Archive2012

When life is a bit hectic it’s brilliant to get away for even one night, doesn’t have to be very far away just a change of scene so you can flop onto someone else’s sofa and have a ‘phew’ moment.

Bring along your passport so it feels exotic but ideally it should be within an hour’s driving distance so you can make the most of your short break.

We checked into Perryville House B&B in Kinsale recently – what a lovely spot that is right in the centre of Kinsale overlooking the harbour – an oasis of calm run by the Corcoran family. We arrived mid-afternoon and wandered into the little Garden Tea Room for afternoon tea – so stylish with a pretty vintage feel.

Hannah had a lovely selection of homemade cakes and they really were homemade – coffee cake, passion fruit cake, several types of scones, sultana, white chocolate and raspberry and her strawberry shortcakes and iced lemon curd cake were unbearably delicious. But we were in holiday mode so we started with little finger sandwiches, cucumber and mint, egg and chive, Umerra smoked chicken with mayonnaise and salad leaves, freshly made and delicious like they so seldom are. There were 10 or 12 types of Lov Organic tea to choose from and hand roasted Pónaire coffees from Limerick.

Kinsale is the prettiest town with lots of little winding streets with gaily coloured shops and a myriad of cafes, restaurants and pubs to choose from.

We had a one year old grandchild with us, good humoured and smiley, but nonetheless we managed an early dinner at Fishy Fishy Restaurant and then an amble through the fun fair and a walk by the harbour.

Breakfast at Perryville was just what you hope a breakfast will be but so seldom is, freshly made bread, I particularly loved the spotted dog with fat sultanas and orange and Glenilen yoghurt, homemade granola, a citrus fruit salad and lots of fresh berries and a huge honeycomb from Hannah’s dad’s bees which I spread lavishly on toasted Arbutus bread.

The rashers and the sausages were well sourced by Barrett’s butchers in Kinsale and the eggs from Ruth Wright’s free range hens (she does all the baking).  The dining room was full and I think I wasn’t alone in eating far too much but it’s good to leave space for lunch in one of the many tempting cafes in Kinsale.

Don’t miss the Kinsale Arts Festival from Saturday 7^th to Sunday 15^th July http://kinsaleartsfestival.com/

 

Radish and Anchovy Sandwich

 

A delicious open sandwich from Alice Water’s Vegetables book.

 

 

fresh baguette

unsalted butter

radishes

anchovy fillets

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 anchovies fillets and ground black pepper.

 

 

Blue Cheese, Walnut and Candied Peel Sandwich

 

A delicious combination.

 

Serves 4 – makes 12-16 finger sandwiches

 

50g (2oz) butter

225g (8oz) blue cheese e.g. Cashel Blue, Crozier Blue, Bellingham Blue, Roquefort, Stilton….

50g (2oz) chopped fresh walnuts, fairly finely chopped

35g (1 1/2oz) candied orange and lemon peel, finely chopped

thin slices of white bread

 

Cream the butter, add the crumbled blue cheese, beat well.  Stir in the chopped walnuts and candied peel.

 

Spread on thin slices of lightly buttered good white bread, sandwich together.  Trim off the crusts, cut into fingers and serve.

Scones with White Chocolate and Raspberries

 

Makes 18-20 scones using a 7 1/2 cm (3inch) cutter

 

900g (2lb) plain white flour

175g (6oz) butter

3 free-range eggs

pinch of salt

50g (2oz) castor sugar

3 heaped teaspoons baking powder

100g (4 oz) raspberries

100g (4 oz) chopped white chocolate

 

450ml (15floz) approx. milk to mix

 

Glaze

egg wash (see below)

granulated sugar for sprinkling on top of the scones

 

For crunchy tops

50g (2oz) granulated sugar for top of the scones

 

First preheat the oven to 250°C/475°F/gas mark 9.

 

Sieve the flour into a large wide bowl; add a pinch of salt, 3 heaped teaspoons of baking powder and the castor sugar.  Mix the dry ingredients with your hands, lift up to incorporate air and mix thoroughly.

Cut the butter into cubes, toss well in the flour and then with the tips of your fingers, rub in the butter until it resembles large flakes.   Make a well in the centre, then add the white chocolate and raspberries. Whisk the eggs with the milk; pour all at once into the centre. With the fingers of your ‘best hand’ outstretched and stiff, mix in a full circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl.  This takes just seconds and hey presto, the scone dough is made.

 

Sprinkle some flour on the work surface.   Turn out the dough onto the floured board.  Scrape the dough off your fingers and wash and dry your hands at this point.

Tidy around the edges, flip over and roll or pat gently into a round about 1 inch (2½ cm) thick.   Stamp into scones with a cutter or a knife.  Brush the tops with egg wash  (see below) and dip the tops only in granulated sugar.   Put onto a baking sheet.    Gently gather the extra pieces of dough together, flatten and repeat as above.

Bake in a preheated hot oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown on top.  Cool on a wire rack.

 

Serve, split in half with home-made Raspberry jam and a blob of whipped cream.

 

Scones are best served freshly baked.

 

Egg Wash: Whisk 1 egg, thoroughly with about a dessertspoon of milk.  This is brushed over the scones to help them to brown in the oven.

 

Fluffy Sponge with Gooseberry and Elderflower Compote

 

Serves 8–10

 

3 organic eggs

225g (8oz) caster sugar

75ml (3fl oz) warm water

150g (5oz) plain white flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

 

For the Filling

Green gooseberry and elderflower compote (see recipe in my column Irish Examiner Saturday 16th June, 2012.)

or

Sliced fresh strawberries, raspberries, loganberries and maybe frosted redcurrants or kumquats or homemade jam and softly whipped cream

 

2 x 20cm (8 inch) 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 green gooseberry and elderflower compote or another filling of your choice and whipped cream.

 

Sprinkle a little caster sugar or icing sugar over the top before serving. Serve on a pretty plate with a doily.

 

Soda Bread with Sultanas and Fennel Seeds

 

Good for breakfast or school lunches, or as a snack at any time of the day – best eaten fresh.

 

Makes 1 loaf

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

1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

1 level teaspoon salt

I tablespoon sugar

75g (3oz) sultanas (or more if you’d like)

zest of ½ an orange

1 -2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 organic egg

about 350 – 425ml (12-14fl oz) buttermilk

 

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.

In a large mixing bowl, sieve in the flour and bicarbonate of soda; then add the salt, sugar and sultanas, orange zest and fennel seeds. Mix well by lifting the flour and fruit up in to your hands and then letting them fall back into the bowl through your fingers. This adds more air and therefore more lightness to your finished bread. Now make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Break the egg into the base of a measuring jug and add the buttermilk to the 425ml (14fl oz) line (the egg is part of the liquid measurement). Pour most of this milk and egg mixture into the flour.

Using one hand with the fingers open and stiff, mix in a full circle drawing in the flour mixture from the sides of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, but not too wet and sticky.

The trick with this bread like all soda breads is not to over mix the dough. Mix it as quickly and gently as possible, thus keeping it light and airy. When the dough all comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. Wash and dry your hands. With floured fingers, roll the dough lightly for a few seconds – just enough to tidy it up. Then pat the dough into a round, about 6cm (2 1/2 inches) deep. Transfer to a baking tray dusted lightly with flour. Use a sharp knife to cut a deep cross on it, letting the cuts go over the sides of the bread. Prick with knife at the four triangles. Put into the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. Cook for 35-40 minutes. If you are in doubt about the bread being cooked, tap the bottom: if it is cooked it will sound hollow. This bread is cooked at a lower temperature than soda bread because the egg browns faster at a higher heat.

 

Serve freshly baked, cut into thick slices and smeared with butter and jam. Spotted Dog is also really good eaten with Cheddar cheese.

Hottips

Do you long to make your own homemade ice-cream? The exciting news is that Kitty Travers of La Grotta Ices Sorbets the UK’s ice-cream queen is coming to Ballymaloe Cookery School from Wednesday 25^th to Thursday 26^th July 2012. Kitty and Darina will teach you  the secrets of making mouthwateringly delicious ice creams and sorbets with fresh ingredients like white peach and tarragon… sweet chestnut… apple and blackberry… pear, bergamot… and fig, chocolate and hazelnut. Everything is natural and seasonal and the flavours are amazingly bright and intense. Kitty has worked in New York, Naples, Rome, Iceland and Russia to master her art. She only makes small batches and sells her ice creams and sorbets from the back of her Piaggio scooter at London’s Maltby Street. To book +353 21 4646785 or www.cookingisfun.ie

 

EatGalway has been awarded Bord Bia’s Just Ask! Restaurant of the Month for June 2012.  This is the first time that the award goes not to a restaurant, but to a group of establishments, all based in Galway city, as a result of their dedication to sourcing ingredients locally – for a list of restaurants visit www.eatgalway.ie

 

Darina Allen will be giving a cookery demonstration in association with Euro-toques at the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway on Saturday, 7th July from 12.30 to 1.15pm. – www.volvooceanracegalway.ie    

Date for your diary – Kenmare Food Carnival Friday 13^th to Sunday 15^th July 2012.

Smoky chipotle peppers, artisan corn tortillas, and dried corn husks which you can use to make your own tamales are some of the food on offer on ‘My Mexican Shop’ a new website run by Lily Alan Foran which delivers authentic Mexican cuisine to Irish homes. For details on how to order see www.mymexicanshop.ie

The artisan milk and handmade butter movement is really gathering momentum, it is still minute but boy is it causing a stir.

Many top restaurants are now featuring handmade butter proudly on their tables and at last a growing number of dairy farmers are putting milk back into glass bottles and selling organic milk and butter. I sense the same passion as in the artisan brewing movement and as with the brewers there’s a generosity of spirit and room for many more.

Tom and Sheila Butler have been making Cuinnéog Irish country butter and buttermilk In Shraheens, Balla, Co Mayo since 1990. They won a coveted Great Taste Award in 2011.

Alan and Valerie Kingston from Glenilen Farm in Drimoleague, West Cork are also trail blazers, adding value to their beautiful milk from their Friesian and Jersey cows in a myriad of ways, yoghurt, butter, traditional and clotted cream, strawberry smoothies, cheese cakes, lemon posset and of course freshly pasteurised milk in litre glass bottles.

At Mahon Point Farmers Market, devotees fill their bottles with chilled pasteurised milk or melt chocolate lollipops in hot milk – how fun and gorgeous is that! Using the milk from their herd of fifty five cows in 1997 started to make cheesecakes for the local country markets what started as a hobby continued to grow and has transformed their small farm into a hive of activity which now employs thirty four people.

Alan and Valerie Kingston truly know that it all starts with the quality of the milk so “we treat our cows kindly allowing them to roam, keeping them warm in Winter and never ever over milk them” – a simple but crucial factor in their success.

And like Cuinneog when Bord Bia wanted to give Queen Elizabeth a taste of our most delicious and best, Glenilen Farm milk, butter, cream and crème fraiche was on the menu.

 

Mark Kingston of Golden Bean uses Glenilen milk for his superb lattes and cappuccinos. The newest enterprise I’ve discovered is Ballymore Farm Organic Dairy near Ballymore in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains in County Kildare.  Aidan Harney and his wife Mary Davis are the energy and inspiration behind this enterprise. From the milk of their Jersey, Ayrshire and Friesian cows they produce raw organic milk, handmade butter, buttermilk, yoghurt and cream. The graphics reminiscent of Zingermans in Ann Arbor in Michigan or fun and catchy and once again the demand for their products is skyrocketing. At the recent Bord Bia Food promotion in Selfridges in London they were one of many artisan producers who sold out well before the end of the promotion. Contact www.ballymorefarm.ie   for stockists. Organic Mossfield Farm near Birr in Co Offaly have been selling pasteurised organic milk since November last and Ralph Haslam tells me that sales are building all the time.

This growing interest in handmade artisan food products gives farmers the opportunity to add value to their raw material and create much needed local employment.  Linking food with tourism is an obvious growth opportunity for Ireland’s farmers, fishermen, and artisan food producers. Restaurants and food businesses that feature local foods on their menu already experience an increase in business and benefit from the goodwill it generates when they support their local producers.

This was clearly illustrated in the recent Grant Thornston report commissioned by Good Food Ireland on opportunities to link food to tourism.

Sheridans Cheesemongers have experienced a 800% increase in demand for unpasteurised milk since they started to stock it in November 2010.

 

 

Yoghurt and Cardamom Cream with Green Gooseberry and Elderflower Compote

 

Serves 8-10

 

425ml (15 fl ozs) natural yoghurt

225ml (8 fl ozs) milk

150g (5 ozs) castor sugar

200ml (7 fl ozs) cream

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

3 rounded teaspoons powdered gelatine

 

Green Gooseberry and Elderflower Compote (see recipe)

 

Put the milk, sugar and cream into a stainless steel saucepan with the ground cardamom, stir until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch. Remove from the heat and leave to sit to infuse while you dissolve the gelatine. Sponge the gelatine in a small bowl with 4 tablespoons of cold water. Put the bowl into a saucepan of simmering water until the gelatine has melted and is completely clear. Add a little of the infused milk mixture and stir well and then mix this into the rest. Beat the yoghurt lightly with a whisk until smooth and creamy, add into the cardamom mixture.

 

Pour into a well oiled ring mould or 8 individual moulds. Allow to set for several hours, preferably overnight.

 

To Serve

* To crush cardamom seeds, remove the seeds from 6 or 8 pods and crush the seeds in a pestle and mortar or between 2 sheets of silicone paper with the bottom of a saucepan.

 

Green Gooseberry and Elderflower Compote

 

When I’m driving through country lanes in late May or early June, suddenly I spy the elderflower coming into bloom.  Then I know its time to go and search on gooseberry bushes for the hard, green fruit, far too under-ripe at that stage to eat raw, but wonderful cooked in tarts or fools or in this delicious Compote.

 

Elderflowers have an extraordinary affinity with green gooseberries and by a happy arrangement of nature they are both in season at the same time.

 

Serves 6-8

 

2 lbs (900g) green gooseberries

2 or 3 elderflower heads

1 pint (600ml/2 1/2 cups) cold water

1 lb (450g/2 cups) sugar

 

First top and tail the gooseberries.   Tie 2 or 3 elderflower heads in a little square of muslin, put in a stainless steel or enamelled saucepan, add the sugar and cover with cold water.  Bring slowly to the boil and continue to boil for 2 minutes.   Add the gooseberries and simmer just until the fruit bursts.  Allow to get cold.  Serve in a pretty bowl and decorate with fresh elderflowers.  Serve with elderflower cream (see below).

 

N.B.  The tart green gooseberries must actually burst otherwise the compote of fruit will be too bitter.

 

 

Lemon Posset with Rose Scented Geranium

 

Serves 4

 

400ml (14fl oz) double cream

100g (3 1/2oz) caster sugar

5 leaves rose-scented geranium

2 fl oz (50 ml) lemon juice

 

Garnish

tiny rose geranium leaves

 

Place the cream, sugar and rose geranium leaves in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat to low and cook, stirring often, for five minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, squeeze in the lemon juice, strain and allow to cool. Serve in small tall glasses each garnished with a tiny rose geranium leaf.

 

Bhapa Doi – Steamed Sweetened Yoghurt

 

So maybe this isn’t exactly a traditional recipe, but steamed puddings are certainly a forgotten skill and I ate the most sublime steamed yoghurt at Kempies restaurant in Calcutta. This isn’t exactly the same, but it is delicious also. I found it in The Calcutta Kitchen by Simon Parkes and Udit Sarkhel.

 

The sweetness of the condensed milk works wonderfully with the acidity of the plain yoghurt. This creamy, sliceable textured pudding is similar to a crème caramel – one of my favourites.

Serves 8

 

800g (1lb 12 oz) natural yoghurt

300g (10 1/2oz) sweetened condensed milk

seeds of 6 green cardamom pods

powdered in a mortar and pestle

8-10 saffron strands

 

Garnish

Sliced pistachio nuts

 

Heat some water in a steamer. You could use a bamboo over a wok, but any multi-tiered steamer will work. If you do not have a steamer, upturn a small, metal, flat-bottomed bowl inside a larger pot with a fitting lid. Pour water into this and bring to a simmer. Put the item to be steamed into a suitable dish, cover with clingfilm, and place on the upturned bowl to steam.

 

Mix the natural yoghurt and other ingredients in a bowl and whisk to incorporate some air but don’t overdo it or the whey will separate. Pour it into 8 small serving bowls. Cover with clingfilm and put in the steamer or on to the upturned bowl. Cover with the lid and steam on a steady simmer for 35-40 minutes.

 

Carefully remove the bowls and leave to cool. Remove the clingfilm and chill.

Serve chilled, sprinkle with the sliced pistachio nuts.

 

Crème Caramel with Caramel Shards

 

Serves 6

 

Caramel

8oz (225g/1 cup) sugar

5 fl ozs (150ml) water

 

Caramel Sauce

2 1/2 fl ozs (60ml) water

 

Custard

1 pint (600ml) milk

4 eggs, preferably free range

2 ozs (50g) castor sugar

vanilla pod or 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)

 

Caramel Shards (see recipe)

 

1 x 5 inch (12.5) charlotte mould or 6 x 3 inch (7.5cm) soufflé dishes

 

First infuse the milk. Put the cold milk into a saucepan and add the vanilla pod if using.  Bring to just under boiling point, cool. Whisk the eggs, castor sugar and vanilla extract (if used) until thoroughly mixed but not too fluffy. Whether you are using a vanilla pod or vanilla extract, the milk must be brought to just under boiling point first.

 

Allow to cool and infuse for 6-10 minutes. Meanwhile, make the caramel.  Put the sugar and water into a heavy bottomed saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar is fully dissolved.  Bring to the boil, remove the spoon and cook until the caramel becomes golden brown or what we call a “chestnut” colour.  Do not stir and do not shake the pan.  If sugar crystals form around the side of the pan, brush them down with cold water.  When the caramel is ready for lining the moulds, it must be used immediately or it will become hard and cold.  Coat the bottom of the charlotte mould or soufflé dishes with the hot caramel. Dilute the remainder of the caramel with the 2 1/2 fl ozs (60ml/generous 1/4 cup) of the water, return to the heat to dissolve and keep aside to serve around the caramel custard.

 

Pour the slightly cooled milk onto the egg mixture, whisking gently as you pour.  Strain and pour into the prepared moulds, filling them to the top.

 

Place the moulds in a bain-marie of simmering water, cover with a paper lid and bake in a moderate oven 150C/300F/regulo 2, for 35 minutes approx., for individual dishes, 1 hour approx. for a charlotte mould.  Test the custard by putting a skewer in the centre, it will come out clean when the custard is fully cooked.

 

Cool and turn out onto a round, flat dish or individual plates, put the remaining caramel around.  Serve with a little softly whipped cream.  Decorate with caramel shards (see recipe).

 

 

** Please remember to allow the milk to cool before whisking onto the egg yolks otherwise the eggs will curdle.

 

Caramel Shards

 

Boil sugar and water to the caramel stage – “chestnut” colour, cool slighty, spoon onto an oiled baking sheet or onto silicone paper.  When cold and crisp, use to decorate the crème caramels.  Bigger pieces may be splintered into shards.

 

Alternatively, put 4-6 ozs (110-150g/1/2 – 3/4 cup) sugar either granulated or castor into a low sided stainless steel saucepan. Stir continuously over a medium heat until the sugar melts and caramelizes. When it has almost reached the “chestnut” stage, turn off the heat and allow to stand for a few minutes.

 

Then spoon into shapes as above.

 

Hottips

 

Artisan Charcuterie – Robbie Krawczyk whose food is delighting guests at the Chop House Restaurant in Lismore has another string to his bow. He’s carrying on the Polish charcuterie tradition he learned from his father Frank – enjoy this at the Chop House – look out for his cured meats at the Schull and Skibbereen Farmers Markets. Email Frank for the details of his ‘Pig Out’ charcuterie courses – westcorksalamis@gmail.com  – +353 (0)28 28579

 

Debbie Shaw returns this year with her Feel Good Food for Summer Part 2 one day cookery course at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Saturday 23^rd June from 9:30am to 5:00pm “Feel Good Food” courses are designed for anyone who would like to feel more energetic, youthful, healthy and happy. With simple delicious recipes that can be easily introduced into any daily cooking routine – 021 4646785 www.cookingisfun.ie

What could be nicer than having a flourishing herb garden outside your kitchen door? Susan Turner is teaching a Garden Workshop – Designing a Herb Garden at Ballymaloe Cookery School on Monday 18^th June 2012 from 9:00am to 2:00pm – the price of €95.00 includes lunch – phone 0214646785 to book www.cookingisfun.ie

New Farmers Market at Killruddery House, Bray, Co Wicklow on the first Saturday of every month from 10am to 4pm until September. Exciting list of stall holders including Riverview Farm Fresh Meats, Eat East, Bray based company Garden Produce, Malone’s Fruit Farm, George’s Patisserie, Hamburger Marys, Croi Scripts, Moonwave Nursery, Little Delights… www.killruddery.com/whats-on/june-farm-market

 

Stevie Parle burst onto the London food scene in 2009 with his restaurant Dock Kitchen. Hitherto he’d been living on a houseboat on the Thames, working at the River Café, Moro and Petersham Nurseries. He was one of the first to do pop-up dinners but when he found the a long canal side wharf warehouse – an ex Victorian goods yard with a massive terrace – on Kensel Rise, he put down deeper roots, it was just too perfect to abandon.

He needed a more permanent home to develop his exotic yet simple cooking that has more to do with the cooking of the grandmothers of the globe than the overworked fussy food of the average London kitchen.

Stevie travels a lot and has worked in New York, Tokyo, Sri Lanka and Malaysia and it shows in his menu. He is totally passionate about the honest quality of multi ethnic ingredients.  To be a really good cook or chef you need to be slightly greedy and endlessly curious. Some chefs become obsessed with the water baths, liquid nitrogen, dry ice and distillers which are becoming everyday tools in some modern restaurant kitchens.

For Stevie, a collection of pestles and mortars, some ancient cooking vessels and a charcoal fire are miles more exciting than the gadgets and gizmos to which many chefs seem to aspire to these days.

His food inspired by ingredients and dishes he’s eaten all over the world, always simple, always exotic has struck a chord in London the most multicultural of cities. The acerbic restaurant critic AA Gill described Stevie’s food as ‘faultless’. The Observer Food Monthly awarded him UK Young Chef of the Year 2010; he’s also the food columnist for the Saturday Telegraph. His first book My Kitchen – Real Food from Near and Far was nominated for the André Simon and Guild of Food Writers for Best First Cookbook 2010.

At just 16 years old Stevie was one of the youngest ever students to complete the 12 Week Certificate Course at Ballymaloe Cookery School; am I proud of him or what?

His new book Stevie Parle’s Dock Kitchen Cookbook – Real Home Cooking from Around the World is published by Quadrille Press. Here are a few recipes from the book.

Dock Kitchen  Iranian Pistachio, Cucumber and Grapes Soup

 

I had a soup a little like this at the house of my friend, the photographer Jason Lowe. I recreated it a year or so later, so it may or may not be similar to the original… I often serve it with melon, or cherries in the summer, some blended in, some on the top. It’s a pretty magical soup. You are going to slowly build the flavours by adding different things to the blender and tasting as you go. It’s complex in taste: gentle acidity balances rich nuts, while the perfume of rose water competes with garlic and herbs.

Serves 6

75g blanched almonds

75g fresh green pistachios or 3 tbsp unsweetened pistachio purée

1 garlic clove, green sprout removed

1 cucumber, roughly chopped

100g sweet red grapes

leaves from 1 small bunch of mint

a few sprigs of dill

1 tbsp rose water

juice of 1 lemon

sea salt

a few strands of saffron, to serve

 

Start with the almonds, pistachios and garlic, blending until completely fine in a food processor or blender. Now blend a little more, adding a few spoonfuls of water. Once the mixture starts to smell of marzipan you can start to add the other ingredients.

Tip in the cucumber and half the grapes, most of the mint leaves and dill. Add a little rose water – be careful as bottles can vary in strength – a squeeze of lemon and enough water to make a thin soup.

Season with salt and taste, you should be able to detect all the ingredients individually, but none too strongly. Add more of anything you think you want to taste a little more; trust your instincts. Serve with ice cubes if it is hot, the remaining grapes, sliced, the remaining herbs, and the strands of saffron.

 

Chicken Livers with Seven Spice and Pomegranate Molasses

250 g chicken livers, cleaned any sinew removed

sea salt

olive oil

1 teaspoon Lebanese Seven Spice (see recipe)

knob of unsalted butter

1 tablespoon pomegranate molasses

1 tablespoon yoghurt

1 batch of grilled yeasted flat bread

Heat a wide pan, season the chicken livers with salt, and then splash some olive oil into the pan followed by the livers. Fry without touching them for a minute until browned on one side, then turn them all over and sprinkle with the seven spice. Add the butter followed by the pomegranate molasses. Add the spoonful of yoghurt, but only half stir it in before serving with the warm bread.

Lebanese Seven Spice

We vary this, sometimes adding fenugreek instead of cumin. It’s an incredibly useful spice for Middle Eastern cooking. Used almost like pepper, you can season a lamb chop with it, or add it to vegetables or any pilaf. It has a high quantity of nutmeg and cloves, which gives it a brilliantly intense fragrance.

150g coriander seeds

130g cumin seeds

120g allspice berries

150g cinnamon sticks

40g cloves

180g black peppercorns

40g whole nutmeg

In both cases, grind all the whole spices separately in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, then mix together. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

Grilled Yeasted Flatbread

We make this bread every day, generally cooking it in the tandoor oven, though it works well on a griddle pan.

Makes about 6

1 tablespoon dried yeast

about 650ml warm water

1.2kg strong white flour

2 teaspoon fine salt

Soak the yeast in about 10ml of the warm water, mixing to a smooth liquid. Add the yeasty water and the remaining water to the flour and salt and mix until all the liquid is incorporated but the mixture is lumpy. Let sit for 10 minutes.  Now knead for five to 10 minutes. Prove, covered in Clingfilm, for one hour. Shape into four balls and prove on a tray or work surface covered in a damp cloth. Preheat the oven to the hottest setting or heat a cast iron griddle pan on the hob. Roll the balls into large flatbreads, the same size as the tray or griddle. Griddle or bake for three to five minutes.

Dock Kitchen Grilled Skirt Steak with Anchovy Cauliflower Cheese

 

Skirt steak is an excellent, cheap cut. It must be well hung, or it will be tough. Skirt has a coarse grain and must be cooked rare; well-done it is inedibly chewy. I cooked this when Jay Rayner reviewed Dock Kitchen in the early days, he said the addition of anchovy to the cauliflower cheese was the prosaic made gloriously elegiac. I was lucky to add the anchovies. Without, the excellent review may have read rather differently. This is super-simple as I just enrich crème fraîche rather than making béchamel.

Serves 4

sea salt

1 cauliflower

250ml crème fraîche

3 egg yolks

100g pecorino (or another hard tangy cheese), grated

8 salted anchovy fillets

4 skirt steaks (total weight 1kg)

freshly ground black pepper

lemon juice (optional)

extra virgin olive oil (optional)

 

 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6. Preheat a griddle pan, or light your barbecue.

Boil a pan of well-salted water. Break the cauliflower into florets and boil until just soft (about five minutes). Drain and put the cauliflower into a medium baking tray that can accommodate it all in one tight layer.

Mix the crème fraîche with the egg yolks and cheese and dollop this on top of the cauliflower. Lay the anchovies over the top and bake in the oven until well browned.

Season the steaks well with salt and pepper and grill on the very hot griddle pan or barbecue for a couple of minutes on each side. It should be nicely charred but still bright red within. Let them rest for a couple of minutes.
I often squeeze over a lemon and pour on a little oil.

 

Dock Kitchen Pear Hazelnut and Rosemary Tart

 

This is Stevie Parle’s variation of a classic almond tart. Sometimes they fill the tart with quarters of quince that we have slowly boiled in sugar syrup. Be careful to buy really good fresh hazelnuts preferably from Piedmont, the rind of the hazelnuts can often be rancid so taste before you buy!

 

Serves 12-14

 

Pastry

350g (12oz) plain flour, sifted

100g (3 1/2oz) icing sugar, sifted

225g (8oz) unsalted butter

pinch of salt

3 egg yolks

 

Filling

200g (7oz) blanched hazelnuts, toasted

100g (3 1/2oz) blanched almonds

250g (9oz) unsalted butter

250g (9oz) caster sugar

3 eggs

4 large pears (perhaps comice)

1 teaspoon Demerara sugar

1 vanilla pod, split lengthways

75ml (3fl oz) eau de vie, grappa or marc

2 sprigs of rosemary

 

In a food processor, pulse-blend the flour, icing sugar, butter and salt until coarse crumbs form. Add the egg yolks and pulse until the mixture begins to come together, turn it out and quickly knead a little to bind. Shape into two rounds, wrap in cling film and chill for a couple of hours.

 

Coarsely grind the nuts and remove from the machine. Blend the butter and caster sugar together, return the nuts followed by the eggs, then blend until well mixed. Peel the pears, halve them and remove the core. In a bowl, mix the pears with the brown sugar, vanilla seeds scraped from the pod and the eau de vie.

 

Preheat the oven to 160°C/325°F/Gas Mark 3.

 

Grate the pastry into a 32cm (11 1/2 inch) tart tin and push into the sides and roughly down into the base (you might only use half the pastry but you can freeze the rest). Freeze for 10 minutes or so, then bake for 15 minutes until pale brown and firm to the touch. Cool for a few minutes, then spread the nut mixture into the shell. Push the pears in, then push the sprigs of rosemary in around the pears. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, until browned, delicious looking and not too soft.

Darina’s Book of the Week

Food Rules by Catherine Shanahan MD – most doctors, by their own admission have little or no training in nutrition, many of our health problems are actually caused by the food we eat yet our food should be our medicine. Good food doesn’t have to be complicated. Dr Shanahan adds to this growing food revolution the voice of an experienced physician and scientist. Full of straightforward and memorable advice – well worth reading. Published by Big Books Bedford, NH.

Hottips

Pam Mulhaire serves Afternoon Tea in the drawing room every day at her 17^th Century Victorian Country House, Knockeven in Rushbrook, Cobh. With all the little extras for a special occasion or simply an indulgent treat – smoked salmon and cream cheese, egg and watercress and cucumber sandwiches and lots more little dainties including her freshly baked scones with cream and jam. Booking essential – 021-48117788 www.knockevenhouse.com

The Irish Artisans continue to win awards and put ‘Ireland the Food Island’ up in lights. Willie and Avril Allshire of Caherbeg Free Range Pork Ltd are the latest producers – as well as Colette Twomey of Clonakilty and Jerry and James O’Leary in Millstreet, Co Cork – to be intronised  (sworn in) to La Commanderie des Fins Goustiers du Duché d’Alençon. Alençon – makes them members of an exclusive white pudding fraternity – where they swear to uphold local traditions and quality. They also won a bronze medal from le Confrerie des Chevalirs du Goute-Boudin for their black pudding in March. www.caherbegfreerangepork.ie

The Greens got trounced in the last elections for a variety of reasons; some, no fault of their own, others thoroughly justified. However, for those of us who are interested in food as its potential for our own health and the health of the nation, one person always stood out, former Minister for Food and Horticulture – Trevor Sargent. Fortunately many of his initiatives have continued including the country wide schools Agri Aware programme, called Incredible Edibles.

Well, as you can imagine, Trevor has not been idle since his enforced redundancy. Among other things he has been working hard in his small garden in Balbriggan in Co Dublin, determined to prove that given a small amount of time and a reasonable effort one can go a long way towards feeding oneself and one’s family and even have surplus from time to time to sell or share with neighbours and friends.

Trevor sells the surplus from his 20 x 40ft plot at the local Farmers Market. By trial and error he has become truly expert at growing in small space. His clever design, honed over the years, includes space for paths and a patio, a pond, roses, a garden shed, a wood store, various compost containers and a teeny weeny lawn. He’s been recording and sharing his 30 years growing experiences in his blog Trevor’s Kitchen Garden and his recently published book of the same name. Taking us week by week through the year, Trevor relates what tasks can be done in the garden, from sowing and harvesting to pruning and tidying. He shares nuggets of hard-earned wisdom about crop rotation, dealing with slugs and pests, enriching your soil with the best possible compost, building your garden shed and garden design.

More than a gardening book, Trevor’s Kitchen Garden is steeped in the history and heritage attached to our natural world and is an inspiration to those with an interest in growing their own food and becoming more self-sufficient.

As far as I’m concerned everyone and I mean everyone should learn the skills and have the joy of growing some food themselves, doesn’t matter whether you are in a high-rise apartment, in a house boat or a country village – as long as there is light, water and a seed tray and soil, you can grow – greens, radishes, cress, or if all else fails, bean sprouts and boy do they taste good because you grew them yourself. Even though we are fortunate enough have land and greenhouse to grow in, we also grow in everything from bean cans, old gutters, distressed baskets, vegetable crates, fish boxes, old Wellington boots…At this time of the year radishes will be ready to harvest in 12 – 14 days, get the children involved, they will eat them too. I adore early Summer, we’ve just been enjoying the first of our new potatoes and broad beans and fresh spring onions and we give thanks to the good Lord for the good earth and the seasons.

 

Radish Leaf Soup

 

When you grow radishes don’t throw away the fresh leaves they are delicious in salad and this yummy soup.

 

Serves 4

 

11/2 ozs (45g) butter

5 ozs (140g) peeled and chopped potatoes

4 ozs (110g) peeled and chopped onion

salt and freshly ground pepper

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

1/2 pint (300ml) creamy milk

5 ozs (150g) radish leaves, chopped

 

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

 

When the vegetables are almost soft but not coloured add the stock and milk, bring to the boil and cook until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Add the radish leaves and boil with the lid off for 4-5 minutes approx. until the radish leaves are cooked. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh green colour. Puree the soup in a liquidiser or food processor. Taste and correct seasoning.

 

Radish, Cucumber and Mint Salad

 

This is a delicious little salad as well as a wonderful way to use up a glut of radishes. Serve it alone or with pan-grilled lamb chops or a crispy-skinned organic chicken thigh.

 

Serves 6

 

1 fresh cucumber

18–24 radishes, trimmed and quartered

18 yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

a handful of fresh mint leaves

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1⁄2 teaspoon honey

 

Slit the cucumber lengthways. Scoop out the seeds with a melon baller or a pointed teaspoon (we feed them to the hens). Cut each side lengthways again, and then into 5mm (1⁄4in) slices at an angle. Add the radishes and tomatoes to the cucumber with the mint leaves. Whisk the oil and vinegar together with the honey and season with a few flakes of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Drizzle over the vegetables and toss gently.

 

Broad Beans on Grilled Bread

Serves 2 as a first course

Serves 4 with an aperitif 

 

Gillian Hegarty who spent many years with Rose Gray at the River Café first made this for me, it’s now become 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.

 

New Potatoes in Seawater

 

If perchance you live close to the sea, use sea water gives a brilliant flavour to new potatoes and green vegetables – no need to use extra salt

 

Serves 4-5

 

2 lbs (900g) new potatoes eg, Home Guard, British Queens, Colleen

2 pints (1.2 litres) water

a sprig of mint

 

Bring the water to the boil.  Scrub the potatoes.  Add salt and a sprig of mint to the water, and then add the potatoes.  Cover the saucepan, bring back to the boil and cook for 15-25 minutes depending on size.

 

Drain and serve immediately in a hot serving dish.

 

Note

It’s vitally important for flavour to add salt to the water when cooking potatoes.

 

Stevie Parle’s Elderflower and Buttermilk Pudding with Loganberries

 

If you don’t have loganberries then raspberries will do.

 

Serves 8

 

4 sheets of leaf gelatine

350ml (12fl oz) buttermilk

50g (2oz) caster sugar, plus 4 tablespoons more

250ml  (9fl oz)double cream

100ml (3 ½ fl oz)good-quality elderflower cordial

200g (7oz) loganberries or raspberries

100ml (3 ½ fl oz) eau de vie or grappa

 

Soak the gelatine in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes until soft, then squeeze the excess water from the soft leaves. Bring 100ml (3 ½ floz) of the buttermilk to the boil with the 50g (2oz) sugar. When the sugar has dissolved , remove from the heart and stir in the gelatine until dissolved. Leave to cool, then whisk into the crea, with the rest of the buttermilk and the elderflower cordial. Pour into a ceramic tray or small moulds and leave to set in the fridge for two to three hours or overnight.

Stir the loganberries with the remaining 4 tablespoons sugar and the eau de vie, Spoon out the buttermilk pudding and serve with the boozy loganberries.

 

Darina’s Book of the Week

Virgin to Veteran: How to Get Cooking with Confidence – Sam Stern’s latest book is a contemporary master class with lots of nifty tips to help budding cooks develop their cooking technique and build a recipe repertoire. A lovely collection of tempting recipes for every budget, mood and lifestyle. Published by Quadrille Books.

Hottips

Lots of new artisan foods coming on stream…

Woodside Farm’s growing fan base will be delighted to hear of Noreen and Martin Conroy’s latest accolade – “La Confrérie des Chevaliers du Goûte Boudin”, or “The Brotherhood of the Knights of the Blackpudding” has awarded Woodside Farm a Silver Medal for “le boudin a griller” or “cooked blood pudding” using fresh blood. Look out for it at the Midleton Farmers Market every Saturday Tel: 087 2767206.

New Artisan Food Products from Co Kilkenny – Mags and Gerard Kirwan from Goatsbridge Farm in Thomastown have added trout caviar to their fresh and smoked trout. It’s causing quite a stir among chefs both here in Ireland and in the UK – it’s seasonal so contact  086-8188340

Highbank Orchard Syrup – Julie Calder-Potts has not looked back since she won the title of Best Food Innovation of the year in 2010. It’s “Ireland’s answer to maple syrup” delicious drizzled over pannacotta, yoghurt, breakfast porridge, in salad dressing…Tel: 056 772 9918

 

Greenhouse: Eamon O’Reilly of No 1 Pico has teamed up with Finnish chef Michel Viljanen to open the Greenhouse Restaurant beside the Mansion House on Dawson Sreet in Dublin. It is flavour of the month at the moment and deservedly so – I had lunch there recently – €30.00 for two courses, €35.00 for three, fantastically good value for this standard of cooking but a friend asked why do they have lamb from the Pyrenees on the menu?  Tel:+353 (0)1 676 7015

I, of course love vegetables and fresh salads and could certainly live on them without feeling even remotely deprived. Having said that I am totally not a vegetarian – I love good meat and fish, however I am not interested and I certainly don’t feel comfortable eating either meat or fish that has been reared in cramped, inhumane conditions all for the sake of providing cheap food.

Every animal and bird deserves a noble end. If we kill an animal for food then we should at least do them the honour of using every possible bit, served up as a nourishing celebration in a restaurant or on the family table. Every scrap from the nose to the tail can be utterly delicious once we understand how to cook the cheaper cuts and the ‘variety meats’ as Americans delicately call offal. The latter is so inexpensive every butcher in the country has a surplus because so many people are squeamish about unusual bits of animal. The mere mention of offal has many people wrinkling up their noses in disgust. We don’t know what we’re missing. If you feel brave enough to try something other than the recognisable prime cuts – this is the very best time of the year, for lambs kidneys, sweet breads and liver so chat up your local butcher. Lambs are still young and milk fed so the offal is sweet, tender and mildly flavoured. Sweetbreads are even less familiar but soooo delicious. They can be either the thymus or pancreatic gland (maybe you don’t need to know that!).  Isaac’s Restaurant in Cork city has been serving them on their menu in recent weeks much to the delight of some Californian foodie friends. Canice Sharkey kindly shared his recipe with me.

Food costs continue to rise yet we still waste more food that would feed whole nations. Seeking out offal is one good way to live better for less.

 

Lambs liver with Crispy Sage Leaves

 

Serves 4-6

 

1 lb (450g) lambs liver

white flour seasoned with a little salt and freshly ground pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed (optional)

olive oil

12-16 fresh sage leaves

 

Cut the lambs liver into slices (1cm) thick.   Dip into seasoned flour and pat off the excess.  Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a frying pan, add the crushed garlic if using and cook for a few seconds and then add the slices of liver.   Sauté gently for 2-3 minutes on each side, remove while they are still slightly pink in the centre.

Add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan, add the sage leaves and allow to sizzle for a few seconds until they crisp.  Pour the oil, juices and sage leaves over the liver and serve immediately.

 

Isaac’s New Season Lamb Sweet Bread Salad

 

Serves 4

 

250g (9oz) lamb sweetbreads

 

1 small carrot

1 onion

2 celery stalks

25g (1oz) butter

bouquet garni

600ml (1 pint) homemade chicken stock (see recipe)

 

seasoned flour

beaten egg

fresh fine white breadcrumbs

 

Rustic Potatoes (see recipe)

 

Hazelnut Oil Dressing

3 tablespoons hazelnut oil

1 tablespoon wine vinegar

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

A selection of mixed green leaves

 

50gr roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts

1-2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

 

To prepare sweetbreads.

Put the sweetbreads into a bowl, cover with cold water and let them soak for 3 hours. Discard the water and cut away any discoloured parts from the sweetbreads.

 

Dice the carrot, onion and celery and sweat them in butter; add the bouquet garni. Then add the chicken stock and bring to the boil.

 

Poach the sweetbreads gently in the simmering stock for 3–5 minutes or until they feel firm to the touch. Cool, then remove the gelatinous membranes and any fatty bits carefully.  Press between 2 plates and top with a weight not more than 1kg (2lb) or they will be squashed.

When cooked leave to cool. Then slice length ways and toss in seasoned flour, beaten egg and fine breadcrumbs.

 

Next make the dressing.

 

Whisk all the ingredients for the dressing together in a bowl.

 

Next make the rustic potatoes (see recipe).

 

To Serve

Pan-fry the sweetbreads in olive oil and a little butter, till golden brown, very important that they are crispy and take on an almost nutty flavour.

 

Toss the salad in the dressing – just enough to make the leaves glisten.  Divide between the plates the potatoes and roughly chopped toasted hazelnuts. Place the sweetbreads on top (allow 3-5 pieces per person) and sprinkle with lots of freshly chopped parsley.

 

Rustic Potatoes with Rosemary

 

Serves 4 approximately as a main for 8 for a salad

 

900g (2lbs) old potatoes

3-4 tablespoons extra Virgin olive oil

rosemary sprigs

1-2 cloves chopped garlic, optional

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

 

Wash and peel the potatoes and dry well. Cut in 2cm (3/4 inch) cubes.  They need to be even otherwise they will cook unevenly.  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over a high heat, add a few sprigs of rosemary and the potatoes.  Toss to coat the potatoes. Cook on a medium heat for about 20 minutes, tossing regularly, not too often or they won’t get golden brown and crusty.  Towards the end of the cooking time add the chopped garlic and toss with the potatoes but be very careful not to let it burn or it will ruin the whole dish (add more olive oil if necessary). Serve in a hot serving dish with a few fresh sprigs of rosemary sprinkled over the top.

 

Salad of Warm Sweetbreads with Potato Crisps, Anchovies and Wild Garlic

 

Sweetbreads are definitely a forgotten treat. The salty tang of the anchovies in this recipe gives another dimension and adds lots of complementary flavour without compromising the sweetness of the sweetbreads.

 

Serves 4

 

4 lamb or 2 veal sweetbreads

1 small carrot

1 onion

2 celery stalks

25g (1oz) butter

bouquet garni

 

600ml (1 pint) homemade chicken stock

a selection of salad leaves (little gem, oakleaf, sorrel, watercress and wild garlic leaves and flowers)

plain flour, well seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper

beaten organic egg

butter and oil for sautéing

 

For the Dressing

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1⁄4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground pepper

 

To Serve

homemade potato crisps (see recipe)

4 anchovies

wild garlic flowers (or chive flowers depending on the season)

 

To prepare sweetbreads.

Put the sweetbreads into a bowl, cover with cold water and let them soak for 3 hours. Discard the water and cut away any discoloured parts from the sweetbreads.

 

Dice the carrot, onion and celery and sweat them in butter; add the bouquet garni. Then add the chicken stock and bring to the boil.

 

Poach the sweetbreads gently in the simmering stock for 3–5 minutes or until they feel firm to the touch. Cool, then remove the gelatinous membranes and any fatty bits carefully.  Press between 2 plates and top with a weight not more than 1kg (2lb) or they will be squashed.

 

Prepare the salad.

Wash and dry the lettuces and salad leaves and whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.

 

Slice the sweetbreads into escalopes, dip in well-seasoned flour and then in beaten egg. Sauté in a little foaming butter and oil in a heavy pan until golden on both sides.

Toss the salad leaves in the dressing, divide between 4 plates and lay the hot sweetbreads and then potato crisps on top of the salad. Sprinkle with chopped anchovy and wild garlic flowers or chive flowers and serve immediately.

 

Homemade Potato Crisps or “Game Chips”

 

Making crisps at home is definitely worthwhile – a few potatoes produce

a ton of crisps and nothing you buy in any shop will be even half as delicious. A mandolin is well worth buying for making crisps – but mind your fingers! When these are served with roast pheasant they are called game chips.

 

Serves 4

 

450g (1lb) large, even-sized potatoes

extra virgin olive oil or beef dripping for deep-fat frying

salt

 

Wash and peel the potatoes. For even-sized crisps, trim each potato with a swivel-top peeler until smooth. Slice them very finely, preferably with 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.

 

In a deep-fat fryer, heat the oil or dripping to 180ºC/350ºF. 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.

 

Butterflied Lambs Kidneys with Rosemary

 

Serves 4 as a starter, 2-3 as a main course

 

In season: best in late spring early summer

 

8 lambs kidneys

8-16 tough rosemary sprigs, stripped of most of the leaves but leave the tip intact

salt and freshly ground pepper

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped

 

8 flat mushrooms

4 slices country bread

 

Remove the skin from the kidneys just before serving. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Cut from the base, open out, but keep attached at the top so they are butterflied. Remove all the core, skewer each kidney with one or if necessary two rosemary sprigs. Season both kidneys and mushrooms with salt and freshly ground pepper. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped rosemary. Grill or pan-grill the kidneys and mushrooms on both sides until cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Serve on toasted country bread.

 

Lambs Liver with Beetroot

 

Serves 4

 

Alistair Little introduced me to this delicious combination.

 

1 lb (450g) Spring lamb’s liver, cut in (1 cm) slices

15g butter

seasoned flour

1 lb (450g) cooked baby beetroot

16 fl ozs (475ml) homemade chicken stock

5 fl ozs (150ml) cream

salt and freshly ground pepper

a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

 

Garnish

coarsely chopped parsley

 

Serves 4

 

Cut the beetroot into (5 mm) thick batons.  Toss the liver in well-seasoned flour. Melt the butter in a hot frying pan, and as soon as it foams add the liver in a single layer.  Seal quickly on one side then on the other. Transfer to a plate. Deglaze the pan with stock, boil for 1-2 minutes, add the cream and beetroot, and allow to bubble for a few minutes until the beetroot heats through. Taste and add a squeeze of freshly squeezed lemon juice if necessary. Return the liver to the pan and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately on hot plates.

Hottips

Gluten Free Cooking with Rosemary Kearney Part 1 – half day course ideal for those on a gluten-restricted diet who face the dilemma of longing to taste ‘real’ food. You’ll learn about a whole range of tasty and easy-to-prepare dishes including gluten free sweet and savoury pastry, crackling salmon with coriander pesto and gluten free raspberry muffins. Suddenly cooking for coeliacs will become a pleasure not a chore. Lots of advice on alternative suitable ingredients and lots of baking tips will help take the mystery out of successful gluten-free cooking. Ballymaloe Cookery School on Saturday 9th June 2012 at 2:00pm to 5:00pm €115.00 – 021 4646785

It’s difficult to see any signs of a recession in London, every restaurant seems to be full, and many now have a ‘no-booking’ policy so a convivial queue forms round the corner for a table in the hottest spots. On a recent fleeting visit, I ate in a little place called Duck Soup in Dean Street in Soho. Little plates that can be shared or polished off greedily alone. I love this way of eating, it’s an opportunity to taste a wide variety of dishes from the menu. The cod’s roe with scallions and marjoram was simple and moreish and I also loved the roast onions with Labne and my interpretation is below.

We crossed the road to Quo Vadis and ordered an indecent number of mouth-watering desserts all in the way of research.  I’m sort of over sticky toffee pudding but I have to say Jeremy Lee’s version is the best I’ve tasted, the sauce was dark and treacly, I suspect lots of muscavado sugar, it came with brown bread ice-cream, shortbread with marmalade and lemon curd was also ridiculously good as was a chocolate and coffee tart. The blood orange and Campari sorbet was so welcome after all that. I love both Jeremy and his food and if you are in London I suggest you try to get in, not easy because Quo Vadis has had so many great reviews but it’ll be worth the wait. Pissarro on Corney Road in Chiswick is also getting rave reviews and I also had a delicious lunch at Rochelle Canteen in Arnold Circus, Shoreditch. Breast of lamb with anchoïade and mussels with monks beard or agretti were delicious; the latter is the hottest vegetable in London – I’m going to try to grow it this year because I can’t seem to source it over here.

Round the corner in Shoreditch is Leila’s Café and Grocery Shop which continues to be one of my favourite haunts –simple, real and so chic.

This time I went in search of Press Coffee Roasters in Redchurch Street in Shoreditch. Just like Brooklyn, Shoreditch and Hackney are all about galvanise and graffiti and recycled furniture but there is so much happening. This little café roasts its own beans and has a short black board menu – sandwiches, a couple of cakes, date and pistachio biscuits and few other good things.

The coffee is fantastically good, worth the search alone – a few doors down the road is a shop called Labor and Wait which stocks all the classic kitchen equipment you thought had disappeared, plus traditional Guernsey jerseys, antique French flour sacks, enamel pie dishes…

 

Look out for Food Lovers Guide to London by Jenny Linford.

 

Campari and Blood Orange Sorbet

 

Serves 10 approx

 

1 1/4 pints (700 mls) of blood orange juice

2 fl oz (50ml) Campari

12 ozs (350g) castor sugar

 

Garnish

mint leaves

1-2 blood oranges

 

Mix the orange juice and Campari with the sugar, and Campari stir to dissolve.

Taste add more sugar if necessary

 

Make the sorbet in one of the following ways:

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

 

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

 

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

 

To Serve

Segment the oranges for garnish.  Scoop out the sorbet and serve in chilled bowls or plates.   Garnish with blood orange segments and fresh mint leaves.

 

Roast Onions or Banana Shallots with Labne Cheese and Herbs

 

Serves 6 as a starter

 

8 onions or banana shallots

Labne (see recipe)

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves

some thyme leaves and thyme flowers

sea salt

freshly cracked black pepper

rocket or watercress leaves sourdough

 

6 slices of grilled bread

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6. Roast the unpeeled onions or shallots until soft. This can take anything from 30 to 45 minutes depending on size.

 

To serve, split each soft onion lengthwise and arrange two halves on each plate, skins still attached. Put a blob of Labne on top of each. Scatter with coarsely chopped herbs and thyme flowers. Serve with grilled bread.

 

Soft Yoghurt Cheese – Labne

 

This is so easy and wonderfully impressive, use whole-milk yoghurt to make a creamier cheese.

Line a strainer with a double thickness of cheesecloth. Place it over a bowl. Pour in the yoghurt. Tie the four corners of the cheese cloth to make a loose bundle.

Suspend the bag of yogurt over a bowl to allow it to drip for 8 hours. Remove the cheesecloth.  Refrigerate until needed in a covered plastic container.   There are lots of ways both sweet and savoury to use Labne, it’s great with Summer berries or a compote of fruit or add some fresh herbs to make your very own homemade cheese.

 

Breast of Lamb with Anchoïade

 

A simple way to turn a very cheap piece of meat into something delicious.

 

Makes 12–16

 

900g (2lb) lap of lamb or trimmings from the streaky end of a rack of lamb

plain flour, seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper

organic egg, well whisked

fresh white breadcrumbs

 

Anchoïade

 

180g (4 3/4oz) of tinned anchovies drained of any excess oil

3 good sized cloves of garlic

50ml (2 fl oz) good quality red wine vinegar

750ml (1 pint 7floz) of vegetable oil

water for thinning

 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/ gas mark 4.

 

Cut the lamb into pieces about 7.5cm (3 inch) wide and 10cm (4 inch) long (size isn’t crucial here, but they shrink as they cook so don’t cut them too small). Dip each piece in well-seasoned flour, then in beaten egg and finally into breadcrumbs. Transfer to a roasting tin and cook in a single layer for 30–45 minutes, depending on size. They should be crisp and golden. Turn once or twice during cooking so they crisp up evenly on each side.

 

Meanwhile make the anchoïade.

 

Put the anchovies, garlic and vinegar into a food processor, puree to a smooth paste.

Very slowly start to add the vegetable oil in a slow stream as though you were making a mayonnaise. (The anchovies act as an emulsifier in the same way as egg yolks in mayonnaise and as a protein, will emulsify the oil). Be careful and keep a close eye as the anchoïade starts to thicken. If you feel it becomes too thick, add a little water. This will do two things; it will thin the anchoïade, and will also stabilise the emulsion too which will stop it from splitting.

Serve the lamb on hot plates with a few rocket leaves and a bowl of anchoïade.

 

Shortbread with Lemon Curd and Seville Orange Marmalade

 

Makes 40 biscuits approx.

 

This is my interpretation of Jeremy Lee’s delicious pudding.

 

8 ozs (225g) soft butter

4 ozs (110g) castor sugar

10 ozs (275g) self-raising flour

grated rind of one lemon or orange

 

1 pot Seville orange marmalade

1 pot homemade lemon curd

8oz mascarpone

4fl oz whipped cream

1 tablespoon caster sugar or more to taste

 

First make the biscuits, cream the butter, add in the castor sugar, sifted flour and grated lemon or orange rind and mix just until it all comes together. Alternatively, place all four ingredients in the bowl of a food mixer and mix slowly until all the ingredients come together. At this stage the dough can either be used right away or put in the deep freeze or kept in the fridge for up to a week.

 

When required, bring up to room temperature and form into balls the size of a large walnut. Flatten them out onto a baking sheet using the back of a fork dipped in cold water. Allow plenty of room for expansion.

 

Bake in a preheated oven – 180°C/350°F/regulo 4 for 10 minutes approx. Sprinkle with vanilla sugar. Cool on a wire rack.

 

To assemble

Mix the mascarpone with the cream and a little sugar to taste. Put the biscuits on a dessert plate, top with a blob of mascarpone and a generous spoonful of Seville orange marmalade, sandwich with another biscuit. Top that with a blob of mascarpone then drizzle with homemade lemon curd and add another biscuit to complete the double decker. Repeat with the others. Jeremy doesn’t go in for lots of folderdolls, but you could garnish them with a few sprigs of sweet cicely if you like – either way it’s a delicious combination.

Hottips

If you have been bitten by the GIY (Grow it Yourself) bug, there’s no time to waste. I’ve been leafing through the Brown Envelope Seed Catalogue of organic seeds, it’s unbearably tempting. Madeline McKeever and her team deservedly won the prestigious Belling  West Cork Artisan Food Awards Newcomer Award last year for her contribution. The seeds are organic – lots of heirloom too. www.brownenvelopeseeds.com

Afternoon Tea and Cakes course at Ballymaloe Cookery School – Learn how to bake several irresistible cakes, Auntie Florence’s crumpets and the secret of the Ballymaloe sandwich chest. Wednesday 23^rd May 1:00pm to 5:00pm – lunch included. 021 4646785 to book.

Don’t miss the South African Braai at the Grain Store on Sunday 27th May, 5.00pm. – Ted Berner of Wildside catering will cook many good things on the barbeque while Niels Verburg, of Luddite Wines, Bot River and Walker Bay, South Africa will give a tutored tasting of his award winning wines, and olive oil. There will be a glass of South African sparkling wine on arrival and local musicians will entertain us as we taste and sip. Ballymaloe House, Shanagarry, Co. Cork, Ireland Tel: 021 4652531 res@ballymaloe.ie www.ballymaloe.ie

Sheridan’s Cheesemongers are hosting the third ‘Irish Food Festival’ at Virginia Road Station in North County Meath on Sunday 27th May at 10am to 6pm. Over sixty of the best food producers in Ireland will take part. There will also be workshops for kids and adults, fair-games, kid’s entertainment and live music. This year there will also be a Slow Food youth area; focusing on school and third level students. Contact Kevin or Frank 0469245110.

There’s a butcher shop in Moxon Street in London called The Ginger Pig, it’s one of five branches which have opened in the greater London area since 2007.

Like many of the new generation of butcher shops they only sell meat from rare and traditional breeds, grass-fed, naturally reared, dry aged and well hung.

The meat costs considerably more than the perfectly trimmed meat in the local supermarket but customers for the Ginger Pig are for looking for a different thing. They are the growing number of people who want to eat less but better meat and are prepared to pay for it even in a recession. They are also seeking out the cheapest cuts and really enjoy cooking them in the time honoured way, some slowly but others like bavette very fast, this cut is the new ‘lamb shank’ and is featured on virtually every cool menu in London – sometimes called onglet. It is usually marinated, then pan grilled very fast and cut across the grain while still rare and juicy, it has a fantastically beefy taste so often missing from the supposedly choice cuts like fillet or tenderloin.

 

In New York, new butcher shops continue to open, on my last visit I popped into Dickerson’s Butcher Shop in Chelsea Market, Meat Hook and Marlow and Daughters in Brooklyn, the same ethos run through them all, humanely raised, pasture fed, free range meat

.

The butchers also have the skills to make p̢t̩, terrines, pies, rillettes, salumi so they can use every single scrap of the animal which every butcher knows is virtually the difference between profit and loss Рthe jam on the sandwich.

 

Beef dripping and lard are sold proudly and believe me lard and not just any old lard is the next big thing but the pigs must be the traditional breeds, Red Duroc, Gloucester Old Spot, Tamworth and Saddleback with a decent layer of good nourishing fat.

 

Most of these butcher shops also offer butchery classes all of which are oversubscribed. They also sell free range organic chickens, reared for at least seventy five days and often over a hundred days depending on the breed. No dodgy chicken fillets of no fixed abode tossed in sweet and sour sauce or patent spices heightened with flavor enhancers. In Ireland we can produce outstanding meat but we need to separate the wheat from the chaff, tell the story and have the courage to charge more.

 

On top of the counter of the Ginger Pig in Moxon Street there were three ribs of beef; one dry aged and hung for 35 to 40 days, a second for 30 days and the third for 27 to 28 days.

Each had a dark crust on the cut side as well-aged meat naturally has and Ginger Pig customers understand and are happy to pay extra for because of the flavor.

The beef comes from Tim’s own farm in Yorkshire, Longhorn, Shorthorn and Belted Galloway.

 

Tim Wilson and others like him are leading us ‘back to the future’ and it’s no bad thing.

 

Here are three recipes taken from the Ginger Pig Meat Book by Tim Wilson and Fran Warde, published by Octopus Books UK.

 

 

Ginger Pig Hungarian Pork Goulash

 

It’s important to add some belly of pork to this dish, as the fat is needed to add moisture and richness to the sauce.

 

Serves 6

 

Takes 3 hours

 

1 tbsp olive oil

1.25kg (2lb 12oz) shoulder of pork, diced

300g (10½oz) belly of pork, skinned and diced

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

2 tsp sweet smoked paprika

½ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp caraway seeds

freshly ground black pepper

sea salt

2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes

320g jar peeled, roast peppers

1 bunch of chives, snipped

4 tbsp soured cream

 

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof

pan and fry the meat until brown on all sides, then add the onion and garlic and sauté

for 3 minutes. Add the paprika, cayenne, caraway and seasoning, mix well and cook for a

further 4 minutes. Pour in the tomatoes and top up with just enough water to cover the

meat. Bring to a boil then place in the oven to cook for 2 hours.

Drain the jar of peppers, cut them into thin strips and add to the goulash, stir through

and cook for a further 30 minutes. Add the chives and serve the goulash topped with

soured cream and bulgur wheat or rice.

 

Ginger Pig Rillettes of Pork

 

In the past a whole pig would be killed by a smallholding and all the meat was butchered, cooked or cured. Rillettes are a great way of using some of the belly. Compressed into a jar, then covered and sealed with hard fat, they will keep for months. Before refrigeration, this was a very popular method of preserving part of the pig.

 

Serves 4–6

 

Takes 5 hours

 

50g (1¾oz) pork or goose fat

1kg (2lb 4oz) skinless pork belly, cut into cubes

300ml (½ pint) white wine

2 garlic cloves

2 sprigs of thyme

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 onion, chopped

 

Melt the fat in a heavy-based pan, add the pork and cook over a very low heat for 15

minutes; do not allow the meat to brown. Drain off and reserve the excess fat. Add the

wine, garlic, thyme, seasoning and onion to the pan, cover and simmer very gently for

4½ hours, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if needed. Cool a little, then mash with a fork, breaking up all the meat (if you prefer a smoother result, place in a food processor). Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon and compress very tightly into an earthenware or glass pot, which has been scrupulously cleaned with boiling water. Melt the reserved fat and pour it over the top, completely sealing the meat. This is best left to improve for at least a week and can be kept for up to 6 months if it is well sealed with fat and contains no air pockets. Enjoy with crusty bread, piquant cornichons and crunchy lettuce.

 

Ginger Pig Sausage Roll

 

A real, good British sausage roll is hard to find so we decided to make our own. We sell an awful lot at lunchtime.

 

Makes 8

 

Takes 2 hours, plus chilling

Place the minced pork and pork fat in a bowl and mix together, then add the

breadcrumbs, 125ml (4fl oz) water, the herbs and seasoning. Mix with your hands until

evenly blended. Set aside. Sift the flour into a large bowl. Melt 50g (1¾oz) of the butter and mix with the salt, vinegar and 230ml (8fl oz) ice-cold water. Add to the flour and mix to a smooth dough. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 1 hour.

Place the remaining butter between two sheets of Clingfilm and roll out to the thickness of your finger. Roll out the pastry to a rectangle just over twice the size of the butter. Place the butter in the middle and wrap by making an envelope with the pastry, totally encasing it. Roll out again to a rectangle the same size as it was before the butter was added, then fold 3 times, like a letter. Roll out once more, turn 90 degrees and fold 3 times again. Wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour. Repeat the rolling and folding four more times, adding a light dusting of flour each time, and chilling after each repetition. (In total, the process should be performed five times.) Leave to rest in the refrigerator overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4. Roll the pastry out to approximately

41x26cm (16x10in). Work the sausage meat into an even, long roll and place along the

length of the pastry. Brush the exposed pastry with egg, then roll over and crimp the

join together with a fork. Cut into 4 sausage rolls. Brush the outside with egg, place on a

baking sheet and cook for 50 minutes.

 

 

Hot Tips

 

The Art of Running A Restaurant – a new class at the Good Things Café & Cookery School, Durrus, Co. Cork,– 6 days of hands-on training in a restaurant environment. Monday 11th to Saturday 16th June, 2012. Cost: €1,500 including accommodation, knives and personalised chef’s jackets. To book, contact Carmel Somers Tel: 00 353 27 61426 Email: info@thegoodthingscafe.com

 

Riesling is the new Chardonnay!  On Thursday 17^th May there’s a one-off opportunity to meet three famous Riesling winemakers: Tim Adams – Clare Valley, Australia, Carl Ehrhard, Rheingau, Germany and Severine Schlumberger, Alsace, France at Ballymaloe House. The session will be chaired by wine writer John Wilson.

After the wine-tasting, enjoy a Slow Food Summer Plate from local food producers. This is priced separately from the wine-tasting and all proceeds will go to East Cork Slow Food Educational Project. Phone 021 4652531 to book.

 

A great little find in Dublin – Just popped in to a cute little café called Brother Hubbard at 153 Capel Street last week. Garrett Fitzgerald and Jim Boland opened only at the end March.  They make everything themselves even their own homemade orange and lemon barley water and raspberry, apple and rose lemonades. Beautiful quality cakes and biscuits, tempting lunch time salads and sandwiches, a short menu with carefully chosen produce. Lino Olivieri supplies the extra virgin olive oil, teas from Wall Keogh, direct trade coffee from 3SE, Dan Hegarty’s Farmhouse Cheddar…Contact 01-441 11 12 hello@brotherhubbard.ie

I love the sound of seagulls calling, squalling, squabbling and chasing each other for fun or a wriggly fish – reminds me of holidays in Tramore as a tiny child, ice-cream cornets, sand buckets, little fishing nets, picnics by the Metal Man…

I’m in Cornwall for a few days, staying in an enchanting little fishing village called Mousehole, which we quickly learned is pronounced ‘ Mousel’ after we asked directions to Mouse Hole and got the same sort of amused looks that tourists to these parts get when they ask for cob (Cobh) or Yoo-gal (Youghal).

Cornwall is an enchanting place, I love any excuse to meander through the narrow lanes or lie on the beaches or potter through the pretty villages.

This time we were on a mission – to christen our part Cornish grandson, now a feisty two year old. The christening of a spirited two year old is no mean feat at the best of time so much to our immense relief, the ceremony went off almost without incident apart from three distinctly audible ‘NOs’ during the sprinkling of water from St Levan’s Well ‘in the name of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost’.

After the ceremony we sipped a little fizz to celebrate and then drove down the hill to Porth Curno beach, one of many truly beautiful beaches in Cornwall – rock pools, golden sand, clear blue sea with little waves, lots of seashells to decorate sandcastles.

I decided to walk along the National Trust path on the cliff top to Penberth, a little secluded cove where a celebration lunch awaited.

Cornwall is still fiercely nationalistic, the Cornish pasty is alive and well and much loved. Cafés and tea shops and farm shops vie with each other to serve the best cream teas. Rodda’s clotted cream with its thick crust on top is to die for and in Cornwall is eaten at every excuse, spread on toast underneath marmalade or slathered on saffron bread and of-course as part of the famous cream teas.

Bridget Hugh-Jones Jasper’s paternal Grandmother makes the best Bakewell tart I have ever tasted; she served it warm, of-course with clotted cream – divine. She sweetly gave me the recipe which I share with you. Her chocolate and ginger bombe, scattered with crunchy praline was the pièce de résistance of the christening luncheon.

This is one the loveliest times of the year to visit Cornwall.  The countryside is beautiful; the Maybush is already in flower, lots of wild garlic, bluebells, raggedy robin and gorse in full bloom, but the thousands of summer visitors have not yet descended. Mousehole, a few miles from Penzance is one of the most enchanting fishing villages, a labyrinth of narrow laneways and passages, higgledy-piggeldy houses, with casement and dormer windows, half slated, white washed walls with little gardens full of geraniums and pink valerians and daisies growing out of the crevices. Lots of B&Bs, cafés, galleries, English pubs, fish and chippers, ice-cream parlours and gift shops to explore. We stayed in the Coastguard Hotel overlooking the bay, a new acquisition of Charles Inken and his team who own Gurnards’ Head, a pub with rooms just twelve miles away on the other side of the peninsula. We had a fantastically good dinner there one evening.  One of the highlights was vichyssoise of alexanders with horseradish cream and pea-shoots and mackerel with new seasons asparagus, tri-cornered leek (allium triquetrum) and pennywort (umbilicus rupestris).  When I saw the blackboard outside which says ‘Can you forage or grow for us?’ I knew I was on the right track. The head chef Bruce Rennie and his team make full use of local wild food in season.

Cornwall is still looked on as a disadvantaged area but as in other challenged areas people are immensely creative and entrepreneurial.

As you drive through the country side, many farms and cottages have a little stand outside with an honesty box selling plants, cut flowers, jam and preserves or home baking. I bought a lovely little bunch of exquisitely scented violets for fifty pence, pinned them to my lapel for the christening and sprinkled them into the green salad  later – delicious, waste not want not!

 

Bruce Rennie of Gurnards’ Pub Grilled Mackerel with English Asparagus, Three Cornered Leek and Pennywort

 

Serves 6

 

6 fresh mackerel fillets, pin-bones removed

18 spears asparagus, prepped

salt

extra virgin olive oil

1 lemon

stems and flowers of three cornered leek (allium triquetrum)

pennywort leaves (umbilicus rupestris), washed

 

 

Season each side of the mackerel with salt and place on a lightly oiled tray skin side up.

Drizzle the top of the fish with a little olive oil and place under a hot grill for 2-3 minutes until the fish is just cooked and the skin has started to get crisp. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice. Meanwhile, cook the asparagus in boiling salted water until just tender.

Remove the asparagus from the water and divide between 6 plates.

Place the mackerel on top of the asparagus. Chop the three cornered leek (allium triquetrum) stalks into small batons and dress the plates with these, the flowers and the pennywort leaves (umbilicus rupestris),

Drizzle the mackerel cooking juices around the plate and serve immediately

 

Bridget Hugh-Jones’ Bakewell Tart

 

Serves 8

 

75g (3oz) butter

175g (6oz) plain white flour

30g (1 ¼ oz) caster sugar

1 beaten egg with a couple of tablespoons water mixed (you won’t need all the water)

 

4 to 6 tablespoons of homemade raspberry jam

3 eggs

the weight of 3 eggs in caster sugar, butter, ground almonds

a few drops of almond extract

 

 

25g – 35g (1 – 1 ½ oz) flaked almonds to scatter over the top

 

9 inch tart tin, preferably with removable base.

 

First make the pastry.  Sieve the flour and the sugar into a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes, toss in the flour, rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg with 2 teaspoons of cold water and add enough to bind the mixture. But do not make the pastry too wet – it should come away cleanly from the bowl. Flatten into a round and wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 15 minutes. Roll out thinly on a lightly floured worktop and use it to line a 9 inch (23cm) tart tin. Line with kitchen or greaseproof paper and fill to the top with dried beans. Rest for 15 minutes in the fridge.

 

Line the tart tin with short crust pastry and spread the base generously with raspberry jam.  Cream the butter, add the caster sugar and continue to beat until soft and fluffy. Add the beaten eggs one at a time and then stir in the ground almonds and a few drops of almond extract. Spread this mixture evenly over the jam in the tart tin. Sprinkle the top with flaked almonds and bake in pre-heated oven at 180°C/350°F/Mark 4 for about 40 minutes. Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes and then remove to a wire rack and serve with preferably Cornish clotted cream or softly whipped cream.

 

 

Bridget Hugh-Jones Chocolate and Ginger Bombe

 

Serves 10 – 12

 

 

1 jar of ginger conserve

450ml (16 fl oz) double cream

50g (2oz) dark chocolate

 

Praline

 

50g (2oz) caster sugar

50g (2oz) flaked almonds

 

Chocolate Icing

 

100ml (3 ½ fl oz) double cream

100g (4oz) dark chocolate

 

2 lt Pudding bowl and plastic bag

 

Cut open a large plastic food bag and use it to line the pudding basin.

Tip a jar of ginger conserve into a bowl and stir to break it up a bit, then lightly whip the cream and chop 50g (2oz) dark chocolate, gently fold both into the ginger conserve until the mixture is evenly flecked.  Tip into the lined bowl and smooth over the top.  Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours, overnight is better.

Put the caster sugar into a heavy bottomed sauce pan and cook on a gentle heat without stirring until it caramelises to the colour of a conker.  Remove from heat and quickly stir in the flaked almonds.  Tip out onto a lightly oiled baking tray or a piece of foil. Leave to cool. When cold and set, break the almond caramel into unevenly sized small pieces with a rolling pin.

 

Pour 100ml (3 ½ fl oz) double cream into a small sauce pan over gentle heat, add 100g (4oz) dark chocolate broken into pieces, stir gently until the chocolate has melted.  Then leave to cool until thickened to a spreading consistency.

 

When the ice-cream bombe is frozen, turn onto a chilled plate and quickly spread  the chocolate icing over the top and sides as evenly as possible – it will set as soon as it touches the ice cream. Scatter the almond praline over the bombe and press lightly to make it stick on then return to the freezer until needed.  Remove to the fridge for about 30 minutes before serving otherwise it will be difficult to slice.

 

Dust with a little icing sugar and serve in thick wedges.

 

Hot Tips
Learn how to make your own cheese. Spend the day on Corleggy Farm, Belturbet, Co Cavan. with Silke Cropp on Sunday 6^th May 2012.  Learn the art of cheese-making and take home your very own kilo of cow’s milk cheese. Full day including lunch €150 or €250 for two people. Contact Silke at corleggy@gmail.com to book.

A Slow Food Celebration of Local Food at Marco’s Pizzeria, Midleton on Tuesday 22nd May at 7.30pm. Meet local food producers, taste their produce, hear their story. Dinner €35.00. To book phone Marco and Caoimhe Brouwers – 021 463 30 30

All proceeds to the East Cork Slow Food Educational Project.

 

Date for your diary – Coffee Morning at Ballymaloe Cookery School in in Aid of Self Help Africa on Friday 25^th May 2012 – hosted by Darina Allen 021 4646785.

 

Wine Event at Ballymaloe House on Thursday 17^th May – Riesling wine presentation with three winemakers from Riesling growing regions of the world – Tim Adams – Clare Valley, Australia, Carl Ehrhard, Rheingau, Germany and Severine Schlumberger, Alsace, France and chaired by wine writer John Wilson. €25.00. Stay on after the wine-tasting to enjoy a Slow Food Summer Plate from local food producers at €35.00 a head. This is priced separately from the wine-tasting and all proceeds from this will go to the Slow Food East Cork Education Project. Phone 021 4652531 to book.

Two terrific cookbooks written by two crazily busy Mums came my way this week. Both were published in Cork.  My Goodness by Liz Nolan from On Stream Publications and the other by Shiela Kiely with the catchy title of ‘Gimme the Recipe’ was pub by Mercier Press.

Blonde, beautiful mother of six Sheila Kiely’s intro will resonate with many multi-tasking modern mums who are trying to constantly keep a myriad of balls in the air – “If you are like me, then most days you are running around like a mad thing playing catch up with everything. Shower, dress and eat. Wash on, wash out, wash up. Kids up, kids fed, kids out. Work, sleep and repeat. Somewhere in between you have to manage the school run, housework and grocery shopping, and what were you thinking when you invited people over for dinner at the weekend?” On and on it goes, every sentence will resonate and we recognise the pressure, six shiny energetic faces asking expectantly yet again – ‘what’s for dinner mum?’

Well, over the years Sheila has built up a repertoire of recipes that nourish and delight her energetic household and friends, I particularly loved the chapter on planning family gatherings and parties at home.

Sheila stresses that she’s a long way from being a professional chef but that makes the book all the more accessible.

Liz Nolan developed her passion for healthy and nutritious food at the Wholemeal Cafe in London.  Her book ‘My Goodness’ concentrates on the most important food groups, vegetables and grains. Her recent work as a nutritional therapist at Health and Herbs in Galway has helped many people to improve their health by making simple changes in their diet and lifestyle.

Once again, mother of five children shares her must-have recipes enjoyed by all the family, friends and cookery students. The timing of this book is perfect. Researchers from Harvard School of Medicine recently found that simply cutting the amount of red and processed meat in peoples’ diets to the equivalent of one large steak a week could prevent almost one in ten early deaths in men and one in thirteen  in women. The study found that replacing it with poultry, fish or vegetables, whole grains and other healthy foods cuts the risk of dying prematurely by up to one fifth. A few days of tasty vegetarian food could go a long way.

 

Sheila Kiely’s Completely Cheating Pitta Pizzas

 

Round pitta breads – 1 per person

Sun-dried tomato paste or red pesto

Cheddar cheese

1 tsp oregano

Toppings: chorizo, salami, red onion, cooked ham, cooked chicken

Preheat the grill.

Sprinkle the pitta with water and heat in the toaster for a couple of minutes so it puffs up. Slice each pitta bread open into two halves. Spread each half with a thin layer of the sun-dried tomato paste or red pesto. Top with whatever you fancy and grated cheddar cheese, sprinkle with oregano and grill until the cheese has melted. Serve with a scattering of chopped fresh herbs if you have them or black pepper.

Liz Nolan’s Spiced Roast Cauliflower

 

This is a great way to maintain the attractive shape and flavour of cauliflower. You can get black sesame seeds in Indian grocery shops.

 

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 heaped tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp ground coriander

2 tsp sesame seeds, black or brown

½ heaped tsp salt

1 medium cauliflower, broken into florets

2/3 tbsp rapeseed oil or olive oil

Sprinkle crushed chillies

 

Preheat the oven to gas 6/200C/400F.

Mix all the spices, seeds and salt in a small bowl. Put the cauliflower into a large bowl, add the oil and toss together. Add the spices to the cauliflower mix a little at a time and toss to coat. Lay on a large flat baking tray and cook for 20 minutes or until the cauliflower starts to blacken very slightly.

 

Nutritional information

Cauliflower is part of the brassica family and, like broccoli, contains cancer fighting compounds.

 

Liz Nolan’s Chickpea and Red Lentil Curry with Aubergine and Spinach 

 

This is a delicious curry – aromatic rather than spicy

 

Serves 6

 

200g red lentils

1 medium green chilli

2–3 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 medium aubergine

2 carrots, sliced

2 ½ cm piece ginger

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp ground coriander

1 heaped tsp ground turmeric

1 x 400g tin chickpeas in unsalted water

2 tbsp tamari

1/2 tsp Himalayan or sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

½ bag washed baby spinach

 

To clean the red lentils put them into a bowl and pour cold water on them. Set aside.

 

Prick the chilli all over with a fork. In a large pan, heat the oil to a medium heat and add the chilli, onion and the cumin seeds. Let them heat up and sizzle for a couple of minutes to release their oils. Reduce the heat. Slice the aubergine into 3 lengthways and chop into small cubes. Add the aubergine and carrots to the pan and cook for a few minutes. Peel, grate and finely chop the ginger and add to the pan with the garlic, ground cumin, coriander and turmeric. Stir well, cover and cook for a few minutes on a low heat to cook the spices a little, making sure the mixture doesn’t burn.  The aubergine will act like a sponge and soak up the oil but gently press down on it with the spatula to release the oil. You shouldn’t need to add any more. Drain the red lentils in a sieve over the sink, discarding the water. Add to the pan with the chickpeas including the water from the tin. Top up with about a pint and a half of water. Stir well to combine and then cover. Cook slowly on a low heat until the red lentils become mushy and lighter in colour and the vegetables are softened. Add the tamari and the salt and pepper. Check the seasoning. Stir in the spinach and leave for a minute or two until just wilting.

Serve with brown rice or quinoa

Nutritional information

Red lentils provide protein and the mineral silica for strong bones, nails and hair. They are also high in antioxidants which protect our cells from damage. Chickpeas contain protein, especially tryptophan for balancing the mood and soluble fibre for healthy bowels. Spinach is a wonderful source of minerals iron, magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and A, folic acid for healthy blood cell formation, along with antioxidants for healthy cells.

 

Sheila Keily’s Moroccan Meatballs

serves 6

1 large red onion

3cm thumb-width piece of ginger

3 garlic cloves

1 red chilli

2 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground cinnamon

800g minced lamb

1 tbsp olive oil

2 x 400g cans of plum tomatoes

250ml chicken stock

Handful of fresh coriander to garnish

 

Peel and roughly chop the red onion, ginger and garlic, and blitz together with the deseeded chopped chilli, cumin and cinnamon in a mini chopper or food processor to create a spicy paste. Use a fork or your hands to mix the lamb with half of the spicy paste in a bowl and then shape them into meatballs the size of golfballs. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat and brown the meatballs.

Push the meatballs to the sides of the pan and cook the rest of the spicy paste in the centre of the pan for 1 minute. Add the plum tomatoes to the centre of the pan and roughly chop them with a knife. Add the chicken stock and stir to combine with the tomatoes, paste and meatballs. Bring to the boil then reduce to simmer for 25–30 minutes. (Test the centre of a meatball to check that it is cooked through.)

Serve with a sprinkling of chopped fresh coriander and Moroccan couscous or rice.

 

Shiela Keily’s Sticky Pear and Apple Crumble

 

2kgs fruit – roughly 4 to 5 medium-sized cooking apples and 4 to 5 small ripe pears

50g caster sugar (for cooking the fruit)

100g plain flour

50g wholemeal flour

50g porridge oats

100g unsalted butter

200g light golden brown sugar

Butter to grease dish

 

Method:

Preheat the oven to 170ËšC/Gas Mark 5.

Peel and chop the fruit into smallish pieces and cook in a saucepan with a splash of water and the caster sugar over a medium heat until softening (still with a bit of bite and not a pulp). This takes about 5 minutes. Put the plain and wholemeal flours and the oats into a mixing bowl and chop in the butter. Use your fingertips to crumble the flour, oats and butter together until it starts to resemble breadcrumbs. Add the brown sugar and mix well with a fork.

Place the cooked fruit in a large greased baking dish and scatter the crumble mixture on top – press it down lightly but do not over-compact it.

Bake for 35–40 minutes.

Delicious on its own, even better with custard or vanilla ice-cream.

 Hot Tips

The Parents Association from Kilbarron National School in Terryglass, Nenagh have produced a delighful recipe book called ‘Our Favourite Recipes!’ each of the sixty one students of the school cooked their favourite recipe and was photographed for the book. Peter Ward wrote the forward and launched the book at his Country Choice Shop in Nenagh – contact Kathy Slattery 0863475921.

Twenty one food service businesses in West Cork joined forces to create the Bandon Food Trail which maps places to eat, shop and stay from Ballineen to Enniskeane, Timoleague to Courtmacsherry, Ballinspittle to Ballinadee, Kinsale to Bandon – don’t make a trip to West Cork without it – you can download a copy on Facebook.com/ bandon-food-trail or contact Ruth Healy at Urru in Bandon 0214613366.

Last year John and Sylvia McCormack from Aghada East Cork did some experimental baking of ‘Cake Pops’ a popular American idea and now bake over 300 a day and supply the Granary Food Store in Mildeton, Roasted and Idaho Cafes in Cork City, Café du Journal in Monkstown Dublin, Café Libro in Naas and Swords and at Mahon Point Farmers every Thursday – 0872415513 John McCormack – Facebook.com/treatpetite

This weekend, I’m heading to Sandbrook in Co Carlow to celebrate International Slow Food Grandmother’s Day. Grannies, grandpas, nanas, mamas, dadas and children of every age can come along to Ballon have fun, learn and share their experience on Sunday 22^nd April, 2012.

Food producers, chefs, farmers and artisans will come together to celebrate good clean and fair food, the Slow Food way, with almost 30 different exhibitors, terrific treats to sample, interesting stories to hear, talents to admire and skills to learn.

There will be lots of workshops, cookery demonstrations, talks on passing skills, everything from how to make homemade butter, Ballymaloe Balloons,  to lemonade to raspberry buns, the first thing I ever learned how to cook. Auntie Florence will show us how to crystallise flowers and the secret of her crumpets. You can learn how to knit, sew and plant and grow how to hatch out chicks, keep hens, forage for wild food, weave willows, make candles, keep bees…

Bring along your favourite recipe that you would like to pass onto your children or grandchildren and we’ll make a scrap book and publish them on the Slow Food Ireland website www.slowfoodireland.com . So many family recipes are lost because we forget to ask or to record them until it’s too late so why not bring a copy book today and write the favourite family recipes for your children.

There are also fun things for children of all ages to do – from face painting to arts and crafts competitions, petting zoo and a games area.

Charismatic Dublin pork butcher, Ed Hicks will do a two hour sausage making class for kids on a first come first served basis.

Slow Food International Grandmothers Day at Sandbrook House, Ballon, Co Carlow is from 11am to 6pm on Sunday 22^nd April – Tel: 0599159247 – www.sandbrook.ie

 

Myrtle Allen’s Balloons

 

Children’s tea at Ballymaloe House is a jolly carefree affair which holds happy memories for generations of children. Myrtle Allen whips up these balloons in a matter of minutes, they taste just like doughnuts – the problem is to stop the grown-ups stealing them from the children!

 

5 ozs (140g) plain white flour

2 teasp. castor sugar

pinch of salt

1 level teaspoon baking powder

milk

extra caster sugar and a little ground cinnamon

 

Makes 10 balloons.

 

Heat good quality oil in a deep fry to 190C/375F. Sieve the dry ingredients into a bowl. Mix the batter to a thick dropping consistency with milk. Take a dessertspoonful of the mixture and push it gently off with your finger so that it drops in a round ball into the fat. Repeat. Fry until golden. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. Roll the balloons in castor sugar or castor sugar and cinnamon mixed. Serve at once.

 

Raspberry Buns

 

As far as I can remember, these buns were the very first thing I helped my Auntie Florence to bake. My grandchildren love filling the holes with jam, just as I did.

 

Makes about 10

 

200g (7oz) self-raising flour and 25g (1oz) ground rice

OR

225g (8oz) self-raising flour

75g (3oz) caster sugar

75g (3oz) butter diced

1 organic egg

1 tablespoon full cream milk

homemade raspberry jam

egg wash

caster sugar

 

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7.

Put the flour and ground rice, if using, into a bowl and add the caster sugar. Add in the diced butter and toss it in the flour. Then rub it into the dry ingredients with the tips of your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Whisk the egg with the milk and then use a fork to mix it with the dry ingredients until you have a softish dough.

Divide the mixture in two, roll each half into a thick rope and then divide each into five pieces. Form each piece into a round, dip your thumb in flour and make an indentation in the centre of each bun.

Drop a little spoonful of raspberry jam into the hole, and then pinch the edges of dough together to cover the jam.

Transfer to a baking tray, brush the top of each raspberry bun with egg wash and bake for 10 – 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, sprinkle with caster sugar and eat while nice and fresh.

 

 

Great Grandmother’s Victoria Sponge

 

A buttery sponge cake was standard fare to serve with afternoon tea in my Grandmother’s house at Donoghmore. When it was taken out of the oven of the Aga it was cooled on a wire rack by the window in the back kitchens. Thick yellow cream spooned off the top of the milk in the dairy was whipped and as soon as the cake was cool it was sandwiched together with homemade jam from the raspberries picked at the top of the haggard.

 

6 ozs (170g) flour

6 ozs (170g) castor sugar

3 eggs

4½ ozs (125g/1 stick, plus 1 level tablesp.) butter

14g/1 tablesp. milk

1 teasp. (5g) baking powder

Filling

4 ozs (225g) home-made raspberry jam (see recipe)

10 fl ozs (285g) whipped cream

 

castor sugar to sprinkle

2 x 7 inch (18cm) sponge cake tins

 

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/regulo 4.

Grease and flour the tins and line the base of each with a round of greaseproof paper. Cream the butter and gradually add the castor sugar, beat until soft and light and quite pale in colour. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well between each addition. (If the butter and sugar are not creamed properly and if you add the eggs too fast, the mixture will curdle, resulting in a cake with a heavier texture). Sieve the flour and baking powder and stir in gradually. Mix all together lightly and add 1 tablespoon of milk to moisten.

Divide the mixture evenly between the 2 tins, hollowing it slightly in the centre. bake for 20-25 minutes or until cooked. Turn out onto a wire tray and allow to cool.

Sandwich together with homemade Raspberry Jam and whipped cream. Sprinkle with sieved castor sugar. Serve on an old fashioned plate with a doyley.

 

Aunt Alice’s Raspberry Jam

 

 

Makes 3 x 1 lb (450g) pots

 

Raspberry jam is the easiest and quickest of all jams to make, and one of the most delicious.  Loganberries, Boysenberries or Tayberries may also be used in this recipe.

 

2 lbs (900g) fresh raspberries

2 lbs (900g) white sugar (use 1/4 lb (110g) less if fruit is very sweet)

 

Wash, dry and sterilise the jars in a moderate oven 180°C/350°F/regulo 4, for 15 minutes. Heat the sugar in a moderate oven for 5-10 minutes.

 

Put the raspberries into a wide stainless steel saucepan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the juice begins to run, then add the hot sugar and stir over a gentle heat until fully dissolved. Increase the heat and boil steadily for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Test for a set by putting about a teaspoon of jam on a cold plate, leaving it for a few minutes in a cool place. It should wrinkle when pressed with a finger. Remove from the heat immediately. Skim and pour into sterilised jam jars. Cover immediately.

Hide the jam in a cool place or else put on a shelf in your kitchen so you can feel great every time you look at it! Anyway, it will be so delicious it won’t last long!

Hot Tips

On the Wild Side – Oliver Beaujouan – well known artisan food producer from Kilcoummin near Castle Gregory in Co Kerry has been exciting us about the possibilities of the variety of sea weeds around our coasts for many years. Look out for his kelp pickled a la Provencal and Sea Spaghetti pickled with fresh chilli – delicious with stir fried pork fillet or in salads and bouncing with nutrients. Available at the Little Cheese Shop in Dingle, the Limerick Milk Market and at the Cheese Stall at the Midleton Farmers Market every Saturday. Tel: 0877922468

 

Robbie Fitzsimmon’s 75 day old chickens grow slowly, range freely and have twice the flavour and are twice the size of their intensively farmed cousins – one chicken will feed the entire family with left overs for next day’s sandwiches and carcass and giblets for chicken broth – at €10.00each they are a genuine bargain. East Ferry Free Range – 0862056020 – info@eastferryfreerange.com

 

Farmers Market Lunch – Chef owner Kevin Aherne of Sage Restaurant in Midleton is one the first customers into Midleton Farmers Market each Saturday to source the pick of the produce from the stalls to showcase on his lunch menu, a brilliant example of a business supporting local farmers and fishermen and serving local food proudly to his eager and appreciative customers. Tel: 021 4639682 – www.sagerestaurant.ie