash and shred the remaining leaves and stalk, split the cauliflower into small florets so it will cook evenly.

Take a saucepan that fits the cauliflower exactly and boil 1 inch of water in it. Add a little salt, put in the shredded leaves and sit the cauliflower on top, stems down and cover closely. Control heat so that it does not boil dry. Remove from the pot when the stalks are barely tender. Divide into florets. dip each into French dressing while they are still warm and arrange like a wheel on a round plate. Build up layer upon layer to reform the cauliflower head. This looks good and tastes delicious on a cold buffet.

Note: Green broccoli (Calabreze) or purple of white sprouting broccoli can be cooked this way also and a mixture of all three looks and tastes wonderful.

Make all the difference… Salad Dressings

Best to dress a green salad just before serving, otherwise it can look tired and unappetising. The flavour of the dressing totally depends on the quality of the oil and vinegar. We use beautiful, cold-pressed oils and superb wine vinegars to dress the precious organic lettuce and salad leaves. The quantity one uses is so small it’s really worth buying the very best quality you can afford – it makes all the difference.

Simple French Dressing

makes 120ml (scant 4 1/2fl oz)

6 tablespoons cold-pressed extra virgin

olive oil

2 tablespoons best-quality white or red

wine vinegar

flaky sea salt and freshly ground black

pepper

Whisk all the ingredients together just before the salad is to be eaten. Salad dressings are always best when freshly made but this one, which doesn’t include raw garlic, shallot or fresh herbs, will keep in a jar in the fridge for 3–4 days. Whisk to emulsify before using.

Ballymaloe French Dressing

Makes approx. 150ml (5fl oz)

125ml (4 1/2fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 garlic clove, crushed

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Maldon sea salt and freshly ground

black pepper

Put all the ingredients into a small bowl or jam jar. Whisk until the dressing has emulsified. Preferably use fresh but it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Whisk to emulsify before using.

Honey and Wholegrain Mustard Dressing

Makes approx. 250ml (9fl oz)

150ml (5fl oz) extra virgin olive oil or a mixture of

olive and other oils, such as sunflower

and groundnut

50ml (2fl oz) white wine vinegar

2 teaspoons honey

2 heaped teaspoons wholegrain honey

mustard

2 garlic cloves, crushed

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix all the ingredients together, whisking well before use. Season to taste. Preferably use fresh but it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days. Whisk to re-emulsify before using.

Herbed Vinaigrette Dressing

Makes approx. 250ml (9fl oz)

175ml (6fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

4 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon honey

1 garlic clove, crushed

2 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs, such

as parsley, chives, mint or thyme

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put all the dressing ingredients into a screw-top jar, adding salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Shake well to emulsify before use or whizz together all the ingredients in a food processor or liquidiser for a few seconds.

For a variation, use 4 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice or wine vinegar instead of the cider vinegar. This dressing should be served when freshly made otherwise the herbs will discolour. As a compromise the dressing could be made a day or two ahead without the herbs, then whisk and add the fresh herbs just before serving.

Rhubarb and Custard Meringue Tart

You’ll get lots of compliments for this celebration, rhubarb tart it’s even delicious without the meringue on top… 

Serves 8-10

300g (10oz) sweet shortcrust pastry, chilled made from:

200g (7oz) white flour

pinch of salt

100g (3 1/2oz) butter

1 egg yolk (keep white aside for meringue)

2-3 tablespoons cold water approx.

Filling

1 kg (2 1/4lb) red rhubarb, cut into 3cm (1 1/4 inch) pieces

3 egg yolks

120g (scant 4 1/2oz) sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons plain flour

Meringue

3 egg whites

175g (6oz) caster sugar

1 x 26cm (10 1/2 inch) tin, preferably with a pop-up base

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

First make the pastry.

Sieve the flour with the salt, cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour with the fingertips. Keep everything as cool as possible; if the fat is allowed to melt the finished pastry may be tough. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, stop.

Whisk the egg yolk and add the water. Take a fork or knife, (whichever you feel most comfortable with) and add just enough liquid to bring the pastry together, then discard the fork and collect it into a ball with your hands, this way you can judge more accurately if you need a few more drops of liquid. Although rather damp pastry is easier to handle and roll out, the resulting crust can be tough and may well shrink out of shape as the water evaporates in the oven. The drier and more difficult-to-handle pastry will give a crisper shorter crust.

Cover and chill for half an hour, if possible, this will make it less elastic and easier to roll out.  Roll out the pastry and line the tin.  Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans.  Bake ‘blind’ for 20 minutes approx. until the pastry is three-quarters cooked, remove from the oven. Remove the baking beans, brush the base with beaten egg wash and place back in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Slice the rhubarb and spread over the pastry base. 

Whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract and flour and spread over the rhubarb.  Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes, this will start the rhubarb cooking.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg whites until fluffy.  As they stiffen, trickle in the caster sugar and continue to whisk until stiff.

Remove the tart from the oven and pipe or spread the meringue on top.  Reduce the heat to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, return to the oven.    Bake for a further 25 minutes. 

Cool on a wire rack and serve with softly whipped cream.

Incredible India, it keeps drawing me back year after year, not just for the extraordinarily varied culture and vibrant colours but the haunting mystical music, spicy pungent smells and of course the food.

India is huge, a subcontinent with a myriad of different gods, religions, customs, temples and colourful festivals. The traffic is crazy, endless honking of horns …. but always something to celebrate.

I love the way the cows still wander nonchalantly through the streets with such an air of entitlement even in enormous cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Calcutta knowing that the sea of motorbikes, cars and lorries will avoid them.

Cows are sacred in India, worshipped and revered and are certainly not for eating. Nothing is wasted.  Cow manure is shaped in flat frisbee size patties, sun dried and then used for fuel…that may sound gross to us but it’s totally sustainable and doesn’t smell at all unpleasant…

Beef is not an option on the menu for millions of people – a high percentage of whom are vegetarian. In the towns and villages, people leave out food and water for the cows on their doorsteps believing strongly that they will receive blessings from the gods in return. 

This time we went back to Rajasthan, an area over twice the size of Ireland, much of which is semi-arid desert and hilly terrain where a variety of tribals live alongside pastoralists, camel herders, nomads and subsistence farmers.

Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur are the tourist hotspots in this area but wonderful as they are, we love to get out of the towns, well off the tourist track and into the rural areas. We are intrigued by the way of life of the Raikas, in their traditional white garb and bright red turbans. They move their flocks of camels, sheep and goats from place to place, nibbling sustainably on the trees and the sparse vegetation. Another group moves through the landscape digging up the Prosopis juliflora trees which they then make into charcoal, providing them with a meagre livelihood and helping to eradicate an invasive species at the same time… killing two birds with one stone.

In 1971, Prime Minister Indra Gandhi passed the 26^th Amendment Act and abolished the privileges and privy purses of all the princely rulers meaning they no longer recognised any of the princes or chiefs as the ruler.  Many of the Rajput families are now converting their often crumbling palaces into heritage hotels or homestays. These are a wonderful experience for the traveller, family run, with an intriguing history, delicious food and famed Rajput hospitality.

We have stayed and returned to many over the years but on this occasion, we found two new places, one called Chanoud Garh, just outside the village of Chanoud in northern Rajasthan – www.chanoudgarh.com 

A magnificent 300-year-old palace, home to Thakur Ajeet Singhji and his family, descendants of the original Mertia Rajputs.

The second was a camp called Sujan Jawai, built in the midst of the desert, in the Aravali hills, close to the Jawai Dam. This is a game reserve where leopards roam freely and coexist with the local tribes, pastoralists and villagers. 

As ever, I was on the lookout for new (to me) flavours, cooking techniques and unfamiliar ingredients. At Chanoud Garh I took a cooking class from Swati, sister of the owner.

As we walked across one of the ancient courtyards to the little demonstration kitchen, a local lady sat cross-legged, cheerfully grinding homegrown chickpeas in an ancient stone quern to make dahl.

In many parts of India, medievalism exists side-by-side with the 21st-century. Barefoot children have mobile phones and many simple mud dwellings have satellite dishes. At Swati’s class I learned how to make Dhoongar chicken, a traditional Rajasthani dish.

The flavours were exquisite, and the recipes can be reproduced at home. 

Later in Udaipur, after we had visited Seva Mandir, the NGO we’ve been collaborating with for many years www.sevamandir.org  

I took another cooking class with a local cook from Udaipur called Meenakshi Singh.  Here I learned several other delicious new dishes which I hope you’ll also try…meenakshiudaipur@gmail.com

Dhoongar Chicken

A delicious whole smoked chicken curry from Swati Rathore at Chanoud Garh in Rajasthan – www.chanoudgarh.com

Serves 4

Smoked Chicken

2 – 3 tablespoons sunflower oil

450 – 700g (1 – 1 1/2lbs) chicken pieces without skin – could be thigh or breast

175g (6oz) onion, finely sliced – save the 1^st layer for smoking at the end

250g (9oz) natural yoghurt

5 tablespoons fresh tomato purée * see end of recipe

15g (generous 1/2oz) teaspoons ginger paste, peel and purée

15g (generous 1/2oz) teaspoon garlic paste, peel and purée

1 bay leaf

1 black cardamom

5cm (2 inch) cinnamon stick

2 cloves

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

1/4 teaspoon coriander powder

1/4 – 1/3 teaspoon red chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

For the dhoongar smoking:

wood charcoal

1 onion, peeled and halved, remove one layer and keep for smoking  

1 teaspoon clarified butter (ghee)

2 cloves

1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves

Heat the sunflower oil on a medium to high heat in a saucepan, add the bay leaf, black cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.  Stir and fry for a minute or so until the flavours are released.  Then add the sliced onions and cook until beginning to brown (8 – 10 minutes).  Turn up the heat, add the chicken, allow to fry for 4 – 5 minutes.  Add the fresh tomato purée, yogurt, ginger and garlic paste, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to the chicken.  Stir well and bring to the boil. Cover with the lid and allow to simmer on a medium heat, stirring occasionally.  When cooked (15 minutes approx.), remove the lid and fry until the oil separates and the spices are well fried (8 minutes).  This is a dry curry but packed with flavour.  You can add some extra ghee if necessary.

Now do the Dhoongar smoking. 

Heat a stumpy piece of charcoal on a gas jet or in a barbecue.

Take the layer of the halved onion (or a little stainless-steel bowl) and lay on top of the chicken in the saucepan.  Place the hot charcoal in the centre of the onion layer and then pour a little ghee or butter on top along with a couple of cloves. It will instantly start to smoke, cover immediately with a tight-fitting lid and leave for 15 – 30 minutes for the chicken to absorb the smoke. 

Uncover, discard the onion, and charcoal.

Finally add the chopped coriander and serve. 

* The tomato paste that Swati used was made from whole fresh ripe tomatoes puréed.

Kashmiri Lamb Korma with Green Coriander

A rich, flavourful Kashmiri curry usually made with goat, but mutton, pork or beef also works well.  Serve with pilaf rice.

Serves 8

250g (9oz) onion paste (purée)

100ml (3 1/2fl oz) water

3 – 4 necks of lamb, cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) slices and trimmed of excess fat – your butcher will do this for you

30g (1 1/4oz) clarified butter [ghee]

salt and freshly ground black pepper

15 whole green cardamom pods, gently crushed to slightly open the pod

1 x 400ml (14fl oz) tin of coconut milk

75g (3oz) green coriander, chopped

200g (7oz) natural yoghurt

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

To make the onion paste.

Whizz 100ml (3 1/2fl oz) water with the onion in a food processor for 30 seconds until it forms a smooth paste.

Heat the clarified butter in a cast-iron pan and brown the lamb for 3 – 4 minutes on each side.  Cook in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan.  Add to a casserole and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Remove the excess oil from the cast-iron pan and deglaze with 200ml (7fl oz) water and bring to a boil.  Add the ground onion and cardamom and cover with the boiling water. Cover the casserole and cook in the preheated oven for 1 1/2 – 2 hours until the meat is tender.  Remove from the oven.    

Add the coconut milk, mix thoroughly and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes on the hob. This will produce a delicious rich sauce.

Add lots of chopped green coriander, finally stir in the yoghurt, stir well and serve.

Ahilya Fort’s Tomato Cutt

Richard Holkar at Ahilya Fort in Maheshwar kindly shared this recipe with me.  Serve as a vegetable accompaniment.

Serves 12

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

125g (4 1/2oz) onion, chopped into 5mm (1/4 inch) dice

450g (1lb) tomato, chopped into 5mm (1/4 inch) dice

25g (1oz) garlic paste (peel and purée)

25g (1oz) ginger paste (peel and purée)

2 teaspoons turmeric powder

1 – 2 teaspoons chilli powder, depending on how hot you like it

2 teaspoons cumin powder

1 teaspoon garam masala

2 teaspoons sugar

110ml (4fl oz) water or vegetable stock

1 teaspoon salt

250g (9oz) tomato, chopped

Garnish

2 tablespoons fresh green coriander, chopped

Heat oil in a pan on high heat, add bay leaf and cumin seeds and cook for a few seconds until the cumin pops.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook stirring until light brown in colour (5 – 6 minutes), then add the 450g (1lb) of chopped tomato and cook on a medium-high heat for 7 minutes. 

Add the ginger and garlic paste, mix well and cook for 3 minutes. Reduce the heat, add the remaining ingredients and cook for another 7 minutes. Check for seasoning and add 1/2 teaspoon of salt if necessary.   

Add remaining 250g (9oz) of chopped tomato and simmer for 5 minutes. It should be a thick soupy consistency. This will depend on how juicy your tomatoes were. If it’s too thick add 110ml (4fl oz) of boiling water or more if needed.

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve.  

Safed Aloo (Potatoes with Yoghurt and Coriander)

Swati Rathore from Chanoud Garh shared this recipe with me.

Serve as a stand-alone dish or as part of a thaili (an array of selective dishes served together on a round platter).

Serves 2

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 small red or white onion, chopped

1 dry red chilli, chopped

1 teaspoon coriander seeds, slightly crushed
1 teaspoon of fennel seeds, slightly crushed

5 garlic cloves, peeled
4-6 tablespoons of natural yoghurt

1 heaped teaspoon of cashew powder (unsalted cashew nuts)
2 – 4 cooked potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
salt to taste

fresh coriander leaves, chopped.

Heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan, add the chopped onion, stir and fry over a medium heat until translucent, add the red chilli, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and whole garlic cloves. Stir and fry for 3 – 4 minutes.

Mix the yoghurt and cashew powder in a bowl, add to the pan.  Bring to the boil, stirring continuously and allow to simmer for a few minutes on a low heat until it thickens somewhat.  Add the boiled potato cubes and salt to taste. Continue to simmer for 5 – 10 minutes, turn off the heat and add the chopped coriander.  Serve hot.

Pea Halva ….Mattar Halva

Another delicious recipe from Swati at Chanoud Garh.  I’d previously eaten both a fruit and nut combination, plus a carrot, cardamom and pistachio halva so I was intrigued by this delicious pea version which was new to me.

Serves 4-6

green peas

milk
2 generous tablespoons of clarified butter or ghee
2 whole green cardamom
1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons ground cardamom
1 tablespoon each of sultanas or raisins, coarsely chopped cashew nuts and sliced almonds

Purée the fresh peas with a little milk in a food processor and keep aside. Melt the tablespoons of the ghee or clarified butter in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the whole green cardamom and then the pea purée. Stir continuously on a low heat until the mixture looks split and the globules of ghee are visible….about 5 minutes.
Add a little more milk and stir continuously. When the peas have cooked and the milk has condensed, 10 minutes approximately, the mixture will be a richer colour and the ghee will have separated so it appears curdled. Add the sugar, stir continuously, the halva is ready when it’s a deeper green colour and the ghee is visible on the sides of the pan. Add the ground cardamom and half of the dried fruit and nuts. Taste and add a little more if necessary…. Serve hot in small bowls sprinkled with the remainder of the dried fruit and nuts…