ArchiveNovember 2024

The atmosphere was palpable and optimistic at the seventh BioFarm Organic Conference organised recently by NOTS.
This is the annual get-together of organic, biodynamic, chemical free and an increasing number of regenerative farmers who are transitioning to more sustainable production methods.
This year the numbers increase by almost 50% reflecting the growing acreage of land in Ireland  being farmed on organic principles to 5% in 2024 from a mere 2% in 2022.
Organic production is increasing worldwide with Australia, India and Argentina leading the way.
In Europe, Liechtenstein has the highest organic area at 43% followed by Austria, the leading EU country at 27.5%.
Sales of organic food continue to rise exponentially particularly in the US and Australia.
Here in Ireland, despite the cost of living crisis, an increasing number of people are connecting the food they eat to the health of the family.
There is a growing realisation that it’s more cost-effective to invest in chemical free foods rather than expensive and not always effective supplements.
Once again I repeat our food should and can indeed be our medicine….
There’s also a significant increase in the number of families who have started to grow some of their own food at home, in veggie patches, allotments and even on window sills and balconies. This not only enhances our lives, reminds us of what food should taste like but it excites the kids and teaches them some really important life skills.
It also shows them (and us) how much work actually goes into producing nourishing wholesome food, it doesn’t just appear on the supermarket shelf.
John Hogan, an agronomist and horticultural consultant with 40 years’ experience spelled out the challenges but also the growing market for Irish organic food and opportunity for export substitution.
Most would have a gut feeling (as do I) that organic, chemical-free food, grown in rich fertile soil has got to be altogether better for our wellbeing but why, one might ask, in the midst of this cost of living crisis, would the consumer reckon that it’s worth the extra money unless there is scientific evidence to prove it. We urgently need targeted stats, anecdotal evidence is not enough.

Poor diets are also linked to 20% of deaths worldwide, eleven billion annually and cost health authorities countless millions globally.
Engaging and inspirational speaker Neil Fuller, a soil scientist and climate-smart farming expert, talked about how we could make ‘food the weapon’ in climate change and the real cost of cheap food on people’s health. Despite the perception, farming is a significant part of the solution to climate change. In the words of Patrick Holden of the Sustainable Food Trust, ‘if we paid farmers to be carbon stewards, then farming could move from being part of the problem to part of the solution’.
There was much to learn about heritage wheat trials, increased demand for organic oats, and homeopathy for animals. BioFarm encourages and supports farmers and growers to consider agroforestry, silvopasture (a way of combining trees, livestock, and forage crops on the same land for multiple benefits), the importance of dung beetles, all play their part in enriching fertile soil and producing healthy food to nourish rather than damage our health which is what farming should be all about in the end.
We stayed at Fitzgerald Woodlands hotel in Adare, the conference venue. A wonderfully convivial, family run hotel with exceptionally kind and helpful staff.
Chef Mark Darcy shared several of the recipes that the conference attendees enjoyed.

Woodlands Organic chicken with Smoky Bacon, Cabbage and Mushrooms with Pilaf Rice

This recipe is inspired by a dish we ate at the Woodlands Hotel in Adare. Brown meat is my personal favourite, so we made it with chicken thighs and drumsticks, a delicious comforting winter supper.

Serves 10-12

2kg organic chicken (I used 6 whole legs of Rings organic chickens from Co. Kilkenny)

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large carrot, sliced

1 large onion, sliced

5 peppercorns

a bouquet garni made up of a sprig of thyme, parsley stalks, a tiny bay leaf, a stick of celery

450-600ml water or a mixture of water and white wine (1 glass) or homemade light chicken stock

1 York or Savoy cabbage, cored and shredded (450g prepared)

25g butter or more if you like

salt and freshly ground black pepper

250-300ml light cream

75g roux approx. (made with equal quantities of flour and butter, cooked for 2 minutes)

salt

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

500g mushrooms, quartered

salt and freshly ground black pepper

knob of butter and extra virgin olive oil

175g smoky streaky bacon, diced

1 tsp of thyme leaves, rosemary or tarragon chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

chopped parsley or chervil, to garnish

For the pilaf rice

25g salted butter

2 tbsp finely chopped onion or shallot

400g long-grain rice (preferably basmati)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

975ml homemade chicken stock

2 tbsp freshly chopped herbs, such as parsley, thyme or chives (optional)

Dry brine the chicken overnight if time allows (just sprinkle the surface lightly with salt). Otherwise, before cooking, season the chicken with salt and freshly ground pepper. Put into a heavy casserole with the carrot, onion, peppercorns and a bouquet garni. Pour in the chicken stock and dry white wine (3/4 stock to 1/4 wine). (use water if no stock is available but less flavourful). Cover and bring to the boil and simmer either on the hob or cook in the oven at 180°C/Gas Mark 4 for 40-45 minutes. When the bird is cooked, remove from the casserole.  The meat should be really tender.

Meanwhile, make the pilaf rice. Melt the butter in a casserole, add the onion and sweat for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice and toss for a minute or two, just long enough for the grains to change colour. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, add the chicken stock, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a minimum and then simmer on the hob or cook in the oven at 160°C/Gas Mark 3 for about 10 minutes. By then the rice should be just cooked and all the water absorbed. Just before serving, stir in the fresh herbs if using.

Strain and de-grease the chicken cooking liquid (we had 1 litre). Return to the casserole. Discard the vegetables: they have already given their flavour to the cooking liquid. Reduce the liquid in a wide, uncovered casserole for 5–10 minutes until the flavour is more concentrated.

Remove the tough outer leaves and divide the cabbage into four. Cut out the stalks and then cut each section into fine shreds across the grain. Put 2 or 3 tablespoons of water into a wide saucepan with the butter and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, add the cabbage and toss constantly over a high heat, then cover for a few minutes (3-4 minutes). Toss again, taste and if necessary, add some more salt and freshly ground pepper to enhance the flavour.

Add the cream or creamy milk to the reduced liquid, return to the boil; thicken to a light coating consistency by whisking in some roux. Taste and add salt to taste.

Divide the chicken into joints, drumsticks and thighs (chunky pieces of white meat if using). Add to the sauce, heat through and bubble (the dish may be prepared ahead to this point).

Sweat the chopped onion and garlic in a little butter until soft but not coloured and keep aside. Sauté the quartered mushrooms in a little butter, in a hot frying pan, in batches if necessary.  Season each batch with salt, freshly ground pepper and add to the onions.

Melt the butter in a sauté pan, add a little extra virgin olive oil, and add the bacon lardons. Cook tossing for 3-4 minutes on a medium heat. Add the sautéed onions and mushrooms and the chopped thyme leaves, rosemary or tarragon.

Toss until fully cooked through. Add to the sauce with the buttered cabbage. Fold gently through. Taste and correct the seasoning.

Turn into a serving dish and scatter with lots of chopped parsley or chervil. Serve with pilaf rice.  

Woodlands Shortbread Cookies

Super easy to make, keep a roll in your fridge so you can surprise unexpected guests with freshly baked cookies over Christmas.

Makes 25-30 approx. depending on thickness

180g butter

90g caster sugar

270g flour

Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, add the sieved flour and continue to mix to a firm dough. Roll the mixture into a log. Cover in parchment paper and twist the ends like a Christmas cracker. Chill in the fridge for a few hours, preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Remove the baking paper from the chilled dough and cut into 1cm thick cookies. Bake on a parchment lined baking tray, cook in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and dredge lightly with icing sugar.

Christmas Nougat

This is my take on Italian torrone, which is firmer in texture than the softer French version.

Nougat will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks if you can resist it!  You can add more or less nuts as you like.

Makes 64 x 2.5cm squares

350g sugar

225g liquid glucose

200g honey

125g hazelnuts

125g skinned almonds

2 egg whites, preferably free-range and organic

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

100g shelled, peeled pistachios

75g dried sour cherries

50g dry candied lemon or orange peel or chopped apricots

grated rind of 1 lemon

good pinch of salt

Line the base of a 21cm square tin with confectioner’s rice paper.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4

Put the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the skins start to flake away. Rub off the skins with a cloth and leave them whole.   Roast the skinned almonds for 10-12 minutes. Set aside.

Put the sugar, liquid glucose and honey into a wide sauté pan.  Stir over a low heat until the sugar dissolves.  Increase the heat and cook until the syrup reaches 130ºC (hard crack stage) on a sugar thermometer. 

Whisk the egg whites in a spotlessly clean, dry bowl to a firm peak.  Slowly pour in half the syrup and whisk to combine preferably in a food mixer.  Add the vanilla extract and continue to whisk at a low speed. 

Meanwhile, put the remaining syrup back on the heat and cook until the mixture reaches 150ºC on a sugar thermometer.  Slowly pour onto the egg white mixture and whisk for about 5 minutes, until it’s thick and glossy.  Fold in the pistachio nuts, toasted almonds, hazelnuts, dried cherries, candied peel, lemon rind and a pinch of salt. 

Pour the nougat mixture into the prepared tin.  Smooth the top with the back of a spoon or a spatula.  Cover with a sheet of rice paper and press down gently.  Allow to cool, then cut into 2.5cm square pieces with a sharp knife and serve.  Store in an airtight tin.

Let’s bake…
The tantalising smell of freshly baked bread is one of the most nostalgic and irresistible aromas for all of us and even though I’ve been baking bread all of my adult life and most of my childhood I still get a buzz every time I take a crusty loaf out of the oven and so do all the 12 Week students at BCS. They learn how to make ten to fifteen different breads while they are with us.
Soda breads take minutes to make. For flatbreads, all you need is a heavy frying pan or griddle, you don’t even need an oven so they are also perfect for students who may have limited facilities in their accommodation.
Sourdough can be fitted into your particular routine, here at the Ballymaloe Cookery School, we make a 48 hour fermented loaf that spends most of its time in the fridge and is baked first thing in the morning which works brilliantly for us.
The starter can be frozen or dehydrated which is really helpful if your lifestyle dictates that you can only be a random baker.  Here at the Cookery School anything from ten to twenty students from the group turn up to the Bread Shed at 6am in the morning for what is an extracurricular activity – how about that enthusiasm?
Many become total sourdough nerds, monitoring and comparing their loaves every day, endlessly in search of the perfect sourdough loaf.
Good bread is super important for all of our families’ health. I’m on record as saying on live TV that if I was Minister for Health the first thing I would do for the health of the nation is to ban the ultra-processed sliced pan and I haven’t changed my mind since. Is it a coincidence that the number of gluten allergies and intolerances are growing exponentially? Check the label…
Here at the cookery school, where many students arrive convinced that they need to be gluten-free, discover that they can happily eat our natural, fermented sourdough made with organic flour. When they eat ‘sliced pan’ from the shops, all the symptoms return.
For bread baking at home, do go out of your way to find organic, chemical free flour.
Soda bread is the bread of our country and is literally made in minutes. Scones will be out of the oven in little more than 10 minutes, a crusty loaf takes 30 to 35 minutes, and a ‘tin loaf’ will take all of an hour, it takes time but not your time. The actual mixing takes mere minutes, so much joy for so little effort and nothing’s changed, the way to everyone’s heart is through their tummy…Don’t we all love Mum’s soda bread.
Here are a few recipes to get you started. A few weeks ago, I included a recipe for Max Rocha’s Guinness Bread from his Café Cecilia cookbook – see column 19^th October 2024. If you haven’t already tried it, it’s super delicious and keeps very well. Max can’t take it off the menu in Café Cecilia in Hackney. Book ahead if you’re going to London, open for lunch from Wednesday to Sunday and dinner from Wednesday to Saturday but you’ll definitely need to book ahead – www.cafececilia.com  
November 17th 2024 is National Homemade Bread Day, let’s celebrate passing on the skills to all the family by making some crusty loaves of bread. Baking is an exact science so make sure to weigh your ingredients accurately, otherwise you’ll have a very inconsistent and disappointing result.
Here are a few recipes to get you started. I’ve included the recipe for traditional white soda bread in response to many requests received, but there are many, many more easy and well tested recipes including a brilliant gluten-free chapter by Debbie Shaw in The New Ballymaloe Bread Book published by Gill Books in 2023.

Ballymaloe Bread Shed Sourdough

Made by the Folding Method 

Makes 1 loaf

Remember “Sourdough bread is an inconsistent medium of nature”.

Every loaf will be slightly different depending on the activity of the starter. 

Making a loaf of sourdough bread by this method is a three day process which once you get started, will soon become a routine part of your day.

Ballymaloe Sourdough Starter

It will take approximately seven days to establish an active sourdough starter before you make your first loaf. Once the starter is established, it’s only a matter of feeding. Remember it’s live and just like us, it gets hungry…

Starter Tips

• Your starter should smell distinctively beery, slightly yeasty and fermented, and it should be thick and bubbly. It may become thin and bubbly or develop a layer of grey liquid on top, a sign it’s hungry. 
• Starter grows best at comfortable room temperature (18-21°C).
•  If the starter is too thick to beat easily, add a little more water.
• The flavour will grow more complex with use and age.
• Once the sourdough starter is established, depending on how lively the starter is, making a loaf of sourdough bread from start to finish will take anywhere from 24 to 48 hours.
• Remember yeast freezes perfectly. 

How to make a natural sourdough starter.

Day 1: Choose a large airtight 500ml to 1 litre Kilner jar.

Put 60g of cold water and 60g of organic strong white flour (bakers’ flour) into the jar, mix well with a long handled spoon. Close the jar and leave at room temperature for 24 hours.

Day 2: You should begin to see some bubbles at this stage, add 60g cold water and 60g organic strong white flour (bakers’ flour). Mix well, close the jar and leave for 24 hours at room temperature

Day 3: Add 60g cold water and 60g organic strong white flour (bakers’ flour). Mix well, close the jar and leave for 24 hours at room temperature.

Day 4: Add 60g cold water and 60g organic strong white flour (bakers’ flour). Mix well, close the jar and leave for 24 hours at room temperature.

Day 5: Add 50g cold water and 50g organic strong white flour (bakers’ flour). Mix well, close the jar and leave for 24 hours at room temperature.

Day 6: Add 60g cold water and 60g organic strong white flour (bakers’ flour). Mix well, close the jar and leave for 24 hours at room temperature.

Your sourdough starter will now be very runny and bubbly, it’s hungry and ready to proceed to the next stage. 

Day 7

Reduce the starter in the jar to about 100g (discard the excess starter or use to make sourdough crackers). Thicken it with about 50g to 100g of organic strong white flour (bakers’ flour). Give it a 2nd feeding of 140g of cold water. Stir in well. Add 140g of organic strong white flour (bakers’ flour), stir well and allow to stand overnight. This is very much weather dependent (you may leave it out in the Winter or refrigerate in the Summer) it should be thick and bubbly, a good indication is if it floats in water, this is the stage we now call “a sponge” “a levain” or “biga”, “an active yeast” ready to use. 

The more you use it the stronger it gets, in fact, the first few loves may be disappointing, but please persevere. 

Day 8

Next morning. 

The sponge should be thick and bubbly.

114g sourdough starter/natural levain

334g warm water

100g Doves organic malt flour 

337g white organic bread flour

33g organic dark rye flour

5g wheat germ  

OR 

476g Ballymaloe Bread Shed flour mix

In a large bowl, mix all the above ingredients to a loose dough. Rest uncovered at room temperature for 20-30 minutes.

Add 11g of pure salt.

Feed the starter.

While the mixture is resting, feed the starter by adding 50g of cold water plus 80g of organic strong white flour (bakers’ flour).

If you plan to make a batch of bread the following day, allow to stand at room temperature for 2-3 hours, then return to the fridge. Otherwise, return to the fridge immediately after feeding which will slow down the yeast activity.

In order to develop the gluten in the bread dough, you will need to stretch and fold the dough every 20-30 minutes for 3 hours. Be very gentle in the beginning, so as not to tear the dough. The gluten will start to develop, and you will be able to stretch it quite far. 

After 3 hours, place into a covered bowl for 24 hours in the fridge.

Day 9

Next day.

Transfer the dough from the bowl onto the counter. Knock back by kneading lightly with both your hands, tighten into a large ‘bun’. Allow to relax uncovered for 10-15 minutes. With a dough scraper, flip over onto the counter. Knock back once again and fold the dough in on itself. Turn over with the fold underneath and tighten into a large ‘bun’ once again. Transfer upside down into a cloth lined banneton and leave, covered in the fridge for another 24 hours.

Day 10

Following day.

For baking sourdough.

We recommend using a Dutch oven, or other cast iron pots. 

Preheat to 260°C/Gas Mark 10.

Put the Dutch oven into the oven to preheat.

When fully preheated (approx. 30 minutes), with thick oven gloves, remove the pot from the oven. Line the base of the pot with a round of parchment paper and gently lower the dough into the pot. Slash the top with a sharp knife. Replace the hot lid on the pot and return to the oven. Reduce the temperature to 230°C and set the timer for 25 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue to bake for further 10-15 minutes, until dark golden brown.

When cooked, the bread will feel light and sound hollow when tapped on the base with your fingers.

Cool on a wire rack.

Cut with a serrated bread knife and enjoy!

Traditional Irish White Soda Bread and Scones

By popular request my white soda bread recipe but if you’d rather make a brown loaf, use half wholemeal and half white flour.

Soda bread only takes 2 or 3 minutes to make and 30-40 minutes to bake, scones will be ready in just 10 minutes.

It is certainly another of my ‘great convertibles’. We have had the greatest fun experimenting with different additions and uses. The possibilities are endless for the hitherto humble soda bread. This bread which was originally baked in a pot oven called a bastible over the open fire can also be cooked in a casserole in the oven, to produce a similar result.

Makes 1 loaf

450g plain white flour

1 level tsp salt

1 level tsp bread soda

sour milk or buttermilk to mix, 350-400ml approx.

First fully preheat your oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8.

Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour most of the milk in at once. Using just one hand to mix with your fingers stiff and outstretched, like a claw, mix in a full, circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. 

When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. WASH AND DRY YOUR HANDS.

Then with floured hands, tidy it up and flip over gently. Pat the dough into a round, about 4cm deep and cut a cross on it (the traditional blessing), then prick in the four corners to let the fairies out of the bread, otherwise they will jinx it!

Transfer to a baking tray.

Bake in a hot oven, 230°C/Gas Mark 8 for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 for 30 minutes or until cooked. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread, when it is cooked it will sound hollow.

Cool on a wire rack.

White Soda Scones

Make the dough as above but flatten the dough into a round 2.5cm deep approx. Cut into scones. Cook for 10-15 minutes approx. in a hot oven (230°C/Gas Mark 8) depending on size.

Baghrir from L’Hôtel Marrakech in Marrakech

These soft lacy flatbreads are beloved for breakfast in Morocco and other North African countries.  Kids love them too. The fermented batter is cooked on one side only.  These Moroccan ‘crepes’ are also called thousand-hole pancakes because of their honeycomb appearance. This recipe comes from L’Hôtel Marrakech in Morocco, one of my favourite places to stay in the whole world.

Makes 6

200g fine semolina

400ml tepid water

1 – 1 ½ tbsp (orange blossom water

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp caster sugar

pinch salt

½ tsp dried yeast

2 x 7g sachets of instant yeast

Put all the ingredients except the yeast in a blender and whizz for 5 minutes, until bubbles appear. Add the dried yeast and blend for a further 2 minutes. Allow the mixture to stand for about 5 minutes, until the mixture looks foamy, before starting to cook.

Heat a 12cm pan over medium heat. Fill a 75ml ladle with batter, pour it into the pan and gently tilt to cover the base.  Cook for 3-4 minutes, until all the bubbles burst, and the surface looks dry.

Serve three or four baghrir on a warm plate with a mixture of equal quantities of melted butter and honey.  

Every day of the week, people are whizzing off to Ibiza, Lanzarote for a few longed for days in the sun.
Far be it from me to deprive Cork Airport, the friendliest little airport in the world, of any business but tell me have you been to the Ards Peninsula and North Down.
Well, I can’t exactly take the higher moral ground because I hadn’t been either and it has to be said the climate is much more agreeable and certainly less sizzling than many exotic sounding places in summer.
Some other members of the Guild of Irish food writers and myself were recently invited to a whistle stop tour of the area by TASTE Ards and North Down. You can’t imagine how much we packed into one and a half days. We started with a bus trip plus a picnic through the rolling countryside from Dublin to Comber, lunch was at Number 14 at the Georgian House where chef James Mulholland and Pippa Groom, his pastry chef, cooked many of their favourite dishes proudly showcasing local produce.
I particularly remember this delectable crab tart generously shared with Examiner readers.
I just remembered that the brilliant local deli, Indi Füde was around the corner, so I whizzed over there in search of one of my favourite Northern Ireland products, smoked eel from Lough Neagh, sadly they didn’t have any, but I picked up some Abernethy’s handmade butter instead and several perfectly ripe cheeses from this super cool little deli on Castle Street.
Then on through Newtownards to Carlos Henrique Capparelli who is producing a range of artisan pastas from ethically sourced ingredients and heritage grains. Shapes like casarecce and radiatori were totally new to me. Carlos, who worked with Yotam Ottolenghi, is overseeing a hugely impressive restoration project at The Old Mill, which will be a series of restaurants, cocktail bars, and private dining rooms by next summer. Watch that space…
Then on to Ballyboley Farm near Greyabbey to meet the Alexander family and their herd of Dexter and Highland cattle and believe it or not afternoon tea or sloe whiskey in the field overlooking Strangford Lough. We could clearly see the Mull of Kintyre in the distance which prompted us all to break into the Beatles song.

Northern Ireland Tourism is all about experiences, so groups can have Cake with the Cows or Tea with the native Irish bees, their enthusiasm was infectious.
From there, it was on the Copeland Distillery in Donaghadee which produces award winning Irish Gin, blended Irish whiskey, rum, vodka and a coffee liqueur.
There’s such a lot happening on the food and drink scene in Northern Ireland nowadays but particularly in this area of the Ards Peninsula and North Down. We enjoyed three cocktails, each paired deliciously with a plate of food, beetroot cured salmon gravlax with horseradish cream, apple and freshwater cress. Then there were plump pigs tail milk buns sprinkled with fennel seeds and flaky sea salt which I really enjoyed with the Copeland whiskey and a Chocolate pave with poached fig, a dollop of cream and some fresh fig oil on top. A delicious little feast created by Andy and wife Roz of Hara Food.
Our overnight stay was in the lovely Clandeboye Hotel, where all my friends, bless their appetites, tucked into dinner while I drank fizzy water with a few drops of Angostura bitters to aid digestion while listening to a cacophony of appreciative sounds around me.
First stop the following morning was to meet the many producers from the Ards Peninsula and North Down at the Food Fair in the Courtyard and Great Hall at Clandeboye House. Counterculture Real Bread, Bró Coffee, Ballyboley Dexter Beef Breakfast rolls, Clandeboye Estate award winning yoghurt, Honey, Stonebridge Cottage Farm rare breed pork and more, fed on whey from Mike’s Fancy cheese and spent grains from local craft breweries and distilleries, any wonder it tastes so good? Out in the courtyard with many other temptations were Honey, Simply Scampi, award winning prawns landed at Portavogie, hand shelled and flash in a light crispy batter and so much more.
Then on to see another restoration project at The Walled Garden, Helen’s Bay where Lorraine Small’s enthusiasm was infectious. While she is clearing the beautiful space of bindweed and scutch grass, people flock for arts and craft making workshops and new food and drink experiences.
Then onto another distillery and it wasn’t even noon. This time a return visit to Echlinville Distillery in Kilgubbin, the first new distillery in Northern Ireland for 125 years and it seems is going from strength to strength. As in the Copeland Distillery, there’s constant experimentation and innovation, Jarlath Watson was excited about a particular whiskey aged in PX barrels. We tasted several others too including Dunville and Old Comber which I liked a lot. After a delicious pairing with Northern Irish cheeses Young Buck, Kilmore, Dart Mountain and Ballylisk Triple Rose and Broughgammon charcuterie, we piled onto the bus in a wonderfully mellow state and headed for Heuston Station, driving alongside the shores of Carlingford Lough where thousands of Brent geese were feeding in the mud flats. Our heads were swirling with happy memories of generous hospitality and many new foods and drinks – check it out…

For further info and there’s so much more – www.visitardsandnorthdown.com

Hara’s Beetroot Cured Salmon with Horseradish and Apple

Thank you to Andy and Roz at Hara for sharing this delicious recipe.

Serves 4-6 as a light lunch

Salmon

1 small bunch of thyme

500g raw beetroot, peeled and roughly chopped.

500g sea salt

250g caster sugar

juice and finely grated zest of 2 oranges

½ side of salmon, trimmed and pin boned.

Pick the thyme leaves and place in a food processor together with the beetroot and blend to a paste.

Transfer to a bowl and stir together with the salt, sugar, orange juice and zest.

Pour the mixture into a large box or tray, big enough to hold the salmon. Add the salmon, ensuring that all sides are covered with the beetroot mix. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.

After 24 hours, take the salmon out of the beetroot cure and rinse carefully with cold water to remove all the salt. Dry with paper towel and transfer to a wire rack on a tray. Refrigerate for a further 24 hours before using, to allow the salmon to dry and firm up further.

Horseradish Cream

100ml crème fraîche

100ml double cream

1 tbsp horseradish sauce

zest of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

Whip the crème fraîche and cream together, then fold in the horseradish sauce and lemon zest – add more horseradish if you prefer more zing! Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Apple Salad

1 eating apple, Granny Smith or similar

1 lemon, juiced

Carefully shave the apple into thin slices on a mandolin or using a sharp knife. Toss with the lemon juice to stop it browning, then add a drizzle of olive oil.

To serve, slice the salmon across into thin slices and lay on a plate. Add a spoonful of horseradish cream and some apple slices. Garnish with a leaf or two of watercress or rocket salad.

Any leftover salmon will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Ardglass Crab and Coolattin Tartlette

With special thanks to James and Pizza at No 14 The Georgian House.

Serves 15

Pastry 

250g plain flour

pinch of salt

125g cold Irish butter 

1 whole free range egg

Filling 

250ml cream 

2 whole eggs

150g Coolattin Cheddar 

150g fresh white crab meat

salt and freshly ground black pepper

10cm pastry moulds

First, make the pastry.

Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Cut the butter into cubes, toss in the flour and then rub in with your fingertips to form a breadcrumb like mix, add the egg to the mixture and mix until the pastry forms a dough. Wrap in parchment paper and leave in the fridge for 1 hour.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and roll out the pastry (tip here to place a chopping board in the freezer to keep the pastry cold when rolling.)

Cut into circles of pastry moulds, 10cm approx. 

Brush the pastry moulds with a little melted butter.

Add the cut circles of pastry onto your moulds and press down – we normally place another mould on top to help keep its shape. 

Preheat the oven to 165°C/Gas Mark 3. 

Precook the pastry moulds for 9 minutes in the preheated oven.

Remove from the oven leaving them to cool for a few minutes then remove the tarts from the moulds.

Next, make the filling.

Mix the cream and egg together, add the cheese and crab. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper and pour into your pastry moulds.

Cook for 12 minutes at 165°C or until firm in the centre and serve.

Walled Garden at Helen’s Bay Lemon Curd Drizzle Cake

With special thanks to Lorraine Small.

Serves 10-12

Cake

175g softened butter

175g caster sugar

3 large eggs

zest of 2 lemons

175g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp milk

 Syrup

100g icing sugar

juice of 2 lemons

Lemon icing 

125g icing sugar

2-3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat your oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3 (150°C fan).

Grease and line a 900g loaf tin with parchment paper.

Cream the softened butter and caster sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, Stir in the lemon zest. Sift the self-raising flour and baking powder together.

Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk, until the batter is smooth and well combined.

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin, smoothing the top with a spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Top tip – If the top starts to brown too quickly, cover it loosely with foil for the last 10-15 minutes of baking.

While the cake is baking, mix the icing sugar with the lemon juice in a small bowl until fully dissolved to create the ‘lemon drizzle’ syrup.

Once the cake is baked, remove it from the oven. Let the cake cool completely in the tin before transferring it to a wire rack.

Split the cake and slowly pour the lemon syrup over both sides allowing it to soak in. Sandwich together with good quality lemon curd.

Make the lemon icing, combine the icing sugar and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice, adding more lemon juice as needed to create a smooth, pourable glaze. Spread over the cake and leave to set.

Decorate with edible flowers from your garden.

Every now and then I go on a little skite to recharge the batteries, find some new ingredients, get some exciting new ideas and meet the makers.
Ostensibly, this recent trip to the UK was to visit several of our grandchildren in Bristol and Wales so they too joined us on the voyage of discovery.
In Cardiff we found a restaurant called Thomas by Tom Simmons. Among many good things we enjoyed, were mushroom croquettes with chive mayo and Parmesan and a memorable truffled mac and cheese, who knew that mac and cheese could taste so mind blowing.
In Bristol, Marmo on Baldwin St. yielded many memorable tastes of deliciously simple food made with exquisite ingredients. I particularly remember an oozing Burrata covered with freshly grated bottarga (dried mullet roe) and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
The bread and homemade cultured butter came from Field bakery in Bridgwater. So good that we later made a pilgrimage to the source where the heritage wheat for the bread is grown by inspirational farmer and citizen scientist, Fred Pryce.
Still at hyper seasonal Marmo with chef owner Cosmo Sterck and his wife Lily. We loved the plate of six plump anchovies in a pool of extra virgin olive oil sprinkled with marjoram.  Another highlight was fricco (a little rectangle of yeast dough, deep fried into a puffy pillow) with wafer thin slices of pancetta – they were just the starters. The dry aged pork chop with silky mashed potato, girolles, sweetcorn and tarragon were also memorable and oh, the chocolate mousse with a blanket of softly whipped jersey cream with a dusting of cocoa powder on top – I won’t forget the flavour and texture of that in a while.
Little French in the Westbury Park area is another gem with a really interesting natural wine list and a wonderful choice of edgy French classics. Don’t miss the queen scallops served simply in the shell with various sauces – really easy and delicious.
This is hopeless. I’m halfway through the article and have only told you about two restaurants of the 8 or 10 we enjoyed over five days.
On another morning we were up at the crack of dawn to try to beat the queues at Farro. Maybe Bristol’s best bakery in a town that has many brilliant artisan bakeries, many of whom mill their own flour from ancient and heritage landrace wheat varieties for their natural sourdough loaves. Quite unlike the faux sourdough on offer in so many supermarkets now which is not OK. Always read the label carefully – real sourdough has just four ingredients – flour, water, salt and natural levain.
If you get to Farro, there are a whole range of temptations but don’t miss the kouign-amann and a West Country Queen and then there’s the tender madeleines with a dab of icing on top and the spice bun!
We also love Hart’s Bakery under the arches by the railway station and you should also check out The Bristol loaf and Little Pantry.
There are many wine bars selling an exceptional choice of natural wines (no hangover!). Look out for Limeburn Hill wines made by Robin and his wife Georgina on their biodynamic vineyard close to Chew Magna. Georgina shared the recipe for the delicious Apple and almond tart that we enjoyed at her kitchen table.
If you’re in Bristol on a Sunday morning, wander through The Tobacco Factory Market and Wapping Wharf and swing by Five Acre Farm Shop, then make sure you have lunch at Sonny’s Store on Birch Road. We loved the Cockles Aqua Pazza, and I’ll be back for more of that salted focaccia ice cream with extra-virgin olive oil.

Roast Scallops with Butter and Thyme Leaves

Inspired by the scallops at Little French.

A sublime way to cook beautiful fresh scallops, the thyme leaves, lemon and butter enhance the sweetness of the shellfish deliciously.

Serves 4 as a starter, 2 as a main course

8 large scallops on the rounded half shell

2 tsp thyme leaves, finely chopped

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest from an organic lemon

25g butter

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

flaky sea salt and freshly ground pepper

To Serve

lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 250°C/Gas Mark 10.

If the scallops are in the shell, open and remove all the contents.  Remove the fringe, coral and muscle from the fish.  Discard the fringe and muscle.  Trip the coral neatly.  Place the scallop back in the deep shell along with the corals. 

Mix the chopped thyme leaves, freshly grated lemon zest, soft butter and extra virgin olive oil together in a bowl.  Spoon a teaspoon onto each scallop.  Season with a little salt and freshly ground pepper.  Bake in the very hot oven until the butter is sizzling and the scallops barely cooked, 4-5 minutes approx.

Serve immediately with a squeeze of lemon juice.

River Cottage Apple and Almond Cake

Try this delicious cake which I enjoyed recently at Limeburn Hill Vineyard, just outside Bristol. Georgina gave full credit to River Cottage.

Serves 8

150g butter
125g caster sugar
2 eggs
75g self-raising flour
75g ground almonds

For the apples

3 eating apples
25g butter
25g granulated sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon (optional)

20cm round springform cake tin.
Preheat the oven to 170ºC.

Line the base and sides of the tin.

Peel and core the apples, cut them into quarters and then slice each quarter into about 3 pieces.

Heat the butter and sugar in a frying pan, then gently fry the apples, stirring occasionally until they get an even colour. When they are nearly tender and starting to caramelise, add the cinnamon (if using) and take off the heat.

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, add the eggs, then the flour followed by the ground almonds. Scrape into the tin, smooth over, arrange the apples and then spoon over any juices from the frying pan on top.

Bake for 40-45 minutes (until a skewer comes out clean). Leave for 20 mins before unclipping the tin and leaving to cool. Best served warm with cream.

Sonny Stores Salted Focaccia Ice Cream with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Special thanks to Pegs for sharing.

A little vanilla extract and chopped rosemary is also delicious added to the ice cream base enhances the ice cream even further. A brilliant, inspired way to use up stale focaccia.

Serves 6-8

½ litre milk

1 ½ litres cream

¼ tsp vanilla extract or 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary (optional)

7-8 egg yolks, depending on size

200g caster sugar

150g – 200g stale focaccia

extra virgin olive oil

Maldon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Tear the focaccia into thumb sized pieces, pop onto a baking tray, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle generously with caster sugar. Toss well turning occasionally and bake for 20-25 minutes or until crispy and golden.

Cool a little.

Heat the milk and cream in a heavy bottom saucepan until it comes to the shivery stage, don’t boil.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, vanilla extract and sugar together until light and pale. Gradually add the hot liquid, whisking all the time. Return to the saucepan and cook over a medium heat until it thickens slightly, barely coating the back of a spoon (do not allow to boil or the mixture will curdle).

Pour out onto a low sided dish, a stainless-steel gastro pan if available.

Pour the ice cream mixture over the focaccia on the baking tray, cover and leave overnight.

Next day, scoop out the focaccia and blend (not too fine). Mix with the ice cream. Cover and freeze.

To Serve

Put one or two scoops of ice cream into a bowl or plate, drizzle with a little really good extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with a few flakes of sea salt and serve immediately.