Compliments keep pouring in for the Ballymaloe Festival of Food a few weeks ago, the biggest and best so far! Tickets gave people access to all cookery demos, the Kerrygold Main Stage, Cook the Books Stage, Drinks Theatre and tastings, Scoop and A Yarn, the Garden Marquee, the Ballymaloe House Walled Garden, Food Producers Market, walks and talks…

Bosco was there, he and I had the best fun so watch this space!

The Change We Must Theatre, had stimulating challenging talks all weekend on food farming and the environment.

I was on several panels – ‘It All Starts with The Soil’.

‘The Definition of Food – How processed food is changing the way we eat and why we should stop’.

I dashed between the various venues and wandered in and out of the Big Shed where over 80 producers sold their wares, Graham Herterich was there with his barmbracks and now legendary Mikado biscuits. Bosco loved them too!

Gillian Hegarty spoke about the Kids Food Revolution in Clonakilty.

Lots of preserves, beautiful honeys, Ummera smoked food, Cratloe Hill’s Sheep milk cheese, WASI from Clare, Barrie Quinn from Portnoo was there with his soap and inspirational talks.

For The Irish Breakfast session in the Change We Must Theatre, everything came from Darren Allen’s Farm around Ballymaloe House. The bacon was cured by local butcher Frank Murphy from Midleton and sausages from the meat of the free-range pigs. The free-range eggs were also from Darren’s hens. The relish, from you know, where and the 48 hours naturally fermented sourdough bread from the Ballymaloe Cookery School Bread Shed. People loved being able to taste a plate of breakfast, all of which came from ‘This Place’.

So many highlights, but I will focus on the guest chefs Sami Tamimi, the Palestinian chef, friend and collaborator of Ottolenghi cooked broad bean falafel and this delicious plum dish with crunchy pistachios which I will certainly continue to make, one of many good things from his new book ‘Boustany – A celebration of vegetables from my Palestine’.

I introduced Helen Goh’s cookery demonstration where she cooked a sensational Matilda Cake with layers of sponge and meringue piled high with summer fruit and cream. That recipe is also in her latest book ‘Baking and the Meaning of Life’.

Super charismatic, Tommi Miers, a Ballymaloe Cookery School alumni cooked a lunch at Ballymaloe House and did a cookery demonstration of yummy Mexican dishes from ‘Mexican Table’, her latest book, her eighth cookbook.

The Honey’s, Itamar Srulovich and Sarit Packer were there, they too have a new book ‘Daily’ which I’ve been cooking lots from, I really love their style of food. Check out their restaurants located on Lamb’s Conduit Street, Great Portland Street and Store Street next time you are popping over to London.

James Henry came from celebrated La Doyenné near Paris in France to cook for another sold out dinner at Ballymaloe House as did Ed Wilson from Brawn in London and also Robbie McCauley from the Michelin starred Homestead Cottage in Co. Clare – What a weekend! 

So frustrating to only have space to mention a fraction of the action, there was so much more including all kinds of riveting talks and tastings of both wine, spirits and alcohol free drinks, even Aronia berry wine at the Drinks Theatre curated by Caroline Hennessy with contributions from Colm McCan and his wonderful friends in the world of wine and Oh, the Cocktails Workshop by Ciarán Shannon of Boatyard Distillery and Andy Ferreria of Paladar and Cask.  

The hilarious Tracie Daly hosted various cookery demonstrations at the Cook the Books Stage – Tamsin and Scarlett were on the main stage cooking up a storm once again.

As they say ‘that’s it’ for this week but organisers Bree Allen and Evanna Lyons tell me early bird tickets are already available for next year. Hope to see you there!

Sami Tamimi’s Sumac Roast Plums with Cardamom Cream and Pistachio

Barquq bil Sumac w al Creama

This recipe transformed simple plums into a feast, a real keeper…

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 plums (366g)

3 cardamom pods

1 tsp sumac

3 tbsp runny honey

zest of ½ orange

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp water

300ml double cream

3 tsp honey

¼ tsp ground cardamom

For the candied pistachios

45g caster sugar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

3 tbsp water

salt

70g pistachios

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.

Method

Halve and stone the plums, then place cut side up in a roasting tin or ovenproof dish in which they can lie snugly in a single layer.

Crack the cardamom pods, then tip the seeds into a pestle and mortar and grind them to a fine powder. Mix with the sumac, honey, orange zest, lemon juice and water, then drizzle this mixture over the fruit. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the plums are almost collapsing.

Meanwhile, make the candied pistachios. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and have it ready next to the stove. Put the sugar, cinnamon, water and ⅛ teaspoon of salt into a large sauté pan, on a medium heat. Cook until the sugar has almost dissolved, stirring occasionally. Add the

pistachios and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally (to avoid the nuts browning too much), until all the liquid has evaporated and you can see crystallization forming on the nuts. Tip the nuts on to the lined tray and quickly spread them out to separate them. Leave to cool completely.

Place the cream, honey and ground cardamom in the bowl of a free-standing mixer, with a whisk attachment in place, and whip the cream on a medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until soft peaks form.

When ready to serve, divide the fruit and whipped cream between four plates and add a generous scattering of the candied pistachios.

Ryan O’Sullivan’s Ravioli with Ricotta and Salsa Verde

If this makes more than you need, you can simply do half this recipe….

Serves 12-18 people

Ingredients

Homemade Pasta

OO flour 400g

durum flour (fine) 520g

salt 12g

egg yolk 650g

water 15g

Ricotta Filling

1kg of quality dry ricotta (drained overnight if wet)

250g shredded fontina (or something similar)

220g Parmesan (or good Irish aged hard cheese)

120g egg yolks

12g fine sea salt

5g black pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

fresh chives, very fine sliced

pinch of fresh oregano

zest of 1 lemon

Salsa Verde

1 bunch of coriander

1 bunch of parsley

1 bunch of basil

250ml olive oil

3 limes zest and juice

20g capers

6 anchovies

50g golden raisins or something similar

salt and pepper to taste.

Method

To make the pasta.

Sieve the flours into a bowl and add the salt. Make a well in the centre, add the eggs (no need to whisk the eggs) and water. Mix into a dough with your hand. The pasta should just come together but shouldn’t stick to your hand – if it does, add a little more flour.  (If it is too dry, add a little extra egg, being careful not to add too much.)  Knead for 10 minutes until it becomes elastic. It should be quite pliable, wrap in parchment paper and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough in half and roll out one piece at a time into a very thin sheet, keeping the other piece covered. You ought to be able to read the print on a matchbox through the pasta.  A pasta machine or long thin rolling pin is a great advantage, but you can manage perfectly well with an ordinary domestic rolling pin. 

To roll in a pasta machine.

Half the dough, keep the remainder covered while you work with the other.

Roll the dough through the pasta machine Number 10 setting with the rollers furthest apart.  Fold it like a book ensuring no overlap and put through Number 10 setting 5-6 times until very smooth (this is further kneading; it will depend on how much kneading was done by hand).

Now do a rough roll to shape the dough to the appropriate size required for your pasta shape.  Roll the dough through the machine from Number 10–3 setting until you reach the desired thickness.  Try not to use too much flour while putting the dough through the machine, if the dough is getting sticky, just a dusting of flour on the pasta should suffice.  You can do a ‘patch test’ and only take a little of the pasta dough when you think you have nearly reached the required thickness and test for the final ½ setting in the rollers to see which setting you are happiest with.

To roll by hand.

Divide the dough in half. Dust each piece of dough with flour before you roll each time.  Roll out one piece at a time into a very thin sheet, keeping the other piece covered with a tea towel. You ought to be able to read the print on a matchbox through the pasta.  A long thin rolling pin is a great advantage, but you can manage perfectly well with an ordinary domestic rolling pin.

To make the ricotta filling

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

To make the ravioli

Cut the sheet of pasta into pieces, 30.5cm in length and 15cm wide approximately. Approximately 4cm from the top of the pasta, place a teaspoon of filling along the top half of each sheet of pasta allowing 2.5cm intervals between each ravioli. Fold the bottom half over the top half and seal around the filling of each ravioli with your fingers. This is important to remove any air bubbles. Using a serrated pasta cutter cut around each ravioli. Each ravioli should be 7.5cm square approximately. Transfer to a tray sprinkled heavily with semolina flour.

To cook; poach the ravioli in a large saucepan of boiling water (4.8 litres water to 1 tablespoon salt) for 1 ½ – 3 minutes depending on how thin the pasta is, or until almost tender – al dente.

To make the salsa verde.

Chop the herbs and mix with the other ingredients. Taste and correct seasoning, if necessary, adding a few drops of lemon juice to freshen the taste. Store in a covered container in the fridge or freeze.

To serve

Heat a little of the salsa verde with a little of the pasta water, toss the ravioli then drizzle a little fresh salsa verde on top. Serve immediately and enjoy.

Honey & Co’s Peanut Butter Mousse with Salted Peanuts and Chocolate Sauce

Everyone loved this super easy mousse, what’s not to like about the peanut and chocolate combo.

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the mousse

40g butter

40g muscovado or dark brown sugar

80g smooth peanut butter

1 tbsp honey

250ml double (heavy) cream

a small handful of roasted salted peanuts, to serve

For the chocolate sauce (makes 150g)

50ml double cream

50 dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped

1 heaped tsp peanut butter

1 heaped tsp honey

50ml water

Method

Slowly melt the butter with the sugar, peanut butter and honey in a low-sided saucepan on a low heat until they combine to form a thick paste, stirring occasionally so the mixture doesn’t stick. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and cool.

Mix in the double cream by hand with a balloon whisk or handheld blender until you reach a lovely thick ribbon consistency (the whisk should leave a trail of the mixture on the surface before sinking in).

Divide the mousse between four glasses and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before serving.

Shortly before you want to serve, place all the sauce ingredients in a small pan on a low heat. Stir all the time until the chocolate has melted and everything has combined to make a smooth sauce. Pour into a small jug.

Allow everyone to top their own mousse with warm sauce and salty peanuts.

*Recipe adapted from Honey & Co. Daily by Itamar Srulovich & Sarit Packer published by Quadrille

On our way to Co. Clare for the Slow Food Festival in Lisdoonvarna, we veered off the road to visit Tory Hill Farm near Croom. I’ve been following and admiring the work of Hannah Quin Mulligan, her mother and grandmother on Instagram for ages, three generations of powerful women farmers working together. Tory Hill is a small organic dairy farm with 12 cows, 9 Jersey that are milked once a day. The raw milk is sold in glass bottles from refrigerated containers in her Farm Shop on Friday and Saturday mornings from 11am to 3pm, but the milk sometimes runs out even earlier.
When we arrived a little before 11.30am, the carpark was already full and there was a constant queue of people. Funnily, mostly young men, many Gen Z’s, (could there be a Erling Haaland effect who believes that raw milk and real food are the key to his goal scoring) but also families with children, excited to see the cows happily grazing in the rich pasture.
A joy to see people going out of their way to source raw milk for the flavour and nutrient value and so good for the gut biome.
So difficult for small dairy farmers to make a decent living nowadays but Hannah can charge €4 litre for her beautiful organic milk. She also sells butter, buttermilk, milk kefir, homemade ice cream and preserves, pork and beef from the Farm and handmade soap made from the tallow. The Farm shop also stocks fresh sourdough from the local bakery and there are a few tables out in the gravelled whitewashed courtyard where one can enjoy a convivial chat over coffee and brownies and/or a glass of raw milk.
Pink Clematis Montaña was spilling over the wall, the sun was shining.
A half an hour further on we found Power‘s Butchers in Clarecastle where Cassie and Nick McCarthy from Lúnasa Farm sell the organic beef and pork from their farm. Every scrap from nose to tail was utilised, rich broth from the bones, charcuterie, tallow from fat and for soap making.
It’s so heartening to see the growing number of small farmers selling directly to the public from the Farm gate or Farm shop.
Close by near Kilfenora, there’s Inagh, the home of the fresh St. Tola Goat Cheese for Siobhán Ní Ghairbhith and her team have been making several award-winning goats milk cheeses since 1999.
The 21st Slow Food Festival organised by Birgitta Hedin-Curtin, Michael Gleeson and their team in conjunction with Burren Beo, The Burren Ecotourism Network, Byron and Cliffs of Moger Geopark, was a terrific success and provided me with a delicious taste of County Clare and boy, is there a lot going on in County Clare.
We couldn’t leave the area without another visit to Moy Hill Organic Farm, always inspirational and Hugo‘s Artisan Bakery in Lahinch for some of the very best sourdough bread and viennoiserie in the country. Wow, how fortunate are the locals in that area to have access to this food and so much more.
We also swung by the Ailwee Caves not just for the spectacular caves but for the delicious Gouda type cheese they make. Particularly love the cumin flavoured Gouda and the two year-old mature cheese which we made a special detour to collect before our return from Gregans Castle who kindly shared this recipe that was part of our starter course with us.

Gregans Castle Miso Cup, Beetroot, Apple and Smoked Eel

Thank you to Gregans Castle for sharing this delicious recipe – one of the amuse-bouche on the menu.

Serves 8 approx. as a canapé

Ingredients

Pickled Dice

300g cider vinegar

200g sugar

100g water

1 granny smith apple, peeled and finely diced

1 medium red beetroot, peeled and finely diced

Method

1. First make the pickle liquid. Bring the vinegar, sugar and water to the boil, remove from the heat.

2. Pour half of the hot pickle liquid over the apple dice, leave overnight if possible.

3. In a small pot, add the other half and the beetroot dice. Bring to a low simmer and cook the dice until al dente, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

Ingredients

Beetroot/Apple Purée

2 granny smith apple, peeled, and finely grated

2 red beetroot, also peeled and finely grated

sugar, 10% weight of the combine weight of the apple and beetroot

salt and apple cider vinegar to season

Method

1. Add the sugar to a pot that will comfortably hold everything. On a medium heat allow the sugar to turn to a dark caramel.

2. Add the apple, the sugar may solidify in clumps, but as the apples release their liquid and heat, these will dissolve back into the mixture.

3. After a few moments add the beetroot and mix well.

4. Lightly cover with tinfoil and leave on a low-medium heat until nearly all the liquid is dissolved and the beetroot is cooked and soft.

5. Blend on high speed until smooth, season with salt and vinegar.

Ingredients

Cup Mixture

Pickled Apple and Beetroot Dice

Caramel/Apple Purée

Lough Neagh smoked eel, diced

Method

1. In a bowl, add equal quantities of the apple/beetroot dice and diced eel.

2. Add the puree and mix through, you are not looking for a loose mixture, the puree should merely bind the elements together.

Ingredients

Miso Cream

1 litre cream

60g white miso

Method

1. Add the cream and miso to a pot, bring gently to the boil and reduce. (Too much heat will cause it to boil over).

2. Reduce until it is almost reduced by half. It should have almost a custard-like thickness. Season with salt and fresh miso if needed. Pass through a fine sieve.

3. If you have a whipped cream siphon, fill with the mixture and charge it with one gas canister.

4. If not, reduce it slightly less, and when serving aerate it with a hand blender and spoon over. Either way keep the mixture warm, but not boiling hot, for serving.

To Serve

Place a spoonful of the apple/eel/beetroot mix in the bottom of a small bowl or cup.

Pour over the miso cream, either by siphon or spooned over.

In the restaurant we finish it with a dusting of beetroot powder, and a few drops of oil infused with roasted eel trim.

Gouda Cheese Croquettes

We used Aillwee Caves Gouda but one could use an aged Cheddar.

Makes 25-30, depending on size

Ingredients

450ml milk

few slices of carrot and onion

1 small bay leaf

sprig of thyme

4 parsley stalks

200g roux (see recipe) (made with equal quantities of flour and butter (110g of each). Melt the butter and cook the flour in it for 2 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally).

2 egg yolks, preferably free range

225g grated mature Gouda, Aillwee Caves or Coolea Gouda

a pinch of cayenne

½ tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp freshly chopped chives (optional)

salt and freshly ground pepper

seasoned white flour, preferably unbleached

beaten egg

fine dried white breadcrumbs

Accompaniment

Ballymaloe Country Relish

Method

Put the cold milk into a saucepan with the carrot, onion and herbs, bring slowly to the boil, simmer for 3-4 minutes, turn off the heat and allow to infuse for about 10 minutes if you have enough time.  Strain the flavourings, rinse them and add to a stock if you have one on the go.  Bring the milk back to the boil, whisk in the roux bit by bit; it will get very thick but persevere.  (The roux always seems like a lot too much, but you need it all so don’t decide to use less).

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Cook for 1-2 minutes on a gentle heat, then remove from the heat, stir in the egg yolks, cheese, pinch of cayenne, mustard and optional chives.  Taste and correct the seasoning.  Spread out on a wide plate to cool.

When the mixture is cold or at least cool enough to handle, shape into balls about the size of a golf ball or 25g (1oz) approx.  Roll first in seasoned flour, then in beaten

egg and then in fine breadcrumbs.  Chill until firm but bring back to room temperature before cooking otherwise they may burst.  Just before serving, heat a deep fryer to 170°C/325°F and cook the croquettes until crisp and golden.  Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with a green salad and perhaps some Ballymaloe Country Relish.

Note: The cooked cheese croquettes can be kept warm in an oven for up to 30 minutes. They can also be frozen and reheated in an oven.

Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

Pasteis de Nata, the famous Portuguese custard tarts. This is not the recipe for Hugo’s gorgeous tarts but it’s also delicious.

Makes 24

Ingredients

1 large egg

2 egg yolks

115g golden caster sugar

2 tbsp cornflour

400ml whole milk

2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

a sprinkling of ground cinnamon (optional)

900g puff pastry

Lightly grease 2 x 12 muffin tins.

Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8.

Method

Put the egg, yolks, sugar and cornflour in a saucepan and whisk, gradually add the milk and whisk until smooth.

Cook on a medium heat and stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture thickens and comes to the boil, continue to cook for 2 minutes.  Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract and cinnamon if using.

Transfer to a Pyrex bowl, allow to cool.  Cover with parchment paper to prevent a skin from forming – prick here and there to allow steam to escape.

Roll the chilled puff pastry into a 3mm thick sheet, stamp out 7.5cm discs.  Press into the muffin tins.

Spoon a generous dessertspoon of the cool custard into each pastry case. Bake in the preheated oven for 16-20 minutes or golden on top and slightly charred.  Allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack.  Eat warm or at room temperature.

Foraging, building resilience.
I certainly hope my greatest fears are not realised but with the way events in the Middle East are shaping up, I continue to urge everyone to build up resilience and work on enhancing practical life skills, sounds like Doomsday stuff but if we look on the positive side, it can be a delicious and fun adventure too.
Yesterday, I went for another wander through the fields and along the wild hedgerows to do a bit of foraging . The May bush or Hawthorn is still in bloom, a profusion of white flowers and still tender leaves. Bet you didn’t know that you can scatter them into your green salad, turns out that they are hugely beneficial for our cardiovascular system. Check out the research.
Young nettles are at their most delicious now too, pick them with gloves and cook like spinach and add a bit of garlic. Add to mashed potato for Nettle champ, use for a topping for pizza with goat cheese as Alice Waters does at Chez Panisse – the heat of the pizza oven removes the sting and makes the nettles deliciously crispy. Add to pasta with lots of cream and a generous grating of Parmesan or just make a big pot of nettle soup.
Nettles are super nutritious. Our grandparents were well aware of their medical properties,” Eat three feeds of nettles during the month of May” to cleanse the blood and top up iron levels after the long winter months. They were often referred to as a ‘spring tonic’ or ‘internal spring cleaning’. Loaded with vitamins, minerals, scarce trace elements and apparently brilliant to ease arthritis and creaky joints.
Terrific, particularly at this time of year when our immune systems could do with a boost.
Along the seashore, sea spinach is at its best. It’s more robust than garden spinach but, oh, how delicious.
One can cook it just like annual or perennial spinach, but it will take a little longer. Anoint it with lots of butter or extra-virgin olive oil and a generous grating of fresh nutmeg. Here’s a recipe for sea spinach soup, a gem that can also be adapted for nettles or watercress.
There are lots of fresh cleavers too, nicknamed (sticky Willie). Just cover with boiling water to make an infusion to sip, it acts as a natural detox, helps to flush out the kidneys and urinary tract. Fresh dandelion leaves are also a powerful diuretic, nibble one leaf a day, great if you have a urinary infection.
So many wild foods particularly greens are at their very best at present, young ground elder leaves have a particularly appealing flavour. Little sprigs
of young growth are great in salads and will also liven up a restaurant menu.
By the way, also good added to soup, mashed potatoes etc., just like nettles or chopped into a quiche.
Try this Foragers Quiche, it’ll probably taste different every time you make it, depending on your mix of young wild things.
But back to a more sober note. Buy a really good Foraging Book and learn about the myriads of edible wild foods around us, free for the gathering.
Enjoy foraging on land and seashore whenever you can. Very soon, where others may just see a profusion of weeds, you’ll see a nourishing and delicious dinner… Wild foods still have their full complement of vitamins and minerals and trace elements unlike much of fresh foods on our shelves. Teach your children also how to recognise edible food in the wild. A walk in the countryside or by the seashore will never be the same again. Enjoy.

Sea Spinach and Rosemary Soup

The trick with these green soups is not to add the greens until the last minute, otherwise they will overcook, and the soup will lose its fresh taste and bright green colour. For a simple spinach soup, omit the rosemary and add a little freshly grated nutmeg with the seasoning.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

50g butter

110g onion, peeled and chopped

150g potatoes, peeled and chopped

600ml homemade chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

425-600ml creamy milk (1/4 cream and 3/4 milk)

salt and freshly ground pepper

225-350g sea spinach, destalked and chopped

1 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (optional)

Garnish

2 tbsp whipped cream (optional)

sprig of rosemary or rosemary flowers

Method

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

Add the boiling stock and milk, bring back to the boil and simmer until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Add the sea spinach and boil with the lid off for about 3-5 minutes, until the sea spinach is tender. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh green colour.  Add the chopped rosemary if using. Liquidise and taste. 

Serve in warm bowls garnished with a blob of whipped cream and a sprig of rosemary. If you have a pretty rosemary bush in bloom, sprinkle a few flowers over the top for extra pzazz.

Useful Tip

If you need to reheat a green soup, do so at the last minute. If it sits in a bain-marie or hostess trolley it will lose its lively colour. Use mustard greens or a proportion of mustard greens, red Russian kale is also delicious.

Accompaniments: crusty bread or Cheddar cheese scones.

Foragers Quiche

This tart incorporates many of my favourite wild foods from early spring with the first of the spring onions of the season. Feel free to vary the greens depending on season and availability, the flavour will be a surprise every time.

Serves 6

Ingredients

Pastry

225g flour

a pinch of salt

110g butter

1 egg, beaten

Filling

150g young nettles or a mixture of nettles and sea spinach

25g butter

25g spring onions

10g watercress or wild garlic leaves in season (allium ursinum)

flaky sea salt and fresh ground pepper

3 organic eggs

100ml milk

250ml crème fraîche

grated zest from one organic lemon

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

25g chives

50g grated Parmesan

50g grated Gruyère

pinch of cayenne

1 x 23cm quiche tin

Method

First make the shortcrust pastry. 

Sieve 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.

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.

Flatten into a round, wrap the pastry in parchment paper and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. This will make the pastry much less elastic and easier to roll.

Next, line the tart tin with the pastry. Chill and rest. Line with parchment paper, fill with beans and, in a preheated moderate oven 180°C/Gas Mark 4, blind bake for 20-25 minutes. Cool.

Meanwhile, blanch the nettles in boiling, salted water for a minute. Drain and refresh under cold water, drain again and chop. Destalk and chop the sea spinach if using and add to the nettles.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan over a gentle heat. Add the spring onions and sweat for 4 or 5 minutes. Add the watercress or wild garlic and well-drained nettles or sea spinach (if using). Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Stir to mix and remove from the heat.

Whisk the egg in a bowl with the milk and crème fraîche. Add the finely grated lemon zest, thyme leaves, chives and grated cheese. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and a little cayenne.

Add the greens. Taste and correct the seasoning. (I find it really worthwhile to cook off a spoonful of the mixture in a frying pan to check the seasoning.)

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Pour or spoon into the tart shell and cook for 35-40 minutes or until the tart is set and slightly gold. Remove from the tin. Cool on a wire rack and serve warm or at room temperature with a little grating of Parmesan on top.

Nettle Champ

Nettles have been valued in Ireland since ancient times not only as a food, but also as a purifier of the blood. The belief is still strong particularly among older people in the country that one should have at least three dinners of nettles in April and May to clear the blood and keep away the ‘rheumatics’ for the coming year. Remember to use gloves to pick up stinging nettles.

Serves

Ingredients

675g old potatoes, e.g. Golden Wonders

25-30g chopped nettle (50g starting weight before destalking)

300ml milk

25-50g butter

salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

Scrub the potatoes and cook in boiling salted water until tender.

Meanwhile, chop the young nettle tops and cook in the milk for approx. 20 minutes.

As soon as the potatoes are cooked, drain and peel immediately while they are still hot. Mash until soft and free of lumps. Pour in the boiling milk, add the nettles and a good lump of butter, beat until soft and creamy. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Serve hot with a lump of butter melting into the centre.

The fresh peas are ready to harvest. They are my special excitement for this week. They are crazily romping up the bamboo teepee in the greenhouse.
Have you ever had the opportunity to pluck peas straight off the vine, Magic…
I’ve always taken this for granted but now realise that many have never seen peas in anything but a plastic bag in the freezer.
Never had the joy of opening a pea pod and popping the sweet juicy peas straight into ones mouth.
Eating freshly picked peas directly from the pod is one of life’s greatest pleasures.

No idea how to open a pea pod? You’re not the only one, I’ve seen folks go at them with a knife and fork!
I love to put a bowl of freshly picked peas on the table for guests to eat raw and open themselves, you can’t imagine the thrill and excitement. For some, it’s a joyful trip down memory lane, for others it’s a new adventure, a new mind blowing discovery.
We sow the first crop with the students at the end of January. They take over four months to grow and be ripe enough to harvest so they don’t get to eat them, but the summer students have the pleasure. There’s still time to sow another batch, they should be ready to harvest by the end of August
One can start to pick them as soon as the pods begin to form at the ‘mange tout’ stage. Enjoy warm or plunge them into cold water to add to salads.

Cook fresh peas in boiling salted water, drain, taste and don’t hesitate to add a generous pinch of sugar if necessary, particularly if they are not freshly picked, the fresher they are, the sweeter the taste. And of course, a blob of butter or a generous glug of extra-virgin olive oil for extra deliciousness.

Once again children are intrigued that peas come from the garden not from a packet on the freezer aisle in the supermarket. We look forward all year to seeing our grandchildren running up and down the rows of peas with their friends, carefully picking so they don’t damage the vine. We have so many favourite pea recipes, and several delicious pea soups.

This pea and coriander soup can be served hot or chilled in the summer. It also freezes as well and it’s super quick to make.

Top Tip.

You can actually use best quality frozen peas if you haven’t got fresh ones.
Peas chargrilled in the pod are also delicious. One can do the same with broad beans in their pods. Madhur Jaffrey shared this recipe for green peas and coconut with us, delicious on its own, but we love it served with a butterflied leg of lamb as she did.

For a special treat, try this lobster recipe, a legacy from my lovely friend Skye Gyngell who passed away earlier this year. A much loved beautiful generous cook whom we all miss so much but she lives on in her recipes.

Pea, Chilli and Coriander Soup

This utterly delicious soup has a perky zing with the addition of fresh chilli.

Serves 6 approximately

Ingredients

900ml homemade chicken stock

450g peas (good quality frozen are fine)

50g butter (or use 2 tbsp of sunflower oil)

150g onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

2 tbsp approx. chopped fresh coriander

salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar

Garnish

softly whipped cream

fresh coriander leaves

Method

Bring the chicken stock to the boil.

Melt the butter on a gentle heat add the onion, garlic and chilli.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper and sweat for 3-4 minutes.  Cover with the hot stock. Bring to the boil with the lid off, add the peas and cook for 3-4 minutes approximately or until the peas are just tender.  Add the coriander and liquidise.  Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of sugar, which enhances the flavour even further.  Serve with a swirl of softly whipped cream and a few fresh coriander leaves sprinkled over the top.

Note – Serving Suggestion

Pea Soup

To serve, put a few fresh peas and pea shoots into a wide soup bowl.  Put the soup in a jug – each guest pours soup into the bowl themselves.

Variation

Pea and Bacon Soup

Add a few tiny crispy lardons of bacon to the peas.

Chilled Pea and Coriander Soup

This soup is also good chilled but be particularly careful not to overcook.  The texture should be smooth and silky, the consistency should be thin so add a little more stock if necessary.

N.B. cold soups should be served in small, chilled bowls. 

Skye Gyngell’s Lobster with Peas, Fennel and Verjus Dressing

A gorgeous combination from lovely Skye, a special treat. We remember her so fondly.

Serves 2 as a main course and 4 as a starter

Ingredients

2 very fresh live lobsters (each weighing approximately 500g

1 fennel bulb

the juice of ½ lemon

a handful of peas

mild tasting extra virgin olive oil

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

a small handful of any lovely young lettuce leaves, washed and patted dry

1 medium bunch of chervil, leaves only

1 small bunch of purple basil, leaves only

For the Dressing

1 small organic free-range egg yolk

3/4 tsp honey

1 tbsp verjus

1/2 tsp Dijon mustard

a pinch of salt

100ml mild tasting extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tbsp crème fraîche

Method

Start by making the dressing.

Place the egg yolk, honey, verjus, mustard and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Very slowly drizzle and whisk continously until emulsified. It is exactly the same process as for making mayonnaise.  Once the oil is incorporated, you will have a thick emulsified sauce.  Add the crème fraîche and stir well to combine. The dressing should just drop from a spoon – if it is a little too thick simply add a tablespoon or so of water (at room temp). taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Set aside while you cook the lobster.

Place a large pot of well-salted water on to boil.  It should be almost as salty as the sea. When it has reached a rolling boil, drop in the lobsters and cook for 8 minutes exactly (this is important as overcooked lobster meat is not good!).  Remove with a pair of tongs and set aside until cool enough to handle.

To remove the meat from the shell first twist off the claws and tap the thickest part of these with a rolling pin to crack them open.  Gently remove the claw shell leaving the flesh intact if possible and reserve.  Now lay the body on its back on a board and using a very sharp large knife cut through the middle of the soft underbelly to slice the tail meat in half lengthways. You should then be able to remove the outer shell easily (it’s a bit like taking off a coat). Season the flesh with a squeeze of lemon juice and a little olive oil, salt and pepper.

Remove the tough outer leaves of the fennel bulb, then cut in half lengthways, and slice as finely as possible.  Squeeze over a little lemon juice to prevent discolouration.

Pod the peas. Place on a pot of water to boil. Season generously with salt.  Once the water has boiled add the peas and cook for approximately 2 minutes, drain and drizzle with a little olive oil.

To assemble the dish.

Place the peas and fennel in a bowl and dress with a little extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, a pinch of sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper.  Toss together lightly with your fingers to dress the vegetables.  Add the lobster meat, lettuce leaves, chervil and basil and toss once more. 

Arrange prettily on a plate and spoon some verjus dressing over the top. Serve the excess dressing in a bowl on the side. Serve at once.

Green Peas with Coconut and Coriander

Madhur Jaffrey shared this recipe with us when she taught a class here at the Ballymaloe Cookery School in 2001. Delicious on its own or as a side with a roast shoulder of lamb or pork.

Serves 3-4

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable oil

a generous pinch of ground asafoetida (optional)

1 tsp brown mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

15 fresh curry leaves

285g shelled fresh or defrosted frozen peas

1-2 fresh green chillies, finely chopped

1 tsp salt

1 tsp caster sugar

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground coriander

75g freshly grated coconut

3 tbsp very finely chopped fresh coriander

Method

Put the oil in a large frying pan and set over medium-high heat.  When hot, put in the asafoetida and, a second later, the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.  As soon as the mustard seeds begin to pop – a matter of seconds – put in the curry leaves.  Stir for a second, then put in the peas, chillies, salt, sugar, turmeric, ground cumin and ground coriander.  Stir for 1 minute or until the peas turn bright green.  Add 4 tablespoons of water and bring to the boil.  Turn the heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes, or until the peas are tender.  Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the coconut and fresh coriander.  Stir, boiling away any extra water.  Serve.

We’re almost out of the ‘hungry gap’, that’s the six or eight weeks between mid-March and early June, depending on the year.
The gap happens when the weather begins to warm up and the overwintered vegetables start to ‘bolt’ (go to seed) but the spring plantings aren’t yet mature enough to eat.
Historically, this was a time of genuine scarcity and often hunger, but today, most people in their busy lives are totally unaware of a ‘hungry gap’, because the supermarket shelves are packed with produce year-round.
At present, between 80 and 85% of the fruit and vegetables on the shop shelves in this country are imported including significant quantities of crops that can easily be locally grown such as potatoes, onions and carrots even lettuce. In the region of 70% of organic vegetables bought by Irish consumers are also imported, while at the same time, Ireland is a major food exporter – how crazy is that!
It’s certainly worth reminding ourselves in the present global situation, that this high reliance on food imports makes Ireland extremely vulnerable to shocks.
There are now less than 70 commercial Irish vegetable growers as opposed to 600 in the year 2,000. A disastrous drop, make no mistake about it, this is a crisis…Recently, a large vegetable grower from County Kilkenny who supplied 12% of carrots for the Irish market went into liquidation. As long as the cheap food policy introduced by the government in 2006 which allows ‘below cost’ selling exists, this situation will continue.
There is unquestionably a cost of living crisis but how irresponsible is it to sacrifice one sector for another, particularly the sector that we rely on to feed and nourish us.
At this stage, we all seem to think that cheap food is our right but how dare we expect the very people who feed us to produce food below an economic level. Cheap food is a myth; the cost is simply too high in health terms and socio-economic terms. Apart from the unfairness, it’s incredibly shortsighted, we are all losers in the end. This is an issue that affects all of us. We need to make our voices heard and demand that the government brings in supports for the Irish horticultural sector as a matter of urgency.
Meanwhile, back to the end of the ‘hungry gap’. For those of us who grow some of our own produce, this is a hugely exciting time of the year. We’ve already enjoyed the outdoor seakale and are still harvesting asparagus. We have dug and given thanks for the first of the new potatoes which were sown in early January and grown without any chemicals or sprays in our greenhouse. The brilliant purple sprouting broccoli has also sustained us for the past few weeks. Beets are already golf ball size and so sweet and delicious. The first of the mangetout peas are ready to eat.
Yesterday evening, we had a delicious feast of broad bean tops which we picked off the plants to discourage black flies from munching them. One can of course enjoy them raw in salads but we cooked them in plenty of boiling salted water, tossed them with a big dollop of butter and a generous drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. You can’t imagine how delicious they were. We served them as a side with a little spring lamb, but they’re also so good tossed with pasta or included in a frittata.
Love this pasta dish with asparagus and peas, but of course one can do many riffs on this recipe with sprouting broccoli, mangetout, beet greens, or broad bean tops.
Sorry to sound like a broken record, but I can’t help urging you all, yet again to think about growing a little of your own food, even if it’s only a seed tray of salad leaves on your windowsill, you can snip it over and over…hence the name ‘Cut and Come’. You’ll enjoy the magic of sowing a seed, wait for it to germinate and eventually grow into tender flavourful leaves to fill your salad bowl. You won’t want to waste a scrap, and it’ll be chemical-free as opposed to the majority of non-organic salad leaves…

Pasta with Asparagus and Peas

A perfect spring pasta dish, made in minutes. Also delicious with the first broad beans or zucchini in summer. If you don’t have fresh peas, use the best quality frozen peas.

Serves 4

Ingredients

250g asparagus

200g tagliatelle

200g peas

5g fresh mint leaves

10g fresh parsley leaves

300ml rich cream (not single)

30g butter

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

75g Parmesan (keep 25g for grating before serving)

flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

lemon zest

Method

Bring two saucepans of water to the boil. Salt the large pan generously, the smaller one slightly less.

Trim the asparagus ends. Cut the spears into short lengths (about 3cm) at an angle.

When the water in the large pan is boiling, add the pasta and let it cook for 8-9 minutes or until al dente.

Add the asparagus to the smaller pan and let it cook for 5-6 minutes until almost tender, then remove with a slotted spoon, set aside. Bring the water back to the boil and tip in the peas, 2-3 minutes should be enough.

Finely chop the mint and parsley.

Drain the peas and add to the asparagus.

Drain the pasta lightly. Pour the cream back into the saucepan, bring to the boil and reduce by half. Add the butter and olive oil, tip back in the pasta, add the peas and asparagus and herbs. Stir in the Parmesan, season generously with flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Taste and serve in shallow bowls. Serve immediately. with a little grating of lemon zest and Parmesan.

Roast Beetroot with Ardsallagh Goat Cheese and Balsamic Dressing and Wild Garlic Flowers

Serves 4

Ingredients

6-12 baby beetroot, a mixture of red, golden and Chioggia would be wonderful

rocket and beetroot leaves

extra virgin olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

175g goat cheese – Ardsallagh or St. Tola

Maldon Sea Salt

freshly cracked pepper

tiny beet greens or wild garlic leaves and flowers if available

a few walnut halves (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8

Roast the beetroot in the preheated oven until soft and cooked through – 30 minutes to an hour depending on size.

To Serve

Rub off the skins of the beetroot, keep whole or cut into quarters.  Toss in extra virgin olive oil.

Scatter a few rocket and tiny beetroot leaves on each serving plate.  Arrange a selection of warm beetroot on top.  Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and Balsamic vinegar.  Put a dessert spoonful of goat cheese beside the beetroot.  Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Garnish with tiny beet greens or wild garlic flowers and a few walnuts if using. Serve.

Asparagus, Wild Garlic, Rocket and Broad Bean Tops 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

Ingredients

225g asparagus

8 organic eggs

50g Parmesan or Pecorino or a mixture, freshly grated

2-3 tbsp roughly chopped wild garlic, rocket leaves, broad bean shoots or a combination

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

110g fresh Ardsallagh or St. Tola goat’s Cheese

To Serve

salad leaves, wild garlic and rocket

a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Garnish

wild garlic flowers (optional)

non-stick frying pan – 19cm bottom, 23cm top rim

Method

Bring about 2.5cm of water to the boil in an oval casserole.  Break off the tough ends of the asparagus, add 1 teaspoon of salt and blanch for 2-3 minutes until al dente.  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 chopped wild garlic, rocket leaves and/or broad bean shoots.  Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 

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. Drop little blobs of the goat’s cheese evenly around the surface of the frittata.  Arrange the asparagus tops into 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/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 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.  Grate some fresh Parmesan over the top just before serving. Garnish with wild garlic flowers, if available.

I’m loving València, my very first visit. The main purpose of this particular trip is to visit the Todolí Citrus Foundation (more later), about an hour outside the city on Saturday next, but I’ve decided to add on a few days to explore València and the surrounding area.
What a city, one of the oldest in Spain, it was founded by the Romans in 138 BC and has over 2,100 years of exciting history, heavily influenced by Islamic and Christian rule.
The 15th century, was the Golden Age, a period of intense economic and artistic splendour, the beautiful Silk Exchange, dates back to then, Longa de la Seda – a must visit as is the awe inspiring futuristic City of Arts and Sciences designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela.
València is one of the largest and best preserved historic centres in Europe, a maze of narrow, leafy cobblestone streets with hidden plazas and stunningly beautiful architectural masterpieces with huge entrances and courtyards. Our hotel, The Cato, in the old town is built on the remains of the Roman walls.
The beautiful València Cathedral, a mix of Gothic, Romanesque and Basque styles is just around the corner, one of over 40 prominent churches in the city, many built after the Christian conquest on the sites of former mosques.
When you’ve got your fill of culture, don’t miss the Mercat Central, one of the largest fresh produce markets in Europe, covering over 8,000 square ft and housing 400 plus stalls. The magnificent central dome floods the interior with natural light.   It’s a masterpiece of València modernism, completed in 1928.
There are an estimated 17 municipal markets in València. I managed to visit three and also loved the Ruzafa Market, particularly good for high-quality organic produce. Loved eating in the little market café where the stallholders have a hearty breakfast, many start with a glass of red wine, a little plate of olives, a pickled chilli and roasted peanuts, Pan con Tomate, grilled bread, crushed tomato and slivers of jamon.
The Rojas Clemente Market is much smaller but super chic, stalls also piled high with fresh produce, artisan cheeses, cured meats, butcher shops as ever selling every part of the animal from snout to tail, dry aged beef and cattle hooves, all ready to be transformed into hearty Spanish dishes.
The Fish market has a mesmerising catch of really fresh fish, octopus, cuttlefish, squid, round and flat fish, sardines, tuna, gurnard, huge red prawns, langoustines, tiger shrimps, scallops, oysters, cañaillas (sea snails, purple or spiny dye-murex).
We searched for Rossmore native oysters from Cork Harbour which the Spaniards prize highly. Many stalls open oysters, scallops, sea urchins and razor clams to eat on the spot with a glass of white wine or fino.
The Spaniards love to buy already roasted vegetables at the market, several stalls sell thick slices of pumpkin roasted in a wood burning oven with roasted seeds in the centre, roast onions, sweet potatoes, artichokes, apples, and pears, all ready to take home to enjoy. I longed to be able to chat to the stallholders to get a deeper understanding of the ingredients but my Spanish is dismal although I can read a menu in virtually every language!
Be SURE to buy some produce at the markets, don’t just take photos.
Bacalao, salt cod in its many iterations, is also a perennial favourite, as is bottarga (cured mullet roe).
I bought some and also little shreds of bacalao called bolsitas ingles to scatter over salads, some crispy cod skin (piel de bacalao) and cortezas (a Spanish snack made from pork rind). Not a scrap of the fish is wasted, not even the bones which are used to add body and soul to stocks, soups and many dishes.
We drove out through the national park to El Palmar to see the rice paddies. València is the paella capital of Spain, so many versions, some with a mixture of meat and shellfish, others with game e.g. rabbit, chicken and artichoke which we greatly enjoyed at Ca Pepico in Meliana. The rice paddies are empty at this time of the year but one can still take a boat trip through the rivers, dunes and lakes.
We found a traditional bakery called Horno Heladeria that also served the famous rice drink, horchata and fartons, the long, sweet breadsticks to use as dips. They also sold several local pastries including coca de pasas y nueceswhich I have since made at home, it looks like a flat plop but tastes delicious.
They are also a few examples of the traditional whitewashed barracas, steep thatched reed straw houses in the area of El Palmar.
We ate lots of delicious things in many Valèncian cafés, tapas bars and restaurants and my new obsession is sepia (cuttlefish). Look out for it in the English Market or at the Ballycotton Seafood. Love it dipped in a tempura batter or drizzled with aioli. Here’s the recipe for the coca de pasas y nueces which wins no prizes for elegance but tastes delicious. Also, a recipe for Pan al Tomate, my favourite Spanish breakfast and super easy to make while you’re still half-awake in the morning.

Pan con Tomate (Spanish-Style Grilled Bread with Tomatoes)

The first of the new seasons Valèncian tomatoes were piled up in the markets – pan con tomate is at its very best when tomatoes are super ripe and intensely flavoured at the end of Summer.

Serves 1

Ingredients

2 slices of best quality white bread, sliced 1cm thick

1 garlic clove, cut in half

2 medium, very ripe tomatoes (1 tomato per slice of bread) or 1 large Spanish heirloom tomato

flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Spanish extra virgin olive oil

slivers of jamón (Spanish cured ham) (optional)

Method

Toast the bread. Rub with the cut half clove of garlic while still warm.

Grate the tomato down to its skin on the large side of an old-fashioned box grater. Season with flaky sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a drizzle of the best extra virgin olive oil you can find. Spread on the warm bread. Delicious as it is but even better with a few slivers of jamón on top.

Eat immediately.

Paella

In Spain one can buy a gas ring specially for cooking paella for a picnic, how wonderful would that be? This is just one of the myriads of paella recipes – great for a party.

Serves 10-12

Ingredients

6 tbsp approximately of extra virgin olive oil

2 large onions, chopped

1 large green pepper, cut into 1cm cubes

1 large red pepper, cut into 1cm cubes

8 cloves garlic, sliced

1 free-range organic chicken, jointed and cut into smallish pieces

225g organic streaky pork, cut into cubes

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tsp saffron

1kg paella rice (calasparra or acquerello) approximately (generous ½ cup per person)

1.8 – 2.4 litres homemade chicken stock (use more if needed)

1 chorizo sausage, sliced

450g frozen peas

450g mussels in shells

12 prawns in shells

Garnish

4 very ripe tomatoes

flat parsley sprigs and coarsely chopped chives

paella pan, 46cm approximately

Method

Put lots of olive oil in the paella pan.  Add the pork and cook for a few minutes until the fat begins to run. Add the garlic, onions and peppers.  Cook for 4-5 minutes, then add the chicken.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Then add the sliced chorizo.

Sauté for 15 minutes, soak a teaspoon of saffron in a cup of warm chicken stock and stir around. Add to the pan. Add the rice. Add stock to almost cover, stir to blend and then don’t stir again unless absolutely necessary. Add the peas.

Bring to the boil and simmer really gently for about 20 minutes until the meat is cooked.  About 5 minutes from the end of cooking, add the mussels and the prawns in their shells. Continue to cook until the mussels open and the prawns are cooked.  Stand over it and move the ingredients around a little. Bring the paella pan to the table. Scatter with lots of flat parsley sprigs and some freshly chopped tomato and chives. Serve immediately directly from the pan. The crispy rice bits on the bottom of the pan are the best!

Fantastic to serve lots of people.

coca de pasas y nueces

A specialty of València, not sure what the Horno Heladeria recipe is but we tried this version and another without brandy and spice and they were both delicious – enjoy with a glass of sherry or a cup of tea….

Makes 4

Ingredients

80g milk

80g water

25g fresh yeast

30g honey

2 eggs

35g sunflower oil

500g strong white flour

100-150g granulated sugar

zest of 1 orange

pinch of salt

1 tsp mixed spice (optional)

100g raisins

50g brandy

75g fresh walnuts, chopped

walnut halves for the top of dough

Method

Soak the raisins in the brandy overnight

Next day, in a saucepan, gently warm the milk, water and honey. Transfer to a Pyrex jug and add the fresh yeast. Allow to sponge for 3-4 minutes until it appears active.  

Whisk the eggs and oil in a separate bowl.

Add all the dry ingredients except the raisins, brandy and walnuts to a bowl.

Once the yeast is ready, mix all the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients to make a dough. Knead for 10 minutes, then add in the raisins, brandy and walnuts and knead gently to combine. Pop into a clean bowl, cover and allow to rise in your kitchen until the dough has doubled in size.

‘Knock back’ and divide into four portions (260-270g balls), allow to rest for 4-5 minutes.  Shape into 15cm rounds x 1 1/2 cm thick approx. Transfer to a baking tray lined with parchment paper. (In Spain, the coca’s are baked on a disc of rice paper). Allow to prove for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3.

When ready to bake, brush lightly with egg wash. Arrange 6-8 walnut halves on top, slightly pushed into the dough and sprinkle with granulated sugar.

Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes approx. until pale golden and slightly crunchy. Cool on a wire rack.

In the midst of that crazy April weather, showers, hail, wind, and occasional snatches of warm sunshine, I’ve been dreaming of BBQ, how crazy is that…
My sudden urge to grill is somewhat prompted by Jim Moore’s How To BBQ Everything book that landed on my desk.
Jim, who hails from Belfast, is an international barbecue judge and one of the best loved and respected barbecue boys on the UK circuit. He’s been posting his culinary escapades on social media @onlyslagging, since 2011 and now has over 2 million followers, so surely there must be something to look at here.
Sharing his passion for cooking over live fire, he draws his inspiration from his travels to America, Australia, Mexico, the Middle East and Europe, a melting pot of influences that add spice to the recipes so they are not only inspirational but realistic and achievable for the home cook, whether you’re cooking over fire or using a fancy state of the art grill.
Time to go rooting in the garage to retrieve the barbecue. Hopefully you weren’t too busy to give it a really thorough clean before you put it away last year, otherwise time to do a deep clean before the season gets started.
The extra brilliant thing about grilling is that many chaps who wouldn’t be caught dead in the kitchen, come to life when the word barbecue is mentioned.
The selection of grills and barbecue and fancy kit is mesmerising. A myriad of stand-alone, gas, charcoal, wood pellet or electric, plus kits to build a state of the art outdoor barbecue grill, rotisserie and smoker.
Choosing the right barbecue for you, depends on your specific needs and budget. Whether you a novice, embarking on your first grilling adventure or a seasoned BBQ nerd, as the saying goes, ‘there’s something for you’
Do you crave the rich smoky flavour of charcoal or maybe the convenience of a gas or electric barbecue or perhaps you are tempted by the versatility of a wood pellet grill.
Think about the unique benefits and limitations of each type and select one for your particular lifestyle.
My advice, particularly for beginners despite the temptation, is to keep it simple until you get the hang of it
I have several fancy barbecues but in the end my favourite is simply cooking over fire. How wonderful can a few sausages taste ‘en plein air’ on the beach?
I just make a circle of chunky stones, gather a bit of driftwood (or cheat and bring some kindling and a fire lighter!)
Don’t forget a box of matches and long handled tongs – I have a bokety old frying pan that does the job brilliantly. A pot of, ‘you know what’ relish and some real Colman’s mustard made from the powder in that iconic yellow tin add extra zing.
For a gathering of friends, you may want to have a selection of meats, fish, shellfish and vegetables but even if it’s just one choice item, it’s all about the seasonings and flavour enhancers – basic flaky sea salt, freshly cracked pepper and really good extra-virgin olive oil.
Marinades can be just  a quick dip or a lengthy overnight maceration depending on the size of the joint.
Could be a spice mix sprinkled on just before or after grilling and of course lots of sauces, salsas and salads for your guests to help themselves can transform something simple into a feast.
Marinades have three key elements:
Acids which tenderise – vinegar, citrus juice or natural yoghurt.
Oils to moisten, extra-virgin olive oil is my favourite.
Flavourings
Sweet – can be honey, maple syrup, pomegranate, molasses, sweet chilli sauce…
Savoury –  garlic, ginger,  lemongrass, lime leaves,  fresh woody herbs, rosemary, thyme, sage…
Experiment, share tips with your grilling buddies. Did you know that there’s a whole grilling slang out there to have fun with, check it out.
Meanwhile here’s a taste of some of the recipes in Jim Moore’s, How To BBQ Everything published by Ebury Press.
Happy grilling.

Buffalo Hot Wings

Sharp, buttery heat and fire-kissed crunch

Sticky, spicy and smoky, these Buffalo hot wings are the real deal. A hit of celery salt in the dry rub brings that traditional Buffalo wing flavour, while cooking over the fire adds depth and char. Tossed in a buttery hot sauce glaze and served with cooling ranch or blue cheese dressing, these are made for tearing into with messy fingers.

Prep Time: 10 minutes plus 1-4 hours marinating

Cook Time: 30-40 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1.25kg chicken wings

For the Dry Rub

2 tsp celery salt

2 tsp white pepper

1 tsp black pepper

For the Buffalo Sauce

1 bottle Frank’s RedHot Sauce

1 tbsp honey

50g unsalted butter

To Serve

ranch dressing or blue cheese dressing

celery sticks

crumbled blue cheese (optional)

Method

Preparation.

Combine the celery salt with the white and black peppers. Toss the wings in the dry rub until evenly coated. Cover and refrigerate for 1-4 hours to absorb the flavours.

In a saucepan, whisk together the Frank’s sauce and honey. Bring to a gentle simmer. Stir in the butter and cook until melted and slightly reduced – about 2 minutes. Set aside, reserving some in a bowl for dipping.

Set your barbecue for direct and indirect zones on a high heat (230–290°C).

Grill

Start the wings over direct heat to get some colour and char, turning occasionally. Move the wings to the indirect zone and cook with the lid closed until the internal temperature hits 75°C (but you may wish to push this to 85–90°C to achieve a nice crispy skin). Check the internal temperature using an instant-read thermometer.

Serve

Just before serving, toss the hot wings in the warm Buffalo sauce. Serve immediately with a side of ranch or blue cheese dressing, celery sticks and crumble blue cheese on top, if you like.

Smoked Butter: Use smoked butter in your sauce for added depth.

Make It Spicier: Add dried chilli flakes or cayenne to the rub for extra heat.

Sweeten It Up: Mix in a dash of maple syrup or hot honey for a sweet-spicy twist.

Serve With: Blue cheese slaw, cornbread or loaded fries.

Smash Burgers

Juicy centres, heavy crusts, melty cheese and soft buns

There’s something primal and perfect about a smash burger, just pure beef, fire and technique. Born from the diners of the American Midwest, this burger style has taken on a life of its own over recent years, in backyard barbecues and food trucks around the globe.

What makes it so special? It’s all in the smash. By pressing a fatty meatball onto a blazing-hot griddle you create an unbeatable crust that locks in flavour while keeping the inside tender and juicy. No fillers. No fluff. Just beef, seasoning and heat.

This recipe celebrates that simplicity but leaves plenty of room to tune into your own, from adding smoked cheese to slipping in some jalapeño jam or swapping in a spicy aioli. Whether you’re cooking for a crowd or just craving a burger that bites back, this one never misses. Grab your spatula, it’s time to get smashing.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

100% beef mince (70:30 meat: fat ratio) ask your butcher to grind it fresh

BBQ rub or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

slices of your favourite cheese

Add-Ons

brioche buns, sliced in half

mayonnaise

lettuce

tomato slices

crispy bacon

sautéed mushrooms and onions

burger sauce

Method

Preparation

Form the meat into meatballs slightly larger than a golf ball (aim for 2 per smash burger).

Heat a cast-iron pan or griddle on the BBQ grill or hob until screaming hot – 240-290°C.

Grill

Place a meatball on the pan and smash down flat with a sturdy spatula – you want a thin patty with a deep sear, as that’s where the flavour lives. Season immediately with a BBQ rub or just salt and pepper. Don’t force the flip – when it’s seared properly, it’ll release on its own – about

60-90 seconds.

Flip, add your favourite cheese, and cover the grill to melt.

Serve

Layer up your burger: spread mayo on the bottom brioche bun, then top with lettuce, a thick beef tomato slice, 2 cheese-covered burger patties, some bacon, mushrooms, onions and burger sauce, then top off with the lid of the brioche bun.

Enjoy hot and juicy with napkins at the ready.

Smoke It Up: Add a touch of wood smoke by placing a small smoker box or wood chips on the grill.

Spicy Twist: Mix chopped jalapeños into the beef or top with pickled chilli.

Double Down: Go animal-style with grilled onions, secret sauce and a lettuce wrap.

Garam Masala Cauliflower Steaks with Mint Chutney and Pickled Onions

Fire-grilled veggie feasting at its finest. When you’re feeding a crowd and want to bring something bold and meat-free to the barbecue, these cauliflower steaks deliver in spades. Inspired by the punchy flavours of Indian tandoori cooking, but cooked over open flame, they’re smoky, spicy and beautifully charred on the outside while staying tender in the middle. I first threw these together on a whim at a summer barbecue and watched a table of meat-eaters go absolutely silent with the first bite – always a good sign! Serve them up with a zingy mint chutney, a pile of tangy pickled onions and warm naan to mop it all up. It’s a proper veggie centrepiece that brings the heat.

Prep Time: 20 minutes plus 1 hour or overnight marinating

Cook Time: 20-25 minutes

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 large cauliflowers, leaves removed

200ml natural yoghurt or dairy-free alternative

1 tbsp lemon juice

3 garlic cloves, finely grated

2.5cm piece of fresh ginger, freshly grated

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 ½ tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground coriander

½ tsp cayenne pepper

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

olive oil, for brushing

For the Mint Drizzle

large handful of fresh mint leaves

small bunch of fresh coriander

1 green chilli, deseeded

juice of 1 lime

2 tbsp yoghurt

For the Pickled Onions

1 red onion, thinly sliced

3 tbsp white wine vinegar

1 tsp sugar

To Serve

warm naan or flatbreads

fresh coriander

extra lime wedges

Method

Preparation

Slice each cauliflower from top to bottom into 2-3 thick steaks (about 3cm thick), keeping the core intact where possible to hold them together. Save any florets that fall off for grilling too.

For the marinade, whisk together the yoghurt, lemon juice, garlic, ginger and all the spices in a large bowl.

Season well with salt and pepper. Brush or spoon the marinade generously over both sides of each cauliflower steak. Place on a tray, cover, and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour (or up to overnight).

In a food processor or blender, combine all the mint drizzle ingredients and blitz until smooth. Adjust the flavour with lime juice and salt to taste.

Combine the sliced onion with vinegar, sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Leave to sit and pickle while you finish the rest of the dish – 10-15 minutes is plenty.

Set your grill up for medium-high direct heat (180-230°C). Oil the grates well to prevent sticking.

Grill

Place the steaks directly over the heat. Grill for 5-6 minutes on each side until deeply charred and

fork-tender. Brush with a little oil as they cook and move to indirect heat if they start to catch too quickly.

Serve

Lay the grilled cauliflower steaks on a platter. Spoon over the mint drizzle, scatter with the pickled onions, and serve with warm naan on the side.

Finish with fresh coriander and extra lime wedges for squeezing.

The recent protests over the price of fuel should give us an insight into how quickly everything can change and how fast we can have shortages in many areas.
Unless there is some kind of minor miracle, we’re going to experience food shortages before the end of 2026. We’re sleepwalking into a monumental crisis for which we are ill-prepared. For most people, the idea of empty shelves in our supermarkets is inconceivable, but with two wars and an increasing number of unexpected weather events, all impacting in a myriad of ways on crop production and global supply chains, who knows what’s ahead.
Our current ‘Just in Time’ food system is highly vulnerable to shocks. After all, it was designed for efficiency and profit rather than resilience.
You may understandably feel that the government would have it all under control but I’m afraid the reality is, there is NO real plan. The much touted Food Vision 2030 has a different focus, the main emphasis is to ensure that Irish farmers produce enough beef, dairy… for export into the future.
A ‘Just in Case’ national resilience plan is now a matter of extreme urgency. Professor Tim Lang, Professor Emeritus of Food policy at City St George’s University of London, spent 2 ½ years working on a ‘Just in Case’ report for the UK and his message to the farming community at a recent NFU conference was loud and clear – You have work to do…
But let’s not rely on others any longer, we’ve allowed ourselves to become ridiculously de-skilled, many otherwise highly achieving people can scarcely make toast. What are we like allowing ourselves to become totally dependent on other people for the very thing that keeps us alive and hopefully healthy, completely unable to feed ourselves without resorting to ready meals and UPF’s (ultra-processed foods).
We’ve got to ‘wake up’ and see how vulnerable we’ve allowed ourselves to become. It probably sounds a bit paranoid, but I wouldn’t be against storing a few tins of beans, tomatoes, sardines… at the back of a cupboard.
There are many little ways we can become more self-sufficient, not just in rural areas but in urban and suburban areas also. Even if you don’t have a garden or a raised bed. It’s amazing what can be grown on a windowsill, balcony or even in a cardboard lined plastic crate or pots.
We are fortunate in many ways, that we are just coming into the very best time to sow seeds. On a windowsill, we can grow salad leaves, pea shoots, radishes, (use a blue plastic mushroom box for depth), and many fresh herbs, basil, mint, parsley and thyme. Put rosemary or sage into a flowerpot, plant a few tomato plants and maybe a chili pepper in large pots, a hanging basket works well too.
Eggs are really a must have food for most of us, think about getting a few hens if you haven’t already got them – four or five are plenty for an average family. Move a chicken coop around your garden, lawn or field. Feed your food scraps to the hens and they will reward you with eggs a few days later, a perfect win, win.
Do a bit of research, on your local farmers and Farmers’ Markets, support them, create a bond for the future. Local food systems are the key. International food companies are all very well but won’t help you in a crisis. The government urgently needs to encourage and wholeheartedly support small and artisan producers who sell locally.
Local multi species abattoirs are essential if the sector is to grow. There’s no point in rearing pigs, chickens, ducks, if there is nowhere to have them slaughtered. A support grant to upgrade facilities from a government that sees this as a priority would change the situation overnight and is badly needed.
Yes, another reason to prioritize local producers is the growing demand for artisan and specialty foods from food tourists. This sector needs maximum support and food safety regulations proportionate to the risk involved rather than the opposite which can create unnecessary fear and hassle and discourages others from joining the sector.
Pick up a pen, write to your local politician, express your concerns, ask for answers, make suggestions and also stress the urgency of embedding practical cooking skills in the national curriculum. It’s vital that it’s recognised as an absolute priority. After all, although maths is super important and an essential subject, you can’t eat a maths book!
So back to the kitchen, here are three new recipes that we’ve tested recently and added to our repertoire.

Mary Jo’s Spinach Quiche

You might think that a spinach quiche sounds dull but try this delicious recipe that our friend Mary Jo McMillin shared with us.  It can also be cooked in a rectangular tin (30.5 x 20.5cm) and cut into squares to serve with drinks.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

Pastry (makes scant 900g pastry) – you will have more than required, freeze the excess for another time

450g plain white flour

l teaspoon salt

250g cold butter or 225g butter plus 25g lard

150ml ice water

Onion and Garlic

1 tbsp butter (or a mixture of butter and extra virgin olive oil)

salt

1 clove of garlic, finely diced

150-200g onion, finely diced

Quiche Filling 

110g cream cheese, room temperature

110ml whole milk

110ml heavy cream

3 large eggs

scant 1/2 tsp salt

freshly ground white pepper

generous grating fresh nutmeg

pinch of cayenne (optional)

Spinach Filling

450g frozen chopped leaf spinach, thawed or fresh spinach, blanched, drained and chopped

½ tsp salt

freshly ground white pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

generous sprinkling of chopped fresh dill

onion and garlic mixture

quiche filling

175g grated cheese

1 x 23cm deep quiche/tart tin with a removable base

Method

To make pastry in a food processor: put the flour and salt into a bowl. Add the cold butter and lard and cut in 1cm cubes or slices. Pulse 3 times to break up the butter into flakes. With the processor running, pour in the ice water in a slow stream through the feed tube. Stop the processor as soon as the pastry rolls into a ball. Remove the ball of dough from the bowl; shape into a 15cm long. Strip and cover and refrigerate.

Next, line the tin.

Shape 300g chilled pastry into a 10cm disk. Dust with flour and roll on a smooth, clean surface, giving the dough a quarter turn with each rolling to maintain a circle. Roll to a generous 33cm circle; brush off any excess flour. Fold in quarters; unfold onto the inside of the tin. Press the pastry firmly into the bottom edge of the tin. Trim the dough to an even 1cm overhang. Tuck the overhang inside the pastry edge, pressing firmly. Crimp or flute the top edge. Chill the pastry shell for at least 30 minutes before baking. Chilling relaxes the gluten in the flour and prevents shrinkage and cracking. In haste, the quiche shell may be chilled in the freezer for 10 minutes.

To make the Onion and Garlic Mixture.

Melt the butter or a mixture of butter and olive oil in a deep sauté pan. Add the diced onion; place the chopped garlic on top. Cover with parchment paper and cook over a low heat until the onion is soft and not browned. Season with salt and mix gently.

To make the quiche filling.

Cut the cream cheese into 2.5cm chunks and place into a processor bowl or blender. Add the milk and process. Scrape down the sides and mix to a smooth, dense cream. Add the eggs, salt, pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, and cream or remaining half-and-half to the processor or blender. Whizz to combine. Use straightaway or refrigerate in a plastic container.

To make the spinach filling.

Place the spinach in a strainer or colander and squeeze out the excess water. Season the spinach with salt, pepper, nutmeg and dill. Mix the seasoned spinach with the onion and garlic mixture.

To cook.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6.

Line the chilled pastry with parchment paper. Carefully press the parchment paper onto the lower edge of the pastry shell. Pour 1cm of baking beans into the paper and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes. The pastry edges should begin to brown, and crust under the parchment and should have lost its “raw” look. Remove the parchment and beans.

Immediately, sprinkle in all but 1 ½ tablespoons of the grated cheese. (The hot tin and hot pastry encourage faster cooking and lessen the chance of cracking the pastry shell).

Add 225ml of the quiche filling to the spinach filling to loosen it out and ladle into the pastry shell. Add the remaining of the grated cheese. Carefully ladle over the quiche filling, taking care not to reach the top of the shell. (If you cannot get all the filling in, pour the remaining bit in a small cup or Pyrex jug. Place the quiche in the hot oven. Carefully reach in and empty the filling into the quiche, again do not allow filling to spill over the edge.) 

Bake the filled quiche in the preheated oven for 25-40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool briefly on a wire rack before serving. Remove from the tin and eat at room temperature.

Lota Café Chicken Mokul

A Rajasthani dish but thank you to Lota Café in Delhi and Roots in Bandrol in the Himalayas for sharing the recipe.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

100g cashew nuts

1 free-range organic chicken cut in smallish chunks (or use 3 drumsticks and 3 thighs)

100g olive oil (they use vegetable oil)

1 tsp cumin seeds

5 green cardamom pods (1g approx.), lightly crushed

3 cloves of garlic, grated

15g ginger, finely chopped or grated

200g red onions, finely chopped

4g ground turmeric

4g coriander seeds, freshly ground

8g masala spice (they use MDH chicken masala spice which is widely available)

2 tsp salt

150g homemade chicken stock

120g natural yoghurt

300g water

Garnish

coarsely chopped coriander leaves

Method

Cover the cashews with 225ml of water, and soak for 10 minutes. Whizz in a food processor until smooth.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy bottomed sauté pan over a medium heat, add the cumin and cracked cardamom pods, stir for a few seconds then add the garlic, ginger and finely chopped red onion. 

Stir and cook over a medium heat for 4-5 minutes, add the turmeric and continue to stir for 1-2 minutes, then add the freshly ground coriander and masala. Stir and cook for 30 seconds.

Add the chicken, sprinkle in salt, stir and coat in olive oil. Lower the heat and cook for about 10-15 minutes, then add the chicken stock, cashew milk and yoghurt. Stir and add 300g water. Bring to the boil and simmer for a further 15-20 minutes to reduce sauce to a light coating consistency, taste, correct seasoning. Sprinkle with fresh, coarsely chopped coriander leaves. 

Serve with rice or roti.

Pastel (Fried Pastry)

Pastéis are super delicious and best enjoyed while they’re still warm and crispy.  This recipe is adapted from Samba by Brazilian-born Giselle Makinde Pereira Goncalves, the latest in the Nine Bean Rows series published by Blasta Books (publication April 30^th).

Stuffed Pastéis can also be made using a slightly larger piece of dough (40g approx.) and filled with grated mozzarella; grated mozzarella; diced tomatoes and a pinch of oregano; cooked beef mince and grated cheese or shrimp….

Makes 50-60 approx.

Ingredients

690g flour

80g extra virgin olive oil

40g cachaça (Brazilian sugarcane liquor – available in good wine shops and some supermarkets) – we used honey

20g salt

280-300g water

Method

Put the flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the extra virgin olive oil, honey and salt. Gradually add the water while using your fingertips to mix the liquid ingredients with the flour and knead briefly until it comes together. Cover the dough with a clean tea-towel and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.

Divide the dough into 20g-30g pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll and stretch out each portion into a paper-thin sheet (7.5-10cm). The thinner the dough, the crisper the pastel will be when fried. You may need a little extra flour for rolling.

Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 180-190°C. If you don’t have a deep-fryer, fill a high-sided saucepan no more than half full of oil.

Line a baking tray with kitchen paper, then set a wire rack on top.

Working in batches, add a few pastéis and fry for 2-3 minutes, flipping them over halfway through the cooking time, until they are golden and crispy. Tip out onto the wire rack to let any excess oil drain off while you cook the rest.

Toss in caster sugar and eat while warm.

Have you got stuck in a bit of a rut with your cooking? – Same old, same old, week in, week out. Let’s face it, everyone’s super busy, so it’s easy to get stuck on ‘repeat’. So, how about being a little adventurous? This week I’ll share three super easy recipes from Suzie Lee’s new book ‘Simply Speedy Chinese.’

Ireland has had a long love affair with Chinese food, sweet and sour, stir-fry, Chow Mein, spring rolls…The first Irish-Chinese restaurant was opened in Belfast in the 1960’s, but there’s so much more. I have only been to China twice, once to Chengdu in 2017 for a Slow Food International Congress and to Beijing and Yanti in 2018 for the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards.

Every type of food was memorable – definitely one of the great cuisines of the world and enormously diverse, most of the Chinese food we have in Ireland is heavily influenced by Cantonese cuisine, but change is happening rapidly as the number of Chinese students particularly increases.

Dublin’s Chinatown centred around Parnell Street, Gardiner Street and Moore Street expands expeditiously with a hugely popular radio station, twice weekly on Ana Luna Radio Station and two Chinese newspapers for the growing Chinese community. 

Recent celebrations to welcome in the Chinese New Year of the Fire Horse, were bigger, better and more artistic, colourful and musical than ever before, with an increasing number of Irish joining in the fabulous celebrations of Chinese culture.

Chinese people love offal and know how to cook the less expensive cuts of meat to melting tenderness. Suzie Lee’s new book concentrated on yummy meals in 30 minutes or less. 

Sweet Chilli Prawns Skewers, stir-fried Choi Sum and chilli crisp green leaves can all be on the table in less than 10 minutes

Smashed Cucumber Salad. Hot Peanut Butter Noodles, Suzie’s Chicken and Pomelo Salad in less than 15 minutes.

Duck with Ginger and Spring Onions, XO Mussels, Pork and Bean Sprout Stir-Fry, Quick Dumplings two ways… 30 minutes or less and on and on.

Suzie is happy to use stock cubes and granules but do use homemade stock if you have it to hand. 

All the ingredients for the recipes are readily available in many local supermarkets across the country and in Asian shops.

Simply Speedy Chinese, Meals in 30 Minutes or Less by Suzie Lee is published by Quadrille.

Veggie Mince Lettuce Wraps

These lettuce wraps (called san choi bao in Chinese) can be made with any type of minced (ground) meat or soy mince (TVP), which I have used here. The soy mince soaks up all the different seasonings and can be cooked from frozen in minutes, which is a real time-saver. This dish is packed with flavour and is great for sharing. If you decide to use minced meat, there may be some extra liquid when cooking, in which case, add a little cornflour (cornstarch) paste towards the end of cooking.

Serves 4
(Prep: 5 minutes/Cook: 20 minutes)

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp finely chopped or grated garlic

1 tbsp finely chopped or grated fresh

ginger root

1 onion, finely diced

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 carrot, peeled and finely diced

handful of mushrooms of your choice, finely diced

300g frozen soy mince (TVP) or minced (ground) meat (chicken, beef, pork or turkey)

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce (or regular oyster sauce)

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1 tsp sesame oil

fine sea salt and ground white pepper

To Serve

sliced chillies

sliced spring onions (scallions)

1 large gem lettuce or small iceberg lettuce, leaves separated

Method

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan over a high heat and fry the garlic and ginger for about 2 minutes until fragrant.

Add the onion, celery, carrot and mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes until softened.

Add the soy mince (or your meat of choice) and cook for about 2 minutes.

Now add the light and dark soy sauces, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine and sesame oil and cook for a further 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper.

Serve garnished with chillies and spring onions, piled into lettuce leaves.

Quick Dumplings

My children are addicted to dumplings in all their forms, and this is the quickest way I know to make them. Using a food processor to blend the ingredients helps to speed things up. You can make either gyozas or wontons and boiling them is much quicker than frying or deep-frying, but you can also pop them in an air fryer.

Makes 16-20 dumplings
(Prep: 10 minutes/Cook: up to 15 minutes)

Ingredients

150g chicken breast (about 1 breast)

50g mushrooms (white, chestnut/cremini or shiitake)

1 spring onion (scallion), roughly chopped

1 heaped tsp cornflour (cornstarch), plus extra for dusting if you are frying the dumplings

1 tsp sesame oil

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dark soy sauce

¼ tsp fine sea salt

good pinch of ground white pepper

16-20 gyoza or wonton wrappers

1 tbsp vegetable oil (optional, if frying)

dipping sauce of your choice, to serve (optional)

Method

Put all the ingredients except the wrappers (and the vegetable oil and dipping sauce) in a food processor and blend for about 1 minute until a rough paste forms.

To make the dumplings, spoon about a teaspoon of filling into the middle of each wrapper, then dab water around the edge of the wrapper. Fold the wrapper around the filling in whatever shape you would like (just make sure the filling is sealed in well). I just gather all the edges and pinch them together in the middle to make an easy wonton.

To fry gyozas, dust the bottom of each one with cornflour. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the dumplings on one side for 2-3 minutes until lightly golden on the bottom.

Add 100 ml water, cover and steam-cook for 8-10 minutes until the water evaporates and the gyozas are cooked through.

To boil gyozas or wontons, half-fill a saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Drop in the gyozas or wontons and boil for 3-5 minutes until cooked through.

To deep-fry wontons, pour vegetable oil into a small, heavy-duty saucepan over a high heat to a depth of 5 cm. Test if the oil is ready by lowering the handle of a wooden spoon into it. If bubbles fizz around the handle, you are ready to deep-fry.

Carefully lower 5-6 wontons into the pan at a time. Once they float to the top and are golden, they are ready. Take the wontons out of the pan and drain on some paper towel.

Eat the dumplings as they are or with a dipping sauce of your choice, such as soy sauce, black vinegar or chilli crisp oil.

Chinese Pulled Chicken

We love pulled pork and pulled beef in my house, but I wanted a change and had chicken in the refrigerator, so I thought I could try a really quick version with that instead. Not only does chicken cook quickly but it also shreds more easily if poached than both pork and beef. Serve with salad, rice or noodles and some steamed veggies. It’s great for packed lunches, too.

Serves 2
(Prep: 5 minutes/Cook: 20 minutes)

Ingredients

1 tsp vegetable oil

2 tsp grated garlic

2 tsp grated fresh ginger root

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

½ tsp chicken stock powder

pinch of ground white pepper

2 chicken breasts (about 400g)

200ml water

1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed with 2 tbsp water to make a paste

1 tsp sesame oil

To Serve

toasted sesame seeds

sliced spring onions (scallions)

sliced red chillies

Method

Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over a high heat and fry the garlic and ginger for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

Add the soy sauce, chicken stock powder and white pepper, then add the chicken breasts and flip them around to coat thoroughly in the seasonings.

Add the water, cover and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for 10 minutes, then flip the breasts and cook for a further 10 minutes before removing from the heat.

Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and use two forks to shred the meat.

Add the cornflour paste to the cooking liquid in the pan and stir it through, then bring to the boil and cook until the sauce thickens.

Toss the chicken through the sauce until it is well coated, then drizzle in the sesame oil.

Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds, spring onions and chillies.

At last, there’s more conversation around menopause, a subject that was almost taboo to talk about some years ago Of course it’s a natural part of aging, a natural transition, us women go through as female hormones, oestrogen and progesterone, begin to decrease, typically between the ages of 45 and 55 but could be earlier or later. Some fortunate women sail through it with a few symptoms, others suffer horribly. At last, there is a growing body of research and a deeper understanding of menopause. Medical colleges are beginning to equip their students with more data on the subject, like the connection between food and menopause that was hitherto rarely or barely mentioned in the 8 years plus medical training. One only has to experience hospital or Care Home food, with a few rare exceptions to realise that the connection between the type of food we eat, and our well-being is poorly understood or worse still conveniently ignored to save money. Do we have the data on food waste in hospitals which I’ve been told over and over again is truly shocking…Surely it would make more sense to invest more on good nutritious ingredients that would be relished and enjoyed and beneficial to health.

Back to menopause, I doubt if anyone has all the answers yet, but I certainly feel that eating real food, keeping well away from ultra-processed foods, can make a mighty difference. Another consideration which apparently makes quite the difference is to eliminate all toxins, ‘fresh air’ sprays, chemicals, antibacterial wipes from your homes and dare I say most skin creams. Think about the make-up and cream you use, if you wouldn’t eat it, don’t use it. Oops, that may all come as a big ask but if you are feeling ghastly, certainly could be worth trying. People are familiar with many of the better known symptoms – hot flushes, night sweats, sleeping difficulties, anxiety, low mood, brain fog, reduced libido, but aching joints and generally feeling ratty and short tempered are definitely common symptoms also.

Nutrient-dense food is unlikely to prevent or cure all symptoms, but it will undoubtedly help, so to give yourself the best chance, why not decide to start a food and drink diary – even for a week, be prepared for a shock, you may be surprised to discover what you are actually consuming. But feeling rotten can be quite the incentive to make some changes. Ditch the sliced pan, cheap wine and ultra-processed foods. Let’s start at breakfast, treat yourself to a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice every morning. Seek out organic fruit, yes, I know it’ll cost more but remember how much those supplements cost. A bowl of Macroom oatmeal porridge or make a little Ballymaloe muesli, a riff on Bircher muesli which takes minutes to make. There are organic blueberries available at present, they’d be good to crush into the soaked oatmeal, you’ll need lots of protein, a couple of free-range organic eggs, any way you fancy – poached, scrambled, an omelette, add a sprinkle of cheese, a few freshly chopped herbs and maybe a little dried or fresh turmeric – and a slice of real sourdough toast slathered with raw butter. After a breakfast like that, you are unlikely to reach for a snack at eleven – why not have a go and see how you feel!

There are lots of good things that are super easy – a little loaf of soda bread, a few scones every day. A loaf will be out of the oven in 35 minutes, scones 10-15. Really good natural yoghurt is essential in my book (see my Examiner column Reboot the System – 24^th February 2024), avoid virtually all supermarket yoghurt, make your own from whole milk, better still, raw organic milk if you can get it – again super easy.

Good eggs, meat and fresh fish in any form. The latter is the biggest challenge, learn how to recognize really fresh fish (it doesn’t smell in the least fishy). Because fish is becoming scarcer, many boats have to be at sea for 5-6 days at a time, then the catch is landed, it’s a bonus if you can get the latest catch so ask when it was caught, not when it was landed….Familiarize yourself and eat with the seasons when food – vegetables, fruits and herbs are freshest, best and least expensive – feeling better already?

Ballymaloe Muesli

This is right up there with porridge as the best and most nourishing breakfast ever. It’s also super delicious, can be made in minutes, even when you are semi-comatose in the morning. Choose ripe organic eating apples for this recipe. The proportion of apple to oatmeal should be equal, taste and adjust as you wish. During the soft fruit season, we crush strawberries, raspberries, loganberries or tayberries and fold into the oatmeal instead of apples. A few blackberries are delicious added to the muesli in Autumn. Coarsely chopped pistachios or hazelnuts are also delicious sprinkled over the top.  

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 heaped tbsp organic rolled oatmeal

110g dessert apples, preferably Worcester Pearmain or Cox’s Orange Pippin

approx. 1 tsp honey, depending on the tartness of the fruit

single cream and soft brown sugar, to serve

Method

Measure out 6 tablespoons of water into a bowl and sprinkle the oatmeal on top.  Let the oatmeal soak up the water while you grate the apple. A stainless-steel grater is best for this job; use the largest side and grate the apple coarsely, skin and all. I grate through the core but watch your fingers when you are coming close to the end. Pick out the dark pips and discard.

Stir the honey into the oatmeal and then stir in the grated apple, taste and add a little more honey if necessary. This will depend on how much you heaped up the spoon earlier on and how sweet the fruit is. Serve with cream and soft brown sugar.

Mary Jo’s Greek Style Beans 

Beans are a super source of inexpensive protein. We cook this in the cool oven of the Aga overnight but of course it can be cooked in an oven at 150°C for 2-3 hours). It keeps in a fridge for several days and reheats deliciously.

Serves 8-10

Ingredients

225g giant lima or butter beans soaked overnight, drained and cooked until tender adding ¾ tbsp of olive oil to the water*

3 tbsp olive oil

110g chopped onion

25g small dice celery

2 large garlic cloves, chopped

1 tsp dry oregano or 1 tsp fresh marjoram

1 tsp ground coriander 

⅓ – ½ tsp crushed chilli flakes

400g tin or 450g tomatoes, crushed

1 tsp honey

salt and freshly ground pepper

juice of ½ lemon

*Save the cooked beans and their cooking water.

Method

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a casserole and sauté the onion and celery until tender. Add the garlic, oregano (or marjoram), coriander, chilli flakes and stir until fragrant.  Add the crushed tomatoes, honey, salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir in the drained cooked beans. Simmer uncovered on the stove top until beginning to thicken. Add the cooking liquid as needed (you should end up using it all). When you have a soupy mixture, the beans may go in the oven. 

The beans may cook for 2-3 hours in a 150°C/Gas Mark 2 oven. They should be very tender and glazed. Drizzle with remaining olive oil and fresh lemon juice before serving.

Carrageen Moss Pudding with Sweet Geranium

Many people have less than fond memories of Carrageen Moss, partly because so many recipes call for far too much carrageen. It is a very strong natural gelatine, so the trick is to use little enough. Because it is so light it is difficult to weigh, we use just enough to fit into my closed fist, a scant 7g. 

This recipe given to me by Myrtle Allen is by far the most delicious I know. Nowadays more chefs are using carrageen, but often they add stronger flavours such as treacle or rosewater, which tend to mask the delicate flavour of the carrageen itself. Carrageen Moss is served on the dessert trolley at Ballymaloe House every single evening, celebrating our traditional food culture.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

7g cleaned, well dried carrageen moss (1 semi-closed fistful)

900ml whole (full fat) milk (we use our own Jersey milk)

8 medium leaves of sweet geranium (Pelargonium graveolens)

1 large egg, preferably free-range

1 tbsp caster sugar

To Serve

softly whipped cream and soft brown sugar

Method

Soak the carrageen in tepid water for 10 minutes. Strain off the water and put the carrageen and sweet geranium into a saucepan with the milk. Bring to the boil and simmer very gently with the lid on for 20 minutes. At that point, and not before, separate the egg and put the yolk into a bowl. Add the sugar and whisk together for a few seconds. Pour the milk, carrageen and sweet geranium through a strainer onto the egg yolk mixture, whisking all the time. The carrageen will now be swollen and exuding jelly. Rub most of this jelly through the strainer and beat it into the liquid. Test for a set on a cold saucer: put it in the fridge and it should set in a couple of minutes. Rub a little more jelly through the strainer if necessary. Whisk the egg white until stiff peaks form and fold it in gently; it will rise to make a fluffy top. Leave to cool. Refrigerate

Serve chilled with softly whipped cream and soft brown sugar.