This week we have the remainder of the recipes for Christmas dinner, I’m hoping that you may have had time to take my advice and that by now the Plum Pudding is made and maturing.   Stuffing, bread sauce and Clementine granitas are in the freezer and the Cranberry Sauce and Muscovado Brandy Butter are sitting on a shelf like ‘good deeds’ in a cool pantry.

I have to tell you that I haven’t got around to doing any of that myself but I’m full of good resolutions to do it all next week.

A plate or large platter of locally smoked fish is an easy and delicious option as a starter for Christmas Day.  Don’t just get the first smoked salmon you see, the quality varies enormously. Because of the ban on drift netting, this year smoked wild Irish salmon is either non-existent or rare as ‘hens teeth’, so look out for Irish organic salmon smoked carefully by one of Ireland’s growing number of artisan fish smokers.  Smoked mackerel, eel, mussels, sprats, tuna can all be part of the selection.  There are also some good smoked oysters about also.  If you are feeling a tad lazy a few segments of lemon and some brown bread will be adequate, but cucumber pickle, horseradish sauce and dill mayonnaise and a few sprigs of fresh watercress make a wonderful accompaniment.

Frank Hederman sells plump whole mackerel but also a selection of fillets, some slathered with grainy mustard, others sprinkled with chives, harissa or freshly cracked pepper.  If you have some left over just remove the skin and bones and whizz it up in a food processor with some cream cheese, a little soft butter and some dill.

The cucumber pickle will keep for several days and is also delicious with cold meat or just about any snack.

On Christmas Day pop the fresh or defrosted stuffing (see last week’s article) into the turkey and roast as in the recipe.

Trim and halve or quarter the sprouts, depending on size, the night before.  Keep them cool in the fridge covered with damp kitchen paper.  Don’t soak them in water or you’ll lose a great deal of the flavour and most of the nutrients.

Potatoes for raggedy roasts may also be peeled and blanched on Christmas Eve, toss in extra virgin olive oil and keep in a plastic bag in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

Make sure to have a nice big bowl of green salad read to eat after the main course and you will have room for plum pudding.  Don’t believe me? Try it.  If you really can’t face plum pudding try the deliciously refreshing Clementine granita.  It will flit over your tongue and melt like a winter snowflake.

A Plate of Locally Smoked Fish with Horseradish Sauce and Sweet Dill Mayonnaise

 

Serves 4

 

We have fantastic smoked fish in Ireland – see Hot Tips last week for contact details.

 

The horseradish cream, dill mayonnaise and cucumber pickle will come in useful to serve with cold meats also.

 

A selection of smoked fish – smoked salmon, smoked mussels, smoked mackerel, smoked trout, smoked eel, smoked tuna, smoked hake and smoked sprats.

Horseradish cream (see recipe)

Sweet dill mayonnaise (see recipe)

Sweet cucumber pickle (see recipe)

Garnish

Segments of lemon

Sprigs of watercress or rocket leaves

 

First make the horseradish cream and sweet dill mayonnaise. 

Slice the smoked salmon into thin slices down onto the skin, allow 1 slice per person.  Cut the mackerel into diamond shaped pieces, divide the trout into large flakes.  Skin and slice the eel.  Thinly slice the tuna and hake. 

To serve

Choose four large white plates drizzle each plate with sweet dill mayonnaise, divide the smoked fish between the plates.  Arrange appetizingly, put a blob of horseradish sauce and cucumber pickle on each plate.  Garnish with a lemon wedge and sprigs of watercress or rocket leaves.

 

Occasionally we serve just three different types of smoked fish for example salmon, mussels and trout on tiny rounds of Ballymaloe Brown Yeast Bread, topped with a little frill of fresh Lollo Rosso.  A little blob of cucumber pickle goes with the smoked salmon, a blob of home made Mayonnaise is delicious with marinated smoked mussels and a blob of Horseradish Cream and a sprig of watercress complements the pink smoked trout – These three delicious morsels make a perfect light starter.  

 

 

 

Horseradish Cream

 

A nice big chunk of horseradish keeps for ages in the fridge or pantry.  I use it for lots and lots of dishes.

 

Serves 8 – 10

 

3-4 tablespoons grated horseradish

2 teaspoons wine vinegar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon mustard

1/4teaspoon salt

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

250 ml (8 fl ozs) whipping cream

 

Scrub the horseradish root well, peel and grate on a ‘slivery grater’.  Put the grated horseradish into a bowl with the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar.  Stir in the cream but do not overmix or the cream may curdle.  It will keep for 2-3 days: cover so that it doesn’t pick up flavours in the fridge.

 

This is a fairly mild horseradish sauce.  If you want to really ‘clear the sinuses’, increase the amount of horseradish!

 

Serve with roast beef, smoked venison or smoked mackerel or eel, also great with pickled beetroot.

 

 

Sweet Cucumber Pickle

170 g (6 ozs) cucumber, thinly sliced

 55 g (2 ozs) onion, thinly sliced

 55 g (2 ozs) sugar

1 level teaspoon salt

35.5 ml (1¼ fl ozs) white wine vinegar

 

Combine the sliced cucumber and onion in a large bowl.  Mix sugar, salt and vinegar together and pour over the cucumber and onion.  Place in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator and leave for at least 1 hour.

 

Sweet Dill Mayonnaise

 

 

1 large egg yolk, preferably free range

2 tablespoons French mustard

1 tablespoon white sugar

150ml (¼ pint) ground nut or sunflower

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon dill, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Whisk the egg yolk with the mustard and sugar, drip in the oil drop by drop whisking all the time, then add the vinegar and fresh dill.

 

 

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts and Crispy Bacon

 

Not surprisingly many people hate Brussels sprouts because invariably they are over cooked.

The traditional way to cook sprouts was to cut a cross in the stalk so that they would, hopefully, cook more evenly. Fortunately I discovered quite by accident when I was in a mad rush one day, that if you cut the sprouts in half lengthways they cook much faster and taste infinitely more delicious so with this recipe I’ve managed to convert many ardent brussels sprout haters!

 

Serves 4-6

 

1 lb (450g) Brussels sprouts, (cut lengthways top to bottom)

1 pint (600ml) water 

1½ teasp. salt

1-2 ozs (30-55g) butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 packet of peeled cooked chestnuts

2-4ozs (55-110g) crispy bacon lardoons

 

 

 

Choose even medium sized sprouts. Trim the outer leaves if necessary and cut them in half lengthways. Salt the water and bring to a fast rolling boil. Toss in the sprouts, cover the saucepan just for a minute until the water returns to the boil, then uncover and cook for 5 or 6 minutes or until the sprouts are cooked through but still have a slight bite. Pour off the water.*  Add the chestnuts for one minute before the end of cooking to heat through

Melt a little butter in a saucepan, roll the sprouts gently in the butter, season with lots of freshly ground pepper and salt. Taste and serve immediately in a hot serving dish scattered with hot crispy bacon.

 

Note * If the sprouts are not to be served immediately, refresh them under cold water just as soon as they are cooked. Just before serving, drop them into boiling salted water for a few seconds to heat through. Drain and toss in the butter, season and serve. This way they will taste almost as good as if they were freshly cooked: certainly much more delicious than sprouts kept warm for half an hour in an oven or a hostess trolley.

 

 

Old fashioned Roast Turkey with Fresh Herb Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce and Bread Sauce

 

 

Serves 10-12

 

This is my favourite roast stuffed turkey recipe. Cook a chicken in exactly the same way but use one-quarter of the stuffing quantity given.

 

(4.5-5.4kg) 1 x 10-12lb, turkey with neck and giblets, free-range and organic

 

Fresh Herb Stuffing – see last week’s article

 

Stock

neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone and wingtips of turkey

2 sliced carrots

2 sliced onions

1 stick celery

Bouquet garni

3 or 4 peppercorns

 

For basting the turkey

225g (8oz) butter

large square of muslin (optional)

 

Cranberry Sauce – see last week

Bread Sauce – see last week

Couscous stuffing – see last week

Garnish

large sprigs of fresh parsley or watercress

 

Remove the wishbone from the neck end of the turkey, for ease of carving later. Make a turkey stock by covering with cold water the neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone, wingtips, vegetables and bouquet garni. (Keep the liver for smooth turkey liver pate).  Bring to the boil and simmer while the turkey is being prepared and cooked, 3 hours approx.

Make the fresh herb stuffing as directed last week.  If necessary wash and dry the cavity of the bird, then season and half-fill with cold stuffing.  Put the remainder of the stuffing into the crop at the neck end. 

Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time. Allow 15 minutes approx. per lb and 15 minutes over. Melt 2 dessertspoons of butter and soak a large piece of good quality muslin in the melted butter; cover the turkey completely with the muslin and roast in a preheated moderate oven, 180C/350F/regulo 4, for 3-3½ hours.  There is no need to baste it because of the butter-soaked muslin.  The turkey browns beautifully, but if you like it even browner, remove the muslin 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time.  Alternatively, smear the breast, legs and crop well with soft butter, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  If the turkey is not covered with butter-soaked muslin then it is a good idea to cover the whole dish with tin foil.  However, your turkey will then be semi-steamed, not roasted in the traditional sense of the word. 

The turkey is cooked when the juices run clear.

To test, prick the thickest part at the base of the thigh and examine the juices: they should be clear.  Remove the turkey to a carving dish, keep it warm and allow it to rest while you make the gravy.   Cover loosely with greaseproof paper and roast in a preheated moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 for 1-1½ hours.

The turkey is done when the juices run clear. To test, prick the thickest part at the base of the thigh and examine the juices, they should be clear. Remove the turkey to a carving dish, keep it warm and allow it to rest while you make the gravy.

To make the gravy: Spoon off the surplus fat from the roasting pan. De glaze the pan juices with fat free stock from the giblets and bones. Using a whisk, stir and scrape well to dissolve the caramelised meat juices from the roasting pan. Boil it up well, season and thicken with a little roux if you like. Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve in a hot gravy boat.

If possible, present the turkey on your largest serving dish, surrounded by crispy roast

potatoes, and garnished with large sprigs of parsley or watercress and maybe a sprig of holly. Make sure no one eats the berries.

Serve with Cranberry Sauce and Bread Sauce and the Couscous stuffing if using.

 

Raggedy Roast Potatoes

 

Everybody loves roast potatoes, yet people ask over and over again for the secret of golden crispy roast potatoes.

Duck or goose fat adds delicious extra flavour to roast potatoes. Good quality pork fat or lard from free range pigs is also worth saving carefully for roast or sauté potatoes. All three fats will keep for months in a cold larder or fridge.

Well, first and foremost buy good quality ‘old’ potatoes eg. Golden Wonders, Kerrs Pinks or British Queens.  New potatoes are not suitable for roasting.

 

 

For perfection peel them just before roasting. Choose potatoes of even size and shape. Cut into quarters if large.

Do not leave them soaking in water or they will be soggy inside because of the water they absorb.  This always applies, no matter how you cook potatoes.  Unfortunately, many people have got into the habit of peeling and soaking potatoes even if they are just going to boil and mash them.

 

Blanch the potatoes by putting into boiling salted water, bring back to the boil.  Then strain off the water in a colander and rinse the potatoes under cold water to refresh.

 

Dry potatoes carefully, be really pernickety otherwise they will stick to the roasting tin, and when you turn them over you will lose the crispy bit underneath.

Scrape the surface with a fork, roll in seasoned flour,(flour seasoned with salt and pepper).

Heat the olive oil or fat in a roasting pan, then toss the potatoes in the pan to make sure they are well coated in hot oil or fat.

Roast in a hot oven (230ºC/450ºF/Gas Mark 8), basting occasionally, for 30-60 minutes depending on size. 

 

 

Hot Tips

Congratulations to Kinsale for winning ‘Ireland’s Best Fairtrade Town’ title –

Fairtrade guarantees a fair price for third world producers and enables the producers to reinvest their extra income into community projects.   Check out this month’s Cork Now Magazine for a report on how successful fair-trade has been in Kinsale.

 

Best kept secret in London –

Theo Randall at the Intercontinental Hotel, 1 Hamilton Place, London W1, Tel 0207-3188747

www.theorandall.com 

Set lunch £21 for 2 totally brilliant courses or £25 for three.

Daily changing menu, civilized place to have lunch and a great place to entertain a business colleague.

 

 

 

Limited Edition Avoca Cookbooks

Perfect stocking fillers for the discerning gourmand!

The new series of concise cook books from Avoca covers three of the most popular courses; soups, tea time (cakes and snacks) and salads.  The books will be available in limited quantities in Avoca Stores just in time for Christmas. See  www.avoca.ie for locations.   €8.95 each or €24.95 for pack of 3.

Let’s make this the first Christmas where the cook doesn’t have to be resuscitated by the end of the day – we’ll take it nice and easy.  Plan the menu well ahead and, keep it simple. Divide up the workload and do everything you possibly can ahead.  How about  the following menu.

A plate of locally smoked fish with Horseradish Cream, Dill Mayonnaise and Sweet Cucumber Pickle.

Traditional Roast Stuffed Turkey with Herb Stuffing and Gravy or Couscous Stuffing.

Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts, Ragged Roast Potatoes, Cranberry Sauce and Bread Sauce.

Plum Pudding with Muscovado Brandy Butter.   Clementine Granita.

Make the plum pudding any day now, but first seek out really plump and delicious dried fruit, fat lexia raisins, juicy yellow sultanas and Turkish currants.  If you enjoy making preserves why not make your own candied peel from citrus peel, it tastes sensational and costs very little, but it does take time.   If you can’t see yourself candying orange peel, try to find chunky peel in your local deli and while you are there look out for some old fashioned crystallized cherries, they will look dark red in colour, unlike some of the bright red ones we buy nowadays which were never ‘next nor near’ a cherry tree in their lives.   If you are going to have time to make a plum pudding it might as well be lip-smackingly good.

Rachel’s Leek and Potato Soup can be made well ahead and frozen. Make 2 or 3 times the recipe but don’t add the blue cheese until just before serving.

Cranberry Sauce can also be made weeks ahead, a few extra pots make a natty little present for foodie pals or a kind neighbour.

The stuffing for the turkey can also be made ahead and frozen in a plastic box, for perfection you may want to add the fresh herbs when you are reheating.

Its also worth making some chicken stock to have ready for soups and gravy.

Muscovado brandy butter can also be whipped up ahead.

Save any stale bread to make breadcrumbs, they can be popped into the freezer in 4oz bags read to use for stuffings, bread sauce and crumbles.

I adore Bread Sauce, I know it definitely doesn’t press everyone’s buttons, but ever since I was a child, Mum’s bread sauce was a must with Christmas turkey – this too can be made ahead and frozen.   You may need to add a little more milk when you reheat it on Christmas Day.

If Plum Pudding isn’t your thing make a Clementine Granita or Sorbet, well ahead.  It tastes like superior ‘iced lolly’ and will cause a riot on Christmas Day, everyone will be fighting over the last refreshing spoonful – it’s so welcome after ‘Christmas dins’.

More next week.

Hot Tips

Make lists -  what to order ahead,  what you can buy now and have in the storecupboard, what can be bought or made ahead and put in the freezer,  what has to be bought at the last minute – when you need to collect things – tick off as you do and you will feel very organised!   Planning is half the work and you should enjoy the run up to Christmas and not end up frazzled!

 

 

 

 

Make Plum Pudding or buy from your favourite source

Make Christmas Cake or buy from somebody you know makes good cakes and uses butter

Order your turkey from a trusted supplier or your local butcher – seek out free-range and organic – your local Farmers Market might be a good source – don’t buy a bigger turkey than you need otherwise you will be eating it for several days.

Ham, Bacon and charcuterie – order a ham or piece of ham from your pork butcher – look out for Caherbeg –Avril and Willie Allshire -www.caherbegfreerangepork.ie  Fingal Ferguson-www.gubbeen.com    Frank Krawczyk- frankk@oceanfree.net  www.ummera.com On the Pig’s Back, Grand Parade Market, Cork.

Again don’t buy more than you need.  A nice piece of loin of bacon is delicious for a smaller number if glazed and very tasty for a salad or sandwich.

Smoked Fish – You can order this ahead also and pick up a week or so beforehand – or buy online – www.ummera.com, www.frankhederman.com, www.kinvarasmokedsalmon.com www.clarke’s.com  Bill Casey-smokiec@gofree.indigo.ie www.woodcocksmokery.com

 

 

More online shopping –

www.christmasmadeeasy.ie   www.Greatfood2buy.com

 

Christmas Courses at Ballymaloe Cookery School –

Christmas Cooking – December 10^th, Christmas Party Food – December 11^th, Wine Appreciation for the Festive Season – December 12^th – 021-4646785 www.cookingisfun.ie

 

Christmas Fair at Good Things Café, Durrus, Co Cork tomorrow Sunday 2^nd December 11-4 –Cakes, Puddings, cookbooks, kitchenware, pottery, vouchers ……

 

New Farmers Market starting in Ballincollig, Co Cork in the New Ballincollig Shopping Centre,on Friday 7^th December from 9.30-2 – everything from food to plants.

 

 

Leek, Potato and Blue Cheese Soup

 

Serves 4-6

 

25g (1oz) butter

2 leeks (about 300g/12ozs), dark green tops removed, white bits thinly sliced

2 potatoes (about 175g/6ozs), peeled and chopped

2 bay leaves

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 litre (1 ¾ pints) light vegetable or chicken stock

75ml (3fl ozs) single cream

100-150g (4-5ozs) blue cheese, such as Cashel Blue, Stilton, Gorgonzola or Roquefort crumbled plus 25g (1oz) for serving

 

Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan, add the leeks, potatoes and bay leaves.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and cover.  Turn the heat down to low and let the vegetables sweat for 10 minutes, stirring every now and then to ensure they don’t burn.  After 10 minutes, add the stock, increase the heat and simmer for a further 8 – 10 minutes until the potatoes and leeks are soft.  Remove the bay leaves, add the cream and the crumbled blue cheese and transfer to a liquidiser.  Whiz the soup until it is smooth and velvety.  Return to the saucepan to re-heat, tasting and seasoning if necessary. 

 

To Serve

Pour the soup into warm bowls and sprinkle with the extra crumbled blue cheese.

 

Rachel’s Tips

·            If making this soup with a strong blue cheese like Roquefort or Gorgonzola, I only add 100g (4ozs), but if you are using a milder blue cheese like Cashel Blue, you might need 125-150g (4 ½ – 5ozs).

 

·            When sweating onions or other vegetables for a long time, I like to cover them with a butter wrapper or a piece of greaseproof paper as well as the saucepan lid.  This helps to retain the moisture and makes sure they don’t burn.

 

 

Fresh Herb Stuffing

170g (6oz) butter

340g (12oz) chopped onions

400-500g (14-16oz) approx. soft breadcrumbs (check that the bread is non GM)

55g (2oz) freshly chopped herbs eg. parsley, thyme, chives, marjoram, savoury, lemon balm

salt and freshly ground pepper

 

 

To make the fresh herb stuffing: Sweat the onions gently in the butter until soft, for 10 minutes approx., then stir in the crumbs, herbs and a little salt and pepper to taste.  Allow it to get quite cold.  Freeze in plastic boxes.

 

 

Couscous Stuffing

Claudia Roden used this delicious stuffing with roast chicken when she taught a course here earlier this year, halve the amount for a chicken or if you feel you need more add on half the recipe again.

 

 

500g (18ozs) packet couscous

800ml (1¼ pint) chicken stock

Salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

8 tablespoons sunflower oil

225g (8ozs) blanched almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

100g (4ozs) pistachios, coarsely chopped

100g (4ozs) pine nuts, toasted

100g (4ozs) raisins soaked in water for 30 minutes

 

 

Put the couscous in a bowl. Warm the stock, adding a little salt (take into account the saltiness of the stock) and the cinnamon. Pour 600ml (1 pint) of the stock – the same measured volume as the couscous – over the couscous, mix very well and leave for 20 minutes until the couscous has absorbed the stock. Then stir in the oil and break up any lumps with a fork. Rub the grain between your hands, to air it and make it light and fluffy. Stir in the chopped almonds and pistachios (you can chop them in the food processor), the pine nuts and raisins, and mix well. Cover the dish with foil. All you will need is to heat it through for 20 minutes in a 200ºC/400°F/Gas Mark 6 oven before serving. Pour the remaining stock on top.

 

 

Cranberry Sauce

 

 

Cranberry Sauce is delicious served with roast turkey, game and some rough pâtés and terrines. We enjoy this simple Cranberry Sauce best.  It will keep in your fridge for a week to 10 days or freeze if you want to make further ahead.

 

Serves 6 approx.

 

6 ozs (170 g) fresh cranberries

4 tablespoons (60 ml) water

3 ozs (85 g) granulated sugar

 

Put the fresh cranberries in a heavy-based stainless steel or cast-iron saucepan with the water – dont add the sugar yet as it tends to toughen the skins.  Bring them to the boil, cover and simmer until the cranberries pop and soften, about 7 minutes.  Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until dissolved.

Serve warm or cold.

 

 

Bread Sauce

 

 

I love Bread Sauce but if I hadn’t been reared on it I might never have tried it – the recipe sounds so dull!

 

Serves

 

1 pint (600ml) milk

3-4 ozs (85-100g) soft white breadcrumbs

2 onions, each stuck with 6 cloves

2 ozs (55g) butter

salt and freshly ground pepper

3-4 fl ozs (75-100ml) thick cream

2 good pinches of ground cloves or quatre epices

 

Bring to the boil in a small, deep saucepan all the ingredients except the cream. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and simmer gently on a very low heat or cook in a low oven 160C/325F/regulo 3, for 30 minutes. Remove the onion and add the cream just before serving. Correct the seasoning and add a little more milk if the sauce is too thick. Serve hot.

 

Quatre Epices is a French spice product made of equal amounts of ground white pepper, cloves, nutmeg and ginger.

 

 

 

Myrtle Allen’s Plum Pudding with Brandy Butter

 

Serves 8-10

 

Christmas puddings should be given at least 6 weeks to mature.  They will keep for a year.  They become richer and firmer with age, but one loses the lightness of the fruit flavour.  We always eat our last plum pudding at Easter.

If possible, prepare your own fresh beef suet – it is better than the pre-packed product. 

 

6ozs (170g) shredded beef suet

6 ozs (170g) sugar

7ozs (200g) soft breadcrumbs

8ozs (225g) currants

8 ozs (225g) raisins

4 ozs (110g) candied peel

1-2 teasp. mixed spice

a pinch of salt

2 tablesp. (8 teasp.) flour

2 fl ozs (60ml) flesh of a baked apple

3 eggs

2 fl ozs (60ml) Irish whiskey

 

1 x 3 pints (1.75 L) capacity pudding bowl

 

Mix the ingredients thoroughly.  Whisk the eggs and add them, with the apple and whiskey.  Stir very well indeed.  Fill into the greased pudding bowl.  Cover with a round of greaseproof paper or a butter-wrapped pressed down on top of the pudding.  Put a large round of greaseproof or brown paper over the top of the bowl, tying it firmly under the rim. 

Place in a saucepan one-third full of boiling water and simmer for 10 hours.  Do not allow the after to boil over the top and do not let it boil dry either.  Store in a cool place until needed.

 

Boil for 1½ – 2 hours before serving.  Left-over pudding may be fried in butter.

 

Serve with Whiskey Cream or Brandy butter.

 

 

Muscovado Brandy Butter

3ozs (90g) butter

3ozs (90g) Muscovado brown sugar or icing sugar

2-6 tablesp. brandy

 

Cream the butter until very light, add the sugar and beat again.  Then beat in the brandy, drop by drop.  If you have a food processor, use it: you will get a wonderfully light and fluffy Brandy Butter.

 

 

 

Clementine Sorbet

 

The quantity of ice below is enough to fill 10-18 clementine shells. Tangerines, mandarins or satsumas may also be used in this recipe.

 

Serves 10-12, depending on whether people eat 1 or 2

 

Syrup

8 ozs (250g) sugar

Juice of ¼ lemon

¼ pint (150ml) water

 

20-28 clementines

Juice of ½ lemon

Icing sugar (optional)

 

Garnish

Vine leaves or bay leaves

 

First make the syrup. Heat the first three ingredients over a low heat, until they are dissolved together and clear. Bring to the boil, and boil for 2-3 minutes, Cool. Grate the zest from 10 of the tangerines, and squeeze the juice from them. Cut the remaining tangerines so that they each have a lid. Scoop out the sections with a small spoon and them press them through a nylon sieve, (alternatively, you could liquidise the pulp and then strain). You should end up with 1¼ pints (750ml) juice. Add the grated zest, the lemon juice and the syrup to taste. Taste and add icing sugar or extra lemon juice, if more sweetness or sharpness is required. Freeze until firm.

Chill the shells in the fridge or freezer, fill them with the frozen water ice. Replace the lids and store in the freezer. Cover with cling film if not serving on the same day. Serve on a white plate decorated with vine leaves or bay leaves.

 

 

Make the sorbet in one of the following ways.

1.         Pour into the drum of an ice-cream maker or sorbetiere and freeze for 20-25 minutes. Scoop out and serve immediately or store in a covered bowl in the freezer until needed.

2.         Pour the juice into a stainless steel or plastic container and put into the freezing compartment of a refrigerator. After about 4-5 hours when the sorbet is semi-frozen, remove from the freezer and whisk until smooth, then return to the freezer. Whisk again when almost frozen and fold in one stiffly-beaten egg white. Keep in the freezer until needed.

3.         If you have a food processor simply freeze the sorbet completely in a stainless steel or plastic bowl, then break into large pieces and whizz up in the food processor for a few seconds. Add one slightly beaten egg white, whizz again for another few seconds, then return to the bowl and freeze again until needed.

 

 

It’s a few years ago now since a chap called Paddy Daly from Dublin arrived to do a one week Introductory Course at the Cookery School. When he arrived into the car park in his camper van it took him all the courage he could muster to actually walk into the school. Paddy, a man in his 60’s was going through a harrowing time, he was nursing his much-loved wife through a long illness. He was bereft and had lost his will to live. She had been a wonderful cook – Paddy missed her delicious food so much and was becoming more and more despondent when he was unable to cook tasty delicious food to cheer her up as her health deteriorated.

In a concerted effort to provide new hope and enthusiasm in his life, his family had clubbed together to give him a present of a cooking course.

Paddy himself wasn’t at all keen but he was dispatched to Cork and felt he had to make the effort in response to their family’s generous gesture.

He eventually picked up courage to venture in to the school and somehow the experience changed his life. It renewed his zest for living and the skills he learned enabled him to brighten his wife’s last months and have given both him and his family and friends endless pleasure ever since. He has made several return visits over the years.

Paddy telephones us periodically and I was particularly touched by our most recent conversation, Paddy is now ‘seventy-five going on seventeen’. He noticed many other people who are alone in his neighbourhood so he and some friends have started something on the SOS – ‘share your skills principle’ that is quietly making a difference to many people’s lives. He invites and welcomes the person into his house and teaches them how to make a loaf of bread, a pot of stew, a soup ….. then they sit down and eat it together and chat.

The ‘student’ can then make it at home and pass on the skill to someone else. No money changes hands, Paddy says the reward is in sharing and the delight of the recipient. What a beautiful idea – those of us who have learned how to cook can make such a difference to people’s lives by passing on our skills to those less fortunate – Paddy you are a shining example to us all.

Simply Nutritious Brown Bread

This is a more modern version of Soda Bread, couldn’t be simpler, just mix and pour into a well-greased tin.

This bread keeps very well for several days and is also great toasted.

Makes 1 loaf or 3 small loaves

400g (14ozs) stone ground wholemeal flour

75g (3ozs) white flour, preferably unbleached

1 teaspoon salt

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

1 egg, preferably free range

1 tablespoon arachide or sunflower oil, unscented

1 teaspoon honey

425ml (15fl ozs) buttermilk or sourmilk approx. (put all the milk in)

Sunflower or sesame seeds optional

Loaf tin 23×12.5x5cm (9x5x2in)

Preheat oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6.

Put all the dry ingredients including the sieved bread soda into a large bowl, mix well. Whisk the egg, add the oil and honey most of the buttermilk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in all the liquid, mix well and add more buttermilk if necessary. The mixture should be soft and slightly sloppy, pour into an oiled tin or tins. Sprinkle some sunflower or sesame seeds on the top. Bake for 60 minutes approx, or until the bread is nice and crusty and sounds hollow when tapped. Cool on a wire rack.

Health Bread

Add 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon of pumpkin seeds, 1 tablespoon of kibbled wheat to the dry ingredients. Keep a mixture to scatter over the top.

Shanagarry Chicken Casserole

A good chicken casserole even though it may sound ‘old hat’ always gets a hearty welcome from my family and friends, sometimes I make an entire meal in a pot by covering the top with whole peeled potatoes just before it goes into the oven.

Serves 4-6

1 x 3½ lbs (1.57kg) chicken (free range if possible)

A little butter or oil for sauteeing

12 ozs (340g) green streaky bacon (blanch if salty)

12 ozs (340g) carrot, peeled and thickly sliced (if the carrots are small, leave whole. If large cut in chunks)

1 lb (450g) onions, (baby onions are nicest)

Sprig of thyme

Homemade chicken stock – 1¼ pints (750ml) approx.

Roux – optional (see below)

Mushroom a la créme (see recipe)

Garnish

2 tablesp. parsley, freshly chopped

Cut the rind off the bacon and cut into approx. 1 inch (2 cm) cubes, (blanch if salty). Dry in kitchen paper. Joint the chicken into 8 pieces. Season the chicken pieces well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook the bacon until crisp, remove and transfer to the casserole. Add chicken pieces a few at a time to the pan and sauté until golden, add to the bacon in the casserole. Heat control is crucial here, the pan mustn’t burn yet it must be hot enough to saute the chicken. If it is too cool, the chicken pieces will stew rather than sauté and as a result the meat may be tough. Then toss the onion and carrot in the pan adding a little butter if necessary, add to the casserole. Degrease the pan and deglaze with stock, bring to the boil and pour over the chicken etc. Season well, add a sprig of thyme and bring to simmering point on top of the stove, then put into the oven for 30-45 minutes, 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4.

Cooking time depends on how long the chicken pieces were sautéed for.

When the chicken is just cooked, strain off the cooking liquid, degrease, return the degreased liquid to the casserole and bring to the boil. Thicken with a little roux if necessary (see below). Add the meat, carrots and onions back into the casserole and bring to the boil. Taste and correct the seasoning. The casserole is very good served at this point, but it’s even more delicious if some mushroom a la crème is stirred in as an enrichment. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and bubbling hot.

Roux

4 ozs (110g) butter

4 ozs (110g) 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 for at least a fortnight in a refrigerator.

Lamb Stew with bacon, onions and garden herbs

Serves 4-6

The word stew is often associated in these islands with not very exciting mid week dinners. People tend to say almost apologetically, oh its only stew, no matter how delicious it is.

Well, let me tell you they smack their lips in France at the mere mention of a great big bubbling stew and now these gutsy, comforting pots are appearing on many of the smartest restaurant menus.

4 lb (1.8kg) shoulder of lamb or thick rack chops

12 ozs (340g) green streaky bacon (blanch if salty)

seasoned white flour, preferably unbleached

a little butter or oil for sauteeing

1 lb (450g) onions, (baby ones are nicest)

12 ozs (340g) carrot, peeled and thickly sliced

13 pints (750ml) approx. lamb or chicken stock

8-12 ‘old’ potatoes (optional)

sprig of thyme

roux – optional, Mushroom a la Creme (optional)

Garnish

1 dessertsp. freshly chopped parsley

Cut the rind off bacon and cut into approx. 2 inch (1cm) cubes blanch if salty and dry in kitchen paper. Divide the lamb into 8 pieces and roll in seasoned flour. Heat a little oil in a frying pan and sauté the bacon until crisp, remove and put in a casserole. Add the lamb to the pan and sauté until golden then add to the bacon in the casserole. Heat control is crucial here, the pan mustn’t burn yet it must be hot enough to sauté the lamb. If it is cool the lamb will stew rather than sauté and as a result the meat may be tough. Then quickly sauté the onions and carrots, adding a little butter if necessary, and put them into the casserole. Degrease the sauté pan and deglaze with the stock, bring to the boil, pour over the lamb.

Cover the top of the stew with peeled potatoes (if using) and season well. Add a sprig of thyme and bring to simmering point on top of the stove, cover the pot and then put into the oven for 45-60 minutes, 180C/350F/regulo 4. Cooking time depends on how long the lamb was sautéed for.

When the casserole is just cooked, strain off the cooking liquid, degrease and return degreased liquid to the casserole and bring to the boil. Thicken with a little roux if necessary. Add back in the meat, carrots, onions and potatoes, bring back to the boil.

The casserole is very good served at this point, but it’s even more delicious if some Mushroom a la Crème is stirred in as an enrichment. Serve bubbling hot sprinkled with chopped parsley.

Variations

1. Add 2 lb (225g) of precooked haricot beans to the stew about two-thirds of the way through cooking, omit the potatoes.

Foolproof Food

Mushroom a la Crème

Serves 4

½-1 oz (15-30 g) butter

3 ozs (85 g) onion, finely chopped

½ lb (225g) mushrooms, sliced

4fl ozs (100ml) cream

freshly chopped parsley

½ tablespoon freshly chopped chives (optional)

A squeeze of lemon juice

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan until it foams. Add the chopped onions, cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 5-10 minutes or until quite soft but not coloured. Meanwhile cook the sliced mushrooms in a little butter, in a hot frying pan in batches if necessary. Season each batch with salt, freshly ground pepper and a tiny squeeze of lemon juice. Add the mushrooms to the onions in the saucepan, then add the cream and allow to bubble for a few minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning, and add parsley and chives if used.

Note: Mushroom a la crème may be served as a vegetable, or as a filling for vol au vents, bouchees or pancakes or as a sauce for pasta. It may be used as an enrichment for casseroles and stews or, by adding a little more cream or stock, may be served as a sauce with beef, lamb, chicken or veal. A crushed clove of garlic may be added while the onions are sweating.

Mushroom a la Crème keeps well in the fridge for 4-5 days.

Potato and Leek Champ

Serves 4-6

6-8 unpeeled ‘old’ potatoes e.g. Golden Wonders or Kerrs Pinks

Cold water

4 medium sized leeks ( you could use scallions if you prefer)

40g (1½ozs) butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon water if necessary

300-350ml (10-12 fl ozs) milk

1 tablespoon chopped chives

55g (2ozs) approx. butter

Scrub the potatoes, cover with cold water and boil them in their jackets. Half way through cooking, pour off half the water, cover and steam until fully cooked.

Cut off the dark green leaves from the top of the leeks (wash and add to the stock pot or use for making green leek soup). Slit the leeks about half way down the centre and wash well under cold running water. Slice into ¼ inch (5mm) rounds. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan; when it foams add the sliced leeks and toss gently to coat with butter. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and add 1 tablespoon water if necessary. Cover with a paper lid and a close fitting saucepan lid. Reduce the heat and cook very gently for 10-15 minutes approx., or until soft, tender and juicy. Check and stir every now and then during cooking.

Bring the milk with the chives 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 hot, mix with the boiling milk and chives, add the drained leeks and beat in the butter. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper. It should be soft and melting.

Leek champ may be put aside and reheated later in a moderate oven 180ºC/350ºF/regulo 4. Cover with tin foil while it reheats so that it doesn’t get a skin over the top.

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

A creamy rice pudding is one of the greatest treats on a cold Winter’s day.

2 ozs (55g) pearl rice (short grain rice)

1 oz (30g) sugar

1 pint (600ml) milk

knob of butter

1 x 1 pint (600ml) capacity pie dish

Put the rice, sugar and a little knob of butter into a pie dish. Bring the milk to the boil and pour over. Bake in a moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4 for 1-1½ hours. Its quite tricky to catch it at exactly the right stage. The skin on top should be golden, the rice underneath should be cooked through and have soaked up the milk but still be soft and creamy underneath. Time it, so that its ready just in time for dessert. Serve with cream and soft brown sugar. If it has to wait in the oven for ages it will be dry and dull and you’ll wonder why you bothered.

Apple Crumble

Serves 6-8

Crumbles are comfort food, vary the fruit according to the season.

1 1/2 lbs (675g) Bramley Seedling cooking apples

1 1/2-2 ozs (45-55g) sugar

2 tablesp. water

Crumble

4 ozs (110g) white flour, preferably unbleached

2 ozs (55g) butter

2 ozs (55g) castor sugar

2 pint (1.1L) capacity pie dish

Stew the apples gently with the sugar and water in a covered casserole or stainless steel saucepan until about half cooked.

Taste and add more sugar if necessary. Turn into a pie dish. Allow to cool slightly while you make the crumble.

Rub the butter into the flour just until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs, add the sugar. Sprinkle this mixture over the apple in the pie dish. Bake in a preheated moderate oven 180C/350F/regulo 4, for 30-45 minutes or until the topping is cooked and golden. Serve with whipped cream and soft brown sugar.

Hot Tips for November 24^th

Cork Free Choice Consumer Group РThursday 29^th November, 7.30pm at the Crawford Gallery Caf̩, Emmet Place, Cork

Fruit – the Best to buy – Alan Sloane, Organic fruit importer – will tell us about the best fresh and dried fruits available during the Christmas season and also throughout the year. €6 including tea, coffee and tastings.

Georgina Campbell’s Ireland – The Guide 2008

All the best places to eat, drink and stay – dubbed ‘the glovebox bible, this is the 10^th annual edition of the indispensable guide for independent travelers. A truly comprehensive guide to the most delightful places for the discerning traveler in Ireland to eat, drink and stay – north and south. Provides the perfect reference for planning holidays and short breaks in Ireland in the most enchanting surroundings – an ideal gift for the discerning traveler.

Kingswood Country House

Just off the Naas Road and M50 and only 20 minutes from the city centre, this is one of Dublin’s hidden gems. Kingswood Country House Bar and Restaurant has re-opened. This large 300 year old Georgian house is beautifully located in a unique setting, surrounded by stunning landscaped gardens. It offers superb food throughout the day – lunch each day in the contemporary bar, afternoon tea in the lounge, more formal dining upstairs in Josef’s restaurant (the house was once the home of well known tenor Josef Locke). www.kingswoodhouse.ie info@kingswoodcountryhouse.ie Tel 01-4595250

Local is now the sexiest word in food from California to Stuttgart, Matakana to Macroom. Attitudes have come a wonderful full circle from when I was a child growing up in a country village in Ireland. At that stage in the late fifties and early sixties, local was looked on as second rate. A few surplus fresh eggs sold by a farmer’s wife to the local shop would be sold for less than the battery equivalents which were just coming on stream, same with currant cake or an apple tart.

Even though it didn’t seem right it was the way it was. Not so in Italy as I discovered on my first trip to the Rialto Market in Venice in the early eighties. Many of the stalls had two lots of certain fruits and vegetables. In each case the one labelled nostrana or nostrale always seems to be more highly prized and expensive. My grasp of the language was non-existent. Eventually an impatient stallholder explained that nostrale was not a place (-twit!) it meant the produce had come from the lagoon area – it was local hence it was fresher and better, so of course it was more expensive. Oops – for me this was a eureka moment. I loved the Italians for valuing local, artisan and craft and it gave me the courage to follow my convictions.

And how the food scene in Ireland has changed within a few years. Recently I attended the launch of two splendid books both celebrating local producers – the farmers, fishermen and artisan producers of County Cork who have helped to change the dull and stodgy image of Irish food both at home and abroad. This group of producers who are passionate about quality (first and foremost) have created the raw materials that enable restaurants and cooks and chefs to produce real food. Both authors Denis Cotter and Dianne Curtin are Slow Food members and live the ethos in their everyday life. Denis has already established an international reputation for his earlier books The Café Paradiso Cookbook and Paradiso Seasons and for the vegetarian food at the now legendary Café Paradiso in Cork city.

At the packed launch of his new book ‘Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and me’, he spoke in evocative terms of his obsession with vegetables, his passionate pursuit of quality and his good fortune connecting with producers like Ultan Walsh the grower who provides much of the local produce for Café Paradiso. …. To finish this book which has been bubbling around in his head for some time now he locked himself away in Don and Joy Larkcom’s garden house for several peaceful weeks. The vegetables he chose to write about are not listed in alphabetical order nor arranged in a pattern that reflects the seasons of a year. Instead, they are grouped according to shared characteristics, whether that be their colouring, as in the opening chapter ‘It’s a green thing’, or their habitat as in both ‘Wild pickings’ and ‘Growing in the dark’.

No other book on vegetables in my library is so beautifully written or so connected to the good earth and so thought provoking. The recipes as ever are intriguing and original, but even if you never cook as single thing out of this book (which would be a crying shame), its worth buying for Denis’s beautiful prose – you’ll never think of vegetables in the same way again!

The book is movingly dedicated to his father whose guiding presence Denis said he felt very strongly as he went back to his roots as he wrote this book.

Dianne Curtin’s book ‘The Creators’ celebrates the work of farmers, fishermen, and artisan producers of County Cork who have helped secure Ireland’s reputation as a gourmet destination. Excellent quality fresh produce, fine artisan specialities, and traditional delicacies unique to Ireland are only achieved as a result of the dedication and patience of the passionate people who bring them to our tables. All share a passion to attain the best possible culinary results. Dianne’s book is divided into three main chapter: From Land and Field; From the Waters; Special Delicacies. Each chapter contains profiles of the food producers as well

‘Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and me’ by Denis Cotter, published by Collins.
‘The Creators – individuals of Irish food’ by Dianne Curin, published by Atrium.

Chard with Couscous, Raisins, Pine Nuts and Lemon Oil

From Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and me by Denis Cotter

This can be a side dish or a simple meal. Or make it the centre of a mezze or tapas-style meal with some marinated feta, olives, fresh tomato salad, roasted sweet potatoes and the like. A chilli kick from the Moroccan harissa sauce, served on the side, would be fun too.

Serves 4

85g (3oz) golden raisins

300g (10 ½ oz) couscous

280ml (9 ½ fl oz) warm vegetable stock

1kg (2 ¼ lb) chard, including stalks

olive oil

1 medium red onion halved and thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp turmeric

2 tbsp pine nuts, lightly tossed

Salt and pepper

For The Lemon Oil

finely grated zest and juice 1 lemon

200ml (7fl oz) olive oil

Soak the raisins in just enough water to cover them for 10 minutes. Place the couscous in a large bowl, pour over the warm vegetable stock and stir once. Leave for 15 minutes before fluffing up the couscous with a fork. Separate the chard leaves and stalks. Slice the stalks across about 5mm ( ¼ in) thick. Cook the leaves in boiling water for 5 minutes, until soft, then drain, cool under the cold running water, drain again and chop coarsely.

Heat some olive oil in a large pan and cook the chard stalks, onion and garlic for 5 minutes over a medium heat. Add the spices and cook for a few minutes more, then stir in the chard leaves, pine nuts raisins with their soaking liquid. Add a little extra stock or water to keep the dish quite moist, then stir in the couscous and turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk or blend the lemon zest and juice and the olive oil together. Mix two tablespoons into the couscous, and then serve immediately. Divide the couscous between four warmed serving plates, sprinkle some more lemon oil over the top and put the rest of the oil on the table in a jug or bottle for people to help themselves.

Fresh Tagliolini with Shredded Brussels sprouts,

Sage and Pine Nuts

From Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and me by Denis Cotter

Serves 4

250g (9oz) Brussels sprouts

2 tbsp olive oil

150g (5 ½ oz) shallots thinly sliced

12 fresh sage leaves, sliced

4 canned tomatoes, finely chopped

finely grated zest of 1 orange

1 tbsp pine nuts, lightly toasted

salt and pepper

450g (1lb) fresh tagliolini or other pasta

50g (2oz) butter

50g (2oz) Desmond Parmesan or other hard cheese, finely grated

Quarter the sprouts, cut out the core and separate the leaves. In a wide pan, heat the olive oil and cook the sprouts, shallots, sage and garlic over a medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, orange zest and pine nuts and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes more.

At the same time, bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the tagliolini and cook for 2 – 3 minutes until just tender. Drain well.

Add the butter, cheese and cooked pasta to the sprouts and mix well. Serve immediately.

West Cork Cheese Fondue

From The Creators by Dianne Curtin

Best enjoyed with a handful of close friends who don’t mind getting the dribbles down their chins! Gabriel or Desmond cheeses, or a mixture of both, work well in this recipe.

Serves 4-6

1 clove garlic, peeled and halved

300ml (½ pint) dry white wine

450g (1lb) rinded weight of Desmond or Gabriel cheese, or half and half, grated

1 tablesp. cornflour

1-2 tablesp Kirsch (optional)

Freshly ground black pepper

Cubes of crusty bread, steamed asparagus tips, broccoli and cauliflower florets and sautéed whole button mushrooms to serve.

Rub fondue pot with cut sides of garlic. Add wine and heat gently to almost bubbling. Turn down heat. Gradually add cheese, with cornflour, stirring to melt. Continue like this until all cheese is added, stirring until smooth. Add Kirsch and season with freshly ground black pepper. Serve in the pot with a heap of crusty bread cubes, steamed asparagus tips, broccoli and cauliflower florets and sautéed mushrooms for each guest to dip in on the end of a fork. Get everyone to take a turn stirring the fondue while eating.

Fresh Mussels with Chilli and Coconut

From The Creators by Dianne Curtin

This recipe uses the Far Eastern flavourings of fresh chilli, Thai Green curry paste and coconut milk to give a fabulous kick of spice. Serve with some fragrant, boiled Jasmine rice, which you can stir into the bowls of spiced sauce after eating the mussels and slurp up from a spoon.

Serves 2

1kg fresh tightly closed mussels

2 tbsp sunflower oil

1 onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped

1 tbsp Thai green curry paste

150ml (¼ pt) fish stock

150ml (¼ pt) coconut milk

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Squeeze of lemon juice

1 tbsp coriander leaves, roughly torn

Prepare, clean and de-beard the mussels in the usual way. It is essential that they are all absolutely fresh and tightly closed.

Once the mussels are ready to cook, set to one side. Heat oil in a deep saucepan and add onion, garlic and chilli. Cook gently until softened. Stir in Thai green curry paste. Cook for another minute. Add fish stock and bring to bubbling. Simmer for a few minutes. Add cleaned mussels, cover with a lid and simmer until all shells have opened. Stir once or twice during cooking. Pick out and discard any mussels that do not open. Stir in coconut milk and bring back to bubbling for a minute. Season and add lemon juice and coriander. Ladle mussels and their sauce into warmed bowls and serve with Jasmine rice.

Hot Tips

The Chocolate Show –Dublin’s first ever Chocolate Show will take place at the RDS in Ballsbridge on 29^th February, 1^st and 2^nd March 2008. This 3 day event will be the first annual celebration of the finest chocolate the country and the world has to offer. It will include the first Irish Chocolate Awards competition. The Show will be open to the public and will also have a dedicated trade only time. For further information or to book exhibition space contact Olivia O’Reilly on 01-2407203 or Olivia.oreilly@rds.ie or check out www.chocolateshow.ie

Transition Town Kinsale (TTK)

Is a voluntary, community based venture supported by the Town Council. It is actively working towards finding community solutions to climate change and diminishing energy supplies. Ireland currently imports a large proportion of its food, which will make it very vulnerable to increasing energy costs in the future, as food will become significantly more expensive unless sourced locally – food miles are just one of the issues considered by TTK – www.transitiontowns.org/Kinsale

Ireland’s Blue Book

2008 edition recently launched – Ireland’s Blue Book is an exclusive listing of luxury Irish accommodation in Irish Country House Hotels, Manor Houses, Castles and Gourmet Restaurants, whose qualities combine charm, style, character and individuality.

New entry this year is Ballyvolane House in Castlelyons, Co Cork, home to the Green family, Ballyvolane has been welcoming guests for over two decades. Visit www.irelandsbluebook.com – Blue book can be bought at major bookstores and tourist board offices and is free of charge through their head office and member properties

as inspirational and practical recipes and cookery tips to make the most of the featured products and ingredients.

A few months ago we had a wonderful letter from Italian cook Marcella Hazan who had been guest chef at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in July 1992.

She and her husband Victor spent five or six days with us and among other things we took them to dinner at John and Elmary Desmond’s restaurant on Hare Island off Baltimore in West Cork. We all got drenched to the skin both on the open boat trip and as we walked up the lane to the restaurant. The normally beautifully coiffed and poised Marcella was reduced to the same disheveled state as the rest of us, but despite the fact that she is unlikely to have been subjected to this kind of experience in her entire life before or since then we all had great fun. She entered into the spirit and we of course had a delicious dinner. It transpired that this experience and several others on her trip to Ireland are forever etched in her memory and will be included in her autobiography to be published in October 2008.

Marcella and Victor lived for most of their married life in Italy, first in Bologna from where they ran a very successful cookery school and later in Venice. In March 1999 they moved to Florida to be closer to their son Giuliano and two little grand-daughters Gabriela and Michela.

They return to Italy from time to time but now Marcella is 83 and the purpose of this letter was to tell us that she and Victor were coming back to Italy probably for the last time. They planned to stay at the lovely Cipriani Hotel on the Guidecca in Venice for 3 weeks and so were inviting friends from all over the world who had been part of their lives at various stages to come and join them for a few days. Such a lovely idea and the perfect excuse to take a break.

The weather in Venice can be perfect in late September although nothing is predictable any longer (fortunately we missed the torrential rain and hailstones). Apart from all the perennial attractions, the Biannale continues until the end of November, Tracy Emin’s controversial pieces are this year’s talking point.

For lovers of art, music and culture, Venice is a feast for all the senses, food lovers however need to do some careful planning. Unless you are prepared to endure the worst kind of reheated pasta and tired salads, avoid the tourist spots like the plague. Easier said than done in a town where thousands of tourists pour in every day and several hundred others disgorge from cruise ships. Most people only visit Venice once so there is a feeling that some businesses are out for the main chance. Nonetheless there are lots of gems. Any guide book will steer you to the usual haunts where you will pay dearly to sip an espresso or a bellini (white peach purée and prosecco), but surely its worth the exorbitant price to sit at the Florian or Quadre Cafes in Piazza San Marco to listen to the strains of Vivaldi or Puccini being played by the orchestra.

A bellin or martini at Harry’s Bar is also a must do. Sip it slowly, enjoy the ambiance and watch the buzz at the bar where head waiter Claudio Ponzio has been mixing cocktails for over 30 years. Many of the old reliables feel tired and dull, but not so Da Fiore which rightly deserves its reputation as the finest restaurant in Venice. You’ll need to book well ahead to taste Maurizio and Mara Martin’s sublime food. No twiddles and bows and smarties on top here – just exquisite fresh fish simply cooked, a triumph of ingredients. Don’t miss the puds or artisan cheeses either. Superb wine list to complement the menu, a worthy recipient of a Michelin star which not everyone agrees can be said for the Met where chef Carado Fasolato serves an experimental cuisine with diverse influences from Gaultiero Marchesi to Ferran Adria.

For traditional Venetian food book a table at the deservedly hyped Osteria ? or Alla Testiere. The latter has just six tables and the menu changes daily depending on the market finds.

Some new hot spots worth checking out are La Naranzaria where Stefano Monti gives his Japanese chef carte blanche to create a fusion of sushi and Italian dishes, fun and fashionable with a sunny terrace overlooking the Grand Canal.

Alla Zucca (meaning pumpkin) has an exciting menu of Italian vegetarian dishes as well as some good meat and fish.

The best food in Venice is all about local and seasonal, don’t miss the bustling Rialto Market on the edge of the Grand Canal which has been the city commercial centre for centuries. What was once a bazaar for exotic spices, jewels and silks from the Orient is now a bountiful market teeming with fish and sea creatures from the lagoon and the Adriatic and gorgeous fresh vegetables, fruit and fungi from regions all over Italy, Artichokes and red radicchio from the island of Saint Erasmo, beetroot from Chioggia, zucchini blossoms, bunches of chillies, new season Muscat grapes ……

If you make an early start you can see the motopi (work barges) arriving with the day’s produce (no roads in Venice, everything arrives by boat).

At the fish market I watched the vendors prepare tiny little cuttlefish and save the ink sacs, skin eels, dole out tiny razor shells, soft shell crabs and sea snails and a myriad of the freshest fish I’ve seen in many a long day. Visit before you leave and buy a gorgeous piece of fruit, artisan cheeses and cured meat from the nearby shops to make a picnic for the plane.

Ristorante Da Fiore, San Polo, 2202/A – 30125 Venezia – Italy

Tel 0039 041 721308 www.dafiore.net ristorantedafiore@hotmail.ie

Butternut Squash Risotto Drizzled with Aged Balsamic Vinegar

From the da Fiore Cookbook by Damiano Martin

Risotto di Zucca e Parmigiano con Aceto Balsamico

Makes 6 first course servings

1 small butternut squash or 1 Kabocha squash (about 1 pound/450g)

¾ cup (6fl.oz) mild oil, preferably sunflower oil

¼ small onion, diced

Salt

1½lb(3 cups/700g) Carnaroli or Vialone Nano rice

4 pints (2.4litres) hot Vegetable broth*

1 cup (4oz/110g) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Aged balsamic vinegar for drizzling

Trim the ends from the butternut squash. Using a vegetable peeler, remove the skin. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and fibres. Divide each squash half in quarters. Using a knife or mandoline on a fine slicing setting, cut the squash pieces into â…› inch thick slices.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the butternut squash, season with salt, and cover with water. Cook, simmering, until the squash easily breaks apart, about 20 minutes. Stir in the rice, then add a cup of the hot vegetable broth. Cook at an aggressive boil, stirring often, for 8 minutes, adding a cup of broth at a time, as necessary; the rice should almost completely absorb the broth between additions. Add the Parmigiano, stirring to incorporate, then continue cooking, adding broth as necessary, until the rice is al dente and the mixture moist but not watery, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the butter and adjust the seasoning with salt if necessary. Divide the rice among serving plates and drizzle with balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.

*Vegetable Broth

2 celery stalks, halved

2 medium carrots, halved

1 small onion, halved

5 pints (3 litres) water

Combine all the ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Strain and discard the vegetables. Cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

Scallops in their shells with thyme from the da Fiore Cookbook

Cappesante Gratinate al Timo

Serves 6

Coarse salt to line serving plates

18 fresh scallops in their shells

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Leaves from 2 thyme sprigs

3 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

3 tablespoons finely ground fresh breadcrumbs

3 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 475F/250C/gas9

Line the bottoms of 6 serving plates with ½ inch coarse salt. This will create an attractive presentation for the scallop shells and prevent them from sliding on the plate. Set aside.

Using an oyster knife or small, strong (but not sharp) knife, carefully pry open the shells. Run the knife under the bottom shell to detach the scallop. Scoop out the scallop, discarding the white muscles and the dark organs and keeping the orange coral in place. Keep the decorative shells to use as ‘serving dishes’. Thoroughly rinse the scallops of all sand and residue. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.

Wash and dry the shells. Place on 2 large baking pans. Return the scallops to the centres of the shells. Season the white part with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the scallops with the thyme leaves, lightly dust them with the cheese and breadcrumbs, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake until the tops are lightly brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Using tongs, transfer three scallops in their shells to each serving plate, lightly pressing the shells into the salt to secure them. Serve immediately.

Pomegranate Sorbet – from Marcella’s Kitchen by Marcella Hazan

Sorbetto di Melagrana

Serves 6

4 large pomegranates, about 1.4kg (3lb)

Yielding about 1.5litres (2½ pints) of juice and seeds

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

6 or 7 medium-size fresh mint leaves, torn by hand into 2 or 3 pieces each

Remove the pomegranate rind to extract the seeds.

Mash the flesh coated seeds through a food mill fitted with the disc with the smallest holes, collecting the juice in a bowl.

To the bowl, add the sugar, lemon juice and torn mint leaves. Stir until the sugar has fully dissolved. Let the mixture rest for about 30 minutes.

Pour the mixture through a strainer with a fine mesh to separate from it the mint and any tiny pomegranate seeds that may have passed through the food mill.

Freeze in an ice-cream machine, following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Foolproof Food

Apple Fritters

Funny how one sometimes forgets a recipe, we hadn’t had these for ages but I remembered them recently and they taste just as good as ever. When we were children we particularly loved fritters because they used to fry into funny shapes, which caused great hilarity.

1 lb (450g) cooking or eating apples

Batter:

4 ozs (110g) flour

pinch of salt

1 egg, preferably free range

¼ pint (150ml) milk

good quality oil for frying

castor sugar

To make the batter, sieve the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and drop in the egg, using a whisk bring in the flour gradually from the edges, slowly adding in the milk at the same time. Leave the batter in a cool place for about an hour. Heat the oil in a deep fry to 180C/350F/regulo 4.

Peel and core the apples. Cut into rings not more than ½ inch (1cm) thick. Dip the apple rings into the batter, drain off excess and lift out with a skewer, allow any surplus batter to drain off, then drop into hot fat. Don’t put too many fritters into the fat at the same time. Fry until golden brown, drain well on kitchen paper. Toss each fritter in castor sugar. Serve immediately with softly whipped cream. * They can also be shallow-fried in a pan if that is more convenient.

Hot Tips

Slow Food Event – Festive Food for Christmas – Cookery Demonstration with Darina and Rachel Allen at Ballymaloe Cookery School, Shanagarry, Co Cork on Wednesday 14^th November at 7.00pm

€25 for Slow Food members and €45 for non members, booking essential – call Helen on 021-4646785 or email library@cookingisfun.ie

Boyle Rally Festival Plans are well under way for the Boyle Festival, a series of entertainments and exhibitions on Friday, November 16^th in Boyle, Co Roscommon, to mark the World Rally Local Stages in this area. The Official Opening takes place at 6pm in The Pleasure Grounds when The Art of Sound, a spectacular Sound & Light Show, takes place. From 6pm-10pm in the Public Car Park, Shop Street, a Micro Cam state of the art 16x12ft Outdoor Screen will be showing rally footage and children’s films. From 5pm-9pm in the grounds of King House and along River Walk there will be a Christmas Market. This outdoor craft market (where the Saturday morning Farmers’ Market is usually held) should have something for everyone. Specialised hot food stalls with a large selection of hot foods made to eat alfresco, including roasted pig on a spit, crepes, wraps, home-made soups, home-made sausages and burgers and lots more, will be lined up along RiverWalk. www.unabhan.net unabhan@indigo.ie