AuthorDarina Allen

Don’t we all need comfort food to ease us gently in the New Year?

I’ve been longing for a bubbly cauliflower cheese or a creamy mac and cheese, flecked and golden on top with crispy bits around the edge of the dish. All that’s needed as an accompaniment is a robust green salad. Some shredded Savoy cabbage, watercress sprigs and whatever winter lettuce I can still forage in the garden.

Keep an eye out for hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) or wintercress too, there will be lots of it growing in little rosettes in your flower or vegetable beds.

Don’t dream of spraying it, eat it – it’s delicious added to salads or a starter as soon as the weather warms a little, it will flower and go to seed. It’s abundant and at its best at present and is packed with Vitamin A and C as well as iron and calcium folinate and it’s free. What’s not to like about that with the added bonus of ‘weeding’ your garden. Let 2025 be the year when you start to eat your ‘weeds’, a very high percentage of what we call weeds are edible and super nutritious. So, instead of trotting off to the health food shop or pharmacist, swot up on the wild food around us.

There are many excellent books on foraging but if your budget has run a bit low after Christmas, just do a GOOGLE search for a ton of information. Careful as once you get started, you’ll become obsessed with nature’s medicine cabinet, and you’ll be a nerd in no time.

Back to a gratin of cauliflower and mac and cheese – both of these dishes are dependent on being able to make a silky béchamel sauce, one of the ‘mother sauces’ in culinary jargon, but don’t let that put you off, it’s super easy to make and can be converted into countless, daughter sauces with fancy names by adding another flavour at the end. For example, lots of grated cheese and it becomes Mornay Sauce. Copious amounts of chopped curly parsley added at the end, make Parsley Sauce, the very best accompaniment to bacon or corned beef and cabbage. Sweat a pan of chopped, Irish grown onions until meltingly tender, add to a basic béchamel with a dollop of cream and hey presto, you have Sauce Soubise, one of the very best accompaniments to serve with a roast shoulder of lamb, as well as redcurrant sauce and fresh mint sauce made with the first of the new season’s mint – watch out, spearmint will make an appearance in a sheltered part of your garden before too long.

Béchamel is also an essential component for a fish pie, another of our all-time favourites. Try this riff, a back to front version with a few crunchy buttered crumbs on top, I think it may become a family favourite. But the fish MUST be fresh – easier said than done. First learn how to recognise fresh fish…your challenge for 2025.

Cod, Hake or Haddock with Buttered Crumbs

Cook and eat as soon as possible.

Fresh fish with a crunchy topping in a creamy sauce is always tempting. There is an added bonus with this recipe because one can do many variations, all of which are delicious.

Serves 6-8

1.1kg hake, cod, ling, haddock, grey sea mullet or pollock

salt and freshly ground pepper

15g butter

Mornay Sauce

600ml milk

a few slices of carrot and onion

3 or 4 peppercorns

a sprig of thyme and parsley

50g approx. roux (equal quantities of softened butter and flour, cooked together for 2 minutes)

150-175g grated cheddar cheese or 75g grated Parmesan cheese

¼ tsp mustard preferably Dijon

salt and freshly ground pepper

225g mushrooms

1 tbsp freshly chopped parsley (optional)

15g butter

salt and freshly ground pepper

Buttered Crumbs

25g butter

50g soft, white breadcrumbs

First make the Mornay sauce. Put the cold milk into a saucepan with a few slices of carrot and onion, 3 or 4 peppercorns and a sprig of thyme and parsley. Bring to the boil, simmer for 4-5 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes if you have enough time.

Strain out the vegetables, bring the milk back to the boil and thicken with roux to a coating consistency.  Take off the heat, allow to cool for 1 minute then add the mustard and two thirds of the grated cheese, keep the remainder of the cheese for sprinkling over the top. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, taste and correct the seasoning if necessary. Add the parsley if using.

Next make the buttered crumbs. Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the breadcrumbs. Remove from the heat immediately and allow to cool.

Slice the mushrooms, melt the butter and sauté them on a very hot pan, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, add the chopped parsley and keep aside.

Skin the fish and cut into portions: 175g for a main course, 75g for a starter. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Lightly butter the ovenproof dish, spread a little mornay sauce on the base, lay the fish on top and coat generously with more sauce. Mix the remaining grated cheese with the buttered crumbs and sprinkle over the top. 

Cook in a moderate oven, 180°C/Gas Mark 4, for 25-30 minutes or until the fish is cooked through and the top is golden brown and crispy. If necessary, flash under the grill for a minute or two before you serve, to brown the edges of the potato.

Darina’s Favourite Mac and Cheese

Mac and cheese is a bit like apple crumble, simple fare but everyone loves it, plus you can add lots of tasty bits to change it up. Macaroni cheese was and still is one of my children’s favourite supper dishes. I often add some cubes of cooked bacon, guanciale, chorizo or ham to the sauce.

Serves 6

225g macaroni or ditalini

50g butter

150g onion, finely chopped

50g plain flour

1 litre boiling whole milk

¼ tsp Dijon or English mustard

1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley (optional)

225g freshly grated mature Cheddar cheese or a mix of Cheddar, Gruyère and Parmesan

25g freshly grated Cheddar or Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling on top (optional)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bring 3.4 litres water to the boil in a large saucepan and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Sprinkle in the macaroni and stir to make sure it doesn’t stick together. Cook according to the packet instructions until al dente (a very slight bite). Drain well.

Meanwhile, melt the butter over a gentle heat, add the chopped onion, stir to coat, cover and sweat over a gentle heat for 6-8 minutes. Add the flour and cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk the milk in gradually, season well with salt and pepper, then return to the boil, stirring constantly. Add the mustard, parsley, if using, and cheese. Add the well-drained macaroni and return to the boil. Season to taste and serve immediately.

Alternatively, turn into a 1.2 litre pie dish and sprinkle the extra grated cheese over the top. Bake at 180°C/Gas Mark 4 for 15-20 minutes.

Good Things with Mac & Cheese

* Smoked Salmon or Smoked Mackerel

Add 225g smoked salmon or smoked mackerel dice to the mac and cheese before serving.

* Chorizo

Add 225g diced chorizo and lots of chopped flat-leaf parsley to the mac and cheese before baking.

Cauliflower Cheese Gratin

Ah, cauliflower cheese, who doesn’t love a big dish of bubbly cauliflower cheese with a layer of golden cheese melting on top? Make more than you need, save the cauliflower cooking water and transform any leftovers into the most delicious soup that will have all the family begging for more. Follow the recipe below but instead of browning in the oven or under the grill, liquidise the lot with any leftover cauliflower cooking water and 850ml light chicken stock to make a nice consistency. Season the soup to taste and serve with croutons, cubes of diced Cheddar cheese and freshly chopped parsley.

Serves 6-8

1 cauliflower with green leaves

pinch of salt

For the Cheese Sauce

600ml whole milk with a dash of cream

½ onion, cut in chunks

1 small carrot, cut in chunks

6 black peppercorns

a sprig of thyme and someparsley stalks

roux (equal quantities of softened butter and plain flour, cooked for 2 minutes)

salt and freshly ground pepper

150g grated cheese, such as Cheddar or better still, a mixture of Gruyére, Parmesan and Cheddar

½ tsp Dijon mustard

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Garnish

freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8.

Prepare and cook the cauliflower.

Remove the outer leaves and wash both the cauliflower and the leaves well.  Put no more than 2.5cm of water in a saucepan just large enough to take the cauliflower; add a little salt.  Chop the leaves into small pieces and cut the cauliflower in quarters or eighths; place the cauliflower on top of the green leaves in the saucepan, cover with a lid and simmer for 8-10 minutes until cooked. Test by piercing the stalk with a knife – they should be tender right through. 

Meanwhile make the cheese sauce.

Put the cold milk into a saucepan with the onion, carrot, peppercorns and herbs.  Bring to the boil, simmer for 3-4 minutes, remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.

Strain out the vegetables, return the milk to the boil and whisk in the roux until it reaches a light coating consistency. Add most of the grated cheese (save enough to sprinkle over the dish) and mustard. Season to taste. Spoon the sauce over the cauliflower and sprinkle with the remaining grated cheese. The dish may be prepared ahead to this point.

Put into the preheated oven or under the grill to brown. If the cauliflower cheese is allowed to cool completely, it will take 20-25 minutes to reheat in the oven at 180°C/Gas Mark 4.  Serve sprinkled with the coarsely chopped parsley.

For those of us in the food and hospitality industry, it’s a crucially important to keep an eye on the food and drink trends.

My late mother-in-law, Myrtle Allen used to say ‘be aware of trends but don’t follow them slavishly’ – good advice as ever…

So where to start? I’ve been trawling through a myriad of food lists to identify the latest excitement in food and beverage areas – of course TikTok continues to influence trends more than ever before…

Those who live in built up areas, even quite small towns can’t have failed to notice, the ever increasing number of food delivery bikes. They haven’t arrived in Shanagarry yet but are already a feature of some local villages.

Sometimes the information seems contradictory, as we become more aware of the effect of ultra-processed foods on our health, more of us are striving to do more home cooking. We’re also told that steadily increasing numbers are prepared to seek out and invest in organic and chemical-free food rather than shelling out for added supplements to build up the health of the family.

In an increasingly volatile world, food and drink production is being steadily impacted by both climate change and geo-political politics, hence the price of coffee, cacao (chocolate), olive oil…continues to skyrocket.

1. ‘Grab and go’ is increasing even in high end restaurants.

Many pragmatic restaurateurs believe this is the only way to go to survive…

2. Green menu design will be a thing.

3. Depending on who you read, the plant based food ‘meat’ sales are growing exponentially or ‘tanking’ as awareness grows of the ultra-processed nature of many of these foods and their impact on the environment. This is a hugely politicised area in the US, ‘fake’ meat has been used by the far right as an example of how the left threatens citizens’ rights to real meat. Some US politicians, according to Food Navigator, claim that plant based companies are part of a ‘soy globalist conspiracy’ and are determined to make meat illegal. Watch that space…

4. It’s all about protein these days, the protein powder market is on fire.

5. Millennials and Gen Z referred to as the super snacking generation, seem to have an insatiable appetite for snacks. This is an international trend, over one-third, prefer snacks to meals so the snack market will continue to grow with an increasing emphasis on fancy snacks and affordable luxuries. Snack makers are paying close attention to this trend and are cashing in by designing more upmarket, individually packaged indulgent treats to brighten up your day without breaking the bank. Crunch is the texture of the moment.

6. Have you heard of SWICY food, where sweet meets spicy, all the rage and gathering market share.

7. As our basic mass produced food becomes less flavourful, condiments are an essential staple in everyone’s pantry. We can’t seem to get enough of spicy foods. We’re becoming hot sauce connoisseurs, chilli in everything, chilli honey, lattes, coffee, sriracha popcorn…

8. A growing interest and curiosity around plant based aquatic foods as seaweeds have been relabelled.

Duckweed ‘is the new green superfood’ and is becoming the ‘go to’ for health conscious foodies, a brilliantly high source of protein – 33.5%.

Irish moss is also having its moment. Carrageen moss is super cool…(see Examiner column 14^th January 2023).

9. Fermented foods continue to gather momentum and are now mainstream. Expect prebiotic and probiotic foods to become kitchen staples.

Turmeric has not lost its spot.

10. Mushrooms are definitely having their moment, lion’s mane and grilled king oyster mushrooms are becoming menu stars, everyone’s loving their ‘meaty’ flavour. Vegetarians and vegans truly value mushrooms as a protein

11. Jackfruit with its pork like flavour and texture is finding its way into sandwiches and tacos as well as vegetable and vegan stews.

12. Chickpeas are in everything from salads and tagines to creamy sauces. These spiced crunchy chickpeas are one of my must have larder ingredients to slather over salads and roast vegetables.

13. Companies are increasingly being called out on the internet for false claims about ingredients.

AI is fast penetrating restaurants; we will see hyper personalised dining experiences soon – how about asking Chat GBT for dinner ideas? Oh, my goodness, what is the world coming to!

Take out restaurant apps now learn from our previous orders and suggest new dishes we’re likely to enjoy.

Interestingly, zero waste is really becoming a significant buzz word, this isn’t just a trend, it’s a movement and all big food companies are incorporating it into their mission statement.

As it becomes evident that consumers prefer restaurants that focus on sustainability, the movement is set to reshape the entire food industry.

Food manufacturers are being forced to go back to the drawing board, there’s a growing emphasis on real and recognisable ingredients as consumers become more knowledgeable and alarmed about the additives in ultra-processed foods.

Simple labels will be more of a selling point.

At last, there’s a realisation that fresh local food from small production systems is often best, both in flavour and nutrient density. Traditional artisan methods continue to make a comeback. Conversation about climate curious agriculture is gathering momentum.

14. Dumplings are hot, delicious dough pockets filled with savoury fillings, highly versatile. Every type of dumpling from Chinese to Asian to Polish– comfort foods at their best.

We’ll continue our love affair with noodles becoming ever more adventurous.

15. Sourdough isn’t slowing down anytime soon, sourdough, flatbreads, pizzas, crackers, brownies….

16. Offal is no longer awful, it’s back with a vengeance. Americans who wouldn’t allow a scrap of liver, tongue or sweetbreads to cross their lips up to recently are now searching for variety. We see them often with Asian flavours on restaurant menus, some over here and in the UK. Restaurateurs are loving the lower food cost…

17. Tinned fish and fish caviar continue to gain popularity, best sardines, mackerel, tuna….and so convenient. 

18. Are we tired of charcuterie and butter boards, try the Nordic version to ring the changes.

19. Buckwheat will pop up everywhere in 2025, apart from its flavour, nutrient density and versatility, it’s gluten-free and gaining popularity as a cover crop that’s beneficial to soil health.

20. Apparently there’s a gradual shift in society’s attitude to ‘imperfects’ in fruit and veg…’Perfectly imperfect’ is becoming an eco-conscious option as folks realise the phenomenal amount of waste that ensues from the supermarkets’ insistence on standard size and ‘perfection’.

21. Micro restaurants are opening up in LA, a new law allows people to operate mini restaurants out of their homes and the trend of at home cafes, supper clubs, coffee shops and cocktail bars is all over TikTok.

Watch that space…

22. The beverage market, cocktails become more and more exciting, Gen Z are looking for non-alco drinks.

Moderation not abstention seems to be the trend, and bars are providing more creative options than ever before.

The growth in demand for natural wines, biodynamic and organic continues apace as people discover the real cause of their hangovers are the ninety plus chemical additives that can legally be in wine…

Super exciting beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) of all kinds, beers, wines, spirits, this industry is in a hyper creative period and the public are loving it.

Electrolyte drinks and powders to add to your water bottle – a new option.

Matcha and real tea leaves, meticulously sourced is definitely a growing trend among those in the know.

Have fun and Happy New Year.

Debbie Shaw’s Gluten-free Buckwheat and Flaxseed Bread

I love this nutty and nutritious whole grain loaf. It is ideal for sandwiches and great for toasting. It’s a light yeasted dough that doesn’t require any xanthan gum or psyllium husk, a bonus if you have run out! I make it frequently.

Makes 1 loaf

1 tsp of black treacle or honey

120ml tepid milk

15-18g fresh yeast or 10g Doves Farm gluten-free quick yeast

1 large egg

2 egg whites (50g)

50g freshly ground brown flax seeds

100g buckwheat flour, sieved

30g brown rice flour, sieved

½ tsp of salt

110g tapioca starch, sieved, measure into a separate bowl

olive oil for greasing

Add the treacle or honey to the tepid milk, stirring to dissolve it, then sprinkle the fresh or dried yeast on top. Allow to stand somewhere warm for 10 minutes to froth up.

Whisk together the large egg and the egg whites in a large bowl. Stir the milk and yeast mixture into the whisked eggs, then mix in the ground flaxseeds. Set aside to allow the flax seeds to absorb the liquid for 10-15 minutes. The resting time is important, as it helps the mixture to thicken.

Stir in the sieved buckwheat and brown rice flour and the salt and allow to absorb for a further 5 minutes. Add the sieved tapioca starch to the rested dough.

Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8.

Oil a 13cm x 20cm (450g) loaf tin very well.

Transfer the dough to the well-oiled loaf tin, cover with a clean tea towel, put it in a warm spot and allow it to rise until it reaches 1cm before the top of the tin, approximately 50-60 minutes, until it reaches 1cm below the top of the tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 200°C/Gas Mark 6 and bake for a further 30-35 minutes, until the bread sounds hollow when you tap the bottom, and the loaf feels light. Remove the loaf from the tin and put it back on the rack of the oven to form a crust for a further 5 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting. This bread keeps well.

Chicken or Duck Hearts with Teriyaki Sauce

Make your own teriyaki sauce or use your favourite brand.

Makes about 12 skewers

450g chicken or duck hearts

230ml teriyaki sauce, divided in half (see recipe)

2.5-5cm fresh ginger, peeled

2 tsp sesame seeds (optional garnish)

scallions or chives, thinly sliced

1 red chilli, sliced at an angle (optional)

watercress or crunchy leaves

Start by preparing the chicken hearts. Trim any veins/arteries and remove any blood clots. Slice each heart lengthwise, cutting three-quarters of the way through to open it up so it lays flat. If you find any blood clots upon slicing, just rinse under cold water.

Put the prepared hearts into a bowl with 115ml teriyaki and allow to marinade for 30-60 minutes.

Light a grill or pan-grill to medium high heat.

Remove the hearts from the marinade. Thread about four hearts onto the skewer. Repeat until all skewers are full.

Put the remaining teriyaki sauce into a small bowl. Use a Microplane or fine grater to grate in the fresh ginger.

Lay each skewer onto the grill, brush with the teriyaki/ginger mix. After 2-3 minutes, flip the skewers and baste them again. Cook for a further 2-3 minutes, baste and flip over again.

To Serve

Sprinkle with a few sesame seeds, sliced scallions or chives, red chilli and a few sesame seeds and serve immediately on some watercress sprigs or crunchy leaves.

Teriyaki Sauce

Teriyaki sauce will keep well for at least a month in the fridge.

200ml mirin

100ml sake

100g caster sugar

200ml soy sauce

1-2 tbsp potato starch (or substitute cornflour)

First put the mirin and sake into a saucepan and bring to the boil.  Simmer for a couple of minutes.  Next add the sugar and allow to dissolve.  When the sugar has dissolved add the soy sauce, keeping back approximately 20ml of the soy to mix with the potato starch (or cornflour).  Mix the required quantity of potato starch, approximately 1-2 tablespoons with the soy and add to the simmering teriyaki sauce.  The starch is used to thicken the sauce and give it a syrup texture.  If you think it’s not thick enough, add some more potato starch.  Take a little of the sauce out of the pan and allow to cool, add the starch and put it back into the saucepan.

Spicy Roast Chickpea Crunch

These chickpeas are seriously addictive – I’ve used freshly ground cumin and coriander here but garam masala, smoked paprika, chilli powder, chopped rosemary or thyme leaves are also delicious.   The chickpeas will get crispier as they cool.  Enjoy as a nibble or sprinkle over salads or roast vegetables. 

Also delicious drizzled with chilli honey (see recipe).

Serves 4-6 as a nibble or add to salads.

Makes 100g roasted weight

400g can chickpeas

1-2 tsp each of cumin and coriander seeds, toasted and ground

Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7.

Drain the chickpeas, rinse under cold water and drain again. Lay on kitchen paper, shake and pat gently until dry. Spread the chickpeas out in a single layer on a small baking tray, drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle generously with sea salt and the cumin and coriander seeds (if using). Shake to coat. Roast for 25-30 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool, taste, add more salt and spices if necessary. Store in an airtight jar.

Chilli Honey

This delicious, sweet, perky chilli honey is a delicious condiment to drizzle over pizza, bread, toast….

Makes 1 x 360g jar

360g runny honey

2-3 tbsp chilli flakes, depending on how hot you like it

pinch of salt

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Pour the honey into a small saucepan, add the chilli flakes and a generous pinch of salt.  Warm gently on a medium heat, just as soon as it begins to simmer, turn off the heat and stir in the cider vinegar.  Pour into 1 or more sterilized jars.

Store in a cool dark place, no need to refrigerate.

How about a family movie night – a super chilled evening where you all sit down together, feet up around the telly to binge on that box set you’ve been meaning to watch for ages.

Even if you’ve had supper, it’s still good to have some snackable snacks ready to nibble at intervals.

Depending on the theme of the film you could choose to have fun and stay on theme – one way or another, think about some easy to pass around, easy to nibble savoury treats with a few sweeties to round off the evening.

We must have popcorn, right? It’s super easy to make a huge pot of popcorn. If there are kids around, they’ll love to help and then you can keep some plain or do lots of riffs on the original.

How about caramel popcorn, toffee popcorn, sriracha spicy popcorn…(see Edible Christmas Column, 17^th December 2022)

We also love cheese straws; they are a bit more filling than potato crisps but disappear just as fast. We’re loving these cacio e pepe crisps, but one or two dips are also a brilliant standby, a good guacamole with crunchy nachos is hard to beat, that’s if you can get a decent avocado – no easy task nowadays. There are still lots of beetroot around so a beetroot hummus could be good as is a basic silky hummus perked up with cumin.

Sticky, delicious chicken wings are always a winner, provide lots of napkins. If you want to go Asian, cook off a batch of pakoras – spicy vegetable fritters sold by street vendors all across the Indian subcontinent.

Samosas are also irresistible – little peaky pastries stuffed with a savoury filling, mostly though not always vegetarian.

Here is the version Madhur Jaffrey showed me years ago with spiced potatoes, sweet onions and peas but could be fish or chilli mince. They also come in different shapes depending on the region – triangles, cones or crescents…

Cookies or little morsels of brownies hit the sweet spot, particularly if it’s a tearjerker, why not make one of your favourite traybakes? So easy to cut into squares to pass around and so morish.

Here’s a few snacks to play with….

Madhur Jaffrey’s Samosas

Madhur made the pastry from scratch but one could use filo. Make sure the filling goes right into the corners.

Makes 16-24

1 packet of filo pastry

For the Filling

725g potatoes, boiled in their jackets and allowed to cool

4 tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium sized onion, peeled and finely chopped

175g shelled peas, fresh or frozen (if frozen, defrost them first)

1 tbsp finely grated peeled fresh ginger

1 fresh hot green chilli, finely chopped

3 tbsp very finely chopped fresh green coriander

3 tbsp water

1 ½ tsp salt – or to taste

1 tsp ground coriander seeds

1 tsp garam masala, see recipe

1 tsp ground roasted cumin seeds

⅓ tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp lemon juice

vegetable oil for deep-frying

Make the stuffing.

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 5mm dice. Heat 4 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan over a medium flame. When hot, put in the onions. Stir and fry them until they begin to turn brown at the edges. Add the peas, ginger, green chilli, fresh coriander, and 3 tablespoons of water. Cover, lower heat and simmer until the peas are cooked. Stir every now and then and add a little more water if the frying pan seems to dry out.

Add the diced potatoes, salt, coriander, garam masala, roasted cumin, cayenne and lemon juice. Stir to mix. Cook on a low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring gently as you do so. Check the balance of salt and lemon juice. You may want more of both. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool.

Cut a sheet of filo into 10cm strips lengthways.  Put the strips on top of each other.  Brush the top one with melted butter.  Put a heaped dessert spoon of chosen filling at the front edge.  Wrap the pastry around and then fold over and over into a triangle, seal the edge with melted butter.  Repeat with the others until all the filling is used up. 

Heat about 4-5cm of oil for deep-frying over a medium-low flame. You may use a small, deep frying pan for this. When the oil is medium hot, put in as many samosas as the pan will hold in a single layer. Fry slowly, turning the samosas frequently until they are golden brown and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Cacio e Pepe Crisps

Try this combo for your next movie night.

Cacio e Pepe is one of my absolute favourite pastas, but the flavour combination works on lots of other things – polenta, cauliflower florets…My latest obsession is to have it on crisps.

125g olive oil potato crisps (e.g. Torres)

40g Pecorino, finely grated or Parmesan

1 tbsp coarsely cracked black pepper

Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas Mark 7.

Spread the potato crisps out in a single layer on a baking tray. Sprinkle half the cheese evenly over the crisps.

Bake until the cheese is melted, and the crisps are just beginning to brown at the edges – 4 minutes approximately.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and freshly cracked pepper. Allow to cool a little before tossing into a serving bowl.

Enjoy.

Indian Spiced Vegetable Pakoras with Mango Relish

These can be cooked ahead and reheated or served warm with mango relish or a relish of your fancy.

Serves 4-6

A selection of vegetables:

1 thin aubergine cut into 5mm slices or into chunks at an angle

1 tsp salt

2 medium courgettes, cut into 2.5cm slices, if they are very large cut into quarters

12 cauliflower florets (walnut size approx.)

6 large field mushrooms, cut in half

spinach leaves

Batter

175g chickpea or all-purpose flour

1 tbsp chopped fresh coriander

1 scant tsp salt

2 tsp curry powder

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

175-225ml iced water

vegetable oil for deep frying

Garnish

lemon wedges and coriander or parsley.

Put the aubergine wedges or slices into a colander, sprinkle with the salt, and let drain while preparing the other vegetables.

Blanch and refresh the cauliflower florets separately in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain, refresh under cold water, and dry well.

Rinse the aubergine slices and pat dry.

Put the flour, coriander, salt and curry powder into a large bowl. Gradually whisk in the oil, lemon juice and water until the batter is the consistency of thick cream.

Heat good quality oil to 180°C in a deep fry.

Lightly whisk the batter and dip the vegetables in batches of 5 or 6.  Slip them individually into the hot oil. 

Fry the pakoras for 2-3 minutes on each side, turning them with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a moderate oven (uncovered) while you cook the remainder. Allow the oil to come back to 180°C between batches.

When all the vegetable fritters are ready, garnish with lemon wedges and fresh or deep-fried coriander or parsley. If you fancy, you could serve alone or with mango relish.

Persian Squares (Lemon, Pistachio and Rose Petal Squares)

Cut these into little squares for lots of irresistible nibbles.

Makes 24 squares

175g soft butter

150g caster sugar

2 eggs, preferably free range

1 tsp vanilla extract

zest of 1-2 lemons

175g self-raising flour

Icing

300g icing sugar

freshly squeezed juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp boiling water

Topping

40g Persian pistachios, chopped

1 tbsp rose petals

30 x 20cm Swiss roll tin, well-greased or lined with parchment paper

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Put the butter, caster sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, finely grated lemon zest and self-raising flour into a food processor. Whizz for a few seconds to amalgamate. Spread evenly in the well buttered tin. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes approx. or until golden brown and well risen.

Meanwhile make the icing.

Sieve the icing sugar into a bowl.  Add enough lemon juice plus 1 tablespoon of boiling water if necessary to mix to a malleable icing.  Spread the icing evenly over the cake mixture with a palette knife. 

Sprinkle chopped pistachios and rose petals over the surface. 

When set, cut into squares and enjoy!

Note

In Winter when the butter is harder to cream, we add 2-3 tablespoons of milk to lighten the mixture and texture.

Well, that’s Christmas over for another year, hope you all enjoyed a happy and delicious family feast and a chilled and carefree few days.

If you’ve done a lot of cooking coming up to Christmas, it’s possible that you won’t want to go anywhere near your cooker for at least a week, but I love the excitement of poking around in the fridge and pantry and dreaming up delicious ways to use up bits and bobs.

There are bound to be some delicious leftovers lurking around in there and I love the improvisation and creative challenge of incorporating dollops of this and that into something entirely different. Think Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Indian, Moroccan…as well as traditional flavours.

So, let’s mull over what you might have leftover apart from morsels of turkey and ham maybe, plum pudding, trifle, stale bread, Brussels sprouts, cranberries. The latter are definitely not a problem, they can be popped into the freezer, they’ll keep for months but better still, throw a fistful into a batch of scones, a muffin mix or a white soda bread. Leftover cranberry sauce will keep for weeks, maybe even months, add oomph to a salad, an apple tart or roast chicken as well as the end of a jar of minced meat.

A good turkey carcass makes the best stock of all but first strip away the last little morsels of both meat and stuffing from the carcass, there’s a million ways to use those precious leftover bits after the family have hoovered up what they fancied for the epic turkey and stuffing sandwiches that we all love. 

Turkey stock is super easy to make, it just takes time but not your time. Chop or break up the carcass as best you can. Toss into a deep saucepan with the giblets if you have them (not the liver, use that for a buttery pâté). Add a couple of quartered onions, 3 or 4 stalks of celery, a couple of chopped leeks and carrots. Add a few sprigs of thyme, lots of parsley stalks – no bay leaves. If you have some ginger peelings, add them too. Toss in ten or twelve black peppercorns, no salt. Add the ham bone if available, cover with cold water. Bring slowly to the boil. Cover the saucepan and simmer for three to four hours or longer. I put the saucepan into the cool oven of my ancient Aga. Strain, cool and refrigerate or freeze.

It’s crucial to make a batch or two of mayonnaise as a condiment. Divide it into aioli, watercress mayo and coriander and chilli mayonnaise. There’s also a myriad of ways to use up the remains of the ham, add it to pasta dishes, mac and cheese, a frittata, cauliflower cheese or a leek and potato gratin or toss a little dice into a Brussels sprout soup. I love all those ‘homesey’ one-pot dishes, so comforting to tuck into on chilly January days.

Slices of plum pudding can be fried quickly in a little foaming butter and served piping hot with whiskey cream, a blob of brandy butter or the end of Mrs. Hanrahan’s Sauce. By the way, there’s no rush to use up plum pudding, it will keep perfectly well wrapped for several weeks or can even be frozen until the urge for a little fruity boozy sweetness comes again.

Little ends of cheese can be grated and added to gratins, scones and biscuits. Whizz scraps of blue cheese with butter, maybe add a little chopped parsley and melt over steaks or burgers.

Leftover bread, croissants or panettone make a delicious bread and butter pudding or just throw it into the freezer to make breadcrumbs for stuffing on another day or French toast and on it goes…

Can’t bear to waste a scrap, perhaps it was my 50’s and 60’s upbringing that left me with a deep understanding that food waste was unthinkable, it doesn’t make sense at any time particularly with my recent trip to East Africa so fresh in my mind.

And most people don’t even have a few hens to eat up the scraps and convert them into eggs a few days later.

Why not ask some pals around for a celebration Leftovers Feast (a marathon fridge clear out).

New Year’s resolution – invest in three or four hens!

Vietnamese Turkey Noodle Soup

A delicious way to enjoy both your turkey broth and morsels from the carcass.

It is vitally important to use really good-flavoured stock for this noodle soup – super quick to make once you’ve assembled the ingredients and it’s an entire meal in a bowl.

Serves 4

1.2 litres well-flavoured turkey stock

1 tbsp Vietnamese fish sauce

60g galangal, finely chopped

2 star anise

2 cinnamon sticks

1 teaspoon sugar

225g shredded, cooked turkey meat

225g rice noodles

Accompaniments

4 spring onions, diagonally sliced

225g fresh bean sprouts (if available) – use finely shredded Chinese cabbage otherwise

2-4 small red chillies, finely chopped

2 limes, quartered

crispy fried shallots

coarsely crushed roasted peanuts

handful of fresh coriander leaves

salt and freshly ground pepper

Pour the stock into a large saucepan and add the fish sauce, galangal, star anise, cinnamon, sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, add the shredded turkey and simmer for a further 4-5 minutes. Taste, add more fish sauce and lime juice if necessary.

Cook the rice noodles according to the packet instructions and divide them between 4 large wide bowls. Divide the soup and turkey shreds between the bowls.

Put all the remaining ingredients into small bowls so that everyone can help themselves to the soup accompaniments.

Brussels Sprout and Kimchi Salad with Asian Dressing

We’ve got lots of Brussels sprout salads, some of my favourites are just tossed in a French dressing with some nuts (pecans, hazelnuts or pumpkin seeds), a sprinkling of raisins and maybe a few slices of ripe avocado and a couple of red chicory leaves.

Serves 6

300- 400g fresh Brussels sprouts or sprout tops, topped, thinly shredded

4 scallions, both white and green parts, thinly sliced at an angle

100 – 150g kimchi 

Dressing

2 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp white miso paste

1 tbsp tahini

1 tsp grated fresh ginger

2 tbsp of water

To Serve

1 heaped tbsp of sesame seeds

2 tbsp of shredded coriander

First make the dressing. Whisk the rice vinegar, sesame oil, honey, miso, tahini, grated ginger and water in a bowl until smooth.

Put the shredded Brussels sprouts or sprout tops into a bowl with the scallions and kimchi. Mix well, drizzle the dressing over the top, toss well, taste and tweak the seasoning if necessary.

Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and shredded coriander.

Serve immediately.

Mincemeat and Bramley Apple Meringue Tart

Serves 10-12

A wonderful Christmassy Tart and also a particularly good way to use up leftover mincemeat.

Pastry

175g white flour

75g butter

pinch of salt

1 beaten egg to bind

Filling

450g mincemeat

125g Bramley apples

Meringue

3 egg whites

175g caster sugar

egg wash

icing sugar to dust

edible sparkly glitter (optional)

1 x 23cm tart tin (2.5cm deep)

First make the pastry. 

Sift the flour and the salt 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 the flan tin. Line with kitchen or greaseproof paper and fill to the top with dried beans. Rest for 15 minutes in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4.

Bake the tart base blind for about 25 minutes in a moderate oven or until pale and golden, remove the beans and paper.  Brush the pre-baked tart shell with a little beaten egg and pop back into the oven for 3-4 minutes or until almost cooked. Cool.

Be careful not to overcook because if this pastry gets too brown, it will be bitter, hard and unappetizing.

Reduce the temperature to 150°C/Gas mark 1/2.

Peel and core the cooking apples. Cut into 1/2cm dice.

Whisk the egg whites with the caster sugar until it reaches stiff peaks. Mix the diced apple with the mincemeat and spread over the cooked pastry base. Slather the meringue on top or using a plain round nozzle (no 9), pipe the meringue in your favourite pattern.

Return to the oven and cook for 50 minutes, until the meringue is crisp.

Cool on a wire rack then dust heavily with icing sugar and if you fancy, add some edible sparkly glitter for end of season festive cheer…

Serve with a bowl of softly whipped cream.

Food for thought before Christmas…

I’ve recently returned from a week visiting smallholder farmers in East Africa.

It may well have been the most interesting, inspiring and educational trip of my entire life. It certainly rearranges one’s priorities.

The program was organised by the Ripple Effect NGO, formerly Send A Cow. We spent nine days between Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda visiting farming families.

I had never even heard of Ripple Effect until a couple of months ago when Guy Watson from Riverford Farm in Devon who has been working with this NGO for over 20 years asked me to join a small group to see first-hand the impact of their training schemes and projects in changing lives of individuals and communities in rural Africa. People in these areas have multiple challenges, they are fighting hunger and poor or no harvests due to the soil quality and the climate crisis. They fluctuate between drought and floods. In some countries, particularly Kenya and Uganda, it is the culture for men to make all the decisions while women do the lion’s share of the manual work and child rearing. In Kenya and Uganda, polygamy is legal and, in both countries, the government encourages people to have large families. The population overall is deeply religious. However, things are slowly changing and one of the farms that we visited, the farmer introduced himself and his family saying, ‘and I’ve just got one wife’. Rwanda however bans polygamy both in the constitution and in the Civil Code and actively encourages smaller families with two or three children as opposed to six or seven in Kenya and Uganda, particularly in rural areas.

The average size farm is ¼ hectare – 1 acre.

We visited a variety of farms that had been working with Ripple Effect in some cases for only six months, others for up to three years. Every square inch of the land was cultivated. Virtually all had one or two treasured cows, all were making compost – organic compost which not only improves yield but helps restore tired land.  When the cow has a calf, they gift it to a neighbour, hence the name Ripple Effect. They were convinced of the value of working with nature to implement tangible change through Ripple Effect training schemes. There were a variety of growing systems to max yields on small holdings with dramatic results. Over and over again, we saw how families whose major preoccupation had been just to manage to feed the family, are now producing some surplus to sell and are at last able to send children to school.

Fruit trees provide food, shade and income, rainwater harvesting techniques help farmers to weather climate induced droughts. Ripple Effect enables people to have access to microfinance through savings and loan associations.

Every project begins with workshops for families that help to empower women to take part in family decision making and reduce their unpaid workload. This policy has had transformative outcomes. When men and women work together, they can achieve so much more.

The big agri-chemical companies are targeting these African countries and in some cases, governments are supporting farmers to buy chemicals to boost their yields – a short term fix which will ultimately damage rather than increase soil fertility with predictable results.

Rwanda, the fastest growing economy in Africa was perhaps the most remarkable of all, the countries we visited are an example of what can be achieved with strong visionary leadership.

This country, torn apart by what now appears to have been a carefully orchestrated genocide is now in the midst of a reconciliation programme that is enabling its citizens to heal and forgive, utterly extraordinary.

On several of the farms we visited in this area, we met numerous genocide orphans and a genocide widow with three children starting a new life with help from Ripple Effect. Her husband and other four children were taken and then murdered during a raid on their village.

Despite all this, everywhere we went, people of all ages were super cheerful. They sang and danced and chanted in their tribal gear to welcome us, insisted on sharing their food and in several cases sent us home with hand crafted presents.

I could write a book about what I learned and observed in those eight or nine days in East Africa but how about the food…. 

Well, needless to say, the food overall was tasty and nutritious, not quite what one might term a gastronomic experience although I did have Nsenene, a Luganda word for long horned grasshoppers – a wet season speciality which I would definitely describe as a Ugandan delicacy. They were sold by street vendors, sometimes at gas stations or outside supermarkets.

I also loved the BBQ chicken on a stick sold along the roadside on the road to Kigali. These vendors are particularly famous for this specialty. 

My friends needed a bit of persuasion to taste the smoked tilapia that I spotted and bought from a young vendor along the Kampala Masaka roadside in Nkozi-Mugge district. One bite and they were hooked, as ever many of the best foods were street foods, cooked or smoked on the spot.

Meals in our hotel were for the most part substantial and tasty. In Uganda, the staple is Ugali, a thick white maize porridge and of course rice and beans usually eaten in conjunction with a goat or beef stew and greens. The greens, sometimes kale or spinach but often a type of highly nutritious annual nightshade (Solanum scabrum) which I grew to love.  There was often roast or more correctly charred chicken, a cabbage slaw and chunks of arrowroot.

In Rwanda we ate the staple matoke (plantain) cooked in banana leaves and cassava. Chapati was the all-purpose flat bread and sometimes a peanut sauce.

The meat was always tasty but because hanging is not possible in that climate, it was ‘pretty chewy’ by our standards but no criticism from me, it was all part of the experience.

I also loved the smoky honey from the tiny wild African bees collected from handmade hives, made from folds of tree bark, hidden high up in the trees – quite the challenge to harvest!

Dessert was mostly fresh fruit, pineapple, watermelon, mangoes, passion fruit, tamarillos and lots and lots of bananas, I particularly loved the small, slightly tart bananas, wish we could get them over here.

Milky African tea is the drink beloved by all but not necessarily a favourite among non-Africans, sometimes it has a few added spices, and can be reminiscent of chai which I love.

In the midst of all the festivities if you feel like looking up Ripple Effect, here is their website www.rippleeffect.org

You can’t imagine how little can change people’s lives and to change even one person’s life is a huge contribution to mankind.

A merry and blessed Christmas to all.

Ugali

Ugali is a beloved staple in many African countries including Kenya and Uganda. It’s like a thick, solid porridge, hearty, satisfying and deeply nutritious and an accompaniment to virtually every meal, often served with a meat or vegetable stew.

Some recipes contain no salt, and others add some milk to the water and a blob of butter to the ugali – experiment and enjoy.

Serves 6-8 

225g coarse white maize

950ml (4 cups) water

1-2 tsp salt (optional)

Put the water into a deep heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to the boil, add salt (optional), then sprinkle the polenta flour in very slowly letting it slip gradually through your fingers, whisking or stirring all the time, (this should take 3-4 minutes).  Bring to the boil and continue to cook for about 5 minutes stirring constantly* (I use a whisk at the beginning but as soon as the ugali comes to the boil I change to a flat bottomed wooden spoon.) The ugali is cooked when it is very thick and comes away from the sides of the pot as you stir and furrs the bottom of the saucepan. It should be thick and smooth.

Flatten into a flat cake (about 7.5 – 9cm in height), then cut into wedges or alternatively, fill into individual moulds.

Goat Curry

Ballymaloe Cookery School alumni, Nompumelo Mqwebu from South Africa kindly shared these recipes with me.

Recipe from ‘Through the Eyes of an African Chef’.

Serves 4

goat curry marinade

1kg goat meat

500ml water with juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp onion, very finely chopped

1 tbsp crushed garlic

1 ½ tsp salt

for the curry

15g curry powder (mix of turmeric, coriander, cumin, fenugreek and masala)

water

salt and pepper to taste

20ml coconut oil

1 large onion, diced

10g fresh ginger

8 pimentos, seeded

3 spring onions

3 sprigs fresh thyme

1 large potato, peeled and cubed

1 scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded

garnish

slivers of fresh coconut

To make the goat curry.

Overnight: first rinse the meat in lemon water. Season the goat with finely chopped onion, garlic and salt, then place in a container. Cover and set aside overnight.

The next day.

Toss the meat into a large saucepan over medium heat and let it brown in its own fat for about 10-15 minutes; then pour in enough water to cover the meat and let it cook until tender (add more water, if necessary). Season with salt and pepper. Goat can take 2 ½ – 3 hours to cook until tender.

In a separate large saucepan, warm the spices (curry powder) on a low heat. Remove the spices, pour the coconut oil in the saucepan, then add the onion and ginger. Stir, then add the curry powder. Add pimento, spring onion, thyme, potato and the scotch bonnet chilli, stirring for 3 minutes. Add the cooked goat to the onion mixture and simmer on a low heat for another 30-60 minutes until the sauce thickens and the goat has absorbed the curry flavours. Adjust the seasoning according to preferred taste.

For the garnish.

Place a few fresh coconut slivers on a baking tray and pop into the oven for 5-10 minutes at 180°C/Gas Mark 4. Keep a close eye on them to prevent them from burning.

To Serve

Sprinkle the roasted coconut slivers on top of the goat curry and serve with boiled rice.

Venison Mushroom Burger

Recipe from ‘Through the Eyes of an African Chef’.

Serves 4-5

for the venison patties

600g venison, minced

salt and pepper to taste

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

3g parsley, finely chopped

2 shallots, finely diced

3g chives, finely chopped

1 egg

for the burger

8-10 large black mushrooms

sliced tomatoes (2 slices per serving)

sliced mature Cheddar cheese (1-2 slices per person)

1 small red onion, sliced

1 washed lettuce

In a bowl, season the minced venison, then combine with the garlic, parsley, shallots and chives. Add the egg, ensuring it is mixed thoroughly.

Separate the mixture into portions and mould into patties using your hands. Indent the centre with your thumb or a teaspoon and place in the fridge to firm up.

Place the burgers on a hot grill and seal each side, turning them over to cook to desired preference. Grill the mushrooms for 1 minute on each side next to the burgers.

To Serve

Place a slice of tomato on a mushroom, then top with a cooked venison patty, 1-2 slices of cheese and a few onion rings; close off with a second slice of tomato, some lettuce and a cooked mushroom.

Mango Ice

Recipe from ‘Through the Eyes of an African Chef’.

If the mangoes are not super sweet, add caster sugar and freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste.

Serves 4-6

3-4 sweet, ripe mangoes, peeled and cubed

ice cubes

Garnish

fresh mint leaves

Blend the mango and a handful of ice cubes in a food processor until smooth. Scoop into a container and freeze for 4-5 hours or until solid.  Serve in bowls garnished with mint leaves with softly whipped cream if you like.

Last week, my column was packed with suggestions for edible presents. This week. I’m going to suggest some recently published cookbooks – some for beginners, others for culinary creatives, cake makers, nature lovers and still others to delight the food historians, and one outstanding bread book for the baking nerds in your life.
Richard Hart’s Bread: Intuitive Sourdough Baking Book arrived on my desk just yesterday. This much anticipated book written by legendary and I don’t use that term lightly, bread baker Richard Hart considered by many to be one of the world’s great bakers. He founded Tartine in San Francisco with Chad Robertson, then went on to work with René Redzepi at Noma before establishing the still hugely successful Hart Bageri in Copenhagen and more recently he has launched Green Rhino bakery in Mexico City. There’s nothing in the world that Richard cares more about than bread except perhaps, his beautiful wife Henrietta, aka The Rare Tea Lady whose book INFUSED, about tea is also worth seeking out. It’s a deep dive into the story of exquisite teas, made by small farmers who are totally passionate about
Next up – Anna Haugh, one of our own
According to Gordon Ramsay “Anna Haugh is definitely one of the most talented chefs ever to come out of Ireland’.
Anna hails from Tallaght in Dublin. Many of you will know her from her TV series, NO PLACE LIKE HOME. Anna lives for cooking, she’s super driven and as long as she can remember has been determined to learn more to hone her craft. She worked in the kitchens of many of the greats, Derry Clarke of L’Ecrivain, then onto Gaultiero Marchesi in Paris, back to London to work with Philip Howard, Shane Osborne, Gordon Ramsay…
Anna was inspired by my mother-in-law’s Myrtle Allen’s philosophy at Ballymaloe House so she named her restaurant in London, Myrtle as a tribute.
You’ll love her first cookbook Cooking with Anna, modern home cooking with an Irish heart.
Next, a little book given to me by a friend as a present saying “I think you might just  love this”, Recipes for my London Kitchen by Cathy Gaynor (self-published). No bells and whistles but so many delicious recipes that you’ll be tempted to cook, including this little jam.

I have indeed become very fond of it. We all need to have a few quick and easy standbys in our repertoire. Not all the recipes are as quick as these, but they are all ‘keepers’.  The book is sold in aid of charities in Suffolk benefiting disadvantaged youth and elderly.
Afterwards I saw that Cathy’s book has drawn praise from both Rick Stein and Albert Roux – how about that?
For historians in your life, it would be difficult to beat the following two – An Irish Food Story, a hundred foods that made us, by the remarkable JP McMahon. A brilliantly researched and beautifully written book with notable end pages by Nataliia Dragunova. The chapters are short, hope JP will forgive me for saying that it’s a perfect book to pick up in the loo…
Book of the Year for my money is Irish Food History – a companion by Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire and Ballymaloe Cookery School alumni, Dorothy Cashman with contributions from multiple scholars. A meticulously researched tome that has garnered praise and awards from many quarters including Bookselling Ireland Food and Drink Book of the Year at the recent An Post Book Awards.
Finally for the times that are in it, Staying Alive in Toxic Times written by inspirational speaker,  Dr. Jenny Goodman, a medical doctor and member of the British society for  psychological medicine whom I came across at the Groundswell Festival in the UK last summer.
I can’t finish without mentioning Nature Boy, written by ecologist and ornithologist Seán Ronayne, an extraordinary young man from Cobh who has made such a huge contribution to mankind and nature by recording the bird song of all our species in Ireland and beyond. Gift it, to the nature lover in your life, it’s an enchanting book, beautifully written and recipient of the An Post Biography of the Year Award.
There are two others to seek out, Wild Honey Inn by Aidan McGrath, recipes from the much loved Inn of the same name just outside Lisdoonvarna in County Clare. And The Irish Bakery by Cherie Denham and Kitty Corrigan – two other gems for special friends….

All Recipes are taken from A London Kitchen by Cathy Gayner

Creamed Eggs

This is my standby recipe when I am in a hurry or when a guest turns up unexpectedly; you will probably have all the ingredients already but if you don’t have any cream, just substitute milk.

Serves 6

45g Cheddar, grated

45g Parmesan, grated

125ml milk

125ml cream

3 eggs

6 rashers, smoked streaky bacon, cooked until crisp

pepper

Divide the bacon between 6 ramekin dishes. Stir the cheese into the mixture of milk and cream, whisk in the eggs and season with plenty of black pepper.

Pour into the ramekin dishes and cook at 200°C/Gas Mark 6 (180°C fan) for 10-15 minutes or until the tops are puffed up and golden.

Smashed Potatoes

Potatoes cooked in this way can be done hours ahead and even frozen – just reheat them for 10 minutes at 200°C/Gas Mark 6 (180°C fan).

Serves 4

500g small potatoes, boiled until just tender

25g Parmesan, grated

1 heaped tsp smoked paprika

1 heaped tsp oregano or thyme

1 plump garlic clove, crushed

100g butter

salt and pepper

Melt the butter and cook the garlic for no more than a minute. Season well and stir in all the other ingredients. Coat the potatoes in this mixture and arrange them on baking parchment in a roasting tin. Gently squash each one with a potato masher and cook at 200°C/Gas Mark 6 (180°C fan) for 25 minutes.

Pistachio Pesto

In the early 1970’s my father decided to simplify the kitchen garden and only grow his three favourite things: potatoes, asparagus and basil. Saturday lunch was invariably pesto which at that time in Suffolk was considered eccentric rather than innovative. It has made me very superior about shop bought pesto, but it has also made me inquisitive about other combinations of this delicious invention and I often use leftover herbs, nuts and whatever cheese I happen to have to make an instant supper.

This is one of my favourite combinations.

Serves 3

100g basil leaves

75g pistachios

1 garlic clove

70g Pecorino

120ml olive oil

salt and pepper

In an ideal world, this should be done in a pestle and mortar, but I am no purist, so I whizz everything up in a food processor and it takes no more than a moment to produce something irresistible.

Christmas Fudge

I am rather ashamed to admit that I buy our Christmas mincemeat and worse, I always seem to buy too much. However, because I am incapable of throwing food away, the surplus gave rise to this extraordinary but excellent recipe for fudge. It’s really a complete cheat, it takes a moment to make, and it absolves my guilt at having taken a shortcut in the first place.

500g best white chocolate

400g jar of mincemeat

Over barely boiling water, melt the white chocolate you can find, while still on the heat, stir in the mincemeat. Pour into a lined loaf tin and refrigerate for a couple of hours before slicing. Wrapped prettily, it makes a good present.

I know everyone’s supposed to be super enthusiastic about Christmas, not sure if it reflects my age but I’m finding the relentless excess hype pretty unbearable. So much pressure to buy everyone a gift and then the desperation to find something, anything to fit the bill.

Occasionally, one does find the perfect present, but it takes time and lots of thought, something many of us don’t have much of these days.

If truth be known, many presents are useless and may well be allocated to the regifting drawer, yet one really does want it to be a true token of friendship and love. So, this year, how about we have fun, and it can be fun making some edible presents that folks will really be thrilled to get. Something that will save them time, something they might not get around to making themselves, something they will really enjoy and that will remind them of you when they eat or drink it.

So, this week, a few suggestions for the many edible treats one could choose. When I say treats, they don’t necessarily need to be sweet. Last Christmas, some busy young friends were absolutely thrilled to get a little selection of frozen homemade soups, a loaf of brown yeast bread and a stick of cultured Jersey butter.

Wouldn’t you too be delighted to get a pot of delicious fish and shellfish chowder or a fish pie with a mashed potato topping or a chunky chicken and ham pie with a puff pastry crust?

It could be a few sweet sauces to drizzle over an ice cream or pancakes for an instant pudding.

Kumquats will be in season, so how about some kumquat marmalade, the most delicious of all things to slather on your breakfast toast (see Examiner 14^th November 2020).

As some foods become progressively less tasty, condiments of all kinds, spicy, fiery or just plain tasty become ‘must have’s’ in your pantry so a little hamper of Christmas relishes and sweet and savoury jams become even more essential.

Every bite will remind your friend of the meaningful present that you really put your heart into. Could be just a little cellophane pack of their favourite ‘cookies’ and now I’m back to my favourite theme…

Gather the family around for ‘Bake Up Sunday’, if they don’t seem enthusiastic about cooking, maybe they can wrap, make pretty labels, tie bows, maybe make packs of mulled wine spices. I’m on the lookout for all kinds of recycled jars, pots and baskets during the year in charity shops. I pick up all manner of glass, pottery, and clay containers and save them for Christmas. They can be made super cool even with newspaper or parchment lids and fancy twine, ribbon or tinsel and a sprig of rosemary or holly.

Here are some suggestions, the Chocolate Florentines come from Jane Lovett’s ‘The Get-Ahead Christmas Cook’, a new book to look out for published by Headline Publishing Group and there are lots and lots of ideas in my ‘A Simply Delicious Christmas’ published by Gill Books which some of you may already have.

Christmas Granola

Deliciously toasted grains, dried fruit and crunchy nuts, perfect for breakfasts over the holiday season. Enjoy with natural yoghurt and lots of grated Irish apple…

Serves 20 people approximately

125g butter or coconut oil

175ml honey

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

500g oatmeal

110g sunflower seeds

150g slivered almonds

110g pumpkin seeds

50g barley flakes

50g rye flakes

50g coconut flakes

50g dried apricots or a mixture of dates and apricots, chopped

50g dried cranberries or dried cherries 

50g juicy sultanas 

Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3.

Melt the butter or oil in a saucepan over a low heat, stir in the honey and vanilla extract.  Mix all the remaining ingredients, except the dried fruit and coconut flakes, in a large mixing bowl, add the liquid and stir well until everything is evenly coated.   Spread over 3 large baking trays and toast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the grains are crisp and very lightly browned. Stir occasionally to prevent the mixture from sticking to the trays. Add the coconut flakes and continue to cook for a further 5-8 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and when cool transfer to a large bowl.  Add the dried fruit and mix.   

Fill into Kilner jars and zhuzh up with ribbons and labels and a sprig of holly or rosemary – keeps for up to 1 month.  

Chilli Salt

A perfect pressie for a foodie friend who likes to add a little extra oomph to everything – carry it in your handbag to perk up bland dishes…

110g flaky sea salt

2 tbsp crushed dried chilli pepper (Jalapeno or Habanero)

1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper

Mix the salt and chilli together and whizz for a couple of seconds in a food processor or a molcajete with a pestle and mortar. 

Fill into little airtight glass containers. 

Salted Caramel Sauce

Once again, salted caramel sauce is irresistible drizzled over crêpes, ice cream or bananas and keeps for weeks in a jar in the fridge.

Makes 600ml (3x 200g jars)

450g caster sugar

125g unsalted whole butter (diced)

250ml double cream

10g Achill or Dingle sea salt (literally flower of the salt, the very mineral and not too salty top layer) or Maldon Sea salt.

Put the caster sugar into a large pan over a medium heat and stir continuously until it turns into a rich caramel. You need to do this by eye but aim for a dark mahogany colour. If it is too light, the butter and cream will dilute any caramel flavour, and it will lack that slightly burnt sugar taste that makes this sauce so good.

When you are happy with the caramel, very carefully whisk in the cream to stop the cooking. Be really careful not to do it too quickly as the caramel has a tendency to spit. When you have whisked in the cream, add the butter bit by bit until it’s all incorporated and you have a smooth rich caramel.

Allow to cool to 37°C and then stir in the sea salt and mix so you get an even distribution. It is very important to allow the caramel to cool before doing this so that the salt crystals do not dissolve, and you then get that lovely crunch.

Homemade Cheese Crackers

Make lots of these, store in an airtight box or freeze. Some can be gifted alongside a beautiful ripe cheese, or maybe part of an artisan cheese and charcuterie board over Christmas.

Makes 20-25 biscuits

225g plain white flour or a mixture of brown wholemeal and white flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

25g butter

1 tbsp cream

water as needed, 5 tbsp approx.

Put the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl.   Rub in the butter and moisten with the cream and enough water to make a firm dough.

Roll out very thinly to one sixteenth of an inch approx.  Prick with a fork.  Cut into 9cm squares with a pastry wheel.  Bake at 150˚C/Gas Mark 2 for 30 minutes approx. or until lightly browned and quite crisp.  Cool on a wire rack.  Store in a tight-fitting tin box or fill into jars as a gift. 

Chocolate Florentines

(From Jane Lovett’s The Get-Ahead Christmas Cook published by Headline Publishing Group)

No introduction needed really, other than to say these are far easier than you may think and make lovely (and impressive!) presents – who doesn’t love a florentine?

Makes about 26 (depending on size)

Ingredients

50g butter

60g demerara sugar

60g flaked almonds

30g unsalted, shelled pistachios, roughly chopped 50g dried (pitted) dates or figs, roughly chopped 50g dried cherries or cranberries (or a mixture of the two), roughly chopped

50g mixed candied peel

1 piece of stem ginger in syrup, drained and chopped (optional)

15g plain flour

1 tbsp double cream

150-200g dark chocolate (minimum 70 per cent cocoa solids), broken into pieces

icing sugar, for dusting (optional)

Get Ahead

•Store florentines in an airtight container at room temp or in fridge for up to 1 month or more. Or freeze for up to 3 months.

Hints and Tips

•Substitute any other nuts or dried fruit you may prefer or have to hand, except for the flaked almonds.

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/Gas Mark 4.

Line two baking sheets with baking parchment or silicone paper.

Melt the butter and demerara sugar together in a pan on a gentle heat. Set aside.

Mix all the nuts, fruit, candied peel and stem ginger (if using) together in a mixing bowl, then add the flour and stir to coat.  Stir in the cream into the butter mixture, then pour this over the dry ingredient and mix well to combine.

Dot heaped teaspoons of the mixture onto the lined baking sheets, leaving a little space for spreading during cooking. Flatten each one with the back of a teaspoon, trying to avoid holes as best you can, then bake for 8-12 minutes or until golden brown. Leave on the baking sheets for 3-5 minutes or until firmed up, then transfer to a wire rack using a palette knife and leave to cool. Repeat to make the remainder, if necessary.

Melt the chocolate in a small, heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, or in a microwave on high in 30-second bursts. Put a sheet of baking parchment or silicone paper under the wire rack to catch any drips of chocolate. When cold, turn the florentines over with their flat underside now uppermost.

With a teaspoon, a small palette knife or brush, spread a layer of melted chocolate over each florentine and leave until the chocolate is cold and set hard, around an hour or so, or chill. If you like, just before the chocolate fully sets, mark a swirly, wavy pattern with a fork. (Scrape up the excess dripped chocolate and use for something else).

Arrange the florentines overlapping on a plate, alternating the chocolate and fruit and nut sides uppermost, or store in an airtight container until required. A light dusting of icing sugar just before serving looks pretty too.

Today, to coincide with National Mousse Day (who dreamed that up?), we’ll have a celebration of a few of my 1970s favourites – time-honoured classics that have stood the test of time and are still high on the list of special requests on the Ballymaloe House menu and famous Sweet Trolley.
How about a Leek Mousse? Leeks are at their best just now, I’ve been digging the smaller ones from the vegetable garden, I can’t bear to waste a scrap, I use the young leaves for soups or melt them in butter to add to a bowl of fluffy mashed potato. Avoid the big specimens, they may look tempting but believe me, they’ll be tough so go along to the Farmers’ Market and choose small new season leeks instead. They’ll be tender and sweeter.
These little leek mousse make a gorgeous starter but best of all they can be cooked earlier (dare I say, even the day before) and gently reheated in a bain-marie.
I’m also sharing the secret of this Bretonne sauce, a deliciously buttery sauce that transforms many simple foods into a feast – it’s a gem to have in your repertoire and not least because it is literally made in minutes.
Add a few morsels of lobster, plump mussels or shrimp and hey presto, the dish takes on a swanky cheffy appearance…a few wisps of chervil and wait for the Ooh’s and Aah’s when you serve it to your guests.
This leek mousse is rich as you can see from the ingredient list, so serve small portions for starters but increase the size for a lunchtime main course. Serve a salad of fresh crunchy leaves and a few fresh herbs tossed with a little dressing of extra virgin olive oil, a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice, lots of freshly cracked pepper and a few flakes of sea salt.
A really good chocolate mousse is yet another recipe that stands the test of time. We’ve got a few versions, but I think this is my favourite, irresistible with just some Jersey pouring cream and guess what I’ve discovered that it keeps for over a fortnight in your fridge, maybe longer. How brilliant is that?
Use really good chocolate, we like 54% cocoa solids and rich cream.
I also do lots of riffs on it, a little crunchy hazelnut praline sprinkled over the top is sublime, a few flakes of gold leaf give a super luxurious look while a spoonful of candied kumquat compote is a delicious foil to the richness of the mousse and last but certainly not least, I love a spoonful of plump Pedro Ximénez soaked raisins, spoon over a dollop of softly whip cream on top.
Make a batch before the festive season and you are sorted for any eventuality and who doesn’t love chocolate mousse?
This orange mousse is deliciously tender and light as a feather. It looks super impressive. We decorate it with diamond shaped slivers of chocolate and ruffs of orange flavoured cream for extra deliciousness. Unless the oranges are organic, give them a good wash and use a Microplane or very fine grater to grate the zest.  All of these recipes can be whipped up the day before for ease of entertaining.
Happy National Mousse Day.

Rory O’Connell’s Leek Mousse with Mussels and Sauce Bretonne

Thank you to Rory for sharing this recipe with me.

In Rory’s words ‘This mousse is rich and delicious and should be served in small portions. The mussels can be replaced with shrimp or lobster. I have also served the mousse as a vegetable accompaniment with roast chicken and guinea fowl and firm textured fish like sole, monkfish, turbot and brill. The mousse can be prepared early in the day and cooked later.

Bretonne sauce is an excellent sauce to serve with the fish mentioned above.’

Serves 6-8

Mousse

20g butter

450g leeks, sliced and washed

3 eggs

300ml cream

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Sauce

2 egg yolks

1 tsp Dijon mustard, preferably green mustard flavoured with tarragon

½ tsp white wine vinegar

110g butter

1 tbsp chopped herbs; chives, parsley, thyme, chervil, tarragon

36-48 fresh mussels

You will need 6-8 ceramic or metal moulds, approx. 100ml each

Preheat the oven to 170˚°C/Gas Mark 3.

Brush the moulds with melted butter and line the bottoms with a disc of non-stick baking paper.

Melt the butter in a small low-sided saucepan and allow to foam. Add the leeks, toss in the butter and season with salt and pepper. Cover with parchment paper and a tight-fitting lid. Cook on a very gentle heat until the leeks are just tender. Drain the leeks and press off all excess liquid. Reserve the excess liquid for later. Allow to cool for a few minutes and place in a blender and add the eggs and cream. Purée until smooth and taste to correct seasoning. Place the mousse mixture in the prepared moulds, filling the moulds to the top.

When ready to cook, place the mousses in a bain-marie. Half fill the bain-marie with boiling water and cover tightly with a sheet of parchment paper. Place in the preheated oven and cook for about 20 minutes or until the mousses are just set.

Remove from the oven and keep warm.

Place the mussels in a clean frying pan. Cover with a lid and place on a low heat. They will gradually start to pop open and release their own cooking juices. Remove the shells from the pan as soon as they open. Reserve the cooking liquid. When all the mussels are cooked, remove the beard and carefully remove from the shells and add to the mussel cooking liquid

Place the egg yolks in a Pyrex bowl with the mustard and vinegar. Melt the butter and bring to a boil. Slowly drizzle the boiling butter onto the eggs, whisking all the time. The sauce will gradually begin to thicken. Continue until all of the melted butter has been added. Add the chopped herbs. At this point I add a little of the reserved leek cooking juices to the sauce.

Add the cooked mussels and some of their cooking juice to the sauce. The sauce should be quite thin.

To serve, unmould the mousses on warm plates. Drizzle a little sauce and some mussels around and over each mousse. Garnish with a relevant herb, like fennel, dill or chervil.

Serve immediately.

JR Ryall’s Orange Mousse with Chocolate Wafers

JR Ryall, head pastry chef at Ballymaloe House and author of Ballymaloe Desserts kindly shared this delicious recipe.

In JR’s words ‘This mousse has retro appeal, and I love its theatrical appearance, particularly the contrast of the vivid orange segments and the dramatic pointy chocolate diamond wafers. The combination of orange and chocolate is nothing new. However, the combination of light and airy mousse with fresh orange, fragile chocolate wafers and orange scented cream is really rather good. This dessert brings a splash of colour to the dessert trolley during winter and spring when citrus fruit is at its best.’

Serves 8

For the orange mousse

finely grated zest and juice of 2 large oranges, plus extra if needed 

4 large eggs, 2 separated 

70g caster sugar

juice of 1 lemon

4 gelatine leaves 

225ml softly whipped cream

For the chocolate wafers

120g dark chocolate (62% cocoa solids)

for the orange-flavoured cream and assembly

3 large oranges

225ml whipped cream

pinch of caster sugar

Have a 1.2 litre serving bowl to hand.

To make the orange mousse.

Place the 2 egg yolks with the orange zest into the bowl of an electric mixer (keep the whites for later). Add the remaining 2 whole eggs and the caster sugar and whisk on high speed until the mixture quadruples in volume and becomes light and pale in colour, about 8 minutes. 

Meanwhile, measure the volume of the combined orange and lemon juices: you need 300ml. If necessary, bring up the volume with the juice of another orange.  Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes. Warm one quarter of the juice in a small saucepan, add the soaked gelatine leaves and stir to dissolve. Blend the gelatine mixture back into the remaining juice and transfer to a mixing bowl. Set the bowl in an ice bath and stir to chill. As the mixture cools it will begin to thicken slightly – this is the gelatine beginning to set; at this point remove the bowl from the ice bath. Fold one quarter of the egg mousse into the gelatine mixture to lighten it, followed by the remaining three quarters, mixing thoroughly and ensuring no liquid juice layer remains in the bottom of the bowl.

Now fold in the softly whipped cream. Finally, whisk the reserved 2 egg whites to stiff peaks stiffly, making sure they do not turn grainy, and then gently fold into the mousse. Pour the mousse into the serving bowl and place in the fridge to set, about 4 hours.  

To make the chocolate wafers.

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of hot water, then remove from the heat. Spread the melted chocolate on baking paper in the shape of a large square. Leave in a cool place until set, then cut into diamond shaped wafers. 

To make the orange-flavoured cream.

Grate the zest from half of one of the oranges, then mix with the whipped cream in a bowl and add a pinch of caster sugar to taste.

To assemble.

Peel and segment the three oranges. Arrange the orange segments in a circular pattern on top of the set mousse. Pipe a border of the orange-flavoured cream around the segments and position the chocolate wafers decoratively and dramatically around the edge of the bowl.

Bitter Chocolate Pots with Raisins in Pedro Ximénez and Crème Fraîche

Serves 6

Chocolate Mousse

110g good quality dark chocolate (we use 54% Callebaut)

110ml cream

1-2 tbsp Jamaica rum

2 eggs, separated

100g plump raisins or sultanas

60ml of Pedro Ximénez sweet sherry

crème fraîche

First, make the chocolate pots.

Chop the chocolate finely.  Bring the cream up to the boil, turn off the heat, add the chocolate to the cream and stir it around until the chocolate melts in the cream.  Add in the alcohol, if using, and whisk in the egg yolks.  Whisk the egg whites until just stiff, then stir in a quarter of the egg white, fold in the rest, gently, being careful not to knock all the air out.  Divide between 6 pots or espresso cups.
Cover and chill and allow to set for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Meanwhile, warm the Pedro Ximénez.  Pour over the raisins and allow to plump up and macerate.

To Serve
Put the little pot or espresso cup on a small plate or saucer.  Spoon a generous teaspoon of boozy raisins on one side.
Place a blob of crème fraîche on the other side, add a teaspoon and serve.

Note
These little pots are very rich so extra crème fraîche may be welcome. This mousse will taste different depending on the chocolate, for a richer mousse use 62% chocolate or 34% milk chocolate for a sweeter mousse.

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.