Stephanie Alexander visited us recently at the Cookery School and wrote up a little bit about how much she enjoyed her time in Ireland and the UK.
‘Stephanie’s Latest’ column published on the Kitchen Garden Foundation website:
http://www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au/resources/resource-area/stephanies-latest/14/a-northern-hemisphere-change-of-scenery
What is it about barbeques that brings out latent culinary skills in even the most kitchen shy lads; perhaps it is the primeval thrill of playing with fire that generates a rush of excitement. As a nation despite the inclement weather we’ve taken to the barbeque with huge enthusiasm. Virtually every house has a barbie in some shape or form. There’s so much choice nowadays from disposable trays available in petrol stations to sturdy hibachi with adjustable racks or cute little barbecues in girlie colours.  The top of the range gas grill doubles as an outdoor kitchen and can be used from January to December. I’ve cooked on them all but I’m a big fan of the kettle grill with domed lid – this gives you many more options and some can double up as a smoker.
Before you go shopping, you’ve got to consider your lifestyle and what you want from your barbecue, does it need to be portable or can it be a fixture?. Do you want to cook for large parties or just a few family and friends?  Are you a purist or a pragmatist – will it be charcoal or gas?  I like to have both options, depending on the occasion.
One of the more important elements of a barbecue is the facility to control the height of the food over the source of heat. This is vital, particularly when you want to cook a large joint of meat evenly. With gas, it’s just a click of the switch and then you are in business.
Charcoal is a whole lot trickier.  It’s vital to light the barbecue well in advance. A good trick is to line the base of the barbecue with tin foil to reflect the heat upwards.
Don’t use firelighters and certainly don’t resort to petrol – screwed up paper, kindling and long matches are fine. Pile the charcoal into a pyramid and once lit leave it alone.
Meanwhile, prepare the food. Lay it out in manageable size portions on trays. Make lots of sauces, relishes and salads – many people make the mistake of overdoing the meat. Trim excess fat off the meat or it will catch fire and create lots of flame.  There are masses of easy and delicious marinades that can be made in minutes but a very good bottle of extra virgin olive oil, Irish Sea Salt, Maldon or Halen Mon sea salt, and freshly cracked pepper are the essentials. Add fresh herbs, particularly the gutsy ones like rosemary, thyme and sage, or freshly cracked spices to ring the changes. Yoghurt tenderizes but drain well before cooking, otherwise it will stick and burn, as will items doused in sweet barbecue sauce. When the coals are ready they should have burned down to a grey ash with glowing red coals underneath. Spread them out a bit at one side to create a cooler area if it is needed. Use long-handled tongs and have a mister close by to douse flames if necessary.
Best of all, enjoy the thrill of the grill, practice makes perfect. Sausages are fine there’s a whole lot more out here so here are a few deliciously simply suggestions.
Asian Chilli Chicken Breasts
Seek out organic or at least free-range chicken.
Serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
4 tablespoons runny Irish honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons lime juice
Garnish
1 spring onion, diagonally sliced
1 fresh red chilli, seeded and finely sliced
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves
4 x 35cm (14inch) flat metal skewers
Cut each breast lengthwise into 3 strips. Combine chilli, garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce and lime juice. Reserve 4 tablespoons of the mixture. Add chicken to remaining mixture and toss to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Thread 3 chicken strips on to each skewer. Grill over a medium-hot coals, turning every 2 minutes, until cooked through (8-10 minutes). Drizzle over reserved sweet chilli mixture. Sprinkle with spring onion, chilli, mint and coriander leaves. Serve hot.
Chargrilled New Potato Skewers
Serves 4-6
900g (2lb) small new potatoes
salt
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, approximately
1 tablespoon rosemary, finely chopped
sea salt
metal skewer or pre-soaked bamboo skewers
Scrub the potatoes and cook in boiling salted water for 15-20 minutes. Cool. (the potatoes may be cooked ahead). Cut in half, toss in olive oil and sprinkle with finely chopped rosemary and sea salt.
Thread the potato halves onto the skewers. Cook potato halves over a barbeque until crisp and slightly charred on both sides. Alternatively roast in a hot oven 230ºC/450ºF/gas mark 8 for 10-15 minutes or until cooked and nicely brown – you may need to turn half way through.
Lamb Tikka Masala with Naan Bread and Tzatziki
Serves 8
2kg (4lb 8oz) leg or shoulder of Irish lamb cut into 4cm (1 1/2 inch) cubes
Marinade
3 tablespoons grated ginger
6 garlic cloves
1-2 green chillies
3 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped
3 tablespoons garam masala
2 teaspoons turmeric
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
300ml (10fl oz) natural yoghurt
salt and freshly ground black pepper
bay leaves
To Serve
naan bread or pitta bread
Tzatziki
flat kebab skewers
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the lamb cubes and toss well in the spicy yoghurt. Marinade for 1-2 hours.
Thread the lamb pieces on to a skewer with bay leaves between the cubes. Grill over moderately hot coals for a couple of minutes on each side – you’ll need to stand over them and keep turning them otherwise they will stick.
Serve with tzatziki and naan bread.
Chargrilled Quesadillas with Tomato Salsa, Feta or Mozzarella and Guacamole
Mightn’t occur to one but quesadillas can also be made on the barbecue and are delicious.
Serves 4
8 x 20cm (8 inch) flour tortillas
100g (3½oz) Gruyere cheese, grated
200g (7oz) feta cheese, crumbled or Mozzarella
Tomato salsa – see recipe
4Â Spring onions, chopped
Guacamole – see recipe
Spread the tortilla with a quarter of the Gruyere cheese. Put a layer of tomato salsa on top and sprinkle with some chopped spring onion. Sprinkle with a quarter of the Feta or Mozzarella. Lightly place a second tortilla on top.  Assemble the remaining tortillas in the same way. (This could be done up to 4 hours beforehand – cover with cling film and keep at room temperature).
Grill over medium-hot coals until lightly browned and the Gruyere is melted, this should take about 2 minutes on each side.
Cut into wedges with a sharp serrated knife.  Serve hot with tomato salsa and guacamole.
Tomato and Coriander Salsa
Serves 4-6
Salsas of all kinds both fresh and cooked have now become a favourite accompaniment to everything from pangrilled meat to a piece of sizzling fish.
4 very ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon red onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
½-1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
Squeeze of fresh lime juice
Salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar
Mix all the ingredients together. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Guacamole
One of my most treasured possessions is a dark green pottery bowl with a coarse textured interior; it was specially made in a village in the Oaxacan valley in Mexico to make Guacamole. I carried it and the lava rock pestle the whole way home and have enormously enjoyed using it ever since.
Serves 2-4
1 ripe avocado, preferably Mexican
1 clove garlic, crushed
1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice (as a last resort)
1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh coriander
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper .
Scoop out the flesh from the avocado. Mash with a fork or in a pestle and mortar with the garlic, add the freshly squeezed lime juice, a little olive oil, chopped coriander, salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Pan grilled Mackerel with Parsley Butter or Green Gooseberry Sauce
This is a master recipe for pan grilling fish.
The simplest and possibly the most delicious way to cook really fresh mackerel.
Serves 1 or 2
2-4 fillets of very fresh mackerel (allow 6 ozs (170g) fish form main course, 3 ozs (85g) for a starter)
seasoned flour
small knob of butter
Parsley Butter
2 ozs (50g) butter
4 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
Garnish
segment of lemon
parsley
First make the Parsley Butter.
Cream the butter, stir in the parsley and a few drops of lemon juice at a time. Roll into butter pats or form into a roll and wrap in greaseproof paper or tin foil, screwing each end so that it looks like a cracker. Refrigerate to harden.
Heat the grill pan.
Dip the fish fillets in flour which has been seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper. Shake off the excess flour and then spread a little butter with a knife on the flesh side, as though you were buttering a slice of bread rather meanly. When the grill is quite hot but not smoking, place the fish fillets butter side down on the grill; the fish should sizzle as soon as they touch the pan. Turn down the heat slightly and let them cook for 4 or 5 minutes on that side before you turn them over. Continue to cook on the other side until crisp and golden. Serve on a hot plate with some slices of Parlsey Butter and a segment of lemon.
Parsley Butter may be served directly on the fish, or if you have a pretty shell, place it at the side of the plate as a container for the butter. Garnish with parsley and a segment of lemon.
Green Gooseberry Sauce
Use the tart hard green gooseberries on the bushes at the moment, they make a delicious sauce.
10 ozs (285g ) fresh green gooseberries
stock syrup to cover – 6 fl.ozs (175 ml) approx.
a knob of butter (optional)
Top and tail the gooseberries, put into a stainless steel saucepan, barely cover with stock syrup, bring to the boil and simmer until the fruit bursts. Taste. Stir in a small knob of butter if you like but it is very good without it.
Hottips
Una’s Handmade Gourmet Pies.
Thai Green Curry Pie, Chicken, Leek and Bacon Pie, Mince and Onion Pie, Steak and Guinness Pie, Goats Cheese and Roasted Vegetable Pie…how delicious does that sound and they are. Una Martin uses Woodside Farm’s bacon, Gubbeen chorizo, Ardsallagh goats cheese, Waterfall Farm vegetables, Ballyburden Farm beef and the lamb is from Sheehan’s butchers in Douglas, for her pies encased in an irresistible homemade crust. Available at Mahon Point Farmers Market every Thursday and Douglas Farmers Market every Saturday. Contact 087 2859957.
Ovencrafter Hendrik Lepel will teach a hands-on two day workshop on how to build your own outdoor wood fired bread / pizza oven on Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th July -10am to 4.30pm – at Coolibah, Belgooly, Kinsale. Cost €150.00 per person and includes lunch on both days. To book phone Hendrik 086-8838400 or kirdnehl@hotmail – www.bakehus.com
Canapes, Finger Food and Tasty Bites – half day course at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Thursday 28th July 2011 – 9:30am to 1:30pm – lunch included – 021 4646785.
Past students of the Ballymaloe Cookery School do a variety of things, some work as chefs or cooks in restaurants, gastro pubs, yachts, ski chalets, catering businesses or as personal chefs. Some do Farmers Markets, B&Bs, delis, or pop up restaurants… Others blog or write food articles.
James Ramsden from Yorkshire, who spent 12 weeks with us in 2004, has had a fun time using his cooking skills. In 2009 he launched the Secret Larder Supper Club in London with his sister. He has written about food and cookery for The Times, The Guardian, Sainsbury’s Magazine and was chosen as one of the ‘40 Bloggers who Really Count’ by The Times May 2010. He’s totally passionate about food and has been chosen as an exciting, irrepressible New Voice in Food, published by Quadrille; James is also one of a generation of sophisticated 20 and 30 somethings, many of whom, despite being bang in step with current trends, are hesitant to cook anything more demanding than pasta.
In his first book – Small Adventures in Cooking – the influential food blogger and pop-up supper club host aims to get his peers out of their culinary rut and to start experimenting with recipes that are delicious, unexpected and simple. I’ve just chosen a menu from the book that is perfect for this weekend.
Serves 4
2 heads of green chicory
1/2 a red onion, peeled and very finely sliced
100g (3½oz) pickled radishes (see below)
a bunch of coriander
a handful of mint leaves
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp groundnut oil
a pinch of sugar
salt and pepper
1 apple
Wash the chicory and remove the outer leaves. What you do next is up to you – you can either pull the lettuce apart and serve the leaves whole, tear the leaves by hand or slice the as thick or thinly as you like. Whatever you choose, keep the leaves in iced water until ready to serve.
Put the red onion and pickled radishes in a bowl and stir to combine. Chop the coriander and mint and add to the bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lime juice, fish sauce, oil and sugar and season with salt and pepper.
When ready to serve, thoroughly dry the chicory leaves and add to the radishes and onion before grating in the apple. Toss through the dressing and serve immediately.
Tart – Add some raw grated kohlrabi to this salad. Kohlrabi is a relation of the cabbage, but is milder and sweeter.
James Ramsden’s Pickled radishes
Makes a few jars’ worth
250ml (9fl oz)Â Â white-wine vinegar
3 tbsp caster sugar
2 cloves
500g (18oz) radishes, halved
Put the vinegar, caster sugar and cloves into a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat to a simmer. Add the radishes to the pan, turn off the heat and leave to cool. Store in sterilised jars.
The human race, you’ve probably noticed, is quite fond of stuffing bits of meat between pieces of bread. At their best, kebabs sit proudly at the top of the sandwich hierarchy – soft, ever-so-slightly pink hunks of lamb prodded generously into soft, warm pitta and licked with garlicky mayonnaise and chilli. The flatbread here is very easy to make, but by all means buy a few pittas to save time if you like.
Serves 8
250g (9oz) thick natural yoghurt
2 cloves of garlic, peeled
and crushed
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp cumin seeds, crushed
2 sprigs of rosemary, needles picked and finely chopped
salt and pepper
olive oil
1kg (2¼lb) lamb leg off the bone, cubed and trimmed of any excess fat
a clove of garlic, crushed
5 tbsp mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
For The Flatbreads
300g (10 ½ oz) strong white bread flour
140g (5 ¼ oz) plain flour
1 tsp yeast
1 tsp crushed fennel seeds
1 tsp salt
200ml (7fl oz) warm water
4 tbsp olive oil
4 tbsp thick natural yoghurt
Serve with any or all of the following:
• chilli sauce
• 1/2 a small white cabbage, finely shredded
• 1 red onion, peeled and finely sliced
• 2 carrots, grated
• 1 iceberg lettuce, finely sliced
Mix the yoghurt, garlic, lemon juice, cumin seeds and chopped rosemary in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and loosen with a glug of oil. Coat the lamb in the yoghurt mixture and leave to marinate for 1–2 hours. While the lamb marinates, make the flatbreads following the instructions opposite.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7. Tip the marinated lamb into a roasting tray in an even layer and put in the oven for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, get a griddle or frying pan hot over a medium-high-heat and, one at a time, cook the breads for 2 minutes a side, keeping warm in a clean tea towel. Turn the heat down a notch if the breads are burning.
Remove the lamb from the oven and rest while you finish off any breads that remain. Stir the crushed garlic through the mayonnaise and serve with your chosen accompaniments. Let your guests fashion their own kebabs, stuffing the breads with the lamb, garlic mayo, chilli sauce and vegetables.
TART – Add a scattering of pomegranate seeds to the kebabs.
TWEAK – You can play around with the spices you add to the flatbread dough. Coriander seeds, cumin and chilli flakes all work well.
TOMORROW – Make coleslaw by mixing any leftover shredded white cabbage, red onion and carrot with the garlic mayonnaise.
Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl before adding the water, oil and yoghurt and mixing together. Knead on a clean, floured surface until smooth and elastic. Divide into 8 pieces and roll out the flatbreads thinly. Leave to rest for at least half an hour, separated by sheets of baking paper.
James Ramsden’s Five-spice chicken wings
Chinese five-spice is a handy condiment for the cupboard. Its aromatic qualities transform the simplest cuts of meat into something spectacular, and make your kitchen smell better than the streets of Chinatown. Chicken wings are cheap, too. You can usually find them in supermarkets; otherwise give your nearest butcher a call a day in advance and I imagine he’ll practically give them to you (though don’t quote me on that).
Serves 10
4 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
3–4 tsp hot chilli powder
4 tsp runny honey
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp olive oil
a few drops of sesame oil
salt and pepper
2–3kg chicken wings
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
In a large bowl, mix together the five-spice, chilli powder, honey, soy sauce and olive and sesame oils. Season with salt and pepper and toss in the chicken wings, coating thoroughly.
Tip into a roasting tray or two and roast in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour. They’ll be cooked in less time if you’re desperate to eat, but ideally you’d give them time to get good and sticky. Serve with paper napkins.
TART – Garnish the wings with shredded spring onions and red chillies.
TWEAK – Instead of five-spice, use a couple of tablespoons of crushed Szechuan peppercorns – they make your mouth go numb in the most pleasing of ways.
A good brownie recipe is an invaluable thing. They have the ability to lift the blackest of moods – all at once soothing and indulgent. For those eight seconds you spend cramming it into your mouth, the world seems like an all-right place. If serving as a pudding then these are excellent with some good-quality vanilla ice cream, though I’m as fond of them as a snack with a glass of milk.
Makes 24 brownies
400g (14oz) unsalted butter, cubed
400g (14oz) dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), smashed to pieces
6 eggs
500g (18oz) caster sugar
1 tbsp vanilla extract
250g (9oz) plain flour
2 tsp fennel seeds, roughly crushed
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Line a 30cm x 20cm x 5cm baking tray with greaseproof paper. It helps to rub it with the butter wrapper first to make the paper stick.
Put a saucepan of water on to boil and place a heatproof bowl on top. Turn the heat down to low, tip the butter and chocolate into the bowl and leave to melt. Meanwhile, beat the eggs and sugar together with the vanilla extract until light and pale.
Once melted, cool the chocolate for a few minutes before whisking in the egg mix. Fold through the flour and fennel seeds and scrape into the baking tray. Put in the oven and bake for 25–30 minutes before removing and leaving to cool.
brownies
Tart – Add a couple of handfuls of white chocolate buttons to the cake mixture before baking. You can also add crushed nuts as well, walnuts being the classic choice.
Tweak – Instead of fennel, add a couple of handfuls of frozen raspberries to the brownie mix.
Tomorrow – These will keep in a tin for a few days, and they also freeze very well.
Drop any preconceptions that I have completely lost the plot here and please have a go at this tart. It will knock your socks off, and your guests will think you’re a total wizard.
Serves 8
1 x basic homemade shortcrust pastry or 300g ready-made shortcrust pastry
3 eggs, 1 beaten
250ml (9fl oz) double cream
125ml (4fl oz)Â Â whole milk
2 tbsp caster sugar
200g (7oz) dark chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids)
100g (3 ½ oz) milk chocolate
10 cardamom pods
1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
salt
200ml single cream
Lightly flour a clean work surface and roll out the pastry. Line a 25cm tart tin with the pastry and prick all over with a fork. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes (or the freezer for 10). Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
Line the pastry shell with baking paper and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Discard the baking paper and beans and brush the pastry all over with the beaten egg. Put back in the oven for 5 minutes until golden. Remove from the oven and turn down to 160°C/Gas 2.
Meanwhile, put the cream, milk and sugar in a medium saucepan and whisk over a medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to just below boiling point and remove from the heat. Break the chocolate into pieces and stir it into the hot cream, leaving to melt completely. Lightly crush the cardamom pods and remove the little black seeds. Crush these in a pestle and mortar and add to the mix along with the chilli powder and a pinch of salt. Finally, beat the remaining eggs and stir into the mix until glossy. Tip this into the tart shell and bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until set.
Remove and leave to cool completely before serving with the single cream.
TART – Add the zest of an orange to the chocolate. If feeling more ambitious, you could stew some cherries in Kirsch and serve them alongside. Popping candy sprinkled over the tart is quite amusing.
TWEAK –To save time you could always buy ready-made (and even ready-rolled pastry). Avoid the ready-baked tart shells, though, which are mostly terrible.
TOMORROW – This tart will keep happily in the fridge for a few days.
Hottips
The 63rd Dunmanway Agricultural Show will take place on Sunday July 3rd 2011, at Dromleena Lawn (Racecourse) Dunmanway. The show will incorporate a farmers’ market and craft fair with a local West Cork flavour. Contact Kitty Cotter 0862782413 www.dunmawayshow.com
Look out for fresh gooseberries at the Farmers Markets – for making jam, compotes, crumbles, puddings…Enjoy them while they are at their best.
Scrumptious Salads and Sandwiches – Half Day Course with Darina Allen at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Thursday 28th July 2011 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. 021 4646785.
Glenilen Farm have recently taken a stall at Mahon Point Farmers market. They bring in fresh milk from their farm in Drimoleague every Thursday which they sell in  refillable one litre glass bottles. Try their strawberry and yogurt smoothies and also pick up some country butter www.mahonpointfarmersmarket.com / www.glenilen.com
 The way to everyone’s heart is as ever through their tummy, it’s Fathers Day tomorrow so lets show our love and appreciation and celebrate with a slap up meal for our bestest Dad – what’s his favourite?
In a quick vox pop around here nine out of ten licked their lips at the mention of a juicy roast beef with all the trimmings – lots of crispy roast potatoes and gravy. Several asked for a bubbly cauliflower cheese or French fried onions and surprise, surprise, apple tart was the top favourite pudding! It even beat lemon meringue pie into second place. Also mushroom soup which several people said they’d like to start with.
If little ones would like to help how about some choccies. These fruit and nuts are made in minutes provided you can resist eating them yourself – a little added crystallised ginger makes them even more delicious – Happy Father’s Day.
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Serves 8-9
Mushroom soup is the fastest of all soups to make and surely everyone’s favourite. It is best made with flat mushrooms or button mushrooms a few days old, which have developed a slightly stronger flavour.
450g (1 lb) mushrooms (flat mushrooms are best)
110g (4 ozs) onions
25g (1oz) butter
salt and freshly ground pepper
25g (1oz) flour
600ml (1 pint) milk
600ml (1 pint) homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock
Rinse the mushrooms quickly under cold running water. Chop the onion finely. Melt the butter in a saucepan on a gentle heat. Toss the onions in the butter. Cover and sweat until soft and completely cooked. Meanwhile, chop up the mushrooms very finely.* Add to the saucepan and cook on a high heat for 4 or 5 minutes. Meanwhile bring the stock & milk to the boil in a separate pan. Stir the flour into the onions and mushroom mixture and cook on a low heat for 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, then add the hot stock and milk gradually, stirring all the time. Increase the heat and bring to the boil. Taste and add a dash of cream if necessary. Serve immediately or cool & reheat later.
Tip:  If you can’t be bothered to chop the mushrooms finely, just slice and then whizz in a liquidizer for a few seconds when the soup is cooked. Be careful not to overdo it, this soup should still have a coarse texture. Stalks may also be used. Mushroom soup freezes perfectly.
Watchpoint: Bring the milk to the boil otherwise it may curdle if added to the soup cold.
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Few people can resist a roast rib of beef with Horseradish sauce, Yorkshire pudding, lots of gravy and crusty roast potatoes. Always buy beef on the bone for roasting, it will have much more flavour and it isn’t difficult to carve.
Prime rib or wing Rib of Beef on the bone (well hung)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Gravy
Serves 8-10
1 pint (600ml) stock (preferably homemade beef stock)
Roux (optional)
Horseradish Sauce (see Examiner Saturday 4th May 2011)
Yorkshire Pudding (see recipe)
Ask your butcher to saw through the upper chine bone so that the ‘feather bones’ will be easy to remove before carving. Weigh the joint and calculate the cooking time (see below). Preheat the oven to 240C/475F/regulo 9. Score the fat and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Place the meat in a roasting tin, with the fat side uppermost. As the fat renders down in the heat of the oven, it will baste the meat. The bones provide a natural rack to hold the meat clear of the fat in the roasting pan. Put the meat into a fully preheated oven, after 15 minutes turn down the heat to moderate 180C/350F/regulo 4 until the meat is cooked to your taste.
 There are various ways of checking. I usually put a skewer into the thickest part of the joint, leave it there for about 30-45 seconds and then put it against the back of my hand, if it still feels cool, the meat is rare, if it is warm it is medium rare, if its hotter
its medium and if you can’t keep the skewer against your hand for more than a second then you can bet its well done. Also if you check the colour of the juices you will find they are clear as opposed to red or pink for rare or medium.
If you own a meat thermometer that will eliminate guesswork altogether but make sure the thermometer is not touching a bone when you are testing.
Beef is rare at an internal temperature of 60C/140F
       medium       “         “        70C/155F
       well-done    “         “        75C/165F
When the meat is cooked it should be allowed to rest on a plate in a warm oven for 15-30 minutes before carving, depending on the size of the roast. The internal temperature will continue to rise by as much as 2-3C/5F, so remove the roast from the oven while it is still slightly underdone.
Meanwhile make the gravy. Spoon the fat off the roasting tin. Pour the stock into the cooking juices remaining in the tin. Boil for a few minutes, stirring and scraping the pan well, to dissolve the caramelised meat juices (I find a small whisk ideal for this). Thicken very slightly with a little roux if you like. Taste and add salt and freshly ground pepper if necessary. Strain and serve in a warm gravy boat.
Carve the beef at the table and serve with Horseradish sauce, Yorkshire pudding, gravy and lots of crusty roast potatoes.
Roasting Times:
Since ovens vary enormously in efficiency and thermostats are not always accurate and some joints of meat are much thicker than others, these figures must be treated as guidelines rather than rules. The times below include the 15 minute searing time at a high heat.
Beef on the bone:
Rare       10-12 minutes per 1 lb (450g)
Medium     12-15 minutes per 1 lb (450g)
Well-done  18-20 minutes per 1 lb (450g)
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 Beef off the bone:
Rare       8-10 minutes per 1 lb (450g)
Medium     10-12 minutes per 1 lb (450g)
Well-done  15-18 minutes per 1 lb (450g)
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Simply irresistible with lots of gravy, I cook individual ones which I’m sure would be very much frowned on in Yorkshire but if you want to be more traditional cook it in a roasting tin and cut into squares.
Serves 8-10 approx.
4 ozs (110g) flour
2 eggs, preferably free range
1/2 pint (300ml) milk
1/2 oz (15g) butter, melted
Sieve the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre of the flour, drop in the eggs. Using a small whisk or wooden spoon, stir continuously, gradually drawing in flour from the sides, adding the milk in a steady stream at the same time. When all the flour has been mixed in, whisk in the remainder of the milk and the cool melted butter. Allow to stand for 1 hour.
Grease hot deep patty tins with pure beef dripping or oil and fill half full. Bake in a hot oven 230°C/450°F/regulo 8, for 20 minutes approx.Â
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Serves 6
1 large onion
milk
seasoned flourÂ
good quality oil or beef dripping for deep-frying
Slice the onion into 1/4 inch (5mm) rings around the middle. Separate the rings and cover with milk until needed. Just before serving heat the oil to 180°C/350°F. Toss the rings a few at a time in lightly well seasoned flour. Deep-fry until golden in the hot oil.
Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot.
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This is the yummiest lemon meringue pie I have tasted.
Serves 6
4 ozs (110g) white flour
2-3 ozs (50-75g) butter
pinch of salt
1 egg yolk (keep white aside for meringue)
2 tablespoons cold water approx.
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4 ozs (110g) castor sugar
2 ozs (50g) butter
finely grated rind and juice of 2 good lemons
2 eggs and 1 egg yolk (keep white aside for meringue)
Make meringue with
2 egg whites, preferably free range
4 ozs (110g) castor sugar
7 inch (18cm) round tin preferably with a pop-up base
First make the pastry.
Sieve the flour with the salt, cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour with the fingertips. Keep everything as cool as possible; if the fat is allowed to melt the finished pastry may be tough. When the mixture looks like coarse breadcrumbs, stop.
Whisk the egg and add the water. Take a fork or knife, (whichever you feel most comfortable with) and add just enough liquid to bring the pastry together, then discard the fork and collect it into a ball with your hands, this way you can judge more
accurately if you need a few more drops of liquid. Although rather damp pastry is easier to handle and roll out, the resulting crust can be tough and may well shrink out of shape as the water evaporates in the oven. The drier and more difficult-to-handle pastry will give a crisper shorter crust.
Cover with cling film and chill for half an hour if possible, this will make it less elastic and easier to roll out. Line the flan ring and chill again for 15-20 minutes, line with paper and fill with dried beans. Bake blind for 25 minutes, 180°C\350°F\regulo 4. The pastry case must be almost fully cooked. Remove paper and beans, paint with a little lightly beaten egg white and put back into the oven for 5 minutes approx.
Meanwhile make the lemon curd.
On a very low heat melt the butter, add castor sugar, lemon juice and rind and then stir in well beaten eggs. Stir carefully over a gentle heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Draw off the heat and pour into a bowl (it will thicken as it cools.)Â Fill the pastry case with the lemon curd mixture.
To make the meringue – whisk the egg whites in a perfectly clean dry bowl, until they begin to get fluffy, then add 2 ozs (50g) castor sugar and continue to whisk until they form stiff peaks, fold in the last 2 ozs (50g) castor sugar and then either pipe or spread over the lemon mixture with a spoon. Turn the oven down to 130°C/250°F/Gas Mark 1/2 and bake for about 1 hour until the mixture is crisp on the outside. Serve warm or cold. Alternatively cook at 210°C/410°F for 7 minutes.
Note: do not whip the egg whites and make the meringue until you are ready to use otherwise if it sits around it will loose volume.
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Makes 35 approximately
225g (8ozs) best quality dark chocolate
110g (4ozs) plump raisins
110g (4ozs) hazelnuts
25g (1oz) crystallised ginger
Put the hazelnuts into a moderate oven, 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4 for 15 – 20 minutes or until the skins loosen. Remove from the oven and rub off the skins in a tea towel. Return the skinned hazelnuts to the oven and toast until golden. Cool and cut in half. Cut the crystallised ginger in 3mm (1/8 inch) dice. Melt the chocolate carefully in a bowl over simmering water or in a very low oven. Stir the toasted hazelnuts, raisins and crystallised ginger into the chocolate. Cover a tray or baking sheet with silicone paper and drop little heaps of the mixture neatly onto the paper from a small teaspoon. Don’t make them too large because this mixture is quite rich. Tidy them up a little if necessary.Â
Allow to set hard in a cold place, preferably not in the fridge or they will loose their sheen. When set, peel them off the paper and put them into brown chocolate paper cases. Pack them into a pretty box or basket.
You will find a delicious Apple Tart recipe on the Ballymaloe Cookery School website.
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The Avoca Garden Café in Wicklow was awarded Bord Bia’s Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month, June 2011. Visit Avoca Garden Café this month and catch the end of Wicklow’s Garden Festival from Saturday 11th to Sunday 19th June; it features thirty-two beautiful private gardens, each with their own unique theme and design. www.wicklowgardens.com
Stephen Pearce recently opened a tea-room at his pottery workshop in Shanagarry, Co Cork. They have installed an Astoria espresso machine and make the best cup of coffee I have had in ages. Colleen Curtis from California bakes gorgeous fresh cookies, brownies, muffins… The caramelised apple muffins and lemon curd muffins are to die for! Colleen also makes a fresh pot of soup daily that they serve with homemade focaccia. They are open 7 days a week, 10am – 6pm Monday through Saturday 12pm – 6pm Sunday -021 4646807 www.stephenpearce.com
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The Naked Table project comes to Ireland – on Saturday 25th June people from across Ireland will make a Charles Shackleton designed table from locally harvested Irish Oak during a day long event at the Fruitlawn Garden, Abbeyleix, Co Laois. In the evening the tables will be placed end to end in the 80ft long hornbeam tunnel where a feast of local produce will be served. This is part of the Fruitlawn Garden Open Weekend from Saturday 25th to Sunday 26th June 2011. www.nakedtable.com
Sushi gets the ‘thumbs up’ from cardiologists and nutritionists – not least because it is based mainly on fresh fish, seaweed, vegetables and rice, but it is also low in fat and high in minerals. Learn how to make Sushi with Shermin Mustafa at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Wednesday 6th July from 1:00pm to 5:00pm. 021 4646785.
I’ve got every single book that Elizabeth David ever wrote, in my library. She was unquestionably one of the most superb cooking writers of all time and if I had to choose just one book from the close to 2,000 volumes I have in my library it would have to be French Provincial Cookery. The original paperback is in a seriously distressed state but I also have a hardback copy in slightly better ‘nick’,
Elizabeth David lived and cooked in France, Italy, Egypt and India, learning the local dishes and experimenting in her own kitchen.
He first book Mediterranean Food was published in 1950 followed by French country cooking in 1951 and in 1954 after a year of research in Italy, Italian Food arrived on the shelves followed by Summer Cooking in 1955, French Provincial Cooking in 1960 and Spices, Salts and Aromatics in the English Kitchen in 1970. For thirteen years she had a wonderfully stylish kitchen shop on Elizabeth Street in London but in 1973 she severed all connection with the business trading under her name and concentrated on study, research and experiments for English Bread and Yeast Cooking for which she won the 1977 Glenfiddick Writer of the Year Award.
An Omelette and a Glass of Wine, a selection of her journalistic work, was published in 1984. She died on 22nd May 1992 and was justifiably honoured with many awards including an OBE. Several books have been published posthumously and if you haven’t already got at least one of her books on your kitchen shelf look out for the new attractively priced hardback editions published by Grub Street Press.
Summer Cooking might be just the one to choose – gorgeous, simple, timeless recipes – here are few to whet your appetite.
3lb green peas,
a few lettuce leaves,
a small slice of ham,
2 or 3 spring onions,
sugar,
salt,
pepper,
butter.
Put the shelled peas in a pan with all the other ingredients except the butter. Cover with 3 pints of water. Boil until the peas are quite soft and sieve. See that the seasoning is right, heat up and before serving stir a lump of butter and a scrap of fresh mint into the soup. A little cream added to the soup while it is heating is an improvement.
Pates and terrines have become, during the past decade, so very much a part of the English restaurant menu as well as of home entertaining that a variation of formula would sometimes be welcome.
At Orange, that splendid town they call the gateway to Provence, I once tasted a pate which was more fresh green herbs than meat. I was told that this was made according to a venerable country recipe of Upper Provence. The pate was interesting but rather heavy. I have tried to make it a little less filling.
Here is the result of my experiments:
1lb (450g) uncooked spinach, spinach beet or chard,
1lb (450g) freshly-minced fat pork,
seasonings of salt, freshly milled pepper, mixed spices.
Wash, cook and drain the spinach. When cool, squeeze it as dry as you can. There is only one way to do this – with your hands. Chop it roughly.
Season the meat with about 3 teaspoons of salt, a generous amount of freshly-milled black pepper, and about ¼ teaspoon of mixed ground spices (mace, allspice, cloves).
Mix meat and spinach together. Turn into a pint-sized (550ml) earthenware terrine or loaf tin. On top put a piece of buttered paper. Stand the terrine or tin in a baking dish half filled with water.
Cook in a very moderate over (170°C/ 330°F/ Gas Mark 3) for 45 minutes to an hour. Do not let it get overcooked or it will be dry.
This pate can be eaten hot as a main course, but I prefer it cold, as a first dish, and with bread or toast just as a pate is always served in France.
The interesting points about this dish are its appearance, its fresh, uncloying flavour and its comparative lightness, which should appeal to those who find the better-known type of pork pate rather heavy. You could, for example, serve a quite rich or creamy dish after this without overloading anybody’s stomach.Â
A simple version of chicken cooked with tarragon, one of the nicest of chicken dishes, and essentially a summer one, as it can be successfully made only with fresh tarragon.
Work a tablespoon of chopped tarragon leaves with 2 oz of butter, season with salt and pepper and stuff a 3lb roasting chicken with this mixture. Cook the chicken in butter in a thick covered casserole. The bird should be laid on it’s side, not breast upwards, and should be turned over half-way through the cooking and basted now and again with the tarragon flavoured butter which comes out of it.
When it is tender remove to a serving dish and stir into the juices in the pan a walnut of butter worked with a teaspoon of flour. When this has amalgamated, add ¼ pint of cream and 2 tablespoons of chopped tarragon. Bring to the boil and when it has thickened pour it over the chicken. Serve with Piperonata and new potatoes.Â
Many people who have a vine growing in their gardens will be glad to know of this excellent dish.
Blanch about a dozen vine leaves in boiling salted water. Drain them and arrange them in a heavy, shallow baking dish which has a well fitting cover. Pour a film of olive oil over the vine leaves and fill the pan with cleaned whole flat mushrooms (the great point about this dish is that the vine leaves make cultivated mushrooms taste like field mushrooms) Add a little salt and pepper, 3 or 4 whole cloves of garlic, a little more olive oil and cover the mushrooms with 2 or 3 vine leaves. Put the cover on the dish and cook in a slow oven for about 35 minutes to an hour, according to size of the mushrooms. Remove the top covering of vine leaves before serving.
Tinned plain vine leaves (not to be confused with rice stuffed vine leaves – examine the tins carefully before you buy them. The ones containing stuffed vine leaves usually have a picture showing the little rolls or parcels, while the plain leaves bear a label showing a branch of the vine) in natural juices or a very mild brine are imported from Greece. They are to be bought in many delicatessens. For the above mushroom dish they do very well. No blanching is necessary. Simply rinse the requisite number under cold water. The remainder can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days
1lb strawberries,
3oz sugar,
¼ pint double cream.
Sieve the hulled strawberries. Stir in the sugar. Add this puree gradually to the whipped cream, so that is quite smooth. Turn into a shallow chrystal or silver dish and put in the refrigerator for several hours, if possible underneath the ice-trays, so that the fool gets as cold as possible without actually freezing. It is important to cover the bowl, or everything else in the refrigerator will smell of strawberries.Â
To 1 lb of cream cheese add 3oz of sugar, the beaten whites of 2 eggs and as much chopped angelica as you like.
Put into a muslin and leave to drain in a cool place for a few hours. Turn out onto a dish and serve with fresh cream.
A cool and fresh looking dessert for the weeks before the fresh fruit comes in.
Hottips
Body & Soul – the ‘Best New Festival of 2010’ – returns this June 18th and 19th in the gardens, winding pathways and woodlands of Ballinlough Castle, Co Meath. An eclectic mix of live electronic, world music and acoustic acts, holistic arts, green crafts, a secluded Soul Kids garden, art installations and bubbling hot tubs in the forest. Along with Ted Berner of Wildside Catering, the Queens of Neon will create the most magical of dinner dates celebrating Irish wild foods and will cater for two hundred people in four sittings with an impeccable five-course meal including bubbly and wine for €55. The enchanted forest setting of Ballinlough Castle will act as a dining room for a lavish setting with crisp white linen, porcelain, silver table-wear under the Midsummer stars. To book festival, camping and banquet tickets www.bodyandsoul.ie
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Feel Good Food for Summer with Debbie Shaw 1 Day Course Ballymaloe Cookery School on Saturday 18th June 2011 from 9:30am to 5:00pm for anyone who would like to feel more energetic, youthful, healthy and happy. Learn how to make simple, satisfying and energising recipes with fresh, mouth-watering flavours from the Mediterranean, Asian and Middle Eastern kitchen, and can be easily introduced into any daily cooking routine. 021 4646785
The craving, particularly among young people, to relearn almost forgotten skills continues to gather momentum. Butchery courses in London, New York and San Francisco all have waiting lists. The participants don’t necessarily want to be butchers, they simply want to understand what it takes to produce, butcher and make the best use of meat. One of the cult figures and exemplars of the trade is a farmer and accidental butcher called Tim Wilson who is the owner of the Ginger Pig Butchers Shops in London. He is unquestionably one of the most respected meat producers in Britain. His shops have received many accolades and prizes, including Best Food Producer in the Observer Food Awards. The Ginger Pig’s shops stock meat almost exclusively from his three Yorkshire farms. Tim says ‘There is no great secret to what we do; we simply raise the best animals, in the happiest of circumstances, on the finest stretch of the Yorkshire Moors we could find.’
His four butcher shops have a cult following. There were all opened within the last 15 years when many others were closing. They just sell well hung meat and poultry from breeds native to the British Isles. No dodgy chicken fillets here or relabelled pork, bacon or turkey – just real meat of impeccable provenance, sometimes from rare breeds.
After fifteen years in business, Tim has teamed up with Fran Warde to write the Ginger Pig Meat Book. This book is a meat manual for the inquisitive domestic cook. The word ‘provenance’ is thrown about a lot these days with regards to the food we eat, and with very good reason, as it means ‘to know the origin, source, birthplace, roots, pedigree and derivation.’ All these things are vital for us to know about every piece of meat we buy.
You’ll find out how meat changes through the seasons and what is best to cook at each time of the year. You’ll also learn about the different cuts of meat what they should be used for in your kitchen.
The Ginger Pig Meat Book is beautifully designed and produced, printed on good paper with wonderful photographs by Kristin Perers, diagrams by Pene Parker and published by Octopus. It would restore your faith in the meat business.
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Think of this as a more exciting twist on pork with apple sauce. The tangy,
sharp flavours of the rhubarb perfectly complement the sweet pork to make
a delicious and very simple dish.
Serves 4
Takes 45 minutes
1 tbsp olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
650g (1lb 7oz) pork fillet
1 sprig of rosemary
175g (6oz) new season rhubarb
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5. Put the oil in a roasting tin and place
in the oven for 3 minutes. Season the pork, place in the hot oil, roll to coat, add the
rosemary, then cook in the oven for 20 minutes. Turn and cook for 10 minutes more.
Cut the rhubarb into 4cm (11/2in) lengths, then add it to the roasting tin with 100ml
(31/2fl oz) water. Cook for a further 10 minutes until the pork is cooked through and the rhubarb is tender. Remove from the oven, keep warm and leave to rest for 5 minutes. Slice the pork into chunky, juicy rounds and spoon over the soft rhubarb and its juices.
This cut is usually cooked slowly, but can also work well cooked as below. Remember to allow the meat to rest, so the muscles can relax. Goose skirt (also called onglet) is a very textured cut of beef that is known for its flavour and can be a little tough for some, but after searing on a high heat, relaxing and slicing thinly, it never seems to fail my family.
Serves 6
Takes 1 hour, plus overnight marinating
For the goose skirt marinade
4 garlic cloves, crushed, then peeled
100ml (31/2fl oz) soy sauce
5cm (2in) fresh root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1–2 red chillies, deseeded and finely diced
freshly ground black pepper
900g (2lb) goose skirt
For the dressing
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
juice of 2 limes
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
1 garlic clove, crushed, then peeled
For the salad
115g (4oz) bean sprouts
1/2 Iceberg lettuce, shredded
1 red pepper, cored, deseeded and finely sliced
1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded and sliced
6 spring onions, sliced
leaves from 1 bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
85g (3oz) cashew nuts, roughly chopped
Mix all the ingredients for the marinade together and marinate the goose skirt in the
fridge for 24 hours, or for as long as possible, turning and basting frequently. Barbecue or griddle on a high heat for 4 minutes on each side for rare, 5 to 6 minutes
for medium, or 6 to 8 minutes for well done. Brush with the marinade while cooking.
Remove, keep warm and rest for 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, place the bean sprouts, lettuce, red pepper, cucumber and spring onions
in a large bowl and toss. Sprinkle with the coriander and cashew nuts.In a bowl, whisk the sesame oil, soy sauce, lime juice, chilli and garlic for the dressing.
Cut the beef into ribbons and arrange over the salad, drizzle with the dressing and serve.
This is an almost unknown, secret steak. There are only two small feathers on each carcass, and they come from the inside of the shoulder blade. They are good value and deliver a depth of flavour with a good texture. They really only need quick flash-cooking, otherwise they toughen, so take care.
Serves 2
Takes 5 minutes
beef dripping or olive oil
2 feather steaks
mustards or Horseradish sauce to serve
Heat the fat in a frying pan or griddle over a medium-high heat and, when hot, sear the steaks for 2 minutes on each side. No longer, please. Remove and rest the steaks for 2 minutes in a warm place. Serve with your favourite mustards or with Horseradish sauce.
This is a fairly mild sauce. If you want to really clear the sinuses, increase the amount of horseradish! Serve with roast beef, smoked venison or smoked mackerel.
Serves 8 – 10
3 – 6 tablespoons freshly grated horseradish
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
lots of freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
8 fl ozs (225ml) softly whipped cream
Put the grated horseradish into a bowl with the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard powder, salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar. Fold in the softly whipped cream but do not over mix or it will curdle. The sauce keeps in the fridge for 2-3 days, covered, so that it doesn’t pick up other flavours.Â
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Hottips
Terroirs on Morehampton Road – I can’t remember how many times I’ve thought as I sped past Terroirs ‘that shop looks interesting, must stop, have a look one day!’ Well I did just that last week and it really is. Apart from a fantastic selection of wine and sherry the shelves are full of beautifully chosen French ‘things’ from Albert Menes sardines in olive oil and mustard to Michel Cluizel chocolate, pottery from the French Alps, tea towels… on and on go the temptations when we are supposed to be into thrift. I have to say I succumbed to a few little treats – great place to find a beautiful present from Irish Voya and Graine de Pastel soaps to roasted pine nuts and far beyond. 01 667 1311 info@terroirs.ie
Monique McQuaid runs the Cookery School at Donnybrook Fair which offers a brilliant line up of cookery courses and guest chefs. I was deeply envious when I heard that Fergus Henderson from St John restaurant in London had been there. There are lots of other exciting courses and guest chefs coming up. Monique is now the Cookery Writer for Image magazine. www.gastromonique.com 087 9792107
Energise your life and feel healthier and happier by joining nutritionists Debbie Shaw and Linn Thortensson on Saturday June 11th 9:30am to 4:30pm, at the Montenotte Hotel, Cork City for a one-day wellness programme which covers healthy eating for permanent weight loss; spring detox; energising super foods and delicious family-friendly recipes; eating for allergies; and de-stressing techniques. Cost €110 (€10 euro off if you bring a friend!), including recipes, notes and lunch. Tel: 086-7855868 or email: linntwellness@gmail.com
Pizza Masterclass with Philip Dennhardt – learn to make the perfect pizza with Philip on Friday 10th June, 2:00pm to 5:00pm Ballymaloe Cookery School – 021 4646785.
Blog Spot of the Week http://lillyhiggins.blogspot.com/
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This week-end we are going to have elderflower party to celebrate the profusion of elderflowers in the hedges. You’ll find them in city gardens, along railways embankments as well as down country lanes. Just look out for the fluffy white umbelliferous blossoms with the distinctive musky aroma. The European variety is called Sambucus Nigra – its flowers are edible and of course so are the American version Sambucus Canadensis.
Elderflowers are only in season for four or five weeks in the year so if you want to make a batch of cordial get out there immediately and collect enough to make a decent quantity – it will keep perfectly until next year’s crop is ready.
We also have the first of the broad beans, I love them in so many ways and more than anything I love to see the grandchildren racing up and down the rows choosing the best pods and then picking out the beans and gobbling them up raw. They must be so good for them.
For a grown up version try New Season Baby Broad Beans with Olive Oil and Orla Sheep’s Milk Cheese with a little sea salt and olive oil or as a puree on grilled bread or par cook them and add them to risotto or pasta. If I’d been invited to cook for the Queen I’d have given her carrageen moss pudding with green gooseberry and elderflower compote, I bet she’d have loved it – it’s a marriage made in heaven – enjoy it while you can.
Serves 2 as a first course
Serves 4 with an aperitif
One of my favourite ways to serve young broad beans, I sometimes serve this as a nibble with an aperitif but it also makes a wonderful first course.
4 slices of really good bread white bread cut 1/3 inch thick (we use Arbutus Biggie from Declan Ryan’s Artisan Bakery)
1 clove garlic peeled
extra virgin olive oil
1 peeled clove of garlic
4oz (110g) of really fresh small raw broad beans, weighed when shelled
sea salt
a squeeze of lemon juice
6 – 8 fresh mint leaves
6 – 8 fresh basil leaves
a generous tablespoon of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
A rough stone pestle and mortar
First make the topping. Pound the peeled clove of garlic with a little sea salt in the pestle and mortar. Add the broad beans and continue to pound to a coarse puree. Add the mint and basil leaves, continue until they are incorporated. Finally add the parmesan and extra virgin olive oil. Taste and correct the seasoning. Heat a pan grill on a high flame until very hot. Char grill the bread on both sides. Rub each side with a cut clove of garlic, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Spread some of the broad bean topping over the hot grilled bread and serve immediately.
Serves 6
450g (1 lb) new season broad beans – about 1.8kg (4 lb) in the pods
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Orla Sheep’s Cheese or Pecorino
Crusty white bread – Ciabbatta
Bring the broad beans to the table, have a bottle of your best extra virgin olive oil, a bowl of sea salt and a piece of sharpish sheep’s milk cheese, we use Orla made from the milk of Friefland organic Sheep on Manch farm near Ballineen in West Cork.
Pecorino would of course be delicious or also a good Feta.
Let each person have the pleasure of removing the beans from the furry pods. When you’ve accumulated a little pile on your plate, dip one by one, first into olive oil then into sea salt. Enjoy with the tangy cheese and warm crusty Ciabatta.
Thin slices of Parma ham (prosciutto) or very good Italian Salami would make a more substantial feast.
These are very easy to make, very crispy and once you’ve tasted one, you won’t be able to stop!.
Serves 4
110g (4oz) plain flour
pinch of salt
1 organic egg
150ml (5fl oz) lukewarm water
8–12 elderflower heads
caster sugar
sunflower oil for frying
Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and drop in the egg. Using a whisk, bring in the flour gradually from the edges, slowly adding in the water at the same time. Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180°C/350°F. Hold the flowers by the stalks and dip into the batter. Fry until golden brown in the hot oil. Drain on kitchen paper, toss in caster sugar and serve immediately with gooseberry and elderflower compote.
This magical recipe transforms perfectly ordinary ingredients into a delicious sparkling drink. The children make it religiously every year and then share the bubbly with their friends.
2 heads of elderflowers
560g (11/4lb) sugar
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4.5L (8pints) water
1 lemon
Remove the peel from the lemon with a swivel top peeler. Pick the elderflowers in full bloom. Put into a bowl with the lemon peel, lemon juice, sugar, vinegar and cold water. Leave for 24 hours, then strain into strong screw top bottles. Lay them on their sides in a cool place. After 2 weeks it should be sparkling and ready to drink. Despite the sparkle this drink is non-alcoholic.
Top Tip:
The bottles need to be strong and well sealed; otherwise the Elderflower champagne will pop its cork.
Makes 6 x 450g (1 lb) pots
In season: late spring
The gooseberries should be tart and green and hard as hail stones – as soon as the elderflowers are in bloom in the hedgerows search for the gooseberries under the prickly bushes or seek them out in your local greengrocer or farmers market.
1.6kg (3 ½ lb) green gooseberries
5-6 elderflower heads
600ml (1pint) water
1.57kg (3½ lb) sugar
Wash the gooseberries if necessary. Top and tail them and put into a wide stainless steel preserving pan with the water and elderflowers tied in muslin. Simmer until the gooseberries are soft and the contents of the pan are reduced by one third, approx ½ hour. Remove the elderflowers and add the warm sugar, stirring until it has completely dissolved. Boil rapidly for about 10 minutes until setting point is reached (220F on a jam thermometer). Pour into hot clean jars, cover and store in a dry airy cupboard.
This jam should be a fresh colour, so be careful not to overcook it.
West Cork Food and Drink Fair is on Saturday 18th June to Sunday 19th June at Mannings Emporium, Ballylickey, Co Cork. Peter Ward of Country Choice in Nenagh is the Guest of Honour and will do a Back to Basics Bread Making demonstration and Carmel Somers of the Good Things Café will do a cookery demonstration on Sunday. Phone 02750456 www.manningsemporium.ie
The West Cork College of Sustainable Food Production is blasting off with a Five Day Summer School starting on Monday 13th to Friday 17th June. It will be based at Glebe Gardens in Baltimore, but will include many sessions at the farms and gardens of growers who make a living from growing. The course is aimed at people who want to produce significant amounts of food either for themselves and their families, or as a business and costs €300 including lunch. To book email westcorkcollege@gmail.com
There will be a tutored wine presentation and tasting by Anne-Claude Leflaive in the afternoon of Saturday 11th June, 3.30pm, in The Grain Store at Ballymaloe. Afternoon presentation and tasting – €35 per person Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Co. Cork,
Tel: 021 4652531 -Â res@ballymaloe.ie
Everywhere I went this week people were discussing Philip Boucher- Hayes programme on RTE ‘What’s Ireland Eating?’ They seemed shocked by the statistics. Food imports have doubled in the last decade. Ninety per cent of the chicken is imported while our local chicken producers and processors can barely survive. Irish families still eat a phenomenal amount of potatoes but fifty percent less than ten years ago and a third of that is in the shape of chips.
We eat more sugary breakfast cereal than anywhere in the world, but the most shocking revelation was the research that processed meat is known to cause bowel cancer – now the second most prevalent cancer in Ireland.
Processed meat, usually ham is part of the standard school lunch for children – 5 out of 7 boxes that Philip peeped into contained it. Interesting there was no comment about the squidgy white sliced pan in the virtually every lunch box which I have to say if I was Minister for Health, I would ban on day one for the sake of the health and digestion of the Irish nation. Although not everyone might agree with me.
Six out of ten Irish people are over-weight or obese which currently costs the Health Service (read tax payer) €4 million annually.
I was amazed that people were so amazed but I’m glad that it has stimulated a discussion not only about the shocking deterioration in the national diet but also the terrifying power in the hands of supermarkets and the knock on effect on the livelihood of the farmers and food producers. Half of Ireland’s independent retailers have disappeared over a 10 year period and other findings revealed that for every twenty jobs that are created when a new supermarket sets up thirty local jobs are lost.
Coincidentally, I am re-reading Maura Laverty’s Kind Cooking which was published in 1946. She talks about the proportion of the family income which ought to be spent on food. “Personally I think the usual allowance for 40% inadequate for what is, after all, the most important factor of our material lives. Important spiritually, too, if one considers the depredations caused since the world began though diet errors and deficiencies. I doubt Eve would ever have touched that apple had she been getting her proper ration of Vitamin Câ€.
We are fanatical about calories I suggest that we need to be fanatical about nutrients instead. At present, we spend between 8-11% of our income on food in Ireland and close to 30% gets thrown in the bin for a variety of reasons. As a nation we are fanatical about ‘cheap food’ and have been brainwashed into thinking cheap food is our right at any cost. We need to concentrate on sourcing food that nourishes rather than just fills us and the pockets of the food manufacturers. I still contend that good food does not have to be expensive, some of the best food is least expensive, potatoes, cabbage, cheaper cuts of meat and offal, lesser known fish but you must be able to cook it and for that matter grow it.
One of the great beacons of hope in Irish life at present is the phenomenal growth of GIY movement (Grow It Yourself) – almost 10,000 members countrywide in less than two years. Ordinary people like you and I helping each other to grow food to nourish their family and friends. If you want better food a good place to start is in your back garden, yard or balcony. Link up with your local GIY Group – see – www.giyireland.com
For those of you who voiced concerns about composition ham, cold bacon is a delicious alternative and it so easy to cook yourself. The oyster cut is between the loin and the ham and cooks and slices beautifully. Make sure to sharpen your knife so you can cut paper thin slices.
Serves 12-15
4-5 lbs (1.8-2.25 kg) loin of bacon, either smoked or unsmoked
14 ozs (400g) 1 small tin of pineapple -use 3-4 tablespoons approx. of the juice
Cover the bacon in cold water and bring slowly to the boil. If the bacon is very salty there will be a white froth on top of the water, in this case it is preferable to discard this water. Finally cover with hot water and simmer in a covered saucepan until almost cooked, allow 20 minutes approx. to the lb. The bacon may of course be eaten hot with any number of accompaniments or allowed to get cold,
If you would like a caramelised sugary coating, try this, so yummy. Cabbage, parsley sauce and floury potatoes are the traditional accompaniments but Piperonata or Tomato and Chilli Fondue are also irresistible.
bacon (as above)
3/4 lb (340g) brown Demerara sugar (not soft brown sugar)
whole cloves 20-30 approx.
Cook the bacon as above. Remove the rind, cut the fat into a diamond pattern, and stud with cloves. Blend brown sugar to a thick paste with a little pineapple juice, 3-4 tablespoons approx., be careful not to make it too liquid. Spread this over the bacon. Bake in a fully preheated hot oven 250°C/475°F/regulo 9 for 20-30 minutes approx. or until the top has caramelized. Remove to a carving dish. Carve in thick slices lengthwise so each slice includes some of the eye of the loin and the streaky end
Sliced pan is co convenient for many families, the idea of life without it is unimaginable, but why not try this really easy recipe, it’s made in minutes. You can bake it in a round in the traditional way or like this in a loaf tin which is more convenient for slicing or sandwiches
1 lb (450g) white flour, preferably unbleached
1 level teaspoon teaspoon salt
1 level teaspoon bread soda
sour milk or buttermilk to mix – 15 fl ozs (425 ml) approx.
oatmeal, sesame seeds or kibbled wheat (optional)
First fully preheat your oven to 230ºC/450ºF/regulo 8.
Sieve the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre. Pour most of the milk in at once. Using one hand, mix in the flour from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, but not too wet. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well floured worked surface. Scoop it into the oiled tin, sprinkle with oatmeal and sesame or kibbled wheat seeds if you enjoy them.
Place the tin in the hot oven, 230ºC/450ºF/regulo 8, immediately turn down the temperature 200°C/400ºF/regulo 8 and bake for 45 minutes. Remove from the tin and replace back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes or until fully cooked. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread: if it is cooked it will sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack.
Make the dough as above but flatten the dough into a round 1 inch (2.5cm) deep approx. Cut into scones. Cook for 20 minutes approx. in a hot oven (see above).
You can make a ton of crisps from a few potatoes. Many people are wary of having a deep fat fryer at home in case they eat too much fried food yet the statistics show that â…“ of all the potatoes we buy and eat are oven chips or fried
450g (1lb) large, even-sized potatoes
olive oil for deep frying
salt
Wash and peel the potatoes. For even-sized chips, trim each potato with a swivel-top peeler until smooth. Slice them very finely, preferably on a mandolin. Soak in cold water to remove the excess starch (this will also prevent them from discolouring or sticking together). Drain off the water and dry well.
Heat the olive oil to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Drop in the dry potato slices a few at a time and fry until golden and completely crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle lightly with salt.  Repeat until they are all cooked.
If they are not to be served immediately, they may be stored in a tin box and reheated in a low oven just before serving.
Serves 2
This recipe can be made in a few minutes and is so full of vitamins you’ll be jumping out of your skin all day! Its literally made in minutes and kids can make it themselves. Strawberries or raspberries can be substituted in season, mash them and fold into the oatmeal instead of the apple – you can imagine how delicious that would be.
4 tablespoons rolled oats (the quick cook type)
3 tablespoons water
2 large dessert apples eg. Golden Delicious or Worcester Permain or 4 small apples eg. Cox’s Orange Pippin
1 teaspoon honey approx.
To Serve
Soft brown sugar and maybe a little runny cream
Equipment
1 grater
Measure out the 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 pips and discard. Stir a tea spoonful of honey into the oatmeal and then stir in the grated apple, taste, if it needs a little more honey add it, this will depend on how much you heaped up the spoon earlier on. Divide it between two bowls. Have one yourself and give the other to your favourite person that morning. It should taste delicious just like that but will taste even scrummier if you sprinkle over a little soft dark brown Barbados sugar and a very little runny cream.
Hottips
Salmon Watch Ireland Limited are holding their 2011 AGM at Silver Springs Moran Hotel, Cork, on Saturday 21st May at 11:30am. Email Chairman Niall Greene at chairman@salmon.ie – www.salmon.ie
Future Food Symposium on the theory and practice of sustainable agriculture on Sunday 29th May at Chisolme House, Roberton, Hawick, Scottish Borders. Email secretary@beshara.org or + 0044 1450880215.
My discovery of the week – Blarney Castle Gardens – are they the best kept secret in the whole of Cork? I was enchanted – take a picnic and don’t miss the Poison Garden, the Witches Kitchen and the Fernery… Open 9:00am to 4:30am daily www.blarneycastle.ie
Cork Free Choice Consumer Group presents The potential Usefulness of Common Plants. Herbalist Nikki Darrell will explore the wealth of native plants and their uses for food, medicine, dyes, textiles…Crawford Art Gallery Café on Thursday 26th May at 7.30pm. Entrance 6 euro including tea & coffee.
Visit of Cesar Saldana, Consejo Regulador Sherry – Talk and tasting in the Grain Store at Ballymaloe House Wednesday 25th May 7pm – 021 4652531 www.ballymaloe.ie
The River Café on the edge of the Thames in Hammersmith was started as a staff canteen for architect Richard Rodgers and his team in 1985. His wife Ruthie and her friend Rose Gray loved to cook and had fun reproducing the Italian food they enjoyed on holiday in Tuscany and Florence.
The food was simple but always made with the freshest and most beautiful seasonal produce, gorgeous olive oils and wonderful cheese and cured meat. The word spread like wildfire, an invitation to lunch was much sought after so in 1987 they decided to open to the public.
A friend from London sent me a postcard, “Come quickly there’s a brilliant little café on the Thames serving delicious simple food in the Elizabeth David styleâ€. When I eventually tasted the food I was so charmed by the simplicity and flavour that I invited Ruthie and Rose to come to the school to teach a 2 1/2 day cooking class. I’ll never forget the flavour of the food. They were like two excited children in the garden and the greenhouses, picking, smelling and tasting, choosing fresh produce, planning what they would cook on the spot – we had a feast.
The restaurant flourishes and thrills 26 years later but sadly Rose died in February 2010 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Her legacy lives on and this week we paid a special tribute to her at the Ballymaloe Cookery School. Gillian Hegarty from Courtmacsherry now a teacher with us, worked with and alongside Rose at the River Café for 4½ years and loved and relished every moment. She fully realises her good fortune in having the opportunity to learn from such a brilliant natural cook. Gillian chose many of Rose’s favourite recipes to share with us over 2½ days – Rose would have been very proud of her prodigy. Here are a few for you to try but there’s a multitude of other simply delicious recipes in the River Café Cookbooks by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers published by Ebury Press.
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Take from the River Café Cookbook Two.
For 6 as a starter
1kg (2 1/4 lb) small young zucchini (courgette)
Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
400g (14oz) penne
350g (12 oz) ricotta cheese
1 bunch fresh basil, shredded
100g (4oz) Parmesan, freshly grated
Trim the zucchini, then blanch whole in boiling salted water for about 2 minutes. Drain, cool and slice at an angle, about 1cm (1/2 in) thick.
In a large heavy saucepan heat the olive oil and cook the garlic until very soft but not brown. Add the zucchini slices and toss over a low heat for 4 – 5 minutes.
Cook the penne in plenty of boiling salted water, then drain well. Add the zucchini, then crumble in the ricotta. Season, toss together and add the basil and Parmesan.
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Serves 3
500 g (18 oz) monkfish tail, boned and skinned
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
2 lemons, cut into wedges
inzimino (recipe)
anchovy and rosemary sauce (see recipe)
Rub a little oil on the monkfish tails. Season with salt and pepper. Heat a chargrill or griddle pan. When very hot place the monkfish on the grill. Turn over after 3 minutes or when it no longer sticks but have sealed and are brown. Grill for a further few minutes.
Serve with inzimino and anchovy and rosemary sauce.
Serves 6-8
175 g (6 oz) dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 large garlic clove, peeled
6 tablespoons olive oil
900 g (2 lb) Swiss chard leaves, washed and large stems removed
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and cut into small pieces
2 dried chillies, crumbled
250 ml (8 fl oz) white wine
2 tablespoons tomato sauce
3 handfuls flat leaf parsley
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Extra virgin olive oil
Drain the chickpeas and place in a saucepan with water to cover, add the garlic, and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 45 minutes or until tender. Keep in their liquid until ready to use. Blanch the chard and chop coarsely.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large pan over medium heat, add the onion and carrot, cook slowly for 15 minutes or until the carrots are tender. Season with salt, pepper and chilli. Pour in the wine and reduce almost completely. Add the tomato sauce and reduce until very thick. Add the chard and chickpeas and mix. Season and cook for 10 minutes. Chop two thirds of the parsley leaves, and add to the mixture with the lemon juice. Serve sprinkled with the whole parsley leaves and a little extra virgin olive oil.
Serves 4
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
12 salted anchovy fillets
juice of 2 lemons
150 ml (5 fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
Crush the rosemary in a mortar, add the anchovies and pound to a paste. Slowly add the lemon juice, stirring to blend. Finally add the olive oil a drop at a time. When about half is added, pour in the remainder in a thin steady stream, stirring continuously. Alternatively, you can use a food processor although this method produces a thick sauce. Put the rosemary in and chop very finely, then add the anchovy and chop to a thick, fine paste. Pour the oil in slowly. Finally add the lemon juice.
Serves 4
1 x 1½-2½ kg (2½-3 lb) free range chicken, boned
2 tablespoons rosemary leaves finely chopped
4 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
2 slices of prosciutto chopped into ½ inch pieces
2 tsp picked thyme leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
juice of 1½ lemons
¼ pint (150 ml) chicken stock
Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/gas mark 8.
To bone the chicken: place the chicken, breast side up, on a board. With a sharp boning knife, cut along the breast bone, then guide the knife, cutting between breast and carcass on one side, down to the leg joint. You have to cut the wishbone in half to divide the breast at its centre. Crack the leg bone at the joint away from the carcass so that it lies flat on the board. With the knife, carefully cut around the joint, separating the whole of one side from its carcass. Repeat with the other side.
Snip the wing tips from the wings, leaving the bone in the short part of the wing. To remove the bones from the legs, flatten out your chicken half skin side down. Using the leg bones as a guide, cut as close to them on either side as possible and then insert the top of the knife and prise up one bone, cutting as you do so. It is always difficult near the joint between thigh and drumstick, but you must try not to cut the skin which ultimately will hold your stuffing. Trim any flabby bits of skin and cut away any pieces of fat.
Mix the rosemary with the mascarpone, prosciutto, thyme, season with salt and pepper and place a large tablespoonful of this mixture in each pocket in the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan. Brown the chicken pieces quickly on both sides, put into the preheated oven and roast for about 15 minutes. Test for doneness by pulling a leg away from the body, if the juices run pink, cook a little longer. Remove the pan from the oven and over a medium heat, add the lemon juice and as much as stock as needed to make a thick sauce. It will immediately combine with the mascarpone and chicken juices. Turn the chicken to coat it with the sauce and serve. Delicious served with Puy lentils
Serves 10
400 g (14 oz) best quality bitter-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
300 g (10 oz) unsalted butter
10 eggs, separated
225 g (8 oz) caster sugar
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350ºF/gas mark 4. Butter and flour a 30 x 7.5 cm (12 x 3) inch cake tin.
Melt the chocolate with the butter in a bowl over a pan of simmering water – the water should not be allowed to touch the bowl. Remove the bowl from the pan, cool a little, and then whisk in the egg yolks. Add the sugar and cocoa powder and mix well. Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Fold into the chocolate mixture, a third at a time.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and bake in the oven for approximately 30 minutes or until the cake has risen like a soufflé and is slightly set. Now place on top a plate that fits exactly inside the tin, press down firmly, and weight it. Leave to cool for 30 minutes, then turn out.
Hottips
Our Daily Bread: a history of Barron’s Bakery. The smell of crusty bread has been emanating from Barron’s Bakery in Cappoquin since 1887. Esther Barron now runs this business with her husband Joe and continues to supply the people of Cappoquin with bread baked in the original Scotch brick oven. Ros Crowley interviewed over a hundred family members, staff and customers in this beautifully produced book, charming stories, anecdotes and recipes available from Barron’s Bakery or online www.barronsbakery.ie
Robbie Fitzsimmons is a third generation poultry keeper from East Ferry. He rears wonderful free-range Aylesbury ducks for the table in the traditional way. He also rears plump chickens, geese and turkeys at Christmas. 086 2056020 / 021 4651916
Tom Clancy in Ballycotton is another name to add to your list for excellent farm reared poultry 086 3089431.
The apple blossom is in full bloom in the orchard this week with the promise of a bumper harvest provided we don’t get a random frost within the next few weeks.
Everyone should have at least one apple tree in their garden for the sheer joy of having a picnic under the apple tree at this time of the year as well as the anticipation of juicy apples and apple pies in the Autumn. The old fashioned Brambly Seedling is a brilliant cooker and keeps well. This year we’ve managed to save the last of last year’s crop until now – that’s definitely a record for us. When choosing an apple tree to plant seek out an old variety that you can’t find in the shops like Arthur Turner or Lane’s Prince Albert, which are delicious cookers and maybe Ergemont Russet or Cox’s Orange Pippin as a dessert apple.
There’s a tantalizing choice of ‘eaters’ as well. I particularly love Beauty of Bath, it’s an early variety that used to be in almost every Irish garden, the apple are mottled yellow and red, juicy and bitter sweet, the flavour brings back memories of robbing orchards! The Irish Seed Savers have an extensive range of old varieties that particularly suit the Irish climate (order now to plant in the Autumn). www.irishseedsavers.ie.
Last weekend we had a Slow Food picnic in the Ballymaloe apple orchard, everyone brought along a picnic and a rug and we had a little demonstration on how to crystallise the apple blossom and a talk on old varieties. Apple Blossom is so beautiful to bring into the house but don’t’ steal too much or you’ll diminish your crop of apples. We used it to decorate this delicious apple blossom sponge which was the centrepiece of our picnic.
Some other good things to have for your picnic Radishes, Goat Cheese and Cucumber Sandwiches, Homemade Lemonade, Sausage Rolls, Mini Frittata’s, Spicy Chicken Wings, Wee Buns, Apple Blossom Cake.
This feather-light sponge was the centre-piece of our apple blossom picnic.
Serves 8–10
3 organic eggs
225g (8oz) caster sugar
75ml (3fl oz) warm water
150g (5oz) plain white flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Bramley Apple Filling
450g (1lb) Bramley cooking apples
2 teaspoons water
50g (2oz) sugar or more depending on tartness of the apples
Peel, quarter and core the apples, then cut the quarters in two and put in a small stainless steel or cast iron saucepan. Add the sugar and water, cover and cook over a low heat. As soon as the apple has broken down, stir so it’s a uniform texture and
taste for sweetness. Allow to get cold.
2 x 20cm (9inch) sandwich tins
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5.
Separate the egg yolks from the whites. In a food mixer, whisk the yolks with the caster sugar for 2 minutes and then add in the warm water. Whisk until light and fluffy, this will take about 20-30 minutes. The mixture will have greatly increased in volume and should hold a figure of eight for a few seconds.
Gently fold the sieved flour and baking powder into the mousse in batches. Then whisk the egg whites until they hold a stiff peak. Fold them in very gently.
Divide the mixture between two greased and floured sandwich tins and bake for 20 minutes.
Remove from the tins and cool on a wire rack.
When cool, sandwich the two together with the Bramley Apple filling and whipped cream.
Sprinkle a little caster sugar or icing sugar over the top before serving. Decorate with fresh apple blossom.
We’ve got lots and lots of lovely fresh radishes. This sandwich has become a favourite since Jean Pierre Moullé from Chez Panisse showed us this recipe.
fresh baguette
unsalted butter
radishes
anchovy fillets
freshly ground pepper
Choose a very fresh baguette. Cut in half lengthwise and spread liberally with unsalted butter. Wash and trim the radishes, leaving on their tender leaves. Cut the radishes in half lengthwise and place them on the buttered baguette. Garnish with anchovy fillets and ground black pepper.
Radish, Cream Cheese and Cucumber ‘Sandwich’
Another delicious combination. Instead of butter substitute cream cheese mixed with a little chopped mint and seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, pile radishes and batons of cucumber on top.
Everyone’s favourites when made with really good sausages and buttery puff pastry.
Puff or Flaky Pastry
Good sausages – Woodside, PJ Crowe, Hodginsons, Caherbeg…….
Dijon mustard or Sweet chilli sauce (optional)
Egg wash
Preheat the oven to 230ºC/450ºF/gas mark 8.
Roll the puff pastry into a thin sheet. Measure the sausages. Cut the pastry into slighter wider strips (the pastry will shrink slightly in the cooking). Lay a sausage across the pastry about 1 inch/2.5 cm from the edge. Slather with mustard or sweet chilli sauce. Fold the pastry over the sausage. Brush the edge with cold water, press to seal and cut. Transfer to a baking tray. Continue until all the sausages have been used up, then brush each one with egg wash. Prick or score the top.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until the sausages are fully cooked and the pastry puffed and golden. Cool on a wire rack. Delicious freshly cooked or at room temperature. Serve with crispy lettuces and Ballymaloe Country Relish.
Serves 6-8
You can of course make this frittata in a pan and slice it at the picnic but it’s really handy to cook individual frittatas in muffin tins.
450g (1lb) ripe or sun-blushed tomatoes, preferably cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large eggs, preferably free range and organic
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
4 teaspoons thyme leaves
2 tablespoons basil, mint or marjoram
110-175g (4-6oz) chorizo, thickly sliced, cut into four
40g (1 1/2ozs) Parmesan cheese, grated
25g (1oz) butter
110g (4oz) Castlemary soft goat’s cheese (We also use Ardsallagh or St Tola goat cheese)
Extra virgin olive oil
Non-stick pan 10cm (7½ inch) bottom, 23cm (9in) top rim or 1 muffin tray lined with 5 inch (12.5 cm) squares of parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.
Cut the tomatoes in half around the equator season with salt and a few grinds of pepper. Arrange in a single layer in a non-stick roasting tin. Roast for 10-15 or until almost soft and slightly crinkly. Remove from the heat and cool. Alternatively use sun-blushed tomatoes.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add the salt, freshly ground pepper, fresh herbs, chorizo and grated cheese into the eggs. Add the tomatoes, stir gently. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan. When the butter starts to foam, tip in the eggs. Turn down the heat, as low as it will go. Divide the cheese into walnut sized pieces and drop gently into the frittata at regular intervals. Leave the eggs to cook gently for 15 minutes on a heat diffuser mat, or until the underneath is set. The top should still be slightly runny.
Preheat a grill. Pop the pan under the grill for 1 minute to set and barely brown the surface.
Slide the frittata onto a warm plate.
Serve cut in wedges with a good green salad and perhaps a few olives.
Alternatively put the pan into a preheated oven 170°C/325°F/gas 3. Alternatively cook mini frittata in lined muffin tins (for approximately 15 minutes). Serve with a good green salad.
Variation: For a yummy vegetarian alternative omit the chorizo and add 110g (4oz) grated Gruyère cheese to add extra pzazz.
Top Tip
The size of the pan is very important; the frittata should be at least 3 cm (1 1/4 inches) thick. It the only pan available is larger, adjust the number of eggs, etc.
Serve warm with a good Green Salad and perhaps a Tomato and Basil Salad.
Makes 24
8 ozs (225g) soft butter, chopped
8 ozs (225g) castor sugar
10 ozs (285g) white flour
4 eggs, preferably free range
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.
Chop up the butter into small dice, it should be reasonably soft. Put all the ingredients into the food processor and whizz for about 30 seconds. Alternatively mix well all in one bowl (butter must be soft). Clear the sides down with a spatula and whizz again until the consistency is nice and creamy, 30 seconds approx. Put into greased and floured bun trays or paper cases and bake in the hot oven. Reduce the temperature to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5 as soon as they begin to rise. Bake for 20 minutes approx. in total. Cool on a wire rack. When cold decorate with chocolate, coffee or vanilla icing.
Suppliers:
Woodside Farm, Oldcourt, Ballincurrig, Leamlara, Co Cork – 087 276 7206 info@woodsidefarm.ie
Castlemary Farm Goat Cheese, Castlemary, Cloyne, Co Cork 087 7977203
Caherbeg Free Range Pork, Roscarbery, West Cork 086 822 44145
Hot Tips
East Cork Slow Food Events
Celebration Cakes and Cake Decorating with Pamela Black – join Pamela for an evening demonstration and see many exciting ways in which to decorate cakes for all occasions. Wednesday 11th May – 7.00pm at Ballymaloe Cookery School. Slow Food Member – €15.00/Non-Slow Food Members – €20.00
Catherine Stanton a senior research officer at Moorepark Dairy Research Centre, Fermoy will give a talk on the ‘Health Benefits and Risks of Raw Milk Consumption’ on Monday 16th May – 7.00pm Ballymaloe Cookery School. Admission: Donation to East Cork Slow Food Educational Project Booking Essential – (021) 4646785 slowfoodeastcork@gmail.com
Food Festivals are now so numerous that it’s a major dilemma to know which one to head for
Carlow Food Hero Festival, Step House Hotel, Borris, Co Carlow is on Sunday May 15th. www.stephousehotel.ie for further information
Wexford Food Festival May 20th – 22nd. Visit wexfordfoodfare.ie for the details
Burren Slow Food Festival May 20th-22nd in Lisdoonvarna – great weekend with tastings and talks, cookery demonstrations and farmers market showcasing the best of the Burren. www.slowfoodclare.com or birgitta@burrensmokehouse.ie