ArchiveJune 2026

Every now and then I get a longing for pasta, it’s really my comfort food and it reminds me of Marcella Hazan, the doyenne of Italian food who first introduced me to two wonderful ‘pasta making’ nonnas at Café Diane in Bologna. They taught me how to make homemade pasta, plump tortellini and cappelletti and explained how in Italy, different sauces suit different shapes. To paraphrase, oil based sauces are best with thin strands of pasta, while heavier meat based sauces are good with wide ribbons. Tubes and twisty shapes hold chunky sauces inside and in the crevices. The nonnas showed me how to make beautiful silky pasta that cooks in 30 seconds and melts in your mouth.

Marcella explained how bought pasta was best for some recipes, but to be aware that the quality varies enormously. Her advice was to buy an Italian brand of pasta made with durum semolina. De Cecco is probably the most widely available in our shops – good value for the price…look out for Voiello too.

Rustichella d’Abruzzo, a fourth generation business is also worth seeking out, the surface is rougher, all the better to hold the sauce. It’s so fun to make your own homemade pasta, I gave a detailed recipe in last week’s column. Children also love to help but for the many who are ‘time poor’, what’s not to like about making a delicious sauce while some bought pasta cooks.

Summer produce is now jumping out of the ground in the gardens and greenhouse. We’ve got lots of Genovese basil to make homemade pesto. You can’t believe how easy it is. Store in small spotlessly clean glass, jars and don’t forget to cover it with a layer of EVOO to exclude the air. Basil pesto can keep for 8-10 months but is most delicious when freshly made.

In Summer, I love to add freshly picked and podded peas, broad beans, young courgettes or French beans to Fettuccini Alfredo, completely irresistible (having said that, best frozen peas work well also!).

Just tasted the first ripe home-grown tomato yesterday evening, a joy but the flavour will be even more delicious in a few weeks’ time. Tomatoes need sun to intensify the flavour. So many favourite pasta dishes are based on tomato. Good quality tinned are great but I really like to use and make the most of fresh tomatoes in summer. Use the ripest ones for maximum flavour, then you’ll need to do so little to make them taste just great.

Gluten-free pasta is now widely available and there are tons of different, exciting shapes to experiment with. There are several one pot pasta dishes in my One Pot Feeds All book. But my classic go to book for Italian food, not just pasta is Marcella Hazan, Classic Italian Cooking, there’s also Chez Panisse Pasta, Pizza and Calzone, Tim Siadatan’s, Padella, iconic pasta at home – (recipes from my favourite pasta restaurant in London, beside Borough Market).

There are just a few but here are three. There are masses more, because pasta is probably our favourite comfort food. So many truly delicious recipes are literally made in minutes. Better still one can do riffs on many basic recipes. Follow with a delicious salad of summer leaves and herbs. Enjoy!

One-Pot Pasta with Tomato and Chorizo

For those of you who are conditioned to cook pasta in a huge pot of boiling salted water, the idea of cooking pasta in the sauce in just one pot may be quite a stretch to consider attempting but do try it. The starch from the pasta thickens the sauce and the pasta absorbs the flavours deliciously, it’s a revelation and you’ll have such fun experimenting. For some reason I still feel slightly guilty, but less washing up helps to salve my conscience. You’ll need considerably more liquid than in normal pasta sauce because the pasta will absorb much of the liquid.

Serves 6

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, crushed

½ – 1 red chilli, chopped

900g very ripe tomatoes, peeled, in summer or 2 1/2 x 400g tins of tomatoes in winter

zest of 1 organic lemon

1-2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary, depending on the strength of flavour (chop just before you use)

225g chorizo, peeled and diced

850ml homemade chicken or vegetable stock

175ml double cream

300-350g fettuccine or spaghetti

2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

30g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

flaky sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and a generous pinch of sugar, to taste

Method

Heat the oil in a 6-litre stainless-steel saucepan. Add the onions and garlic, toss until coated, cover and sweat over a gentle heat until soft but not coloured. Add the chilli. It is vital for the success of this dish that the onions are completely soft before the tomatoes are added.

Slice the fresh or tinned tomatoes and add to the onions with all the juices and the lemon zest. Season with salt, pepper and sugar (tinned tomatoes need lots of sugar because of their high acidity). Add the rosemary. Cook, uncovered, for a further 10 minutes, or until the tomato softens. Cook fresh tomatoes for a shorter time to preserve the lively fresh flavour. 

Add the chorizo, stock and cream. Bring back to the boil, add the pasta, stir gently to separate the strands and prevent sticking. Return to the boil, cover and simmer for 4 minutes and leave to sit in the tightly covered saucepan for a further 4-5 minutes, or until just al dente. When you add the dried pasta, it will seem too much but hold your nerve, it will soften within a minute or two and cook deliciously in the sauce.

Season to taste, sprinkle with lots of chopped parsley and grated Parmesan. Serve.

Fettuccine Alfredo

*Recipe adapted from “The Classic Italian Cookbook” by Marcella Hazan

Marcella Hazan told me that there actually was an Alfredo, in whose Roman restaurant this lovely dish became famous.  Alfredo has a gold fork and spoon with which he gave a final toss to each serving of fettuccine before it was sent to the table.  Despite its southern origin, this dish has now become a fixture of those Italian restaurants abroad specialising in northern cuisine.  Although it is astonishingly simple, it’s not often that one finds it done well.  Marcella’s essential requirements were homemade – better still, handmade – pasta cooked very firm, and good-quality fresh double cream although she definitely wouldn’t approve, best quality fettuccini would also be good but not as exquisite as handmade pasta!

Serves 5-6

Ingredients

Pasta Dough

300g “00” flour

25g semolina flour

pinch of salt

1 large egg and 3-4 large egg yolks, preferably free range

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp cold water

225ml double cream

45g butter

65g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

salt and freshly ground pepper (4-6 twists of the mill)

a very tiny grating of nutmeg

Method

First make the pasta.

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

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

Cut into strips, 3mm wide.

Choose a heavy low-sided saucepan that can later hold all the cooked fettuccine comfortably.  Put in 150ml of the cream and all the butter and simmer over medium heat for less than a minute, until the butter and cream have thickened.  Turn off the heat.

Bring 8 pints of water to the boil.  Add 1 tablespoon of salt, then drop in the fettuccine and cover the pot until the water returns to the boil.  If the fettuccine is fresh, they will be done in a few seconds after the water returns to the boil.  If dry, it will take a little longer.  (Cook the fettuccine even firmer than usual because it will be cooked more in the pan.)  Drain immediately, save a little pasta cooking water and transfer to the pan containing the butter and cream.

Turn on the heat under the pan to low, and toss the fettuccine, coating them with sauce.  Add the rest of the cream, all the grated cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Toss briefly until the cream has thickened and the fettuccine is well coated.  It should be a loose texture, add a drop more cooking water if necessary.  Check seasoning.  Serve immediately from the pan, with an extra bowl of grated cheese.

Some riffs on the recipe

Fettuccine with Broad Beans

Follow the master recipe, adding 450g of lightly cooked and shelled broad beans or 225g freshly cooked peas with the hot drained fettuccine.

Fettuccine with Smoked Salmon and Parsley

Follow the master recipe, adding 50-110g smoked salmon, cut into cubes, and 2 tbsp approximately of chopped fresh parsley. Omit the Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.

Fettuccine with Roasted Pumpkin and Rocket Leaves

Follow the master recipe, adding 225g of roasted pumpkin, 16-24 rocket leaves (depending on size) and a few toasted pine kernels with the hot drained fettuccine.

Fettuccine with Red Pepper and Rocket

Follow the master recipe, adding some strips of roasted red pepper and a few rocket leaves with the hot drained fettuccine.

Fettuccine with Courgettes and Zucchini Blossoms

Follow the master recipe, adding 450g of sautéed courgettes with the hot drained fettuccine. Garnish with torn zucchini blossoms.

Fettuccine with Asparagus and Chervil

15-20 spears of asparagus, base trimmed if tough

1 tbsp chopped chervil

Skin each spear of asparagus and cut into 3 or 4 pieces.

Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and add to the sauced pasta with the chervil. Serve immediately.

Pasta with Basil Pesto 

Homemade Pesto takes minutes to make and tastes a million times better than most of what you buy.  The problem is getting enough basil.  If you have difficulty, use parsley, a mixture of parsley and mint or parsley and coriander – different but still delicious.

Italian pine kernels are the original nuts used in Ligurian pesto however cashew nuts or peeled almonds also work very well.  

Serve with pasta, goat cheese, tomato and mozzarella.

Serves 4-6

Serve 75-100g of dried pasta or 100-130g of fresh homemade pasta per person

Ingredients

400g dried pasta

Basil Pesto

110g fresh basil leaves

175-225ml extra virgin olive oil

25g fresh pine kernels (taste when you buy to make sure they are not rancid)

2 large cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

50g freshly grated Parmesan cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano is best) 

salt to taste

Method

Whizz the basil with the olive oil, pine kernels and garlic in a food processor or pound in a pestle and mortar.  Remove to a bowl and fold in the finely grated Parmesan cheese. Taste and season.  

*Pesto keeps for weeks, covered with a layer of olive oil in a jar in the fridge. It also freezes well but for best results don’t add the grated Parmesan until it has defrosted. Freeze in small jars for convenience.

To Serve

Cook the pasta and drain immediately once cooked.  Mix 3 tablespoons of Basil Pesto with the pasta and a little pasta water. Sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and serve immediately.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gillian Hegarty spoke about the Kids Food Revolution in Clonakilty.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Barquq bil Sumac w al Creama

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

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 plums (366g)

3 cardamom pods

1 tsp sumac

3 tbsp runny honey

zest of ½ orange

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tbsp water

300ml double cream

3 tsp honey

¼ tsp ground cardamom

For the candied pistachios

45g caster sugar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

3 tbsp water

salt

70g pistachios

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.

Method

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Serves 12-18 people

Ingredients

Homemade Pasta

OO flour 400g

durum flour (fine) 520g

salt 12g

egg yolk 650g

water 15g

Ricotta Filling

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

250g shredded fontina (or something similar)

220g Parmesan (or good Irish aged hard cheese)

120g egg yolks

12g fine sea salt

5g black pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

fresh chives, very fine sliced

pinch of fresh oregano

zest of 1 lemon

Salsa Verde

1 bunch of coriander

1 bunch of parsley

1 bunch of basil

250ml olive oil

3 limes zest and juice

20g capers

6 anchovies

50g golden raisins or something similar

salt and pepper to taste.

Method

To make the pasta.

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

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

To roll in a pasta machine.

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

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

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

To roll by hand.

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

To make the ricotta filling

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

To make the ravioli

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

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

To make the salsa verde.

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

To serve

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

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

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

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the mousse

40g butter

40g muscovado or dark brown sugar

80g smooth peanut butter

1 tbsp honey

250ml double (heavy) cream

a small handful of roasted salted peanuts, to serve

For the chocolate sauce (makes 150g)

50ml double cream

50 dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), chopped

1 heaped tsp peanut butter

1 heaped tsp honey

50ml water

Method

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gregans Castle Miso Cup, Beetroot, Apple and Smoked Eel

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

Serves 8 approx. as a canapé

Ingredients

Pickled Dice

300g cider vinegar

200g sugar

100g water

1 granny smith apple, peeled and finely diced

1 medium red beetroot, peeled and finely diced

Method

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

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

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

Ingredients

Beetroot/Apple Purée

2 granny smith apple, peeled, and finely grated

2 red beetroot, also peeled and finely grated

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

salt and apple cider vinegar to season

Method

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

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

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

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

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

Ingredients

Cup Mixture

Pickled Apple and Beetroot Dice

Caramel/Apple Purée

Lough Neagh smoked eel, diced

Method

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

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

Ingredients

Miso Cream

1 litre cream

60g white miso

Method

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

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

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

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

To Serve

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

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

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

Gouda Cheese Croquettes

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

Makes 25-30, depending on size

Ingredients

450ml milk

few slices of carrot and onion

1 small bay leaf

sprig of thyme

4 parsley stalks

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

2 egg yolks, preferably free range

225g grated mature Gouda, Aillwee Caves or Coolea Gouda

a pinch of cayenne

½ tsp Dijon mustard

1 tbsp freshly chopped chives (optional)

salt and freshly ground pepper

seasoned white flour, preferably unbleached

beaten egg

fine dried white breadcrumbs

Accompaniment

Ballymaloe Country Relish

Method

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

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

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

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

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

Pastéis de Nata (Portuguese Custard Tarts)

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

Makes 24

Ingredients

1 large egg

2 egg yolks

115g golden caster sugar

2 tbsp cornflour

400ml whole milk

2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

a sprinkling of ground cinnamon (optional)

900g puff pastry

Lightly grease 2 x 12 muffin tins.

Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8.

Method

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

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

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

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

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