The Chinese celebrate their New Year on February 8th  2016, the second new moon after solstice. The festivities to welcome in The Year of the Monkey take place all over the world with the biggest celebrations outside Asia taking place in London where there are parades, traditional lion and unicorn dances, music, fireworks and lots of fun. The feasting and excitement will continue onto the Lantern Festival – the 15th Day of the New Year.
Each Chinese New Year is characterised by one of the 12 animals which appear in the Chinese Zodiac. The next year of the Monkey won’t be until 2028. Chinese families gather together to celebrate the most important festivals of the year similar to Christmas for Westerners.
Back in 1984, one of the very first guest chefs I invited to the Ballymaloe Cookery School  was Deh ta Hsiung, a Chinese chef living in the UK.  Both he and his food were a smash hit.
Up to then I knew virtually nothing about Chinese food nor did I have any proper equipment so a few weeks before the course, we met in London and he and I went shopping in China town for woks, cleavers, spiders, ‘wood ears’ and all kinds of ‘strange’ and unfamiliar ingredients and implements. We had such fun and I had a crash course in all things Chinese including chicken feet for lunch which I loved much to Deh ta’s amazement. In fact, the owner of the restaurant gave us a free lunch ‘cos he said I was the first Westerner ever to order chicken feet in his restaurant.
Here in Ireland we have a flourishing Chinese community and a long tradition and affection for Chinese restaurants and an ever increasing trade with China.  So let’s all celebrate together and try to cook some Chinese at home. Here are a few of my favourite recipes that are easy to rustle up at home.
Those of you who were born in the Year of the Monkey, check out the Chinese Zodiac, your lucky numbers are 1, 7, 8. Lucky colours – white, gold and blue, lucky flowers chrysanthemums and alliums (the onion family) and your lucky direction is North, Northwest and West. Enjoy and Happy New Year of the Monkey
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Hot Tips
Deh ta Hsiung wrote 19 cookbooks including Chinese Cookery for Marks and Spencers in 1983. His books are a brilliant introduction to Chinese food, his recipes really work and are authentic and delicious. Fuchsia Dunlop’s Every Grain of Rice: Simple Chinese Home Cooking, published by Bloomsbury Publishing, is also worth seeking out.
Dublin City Council has an action packed programme around Dublin to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Visit the colourful website for more info… http://www.dublinchinesenewyear.com
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Garden Workshop:Â Learn how to build an exciting Willow Structure with Norbert Platz
Norbert Platz is a willow wizard from West Cork. Visitors to our garden have admired several of his willow structures, scarecrows, dragons as well as willow tunnels, plant covers and baskets. A few years ago we planted a willow garden here on the farm so we can now harvest our own willows and have fun making willow structures. This year we plan to create a long wiggly worm in the wild flower meadow. On Monday 15th February at the Ballymaloe Cookery School, you will learn how to harvest and prepare willows and the basic techniques needed to create a variety of willow structures in your own garden. Coffe on arrival and light lunch included. www.cookingisfun.ie
Fishy Fishy Pop Up Lunch
Gary O’ Hanlon of ‘The Restaurant’ TV show fame putting celebrities through their paces, will cook a Pop Up lunch at Fishy Fishy in Kinsale on Wednesday 8th March 2016. Tickets are still available for his Pop-Up lunch; it will be lots of fun. http://www.fishyfishy.ie/
Spring into Good Living
at the Ballymaloe Grainstore tomorrow from 10am-5pm. Talks and demonstrations, music therapy, managing dyslexia, health and lifestyle information, food stalls. Rachel and I will share some nutritional advice. The entry fee of €10 includes all talks and demonstrations
4 tablespoons (5 American tablespoons) hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons (2 1/2 American tablespoons) honey
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
thumb-sized knob of ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, grated
bunch spring onions, chopped
50g (2oz) cashew nuts, toasted
To Serve
plain boiled rice (to serve)
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6.
Slash the skin 2-3 times on each thigh and arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer on a large roasting tin.
Mix together the hoisin sauce, sesame oil, honey, five-spice powder, ginger, garlic and some salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken and toss to coat – allow to marinate for 2 hours, or overnight if you have time.
Roast in the preheated oven, skin-side up for 35 minutes, basting as least once during cooking. Sprinkle with toasted cashew nuts and spring onions. Serve with rice.
Recipe taken from BBC Good Food Magazine
Bok Choi
Bok Cho, Pak Cho and Tat Soi are all fairly delicate in flavour and full of moisture so they take and benefit from and take on extra flavours readily.
Bok Choi
extra virgin oil
fresh herbs or seasoning of your choice – crushed garlic, chopped chilli, marjoram, thyme leaves, rosemary, tarragon or Asian flavours such as soy sauce, ginger, spring onions, sesame oil, sesame seeds
salt and freshly ground pepper
Divide the leaves, wash, drain, then chop both the stalk and leaf in 2 – 2.5cm (3/4 – 1 inch) pieces.
Heat a little extra virgin olive oil or sunflower oil in a wok or wide saucepan over a high heat, add the grated ginger and chilli. Toss in the bok choi. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, toss and cover for a few minutes, toss again, when almost tender add the chopped herbs or other flavourings.
Toss, taste and serve.
Fuchsia Dunlop’s Smacked Cucumber in Garlicky Sauce
Suan ni huang gua
1 cucumber (about 300g/10oz)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon finely-chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon white sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
1/2 teaspoons Chinkiang vinegar
2 tablespoons chilli oil
salt to taste
a pinch or two of ground roasted Sichuan pepper, if desired
Lay the cucumber on a chopping board and smack it hard a few times with the flat blade of a Chinese cleaver or with a rolling pin – this will loosen its flesh and make it more easily absorb the flavours of the sauce. Then cut the cucumber, lengthwise, into four pieces. Hold your knife at an angle to the chopping board and cut the cucumber on the diagonal into 1/2 – 1 cm (1/4 – 1/2 inch) slices. Place in a bowl with the salt, mix well and set aside for about ten minutes.
Combine the other ingredients in a small bowl.
Drain the cucumber, pour over the sauce, stir well and serve immediately.
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Fortune Cookies
It’s such fun to make Chinese fortune cookies, each one has a strip of paper hidden inside with Chinese wish proverb. They are made from a simple tuile batter. Spread them really thinly and mould as soon as they come out of the oven otherwise they become brittle and crumbly. Have your little wishes ready to pop in.
Makes 30-32
140 g (5 oz/5 tablespoons) butter
4 egg whites
210 g (7½ oz) caster sugar
155 g (5½ oz) white flour, sieved
3 tablespoons cream
½ teaspoon pure almond extract
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Melt the butter gently and allow to cool a little.
Put the egg whites and sugar into a spotlessly clean bowl and whisk for a few seconds. Fold in the flour and mix. Add the melted butter, cream and almond extract. Mix until well combined.
Spoon 1 teaspoon of batter onto a prepared baking sheet, spread with the back of a spoon into a thin even 4 inch (10 cm) round. Allow room for spreading and don’t attempt to cook more than 3 or 4 at a time, otherwise it will be difficult to shape them quickly enough. Bake until the edges of the cookies turn golden brown, 6-8 minutes.
Have all your Chinese proverbs ready. Lift one of the cookies off the baking tray with a spatula. Lay the strip of paper across the centre, fold the cookie into a semi-circle and pinch the rounded edges gently together. Insert your thumb and index finger into the open ends and fold them down to meet underneath. This whole process should only take about 10 seconds. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat with the others and eat within a couple of hours or store in an airtight container with a (silica crystal packet). Happy Chinese New Yea
Shrove Tuesday is just around the corner again – a perfect excuse to have a pancake party – what fun that is….
The tiny tots love it, teens have fun and the ‘wrinkles’ reminisce about pancakes in the past. So where did the custom come from?  The name Shrove Tuesday originally came from the word Shrive meaning to absolve. Christians were encouraged to examine their conscience, confess and repent before the penitential season of lent commenced on Ash Wednesday. Fasting was an integral part of Lent so it became a custom to use up all the sugar, butter, flour and eggs before the long period of fast and abstinence began.
I hadn’t quite realised how many countries celebrate Shrove Tuesday. In Germany it’s called Fastnachtsdienstag and some other equally unpronounceable words. In Netherlands, it’s known as Vastenavond and is also linked to a carnival. In Portuguese, Spanish and Italian speaking countries it’s actually known as Carnival which is derived from the Latin ‘farewell to the flesh’. In Brazil the Carnival in Rio is the most famous while Venice they celebrate with a masquerade. In Spain, Carnival Tuesday is named ‘dia de la tortilla’, omelette day. In Portuguese-speaking Madeira, they eat malasadas on Terca – feera Gorda – Fat Tuesday and on and on it goes…
In Denmark and Norway the day is called Fastelavn, children dress up in costumes and gather treats. Iceland  calls it  Sprengidagur – Bursting Day and is marked by the tradition of eating peas and salted meat.
In Sweden Fettisdagen – Fat Tuesday is celebrated by eating a marzipan filled pastry called semla. The Lithuanian’s celebrate the day called Užgavènês by eating pancakes or  a special type of doughnut and then of course there’s Mardi Gras in New Oreleans which again means Fat Tuesday and on it goes.
There are pancake races and pancake flipping competitions in many countries so let’s get in on the act. I love the simple pancakes of my childhood which my own grandchildren also love to help to cook and flip but here are some other recipes to choose from if you’d like to ring the changes before you consider 40 days of abstinence!
Hot Tips
10 Great Brunch Recipes, Friday 5th February 2.30pm
Brunch, more substantial than a breakfast is the perfect meal for enjoying quality time with family and friends and enjoying hassle-free entertaining.
For the last number of years we have run an extremely popular breakfast course here at Ballymaloe Cookery School, but never get a chance to share the wonderful repertoire of brilliant brunch ideas that Darina has picked up on her travels… until now! From spicy Sri Lankan chilli eggs to the classic Mexican huevos rancheros, light-as-a-feather ricotta hot cakes with honey, all-American Corn cakes or Dutch pancakes with crisp home cured bacon or tangy blueberry drop scones dripping with fresh butter. Home cooks will head away with so many simply delicious recipes to entertain and delight. www.cookingisfun.ie
Past Ballymaloe Cookery School student
Jack Crotty, aka The Rocket Man, has opened E A S T an exciting new food venue at the Old Winthrop Arcade, Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork City. Super tasty falafel and in house flatbreads with pickles, cheeses and slaws. Open 7 days a week. www.therocketman.ie
Weston A. Price Foundation
Don’t miss the 2nd annual food and nutrition conference at Thomond Park, Co Limerick on February 6th and 7th 2016, focuses on wise traditions in food, farming and the healing arts. Visit the website for full details http://www.wapfmunster.com/
Get Blogging with Lucy Pearce
Join pro-blogger Lucy Pearce and some of our 12 Week Certificate Students for ‘Get Blogging’ on Saturday February 6th. Join Lucy from 2pm-5pm for a whistle-stop tour of the food blogging world and see what’s hot, and what’s not, right now. You’ll see just how diverse food blogging is, and how to find your niche! Lucy will compare the different blogging platforms, highlighting their pros and cons so that you can select the best one for your food blog. www.cookingisfun.ie
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Crêpes with Orange Butter
This crêpe recipe is very nearly as good as those Crêpes Suzette they used to serve with a great flourish in posh restaurants when I was a child. These crêpes are half the bother and can be made for a fraction of the cost.
Serves 6 – makes 12 approximately
Pancake Batter
6oz (175g/generous 1 cup) white flour, preferably unbleached
a good pinch of salt
1 dessertspoon (2 American teaspoons) castor sugar
2 large eggs and 1 or 2 egg yolks, preferably free range
scant 15fl oz (450ml/2 cups) milk, or for very crisp, light delicate pancakes, milk and water mixed
3-4 dessertspoons (6-8 American teaspoons) melted butter
Orange Butter
6oz (175g/1 1/2 sticks) butter
3 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
6oz (175g/1 1/3 cups) icing sugar
freshly squeezed juice of 5-6 oranges
8 inch (20.5cm) non-stick crêpe pan
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First make the batter.
Sieve the flour, salt, and sugar into a bowl, make a well in the centre and drop in the lightly beaten eggs. With a whisk or wooden spoon, starting in the centre, mix the egg and gradually bring in the flour. Add the liquid slowly and beat until the batter is covered with bubbles. (If they are to be served with sugar and lemon juice, stir in an extra tablespoon of castor sugar and the finely grated rind of half a lemon).
Let the batter stand in a cold place for an hour or so Рlonger will do no harm. Just before you cook the cr̻pes stir in 3-4 dessertspoons (6-8 American tablespoons) melted butter. This will make all the difference to the flavour and texture of the cr̻pes and will make it possible to cook them without greasing the pan each time
Next make the orange butter.
Cream the butter with the finely grated orange rind. Then add the sifted icing sugar and beat until fluffy.
Make the crêpes in the usual way.
Heat the pan to very hot, pour in just enough batter to cover the base of the pan thinly.
* A small ladel can also be very useful for this, loosen the crêpes around the edge, flip over with a spatula or thin egg slice, cook for a second or two on the other side, and slide off the pan onto a plate. The crêpes may be stacked on top of each other and peeled apart later.
They will keep in the fridge for several days and also freeze perfectly. If they are to be frozen it’s probably a good idea to put a disc of silicone paper between each for extra safety.
Note: If you have several pans it is perfectly possible to keep 3 or 4 pans going in rotation. Only necessary if you need to feed the multitudes.
To Serve
Melt a blob of the orange butter in the pan, add some freshly squeezed orange juice and toss the pancakes in the foaming butter. Fold in half and then in quarters (fan shapes). Serve 2 or 3 per person on warm plates. Spoon the buttery orange juices over the top. Repeat until all the pancakes and butter have been used.
Note: A tablespoon (1 American tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) of orange liqueur eg. Grand Marnier or Orange Curacao is very good added to the orange butter if you are feeling very extravagant!
Crêpes with Chocolate Spread, Toasted Hazelnuts and Cream
Spread a little chocolate spread (Green and Blacks) in the middle of the crêpe, top with a blob of cream and sprinkle with chopped toasted hazelnuts.
Crêpes with Chocolate Spread, Kumquat Compote and Cream
Spread a little chocolate spread (Green and Blacks) over each crêpe. Top with a little kumquat compote (see recipe). Fold in half and then in quarters (fan shapes). Serve with softly whipped cream.
Crêpes with Mascarpone and Kumquat Marmalade
250g (9oz) mascarpone
1 tablespoon honey
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Kumquat Marmalade or Kumquat Compote (see recipe)
Mix the mascarpone with the honey, add the freshly squeezed lemon juice and mix to combine. Spread a layer on a warm crêpe. Drizzle some kumquat marmalade or kumquat compote over the top. Fold or roll up and enjoy. Alternatively serve bowls of mascarpone, maple syrup and kumquat marmalade or compote with the hot crêpes so guests can assemble themselves.
Kumquat Compôte
A gem of a recipe, this compôte can be served as a dessert or as an accompaniment to roast duck, goose or glazed ham. Also delicious with goat’s cheese or yoghurt.
Serves 6-20 depending on how it is served
235g (8 1/2 oz) kumquats
200ml (7fl oz/1 cup) water
110g (4oz/1/2 cup) sugar
Slice the kumquats into four or five round depending on size, remove the seeds. Put the kumquats into a saucepan with the water and sugar and let them cook very gently, covered, for half an hour or until tender.
Serve warm or cold.
Note: This compote keeps for weeks in the fridge.
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Russian Fluffy Pancakes
Julija Makejeva, who works with us at the Cookery School, taught me how to make these pancakes, known as oladushki in Russian.
Serves 6
225ml (8fl oz) buttermilk
1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda or bread soda)
2 organic eggs, whisked
scant 1â„2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons caster sugar
250g (9oz) white flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Put the buttermilk into a bowl, sprinkle the bicarbonate of soda on top and leave for 3–4 minutes to allow the mixture to bubble.
Whisk the egg, salt and caster sugar into the buttermilk mixture. Slowly add the flour to the batter, whisking all the time, until the mixture has an even consistency. The batter should be very thick and reluctantly fall off the spoon.
Heat a wide frying pan on a medium heat. Add the vegetable oil. Pour a tablespoon of batter into the pan and repeat – you should be able to fit about 5 more pancakes in the pan, spaced evenly apart. Fry until golden brown on one side, flip over once bubbles have appeared on the surface and popped. Repeat the process until all of the batter is used. Serve with sour cream mixed with raspberry jam or sour cream sprinkled with brown sugar.
Semlor Lenten buns
Serves 12
80g (2½oz) melted butter
250ml (9 fl oz) whole milk
25g (¾ oz) fresh yeast (or 12g active dry yeast)
40g (1½ oz) caster sugar
400 g (10½ oz) plain bread flour, plus extra for dusting
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cardamom
1 egg, lightly beaten
Filling
100g (3½ oz) almond paste, see recipe
6-8 tablespoons of custard, see recipe
500ml (18 fl oz) whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla sugar or extract
Icing sugar to dust
If using mixer, set it up with the dough hook attachment. Melt the butter and add the milk, ensuring a lukewarm (blood) temperature. Add the fresh yeast and stir until dissolved.
Add sugar and stir again. Add 300 g of flour as well as the salt, baking powder and ground cardamom. Add  ½ the egg (preserve the other half for brushing before baking).
Mix well until all ingredients are incorporated and then start to add remaining 100 g of the flour, bit by bit, until you have a dough that is only a little bit sticky. Take care not to add too much flour: you will get dry buns. Knead the dough for at least five minutes in the mixer, longer by hand. Leave to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 40 minutes.
Turn the dough out to a floured surface. Knead again for a few minutes, adding more flour if needed. Cut the dough into 12 equal sized pieces. Take care that the balls are completely round and uniform in size. Place on baking tray with good spacing between buns. Leave to rise for another 40-50 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas mark 6.
Gently brush each bun with the remainder of the egg wash and bake in a hot oven for about 20 minutes or until baked through – keep an eye on them as they can burn quickly. Remove from oven and cover the tray with a lightly damp tea towel immediately – this will prevent the buns from forming a crust.
When the buns have cooled down completely, cut a ‘lid’ off the buns – about 1½ cm from the top. Scoop out about ⅓ of the inside of the bun and place crumbs in a separate bowl.
Mix the almond paste with the crumb until it forms a very sticky mass –add a dash of milk or custard  at this point to help it along. You want a spoonable even mixture.
Spoon the filling back into the buns, equally divided. Whip the cream with the vanilla sugar until stiff and use a piping bag to pipe cream on all the buns’ tops. Put the ‘lids’ back on and dust with icing sugar.
Almond Paste
225 g (½ lb) ground almonds
225 g (½lb) golden castor sugar
1 small organic or free-range egg
a drop of pure almond extract (really careful, its very intense)
1 tablespoons (2 1/2 American tablespoons) Irish whiskey
Sieve the castor sugar and mix with the ground almonds. Beat the eggs, add the whiskey and 1 drop of pure almond essence, then add to the other ingredients and mix to a stiff paste. (You may not need all of the egg). Sprinkle the work top with icing sugar, turn out the almond paste and work lightly until smooth.
Crème Anglaise (Custard Sauce)
This basic sauce is usually flavoured with vanilla but can be make with any number of other ingredients, such as lemon or orange rind or mint. It is used in many recipes including ice-cream, though in that case the proportion of sugar is much higher than usual because unsweetened cream is added during the freezing.
1 pint (600 ml/2 1/2 cups) milk
vanilla pod or other alternative flavouring
6 egg yolks
2 ozs (50g/ 1/4 cup) sugar
Bring the milk almost to the boil with the vanilla pod. Beat the egg yolks with the sugar until thick and light. Whisk in half the hot milk and then whisk the mixture back into the remaining milk. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the custard thickens slightly. Your finger should leave a clear trail when drawn across the back of the spoon.
Remove from the heat at once and strain. Cool, cover tightly and chill. The custard can be kept up to 2 days in the refrigerator.
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Malasadas
These Portuguese-style raised doughnuts are super-popular in Hawaii.
Makes 24 large doughnuts
3 large eggs, room temperature
5½ oz (160 g/3/4 cup) sugar
5 oz (140 g) salted butter
1 lb 2 ox (500 g/5 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
½ oz (14 g) quick-rising dry yeast
8 fl oz (200 ml/1 cup) hot water (40°C)
2½ fl oz (65 ml/1/3 cup evaporated milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
Additional sugar – caster, cinnamon or vanilla
Put 1 egg, sugar, butter and salt in bowl of heavy-duty mixer fitted with dough hook attachment; beat until blended, 1 minute.
Add 5 cups flour and yeast; beat until blended. Add the hot water, milk and vanilla and beat until well blended, 1 minute. Beat in remaining 2 eggs, then 1/2 cup flour. Beat until dough is smooth, soft and slightly sticky but begins to come away from sides of bowl, adding more flour by tablespoonful if very sticky, about 8-10 minutes. Scrape down dough from sides of bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and towel. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 1½-2 hours.
Punch down dough. Cut into 2 equal pieces. Roll out 1 piece on lightly floured surface to 12×16-inch rectangle. Cut lengthwise into 3 strips and crosswise into 4 strips, making twelve 4-inch squares. Repeat with remaining dough.
Pour enough oil into large saucepan to reach depth of 1 1/2 inches.
Attach deep-fry thermometer and heat oil to 350°F. Fry 2 or 3 malasadas until puffed and golden brown, turning once, about 3 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer malasadas to paper towels and drain.
Repeat frying with remaining dough squares, heating oil to 350°F for each batch.
Generously sprinkle warm malasadas with additional sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Before the holidays every magazine, newspaper, food programme and TV ad was shamelessly luring us into temptation, encouraging us to over spend and over indulge in a myriad of different ways. It was hard to resist and of course many of us succumbed. Now the day of reckoning has come. It’s all about lean, keen and frugal, instead of tempting food supplements in newspapers, there are diet supplements each promising miracles.
Slim and trim in 28 days….The five pound weight loss trick that works…How to lose weight and keep it off…..yeah, yeah, yeah….
How gullible are we, who ever checks the results? Cook books that promise to make you glow and make you beautiful, vaporize off the shelves as we clutch at straws. One super food after another rises and falls. At last there’s the beginnings of a backlash- after countless hopes have been raised and dashed, a badly needed note of scepticism is being introduced So could it really be that after all the false promises the answer is quite simply a balanced diet of fresh natural food in season and everything in moderation,  how undramatic and boring does that sound – yet it is unquestionably true. I’ve never been on a diet in my life and I don’t intend to start now but there are some things I really do feel strongly about. Eat as much organic and naturally produced food as possible. In the words of George Orwell in 1937 when he wrote ‘The Road to Wigan Pier’, “we may find in the long run that tinned food/ processed food is a deadlier weapon than the machine gunâ€. Eliminate processed food entirely from our diets. We can no longer say we don’t know the damage they are doing to both our essential mental and physical health.
Eat less meat but better quality and lots of unsprayed vegetables and fruit that have been grown in rich fertile soil not hydroponically.
We need to reduce our sugar intake by at least 50% NOW.
Nowadays, according to most recent research, 1 in 2 of us will suffer from some form of cancer. I was brought up with the understanding that food should be our medicine and that if we didn’t put effort into the food on the table we’d give it to the doctor or chemist.
How true is that – of course we are all insanely busy but there are few things more important than the quality of the food we put on the table. I’m not talking fancy – I’m just talking real simple food that comforts and nourishes.
We have got to take back control of our food choices from the multinational corporations who can’t be expected to have our best interests at heart. Their sole concern is to make the maximum profit for their shareholders, not our personal health.
So dump all those breakfast cereals and go back to porridge, ban all fizzy drinks and rediscover water. We used to have homemade lemonade everyday on our lunch tables here at the school but now it’s water kefir – a simple fermented drink that can be flavoured with anything from lemon to loganberries and lots of fresh herbs. It’s exceedingly good for your gut flora and the students love it. We’ve got to reintroduce cooking classes back into the school curriculum from ‘baby infants’ upwards. It could single-handedly help to change our eating habits and up skill the next generations in such a way that they can take back control of what they eat.
Hot Tips
Learn how to make a St Brigid’s Cross
On Saturday January 30th,  Mrs Cowhig and Hannah Conroy will pass on the traditions and give a lesson on how to make a St Brigid’s Cross at the Midleton Farmers Market from 11am-12pm.
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Hands on Lamb Butchery
Philip Dennhardt is our resident master butcher at the Ballymaloe Cookery School and on Saturday January 29th 2016 from 2pm-5pm, Philip will teach the skills needed to butcher a whole lamb into your favourite pieces. Course includes half a lamb which you help butcher and then take home for the freezer, so make sure there is room.
This is the ideal course for anyone who would like to be able to buy a whole lamb from a local butcher or farmer. www.cookingisfun.ie
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Guest Chef Mary Jo McMillin from Ohio
We’ve known and admired Mary Jo for many years. She has a cult following in the US and is particularly famous for her braises and slow cooked dishes and of course her baking.  On Saturday January 30th, 2.00pm-5.30pm, Mary Jo will teach two fool proof menus and the secrets of several of her sought after cakes, pastries and French bread. This course was inspired by a conversation Mary Jo had with one of our 12 Week Certificate students who couldn’t leave the day job because of financial commitments, In her uniquely generous way, Mary Jo will advise on how to scale up recipes for larger numbers and set up a catering business from home for the many aspiring chefs who may be searching for a way to have a part time career in food.
Recipes
Water Kefir
With Water Kefir you can turn sugared water into one of the most vibrant, probiotic-rich drinks you can make at home!
2 tablespoons (2 1/2 American tablespoons) water kefir grains
2-3 tablespoons (2 1/2 – 4 American tablespoons) organic raw cane sugar
4 unsulphered dried apricots or other dried fruit.
Approximately 1 litre (1 3/4 pints/scant 4 cups) of water – must be free of chemicals
Slice of unwaxed lemon
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It is important not to use any metal utensils or brewing vessels while making Water Kefir.
Stir the sugar into approximately 250ml (9fl oz/generous 1 cup) of hot water until it dissolves, then add remainder of cold water and allow it to cool to room temperature.
Place the water kefir grains into a 1 litre jar, pour in the cooled sugar water, and drop in the dried fruit.
Cover the jar loosely with a lid, or with a cloth secured with a rubber band to allow air in but to prevent stray debris from spoiling your water kefir. Allow the water kefir to ferment for 2 to 3 days. The longer it ferments, the drier and less sweet it will become.
When the water kefir acquires a flavor that suits you, strain it using a plastic strainer into a jug. Discard the dried fruit (or eat it) but reserve the water kefir grains which can be immediately reused or stored.
While the water kefir can be enjoyed as it is, after its initial fermentation, you can also ferment it a second time. Secondary fermentation allows you to flavor the water kefir, and the secondary fermentation process, which occurs in a tightly capped bottle allows carbon dioxide to develop, producing a fizzy water kefir.
Transfer the bottles of water kefir to the fridge to slow down fermentation and enjoy
Second Fermentation
After transferring you water kefir into a bottle add a handful of one of the following to your taste.
Fresh or Frozen Raspberries
Fresh or Frozen Strawberries
Other soft fruit
5 – 6 small pieces of Crystallised Ginger.
Several crushed mint leaves and juice of 1 Lemon
Leave to ferment for another 12 – 24 hours with a lid on. It’s a good idea to release pressure every so often particularly if your kitchen is warm as secondary ferments have been known to explode! Keep tasting to understand when your ferment is ready to your liking.
Caring for your Kefir Grains
Water Kefir grains are alive being a Scoby (Symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeasts) and therefore require looking after to ensure they produce the best kefir for you.
Occasionally it is beneficial to give your grains a mineral feed.
Jerusalem Artichoke Soup with Crispy Croutons
Serves 8-10
Jerusalem artichokes are a sadly neglected winter vegetable. They look like knobbly potatoes and are a nuisance to peel, but if they are very fresh you can sometimes get away with just giving them a good scrub. Not only are they a smashing vegetable but they are also delicious in soups and gratins. They are a real gem from the gardeners point of view because the foliage grows into a hedge and provides shelter and cover for both compost heaps and pheasants!
Nutrition: Jerusalem Artichokes are a very important source of inulin which enhances the growth of beneficial bacteria in our systems. Particularly essential after a course of antibiotics.
50g (2oz/1/2 stick) butter
560g (1 1/4 lb) onions, peeled and chopped
1.15kg (2 1/2 lbs) Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed, peeled and chopped
salt and freshly ground pepper
1.1L (2 pints/5 cups) light chicken stock
600ml (1 pint/2 1/2 cups) creamy milk approx.
Garnish
freshly chopped parsley
crisp, golden croutons
Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan, add the onions and artichokes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper, cover and sweat gently for 10 minutes approx. Add the stock and cook until the vegetables are soft. Liquidise and return to the heat. Thin to the required flavour and consistency with creamy milk, and adjust the seasoning.
Serve in soup bowls or in a soup tureen. Garnish with chopped parsley and crisp, golden croutons.
Note
This soup may need more stock depending on thickness required.
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Salad with Pears, Pomegranates , Persimmons and Pecans
Serves 8
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Vinaigrette
2 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar or Sherry vinegar
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 ripe Fuyu persimmons (little firm persimmons)
3 ripe d’Anjou or other pears
1 lime, freshly squeezed
Seeds from ½ pomegranate
A selection of frizzy lettuce, watercress and rocket leaves
1 lime freshly squeezed
85-110g (3- 4oz) fresh toasted pecans
First make the vinaigrette.
Mix the Balsamic or sherry vinegar, mustard, shallots, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.
Slice the persimmons and pears into slices about ¼ inch thick. Put into a medium bowl and sprinkle with freshly squeezed lime juice. Add the pomegranate seeds. Toss gently.
Wash and dry the greens, store in a clean towel in the fridge until ready to use.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/regulo 4.
Put the nuts onto a baking sheet in a moderate oven for 5 -6 minutes, tossing gently from time to time. Alternatively toast under a grill.
When ready to serve
Toss the greens in some of the vinaigrette and arrange on eight plates. Toss the fruit mixture lightly in the remaining vinaigrette. Arrange on top of the greens and sprinkle with the toasted pecans.  Serve immediately.
Jam Pudding (Irish Traditional Cooking revised edition)
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This was one of our favourites, we raced home from school for lunch even faster when we knew Mummy was cooking a steamed jam pudding, a warm and comforting winter pudding.
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Serves 4
110g (4oz) butter, at room temperature
110g (4oz) caster sugar
2 eggs, free-range if possible
few drops of pure vanilla essence
170g (6oz) plain white flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
about 1 tablespoon milk or water
3 or 4 tablespoons homemade raspberry jam
Raspberry Jam Sauce
4–6 tablespoons homemade raspberry jam
rind and juice of ½ lemon
150ml (¼ pint) water
sugar, to taste
12.5cm (5in) capacity pudding bowl
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Cream the butter, add the caster sugar and beat until white and creamy. Whisk the eggs with the vanilla essence and beat, a little at a time, into the creamed mixture. Stir in the flour and baking powder and add a little milk or water if necessary to make a dropping consistency.
Grease your pudding bowl. Spread raspberry jam over the bottom and sides. Carefully spoon the cake mixture into the bowl. Cover with pleated greaseproof paper, tied on firmly, and steam the pudding for about 1½ hours.
Meanwhile, make the raspberry jam sauce. Heat the jam with the water, add the lemon rind and juice and sweeten with a little extra sugar if necessary.
Turn the pudding on to a hot dish and serve with the sauce and lots of softly whipped cream.
I’m sitting on the balcony of the View Point Hotel in Nyaungshwe overlooking the jetty where most of the skiffs and narrow timber boats leave for Inle Lake, one of Myanmar’s biggest attractions. It’s really chilly at this time of the day. There’s two-way traffic: some boats, laden down with tomatoes, aubergines and gourds in huge bamboo baskets are on their way to the Mingalar Market in front of the pagoda. Farmers and their families sit, hunched up on the floor of the boats in woolly caps or hoodies. Up here, in the Shan Valley  away from Yangon, virtually all the men still wear the lungi, a piece of cloth, worn sarong style, like a skirt. Other slender wooden canoes fitted with long tail outboard motors have a row of little timber chairs to take tourists out onto the Inle lake. It’s 22 kilometres long and about 11 kilometres wide, bordered by the Shan mountains on either side and numerous small villages. This watery world is home to the Intha people who live in stilt houses in villages that create a fringe around the lake. They grow fruit and vegetables in floating gardens anchored to the lake bed with bamboo poles and fish with traditional Intha conical nets using a distinctive leg rowing stance on timber skiffs – fascinating to observe.
Since the 18th century, the Intha people’s way of life has gradually adapted to the climate and ecosystem. It is noisy here by the bridge with the put-put of the long tail motor engines that spew out a sheet of spray behind.
To the right, motorbikes, tricycles, lorries and cars and an occasional horse drawn wagon, clip clop over the bridge on the way to the main street. Â School girls with long plaits on their way to class. The Buddhist monks walk through the town with their bowls collecting food and alms at dawn, wandering towards the monasteries and pagodas of which there are many in this small town, which is now the principal hub for Inle lake.
I love the markets and local shops, they tell you much more about the food and culture and way of life than any guide book. I took a tricycle down to the Mingalar Market close to the entrance of the town. Both men and women stall holders sit squat – legged on raised platforms with their goods and produce beautifully displayed in front of them, up off the mud floor sometimes on rice or jute sacks or on bamboo or reed matting.
All the tropical fruit of course, papaya, mangoes, dragonfruit, loquats, guava but also an extraordinary array of greens, chickpea shoots, Burmese pennyworth, squash tendrills, watercress…
We bought rice cooked in bamboo, little red rice cakes stuffed with bean paste and some crispy ants but I stopped short of trying a barbequed rice-paddi rat despite the guide’s assurance of how delicious they were with a beer or glass of rum toddy.
Little old ladies dispensed medicinal advice on how to use the herbs and roots they were selling.
Bright plastic and stainless steel are fast replacing tin and stainless steel cooking utensils. Nonetheless, there are still wonderful handmade clay pots that keep the water cool and fresh. The area is also famous for handmade knives and kitchen utensils, I also couldn’t resist some of the light wok and handmade watering cans – try to get to Burma soon, it’s fascinating, beautiful and changing fast.
Hot Tips
Carrageen Moss
Where do I find carrageen moss? Well I found some beautiful local carrageen recently at the Village Greengrocer in Castlemartyr. I also saw several bags of the moss on the Olive Stall in the English Market in Cork City. Â Such a joy to see that this precious and health giving traditional food is still available. See www.cookingisfun.ie for recipe for Carrageen Moss pudding.
The Food Programme
For me the BBC Radio 4 Food programme is unmissable, if you don’t manage to catch it on Sunday at 12.32pm  or Monday at 15.30pm, listen back to the pod cast.
Both Seville and blood oranges are now in the shops, so check out www.slowfoodireland website for some great marmalade recipes.
Learn all about Chillies
at our next East Cork Slow Food event. Chris Young from the Irish Chilli Farm in Co Tipperary will tell share his story and how he started his chilli farm near Roscrea and the many varieties he grows
Wednesday January 27th 2016, 7pm at the Ballymaloe Cookery School.
Phone 021 4646785.
A Great Gatsby Gala Dinner
Have a fun night and support Ballycotton RNLI Lifeboat who will host a fundraising dinner on Friday February 5th 2016 at Ballymaloe House.
Drinks Reception at 7.30pm followed by dinner at 8.
Booking Essential 021 4652531.
Myanmar Chicken Curry
Use organic ingredients where possible
Serves 6
1½ lbs (700 g) free range chicken breasts
½-1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons fish sauce, nam pla
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 tablespoons sunflower or vegetable oil
2 red onions, chopped
1 teaspoon turmeric
½-1 teaspoon chilli powder
3 green cardamom, bruised
1 small knob of ginger, 15 g, chopped
2 sticks of lemongrass, finely sliced
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fish sauce, nam pla
4 ripe tomatoes, diced
8 fl oz (230 ml) chicken stock
2 stalks lemongrass, crushed, cut into 4 pieces, optional
2 tablespoons tamarind water, see recipe
Fresh coriander
Accompaniment – rice
Cut the chicken breast into 1 inch (2.5cm) pieces and put into a bowl. Sprinkle with ½-1 teaspoon of turmeric, chilli powder, fish sauce and vegetable oil. Season well with salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss and massage the meat with your fingers and allow to marinade for 30-35 minutes or while the remainder of the ingredients are prepared.
Simmer gently for 6-8 minutes more or until the chicken is fully cooked and sauce is balanced and delicious but still fresh tasting. Taste and correct the seasoning. Transfer to a warm serving dish. Sprinkle with fresh coriander.
Serve with sticky rice or Basmati rice.
Note, if tamarind water is not available, taste and sharpen with some freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice.
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Tamarind Water
a piece of tamarind, the size of a mandarin orange
6 fl ozs (175ml/3/4 cup of hot water
Tear a lump of tamarind about the size of a mandarin, off the block. Soak it for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight in hot water in a small non-metallic bowl or cup. (The water should cover the tamarind.)
Push the tamarind pulp through a strainer, with your clean fingers. Keep pressing until just the fibre and seeds are left in the sieve. Scrape all the pulp from the outside of the sieve. Use extra water, if necessary, to separate the pulp from the fibres. Discard the seeds and fibre.
Burmese Tomato Salad
The Burmese include 1/3 teaspoon of ‘chicken seasoning’ which I prefer to omit.
Serves 2
2-3 ripe tomatoes, depending on size
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons toasted garlic oil
2 tablespoons crushed roasted peanuts
1 small red shallot or ½ red onion, thinly sliced
2 -3 tablespoons crispy shallot rings
Freshly squeezed lime juice, from one cheek of lime
Toasted Garlic Oil
4 fl ozs (125 ml) olive oil
12 garlic cloves
Chives, chopped
Fresh coriander sprigs
To make the toasted garlic oil. Finely chop the garlic, put in a small saucepan with the olive oil. Put on a low medium heat for 4-5 minutes and cook until the garlic is light and golden brown. If the garlic gets too dark both the garlic and oil will be too bitter.
Just before serving, half the tomatoes. Thinly slice the tomatoes sideways into julienne. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 2 teaspoons toasted garlic oil, crushed peanuts, thinly sliced red onion and half the crispy shallots. Squeeze the juice from one cheek of lime, toss well. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Taste and correct the seasoning.
Pile onto a plate, garnish with fresh coriander, chopped chives and the remainder of the crispy shallots. Serve ASAP.
Burmese Night Market Noodles
The direct translation of this dish is cooked oil noodles, but I tend to associate it with the night market in Rangoon because this was the place where my brother and I often went to eat a bowl of these noodles tossed in garlic oil. It usually came with some shredded meat and a bowl of hot chicken soup sprinkled with spring onions. Nowadays whenever I have leftover roast meat, I rustle up these noodles which go down really well.
Serves 2
Cooking time 10 minutes
250 g fresh egg noodles
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Small handful of spring onions, chopped
Eat with
Shredded roast duck, chicken or pork
Chicken soup
Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add a pinch of salt and blanch the noodles for a couple of minutes until they are soft. Drain and rinse under cold water. If you are using dried egg noodles, follow the packet instructions.
Heat the oil in a wok and fry the garlic until golden. Remove from the oil immediately and drain on kitchen paper. Add the noodles and soy sauce, and then toss for a minute until the noodles are warmed through and coated with the garlic oil. Check for seasoning and sprinkle with crispy garlic and spring onions. Serve with shredded meat and a bowl of soup.
From has*ba – Burmese Cookbook by Tin Cho Chaw
Burmese Caramelised Crispy Pancakes
Makes 10-12 pancakes
This is a sweet crispy stick golden pancake that reminds me of brandy snaps. The pancakes are extremely soft and sticky during cooking and transform into chewy caramelised discs when they are cool.
60 g sticky/glutinous rice flour
20 g rice flour
125 ml water
100 g palm sugar (or brown sugar)
4 tablespoons water
Peanut oil for shallow frying
Put both flours in a mixing bowl; mix in the water to form a thick batter. Leave to rest for 20 minutes while preparing the sugar.
If you are using palm sugar, grate it before placing in a small saucepan. Add 4 tablespoons of water and over a moderate heat stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow the sugar to cool. Gradually pour the sugar into the batter to form a consistency similar to single cream.
When you are ready to fry the pancakes, heat enough oil to shallow fry in a small non stick frying pan. Spoon a small ladle of batter into the oil and swirl the batter into the pan to form a circular shape.
Leave the pancake over a moderate heat until the edges are golden brown, then carefully flip over and cook the other side. When it is golden brown on both sides, remove from the heat and cool on a plate. The pancake remains soft and sticky until it is cool. Repeat this process making one pancake at a time until all the batter is used up, replenishing the oil when necessary.
I’ve just discovered Somerset!! Sounds like a bit of a random statement but even though I’ve been there on a fleeting visit before, I didn’t really register its multitude of charms – The Mendip Hills, Gardens at Stourhead, Albert’s Tower, Hauser and Wirth, Glastonbury Tor and Abbey, Dunster Castle, Jane Austen Centre, Wells Cathedral, Quantock Hills, Chalice Well, Bishops Lydeard Mill,  Rural Life Museum, galleries…..
My brother Rory O’ Connell and I had been invited to do a Pop-Up dinner at Roth Bar and Grill at Hauser and Wirth just outside the village of Bruton.
This complex has been painstakingly restored from an advanced state of dereliction by Iwan and Manuela Wirth. This dynamic pair are widely held to be the No 1 couple in the modern art world.
While we were there, a Don McCullin photographic exhibition was drawing people from far and wide. His powerful black and white photos from war zones in Africa, Vietnam and Biafran wars and England in the 1950s were profoundly thought provoking. More than one person emerged from the exhibition with tears pouring down their cheeks and Daphne Wright’s stallion sculpture quite simply awe inspiring. But we’d come to cook dinner with Steve Horrell and his team at the Roth Bar and Grill.
Rory’s delicious starter of fresh orange segments, cucumber dice, myrtle berries and marigold paprika leaves with a lemon verbena granita on top, really wowed the guests. Main course, was roast pork with crackling and spiced aubergines – a worthy celebration of a free range Sandy Black pig from the estate. Yoghurt and cardamom cream with pomegranate seeds and rosewater blossom made a perfect ending followed by a surprise piece of Ballymaloe fudge served with freshly roasted and brewed coffee.
The walls of the restaurant are hung with pictures from top contemporary artists from around the world. The bar was created by Björn, Oddur and Einar Roth from  Switzerland. Carcasses of beef, lamb, pork and pheasant hang in the dry aging Salt house that is lined with 500 hand cut Himalayan salt bricks. That in itself looks like an art installation. Closeby there’s a blackboard offering a fine brace of wild pheasant and a pot of dripping for £20 pounds.
Steve’s food at the Roth Bar and Grill is simply delicious. We had many fresh, simple seasonal dishes, beautifully composed. A terrine of pork and pheasant was served with Medlar jelly and organic leaves from Charles Dowding’s garden in the nearby village of Alhampton. Charles is the grower who has championed the No-dig method of vegetable growing. I went along to visit his garden and was so impressed by the results that I’ve invited him to come and teach a class at the school in 2016, so watch this space. www.charlesdowding.co.uk
At The Chapel, on the main street also gets rave reviews from locals and visitors alike. We loved a Taleggio pizza with field mushrooms and thyme leaves from their woodburning oven and the croissants and pan au chocolat were deliciously buttery and flaky. We never did manage to eat at Matt’s, a tiny restaurant where chef Oliver Matt cooks and serves the food himself – it was booked out until Christmas with a long waiting list. Next time we’ll book well ahead and I’m looking forward to going back for a Family Saturday at Hauser and Wirth early in the New Year. http://www.hauserwirthsomerset.com/events/festive-family-saturday
6-8 ozs (170-225g) piece of cooked ham, cut in thick strips
bay leaf
sprig of thyme
Accompaniments
Medlar Jelly (see recipe)
Cornichons; French breakfast radishes and a little salad of organic leaves and fresh herbs
Luting paste (see below) or tinfoil
3 pint (1.7 L/7 1/2 cups) capacity terrine or casserole with tight fitting lid
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
Wash the livers, separate the lobes and remove any trace of green. Marinade in the brandy and 1/2 teaspoon of ground white pepper for 2 hours.  Line a terrine or casserole with very thinly sliced bacon or barding fat, keeping a few slices for the top.
Sweat the onion gently in the butter until soft but not coloured. In a bowl mix the sweated onion with the pork, pheasant, garlic, allspice, ground cloves, chopped marjoram, beaten eggs and the brandy from the chicken livers. Season with salt, freshly ground pepper and lots of grated nutmeg. Mix very thoroughly. Fry a little piece and taste for seasoning – it should taste quite spicy and highly seasoned. Add the pistachios and beat until the mixture holds together
Spread a third of the farce in the lined terrine, add a layer of half the ham strips interspersed with half the chicken livers, then cover with another third of the pork mixture. Add the remaining ham and livers and cover with the last third. Lay the reserved barding fat or bacon slices on top, trimming the edges if necessary. Set the bay leaf and sprig of thyme on top of the bacon or barding fat and cover with the lid. Seal the lid with luting paste (see below) or else use a sheet of tinfoil under the lid.
Cook in a ban-marie in a preheated oven, 180C/350F/regulo4, for 1 3/4 – 2 hours or until a skewer inserted for 1/2 minute into the mixture is hot to the touch when taken out. If you are still in doubt remove the lid and check: the pate should also have shrunk in from the sides of the terrine and the juices should be clear.
Cool until tepid, remove the luting paste or tinfoil and lid and press the terrine with a board and a 2 lb (900g) weight until cold. This helps to compact the layers so that it will cut more easily. Keep for 2-3 days before serving to allow the terrine to mature. It can be frozen for up to 2 months.
To Serve: Unmould the terrine, cut into thick slices as needed and serve with medlar jelly, a good green salad and a glass of red wine. Cornichons and crispy radishes are delicious as an accompaniment.
Luting Paste
8 ozs (225g/2 cups) flour
5-6 fl oz (150-175 ml/generous 1/2-3/4 cup) approximately water
Mix the flour and water into a dough firm enough to handle, roll into a rope and use to seal the lid on to the casserole to prevent the steam from escaping during cooking.
Cut the fruit into quarters, put into a stainless steel saucepan. Cover with water, bring to the boil and cover until soft. Pour into a jelly bag and leave to drip overnight. Don’t squeeze the jelly through the bag or the juice will be cloudy. Next day measure the juice and allow 450g (1 lb) of sugar to every 600ml (1 pint) juice. Heat the sugar and add to the hot juice. Add the spices and boil until setting point is reached. Pour into hot sterilized jars and cover immediately.
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Roth Bar and Grill Doughnuts
250ml (9 fl oz) milk
50g (2 oz) sugar
500g (18 oz) strong white bread flour
40g (1¾) oz butter
15g fresh yeast
2 eggs
Sugar & little cinnamon powder for sugaring
Warm the milk and sugar in a pan until tepid. Mix the flour, butter, yeast & eggs in a mixing bowl – with a dough mixer. Add the yeast to the milk and sugar mix, then pour the milk mix into the flour mix.
Beat on a low speed for 5 minutes followed by 5 minutes on high speed. Place the dough in a bowl covered with cling film to prove. Take out the bowl, cut into 15g portions and roll in to balls. Place on a lightly oiled tray with cling film over the top
Leave to prove again until they double in size.
Deep fry at 180 degrees until golden brown – turn over half way through. It is best to do only a few at a time. Remove and drain onto kitchen paper.
Sugar the balls – they are now ready to serve
Roth Bar and Grill Roasted Squash & Pearled Spelt SaladÂ
1 Butternut squash
2 cloves of garlic
A small bunch of hard herbs – thyme, rosemary & marjoram
Peel and deseed the squash – cut into long chunky wedges. Take a level teaspoon of each spice and ground in a pestle & mortar. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Pick and roughly chop the hard herbs.
In a bowl, sprinkle half the herbs, half the garlic, half the spices, salt and pepper and a good glug of pomice oil over the butternut squash.
Get your hands dirty – ensure the squash is covered in the oil, herbs & spices
Remove the squash and put on a tray – retain the bowl of oil.
Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, squeeze out the seeds and toss them in the oil bowl with the rest of the herbs and spices and salt and pepper – put in a small separate roasting tray.
Put the squash in the oven on 220°C/425°F gas mark 8 for 15 minutes – shake & turn frequently until golden brown then remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Roast the tomatoes in their own tray at 220°C/425°F gas mark 8 for 10 minutes – remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Put the spelt into a pan of salted cold water – bring up to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain off the spelt, whilst still warm add a good glug of olive oil, red wine vein gar, chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.
Mix the squash, tomatoes and spelt together in a clean bowl – gently combining all ingredients using your hands.
Taste to check the seasoning and adjust to taste.
Serve and enjoy – great with grilled meat or fish or by itself for a light lunch.
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Rory O’ Connell’s Salad of Oranges, Cucumber, Marigold and Myrtle Berries with Lemon Verbena Granita
Serves 4
4 oranges carefully segmented
2 tablespoons (2 1/2 American tablespoons) of peeled and very finely diced cucumber. Avoid using the seeds in the middle of the cucumber
2 teaspoons of honey
2 -4 teaspoons of lemon juice
1 tablespoon (1 1/4 American tablespoons) of tiny marigold leaves
1 tablespoon (1 1/4 American tablespoons) of Myrtle berries
2 tablespoons (2 1/2 American tablespoons) of lemon verbena granita
2 teaspoons of marigold petals
Place the orange segments and diced cucumber in a bowl and add the honey and lemon juice. Stir very gently to mix. Be careful not to break up the orange segments. Taste and correct the sweetness if necessary with a few more drops of lemon juice. Add the marigold leaves and myrtle berries to the bowl, mixing them in gently. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
To serve, divide the orange mixture and its juices between 4 shallow bowls. Place 1 dessertspoon of granita on top of the fruit and finally sprinkle on the marigold petals.
Serve immediately.
Lemon Verbena Granita
This is a master recipe in that the leaf of choice, lemon verbena in this case, can be successfully replaced by others. The first time I made this recipe, I used blackcurrant leaves as in the leaves from a blackcurrant bush. For a few weeks in May, the leaves are highly scented and you end up with an ice that is pure white in colour, but tasting intensely of blackcurrants. Fabulous. Interestingly, the leaves of redcurrant or white currant bushes are not scented at all and not suitable for this recipe. If you have currant bushes in your garden, and as they will not be in fruit when you are making this recipe, in which case you may not be able to remember which bush is which, just pick a leaf off each bush, rub it between your fingers to release its aroma, and if it smells intensely of currant, then that’s it. Many other leaves such as spearmint, lemon balm and rose or lemon scented geranium all work brilliantly. Elderflowers, though not a leaf but with a heady muscat flavoured scent, also work really well. As this is a granita we are expecting a slightly coarse, flaky and icy texture, so forget about your ice cream scoop here and just spoon it into pretty serving dishes. You will not need an ice cream machine here, though if you have one and freeze the mixture in the machine, it will then be a sorbet. The recipe is simple but watch out for the subtleties involved, such as using cold water with the sugar when cooking the leaves to draw out their flavour and allowing the syrup to cool completely before adding the lemon juice. The granita will keep for several weeks in the freezer but is considerably better when eaten as soon as possible after it has been frozen.
This granita of lemon verbena is good on its own but is even better when served with a splash of a dry sparkling wine. Serve as a light and refreshing dessert or as an equally light and refreshing starter on a scorching Summer’s day.
Briefly explained
Make a syrup with the leaves, sugar and cold water.
Cool the syrup.
Add the lemon juice, mix, strain out the leaves and freeze.
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The ingredients
Lemon verbena, a wonderful citrus scented herb is used to flavour many sweet dishes such as mousses, creams and ices. The sharp pointy leaves are intensely lemony and make an utterly refreshing ice.
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Serves 6-8
3 handfuls of lemon verbena leaves
225g (8oz/1 cup) granulated sugar
600ml (1 pint/2 1/2 cups) cold water
3 lemons
Place the leaves, sugar and cold water in a saucepan. Place over a moderate heat. Stir occasionally to encourage the sugar to dissolve and bring it to a simmer. Allow it to simmer gently for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool until it is completely cold. You will end up with a pale green syrup. Juice the lemons and add to the syrup and right before your eyes you will see the green tinge leaving your syrup. Strain out the leaves through a sieve and I usually press on the leaves to extract as much flavour as I can. Place the strained syrup in a wide container and freeze until set. Remove from the freezer and break up the ice with a fork. It will look like a slushy mess. Refreeze and repeat the process twice more, three times if you can bear it, and eventually you will end up with the distinctive shard like consistency of a granita. Refreeze covered until you are ready to serve it. I serve it in coloured glasses or glass bowls, with a single relevant leaf to decorate and a splash of chilled sparkling wine
As 2015 comes hurtling to a close, I thought it might be fun and interesting to have a look at food and drink trends for 2016.
Sales of processed and junk food appear to have peaked (2005) and continue to slide. A recent New York Times article analysing future trends reported a seismic shift in our culture away from processed food towards whole, real, fresh foods Consumer demands for natural and less processed food and drink are already forcing companies to remove artificial ingredients from their products and to replace them with more natural formulations.
McDonald’s in the US responding to consumer pressure now  plan use eggs sourced from cage-free hens and antibiotic free chicken.
Joanna Blythman’s book Swallow This – Serving up the Food Industry’s Darkest Secrets has been hugely influential in informing the general public about what happens behind closed doors in food processing.
Clean labels, climate change, concerns about waste and other natural phenomenon are also affecting the worldwide food supply.
Sustainability is now a necessity for the bottom line and the common good.
The growing emphasis on physical fitness and diet has spawned a whole new craze and market for ‘clean foods’, energy and sports drinks, vegetable juices, raw foods and food that supposedly make us ‘glow’ with good health. The Spiralizer (a gadget to make spaghetti from vegetables) and the Nutribullet are still selling like ‘hot cakes’ as the juice craze continues to endure.
As food allergies and intolerances become more widespread (a symptom of how our food is produced to provide max yield at minimum cost) desperation grows, to find alternatives – non-dairy, non gluten and ‘free-from’ foods continue to gain more shelf space. Looks like ‘alternative’s’ could be set to become main stream.
Do you have any allergies? is a standard question in restaurants. There are now 14 allergens that restaurants need to be aware of.
The growing distrust of large multinational corporations has given a boost to the artisan food and drink sector. This situation doesn’t appear to be going to change anytime soon. There’s a craving for real, honest, handmade,  homemade……
The FSAI and Taste Council of Ireland added gravitas in May 2015 when they published guidelines for the Use of Food Marketing Terms. There also seems to be a growing realization that the quality of food and indeed drink from small production systems is generally quite different to that of large intensive enterprises. Hopefully this will prompt a growing appreciation of the quality produce from the family farms of Ireland.
Our shopping habits are gradually changing – little, often, local….
On line shopping, apps that simplify online and mobile ordering and delivery services are beginning to have a real impact.  Restaurateurs in the US and the UK are nervously watching the E-revolution and the trend of ‘home delivery’ and services like Munchery, who deliver restaurant quality food from a production kitchen to your door cutting out restaurants altogether.
‘Fine Dining is over’, sounds a bit dramatic but our eating habits have changed dramatically during the last decade. Casual restaurants and cafes offering fresh, seasonal, edgy food are’ jammers’ while many of the ‘starred’ establishments are finding it more difficult to fill. Small and shared plates are becoming a preferred way to eat.
Food has shot to the top of the agenda in so many areas, TV food programmes like The Great British Bake Off and competitions like Masterchef are super popular ….Food supplements are guaranteed to boost newspaper  and magazine sales .. …….
The rise of a ‘food centric media’ has apparently sparked a new interest in cooking. The number of food blogs has skyrocketed. For young people, its ‘cool to cook’ at home and share your creations via social media – it must be ‘good enough to tweet’.
A whole range of small food business have proliferated, cupcakes to spice mixes, macaroons and cake pops to falafel, mozzarella to charcuterie…
Food carts and food trucks have enabled many passionate young people to get started in the food business.
Vegetables are at last beginning to move to the centre of the plate. The interest in ‘natural’ has boosted sales of ancient grains and super foods. There growing suspicion of tricky chemical concoctions has prompted a revival of interest in traditional and indigenous diets, ‘historical’ ingredients and food processing the ‘natural and old fashioned way’.
Meanwhile, scientists have made huge strides in mapping our DNA and so we will see diets designed specifically for our personal genetic makeup in the not too distant future.
Soylent, a meal replacement beverage, described as a ‘staple meal’, is now in production. My heart sinks at the thought of that being the future of food but obviously many investors have high hopes for this becoming a reality.
Fat is shedding its ‘demonic image’ as the public gradually becomes aware of the lack of any research to link fat to cardio vascular disease. So we now see that butter is back and not just duck or goose fat but dripping and lard are also having their ‘moment’. And surprise, surprise we’ve rediscovered, not just how delicious but also how properly nutritious they are. Well done, to butcher Pat Whelan from Clonmel, Co Tipperary, for leading the revival of interest in dripping of which both my own mother and mother in law Myrtle Allen were always great proponents.
Sugar is the new fat, although it takes time to change ingrained habits the impact is already being acutely felt.
Sales of soft drinks and juices are plummeting and food manufactures are reducing sugar in their products or using alternative substitutes.
Foods
Broths, particularly home broths are huge.
Sales of almond milk have over taken from soya.
Coconut products of all kinds both food and cosmetics are vaporizing off the shelves.
The health benefits seem to be endless!
Sugar substitutes, xylitol, agave, date syrup, honey, maple syrup….Be cautious,  many of these may well be beneficial in their natural state but when highly processed……the jury is still out on whether they are better.
Sales of avocados have had a huge boost from the raw and ‘clean food’ craze and are widely used in both sweet and savoury recipes – careful seek out organic avocados if at all possible.
The popularity of kale still endures but cauliflower, cabbage and brussel sprouts have made a remarkable come back, thanks to the ‘healthy eating ‘brigade. Chefs have shown us how versatile they are. Roasted, shredded, spiced, on pizzas,  in pilaffs….cauliflower rice is a terrific new discovery.
Who could have predicted that fermenting and pickling food would become the trendiest pastime in 2015? We now realize that the live probiotics in fermented and pickled food are enormously beneficial for our gut flora.
Homemade, home churned, housemade butter and natural sourdough breads are now a regular feature of top restaurant menus.
If you’d like to learn the simple secrets of how to make kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, kefir….you might want to consider one of the Fermentation Courses at the Ballymaloe Cookery School – see the website www.cookingisfun.ie – we’ve been running them since 2014.
Whether for dietary or for medicinal reasons, there is a marked increase in the number of people avoiding dairy and gluten. The dairy industry need to be acutely aware that we mess with the quality of our dairy products at our peril….
Watch the rise in micro dairies mirror other areas where the consumer wants to know exactly how their product is produced and where. ….
In-house Smoke Houses -smoking foods in restaurants and at home is a new party trick – everything from fish, meat, vegetables to chilli and even chocolate. See how to smoke in a biscuit box in Forgotten Skills, page 472, published by Kyle Books in 2009.
Cooking over fire….. Guess who’s coming to the Kerrygold Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine from May 20th-22nd 2016 – Francis Mallmann. Tickets go on sale on January 12th 2016 at midday, tel 021 4645777 or litfest.ie
Seaweed in everything, from beer to icecream.
Raw fish – ceviche and tartare are becoming main stream. Bottarga and cured mullet roe are also gaining popularity.
Heirloom varieties and rare breeds continue to gather momentum
Single estate chocolate, coffee and teas are garnering ever more devotees
Movements
Butchering classes everywhere seem to be oversubscribed, ‘Lad culture’ grows, shooting, plucking, gutting, skinning, even the girls are at it – rediscovering and relearning the valuable traditional skills
Growing – the urban farming and gardening movement is an astonishing worldwide phenomenon, people are growing on roofs, up walls, down walls on window sills, in disused ‘parking lots’. Allotments are oversubscribed, check out Grow Food not Lawns foodnotlawns.com
A myriad of miracle diets as desperation grows, vegan, paleo…volumetrics, iets…The popularity of the Meat Free Monday Movement has astounded many.
Wild and Foraged foods is an enduring trend and using pebbles, seaweed, spruce shells …to serve food in as natural an environment as possible.
As people gradually discover that campylobacter and salmonella is a given on intensely produced poultry, there is a dawning realization that we may now need to go back to the days when chicken was a rare treat but are we prepared to pay the €20-€25 euros it really costs to produce an excellent organic free range bird.
There’s a lot more but enough ‘food for thought’ for today.
Happy New Year to you and yours and Happy Cooking in 2016
Drinks
The natural wine movement is gradually sparking public interest fuelled by the alarming number of people who cannot drink cheap wine any longer without ill effects. We’re not just talking ‘hang over’. ….A growing number of top restaurants are selling only organic, bio dynamic and natural wines. Watch this space……
House made sodas and homemade lemonades.
Water kefir, kombucha and a variety of fermented drinks are making an appearance on supermarket shelves as their benefits for our gut flora are more widely understood.
Sales of procesco and cava have outstripped champagne by more than 7/1/.
Cocktails and mocktails have become even more exciting and creative.
The growth in the craft beer, artisan distillers has seriously impacted on the multinational companies as the craving for brews and spirits of character grow
Olia Hercules Armenian Pickles
My Aunt Nina’s grandmother, Liza from Karabakh, used to make this using mountain spring water, and the taste of those pickles was incomparable. Beetroot is often added to Armenian pickles for colour, which is similar to how it is made in the Middle East. These pickles are delicious and we eat them in the summer and in winter. You can buy horseradish leaves and dill stalks in bunches from Polish delis specially for pickling, but if you can’t find them or the blackcurrant and cherry leaves, just substitute with some spices or aromatics that you like (celery would be great) or simply leave them out.
Makes a 3 litre
(5¼ pint) jar
2 beetroots, peeled and sliced into discs
½ small white cabbage, sliced into wedges
200g (7oz) mixed runner beans or French beans, tailed
4 spring onions
1 head of new garlic, left whole, outer layer peeled
50g (2oz) dill heads or stalks
2 horseradish leaves, or 50g (2oz) fresh horseradish, chopped
2 blackcurrant leaves
2 sour cherry leaves
1 litre (1¾ pints) water
3 tablespoons sea salt flakes
10 black peppercorns
Place the beetroot at the bottom of a warm, sterilized 2 litre (3½ pint) preserving jar, then top with the cabbage wedges, beans, spring onions, garlic and all the aromatics, apart from the peppercorns.
Bring the water, salt and peppercorns to the boil in a saucepan, then pour over the vegetables. Make sure everything is submerged, then seal and leave in a warm part of your kitchen (25°C/77°F) for about
3 days to pickle, then store in the refrigerator. The beetroot will gradually turn everything a deep pink. It should keep unopened for several months.
From Mamushka: Recipes from Ukraine & beyond by Olia Hercules, Photography by Kris Kirkham, published by Mitchell Beazley
Honey Cake
This is for honey lovers who are not scared of weird cake making methods. You can use a good-quality crème fraîche to make the icing, but what you are looking for here is a beautiful balance between slightly sour and honeycomb sweet.
Serves 8–10
200g (7oz) butter, cubed and chilled, plus extra for greasing
2 egg s, lightly beaten
200g (7oz) golden caster sugar
200ml (7fl oz) clear honey
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
300g (10oz) plain flour
150–200g (5–7oz) pecans, half left whole, the rest toasted and roughly crushed
Cream
500ml (7fl oz) soured cream
100g (3½ oz) golden caster sugar
grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, and lightly butter 4 x 24cm (9½ inch) cake tins (or use 2 in batches).
Mix the eggs, butter, sugar and honey together in a large heatproof bowl and place it over a small saucepan of simmering water. Give it a stir, to help the butter to melt, then whisk with an electric whisk until the mixture becomes warm and fluffy. Let it cool.
Place the bicarbonate of soda in a cup and pour the vinegar over the soda, then tip the foaming mixture into the honey mixture and give it a vigorous stir.
Gradually fold in the flour to form a thick but fluid batter. Spoon one-quarter of the mixture into each prepared cake tin and bake for 15 minutes or until deep golden. The sponges will still be soft while warm, so let them cool before taking them out of their tins.
For the cream, put the soured cream into a large bowl and whisk with an electric whisk. Add the sugar and whisk some more, then add the lemon zest and juice and whisk again until the cream is fluffy. Use
half the cream to sandwich the 4 sponge layers together, then use the remaining cream to cover the top and sides.
Decorate the sides with the crushed nuts. Use the pecan halves to decorate the top of the cake. Alternatively, crush all the nuts and sprinkle them evenly all over.
From Mamushka: Recipes from Ukraine & beyond by Olia Hercules, Photography by Kris Kirkham, published by Mitchell Beazley
Anna Jones’ Three Vibrant Dips
These are three quick and easy dips that I keep in my fridge on rotation. They are great for boosting quick meals and for quickly slathering on sandwiches. But more than anything, these are what I snack on. I dip cracker or a carrot into whichever of these happens to be in the fridge. With these in my kitchen my 4pm raid of the biscuit tin is often avoided.
Red Lentil and Lemon Hummus
2 cloves of garlic
200 g red lentils, rinsed
Juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons tahini
A good pinch of dried chilli
1 tablespoon olive oil
To serve
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Chopped herbs or cresses (I use baby amaranth)
Bash the garlic and put into a small pan with the rinsed lentils. Cover with cold water and cook the lentils until tender and mashable, then drain and remove the skins of the garlic. Blitz the lot until whipped and smooth, add all the other ingredients and blitz again. Top with toasted seeds and the herbs.
Beetroot, Walnut and Date
1 x 250 g packet of cooked vacuum-packed beetroot
4 dates
2 tablespoons regular or coconut yoghurt
Small bunch of fresh dill
2 unwaxed lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
Handful of toasted walnuts
Blitz the beetroots, dates, yoghurt and half the bunch of dill with the zest and juice of the lemon and the oil, and season well with salt and pepper. Throw in the toasted walnuts and blitz again, keeping a bit of texture if you like; I like mine smooth.
Indian Green Dip
200g frozen peas
a small bunch of fresh coriander
a small bunch of fresh mint
1–2 green chillies
2 unwaxed limes
20g from a block of coconut cream
Fill and boil a kettle and get your ingredients together. Cover the peas with boiling water and put aside for a few minutes. Finely chop the coriander and mint and put
into a bowl. Finely chop the green chillies, zest of both limes, and add both to the bowl, along with the juice of one of the limes. Season well with salt and pepper.
Drain the peas and mash well, then add them to the herbs. Grate over the coconut cream and mix well.
flatbreads if you are hungry. Bear in mind that if you use brown rice it will take about 20 minutes to cook.
Serves 4 as a light meat, 2 as a main
100g basmati rice (I use brown)
a bunch of curly kale, green or purple (about 200g)
the zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
3 spring onions
2 tablespoons coconut oil
the zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lime
1 tablespoon sumac (optional)
2 tablespoons good olive oil
1 teaspoon runny honey
6 medjool dates
Fill and boil a kettle and get all your ingredients and a large frying pan together. Cook the rice in a small saucepan of boiling salted water until cooked – this will take 10–15 minutes.
Meanwhile, pull the kale from its stems and shred the leaves with a knife or tear into small pieces with your hands. Put the leaves into a bowl, then add the zest and juice of the lemon and a good pinch of salt and scrunch it in your hands for a minute to break it down a little. Chop the spring onions finely and add them to the bowl. Once the rice is cooked, drain it well. Put a large frying pan on the heat and when it’s hot, add the rice with no oil and dry-fry for a couple of minutes to get rid of any moisture.
Remove the rice from the pan, then put the pan back on the heat, add half the coconut oil at a time and fry the rice in two batches until starting to turn lightly brown and really crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and sprinkle with salt.
Now make your dressing. Put the zest and juice of the lime into
a screw top jar with the sumac, if using, and 2 tablespoons of olive oil, add the honey and a pinch of salt and pepper. Put on the lid and shake to combine. De-stone and roughly chop the dates and add to the kale. Once the rice is almost cool, add it to the kale and toss in the dressing.
From Anna Jones’ a modern way to cook
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Anna Jones’ Bay and Saffron-Roasted Cauliflower
Something magical happens to a cauliflower when you roast it. I usually turn to Indian spices when I think of cauliflower, but one bright May Day I turned to the sunshine warmth of saffron. My bay tree was in full bloom and so this mellow but cheerfully favoured vegetable found its way into my oven. I throw in a handful of golden raisins for some sweetness and some almonds for crunch. Leftovers are delicious stirred through pasta with a little extra olive oil – conchiglie (shells) work well. I love the sight of a cauliflower – it’s a pretty vegetable to me, with its milky curds wrapped in pale leaves and the tiny little green leaves that cling to the sides in an act of complete protection. Keep those little leaves on – they are bright and tasty and look so pretty. If you can get your hands on a coloured cauliflower (vivid purple and orange are my favourites), then you’ve got added antioxidants too and your dinner will be fluoro. I make this with spiky Romanesco, too, when it’s about – its pale green looks amazing against the saffron.
Serves 4
2 pinches of saffron strands
1 large or 2 small cauliflowers (approx. 1kg), leaves clicked off, head broken into medium florets, stalk roughly chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and finely sliced
1 tablespoon Turkish chilli flakes or a good pinch of dried chilli flakes
3 bay leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A handful of raisins, (I use golden ones)
A handful of almonds, roughly chopped
a bunch of fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°F/gas 6.
Put the saffron into a little bowl, cover it with a couple of teaspoons of boiling water and leave it to steep. Get a large deep baking tray, throw in the cauliflower, onions, chilli flakes and bay leaves, and season with salt and pepper.
Once the saffron has steeped, pour in the saffron strands and their liquid, add the raisins and almonds, toss everything together, then cover the lot with foil and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for a further 10–15 minutes, until the tips are burnished and the cauliflower is tender to the bite.
There’s always a big flurry of new cookbooks published in time for the Christmas pressie market. You may already have one or two but if perchance you still have a couple of spare gift tokens hanging around, swing by your local bookshop they may have some special after Christmas offers. Here are a few of my favourite 2015 titles.
Several exciting new voices are emerging on the food scene. Anna Jones first book A Modern Way to Eat published in 2014, really piqued my curiosity. The sequel A Modern Way to Cook is one of my stand out books of the year.
Olia Hercules, another hot new talent, who brings us a taste of little known East European food . In her new book Mamushka, she casts a spotlight on the food of her native Ukraine and neighbouring countries whetting our appetites with her evocative prose, charming reminisces and super delicious recipes. She completed a diploma in Leith’s in London, did a spell in Italy and an inspirational stint with Yotam and Sami at Ottlenghi in London. Then it was home to record her mum and grandma’s recipes……she followed them round the kitchen with a scales and measuring spoons in an effort to accurately record their pinches, handfuls and glugs of this and that. I loved this fascinating and enchanting book.
Sabrina Ghayour, a self-taught chef is yet another beauty. Her debut cookbook Persiana has become an instant classic. She was named by the Observer Food magazine as one of the Rising Stars of 2014 and the Evening Standard named her as one of the 1,000 most influential people in London. Sabrina focuses on Persian and Middle Eastern Cooking.  Page after page of tempting, fresh tasting recipes that made me want to dash into the kitchen and roll up my sleeves. If you haven’t already discovered Sabrina, she’s another one to watch and her book Persiana is definitely worth parting with one of your precious gift tokens for.
I love anything Nigel Slater writes and his latest A Year of Good Eating Kitchen Diaries iii doesn’t disappoint. I also loved Sally Clarke’s 30 Ingredients. She’s a beautiful cook – recipes for the sort of food we really enjoy.  Alice Waters’ new book, My Pantry which she wrote with her daughter Fanny Singer is a sweet collection of essays and recipes. A charming little book where they share the simple building blocks that they use to create comforting impromptu meals all year round.
Tartine, Techniques and Recipes by Cortney Burns and Nicolaus Balla is another of my books of the year. Bread baking buffs will already have Tartine, Tartine Bread amd Tartine No. 3, but this book is quite different. Here Cortney and Nicolaus focus on fermented and pickled foods and share the secrets of the experimental journey they’ve been on for over a decade. Last time I was in San Francisco, they took me through the kitchen and pantry where they’re were all manner of things bubbling in barrels and jars in every corner. They were breathless with excitement about their discoveries and the book they were writing and now they have accepted our invitation to join us for the Kerrygold Litfest this year from May 20th -22nd 2016. www.litfest.ie
According to Tom Tivnan – features editor of trade magazine The Bookseller, the biggest trend so far this year are so called ‘clean eating cookbooks’. Cookbook sales are up this year by 10% plus. An astonishing 13,000 cookbooks were published world of which 1,800 were aimed at the so called ‘healthy eating brigade’. 8/10 books sold in 2015 was aimed at this market.
Ella Woodward’s Deliciously Ella has been the runaway success of the year.
On the Irish publishing scene, there have been several ‘stand out’ books this year. Rachel Allen’s new book Coast to accompany her coastal cooking series has tremendous appeal as has the long awaited Cooking at the Ballymore Inn by Georgina O Sullivan. Simple and delicious recipes loved by devotees of Barry and Georgina’s Inn in Ballymore Eustace in Co Kildare.
The K Club Cookbook from producer to plate is an elaborate production,  a handsome hard back which would make a super present for a keen ambitious cook. Donal Skehan’s star continues to rise. His  newest book Fresh has also been warmly received. Last but not least, a book closely connected to rural life, the Irish Country Women’s Association Book of Home and Family, has been a tremendous success. If you haven’t already got a copy, seek it out for its selection of time honoured favourites.
Georgina O’ Sullivan’s Penang Beef with Fresh Green Chutney
Make this a day or two ahead and the flavours will settle and improve, and it can be kept in the fridge. The tamarind adds a slightly sweet-sour flavour to curries. It’s sold two ways, in blocks of pulp which needs to be mixed with warm water and strained to remove the hard black seeds, or in jars as a concentrated paste.
Serves 8-10 /1 hour preparation and 1½ hours to cook /a little effort
Start with the onions: in a large pan heat a tablespoon of the oil and brown the onions really well. If they are browning too quickly, add a splash of water and continue cooking (you don’t need more oil). When the onions are browned, transfer to a large deep casserole.
Next blend the spice paste: place all the ingredients in a processor and whiz for a minute. Remove and add to the beef and onions. Then, in a small pan, roast the coriander and cumin seeds, grind in a coffee/spice grinder and add to the casserole with the turmeric, peanuts, coconut milk, tomatoes and seasoning, cover and cook gently for 1 hour 30 minutes or until the beef is tender. Taste for seasoning: you want a good balance of flavours – hot, sour, sweet and salty – garnish with chopped fresh coriander, extra red chilli and peanuts.
To serve: this curry goes well with basmati rice or flatbread and it goes especially well with fresh green chutney (see overleaf for recipe).
To make the chutney place the yogurt in a bowl. Put the herbs, chillies and salt in the processor with 1 tablespoon of the yogurt. Whiz to a paste, then stir the mixture through the remaining yogurt in the bowl and taste for seasoning.
Start by cutting the chicken into 8 pieces. If you have the time, use the wing tips and backbone to make some stock. Set the oven to Gas 4/180˚C/350°F. Heat a pan with a tablespoon of the oil, add the chillies and garlic and cook gently for a few minutes, set aside. Grind the cumin seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, then take half the cumin and add to the flour in a bowl with the seasoning and mix well. Add the chilli and garlic mixture to the remaining cumin in the mortar and pestle and mix to a paste.
Next coat the chicken pieces in the cumin-seasoned flour, heat the remaining oil in a large pan and brown the chicken on all sides. Add the spice paste and stock, mix well, cover the pan and cook in the oven for 40 minutes, until fully cooked: digital probe 75ËšC. Check the seasoning and serve the chicken with rice, alongside a bowl of mixed salad leaves.
Sally Clarke’s Spiced Pumpkin, Tomato and Chickpea Stew
Although this is a rustic dish, and should therefore look a little ‘homely’ when presented, it is advisable to take care when slicing the vegetables, so that the individual ingredients look uniform in shape and size.
2 kg pumpkin or squash, blue hubbard, crown prince, onion squash or similar
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp coriander seeds
½tsp yellow or black mustard seeds
4 cardamom pods
100ml vegetable or light olive oil
2 cloves garlic crushed to a cream
1 small green or red chilli, finely chopped (with seeds if extra heat is preferred)
Large handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Wash the pumpkin or squash and cut into large wedges. Remove the tough outer skin and the hard seeds. Cut into pieces the size of a walnut.
In a small pan gently heat all the spices together for a few minutes or until they are fragrant. Do not allow them to burn. Remove the husks of the cardamom and add the seeds to the remaining spices. Crush them together in a pestle and mortar or grind in a spice grinder.
Heat the oil and spices together in a large, heavy-based pan with the garlic and chilli, over a medium heat, stirring continuously to avoid burning.
When the oil starts to become aromatic (approximately 1 –2 min – utes), add the pumpkin, onion, celery and fennel, stir well, coating everything in the infused oil. Add salt and cook together for a few minutes until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the stock and the chopped coriander stalks and cover with a lid. Simmer for up to 20 minutes or until the vegetables have become tender throughout.
Meanwhile blanch the tomatoes for a few seconds in a pan of boiling water. Remove to a bowl of iced water, then peel.
Roughly chop the tomatoes and add to the stew with the chickpeas and continue to simmer for a further 5-10 minutes.
Taste for seasoning and add the parsley and coriander leaves before serving alongside steamed rice, crushed potatoes, baked polenta or just by itself as a robust soup.
Sally Clarke’s Campari, Clementine and Vanilla Sorbet with Clementine Zest Madelines
For the sorbet
100ml water
200 g caster sugar
½ vanilla pod, split lengthwise
600ml freshly squeezed clementine juice (15 –20 clementines)
150ml Campari
For the madeleines
Zest of 3 clementines
2 eggs
110 g caster sugar
110 g flour, plus extra for preparing the tin
90 g melted butter, plus extra for preparing the tin
To make the sorbet. Bring the water, sugar and vanilla pod to the boil and simmer for 5–10 minutes or until some of the vanilla seeds have been released. When cool, scrape a few more seeds into the syrup, rinse the pod and keep for another use. Add the clementine juice to the syrup and then the Campari. Stir well and pour into an ice cream machine and churn following the manufactuer’s instructions. Just before it is firm, scoop into a freezer container and freeze for up to 1 week, although this sorbet will be best served within a few hours. Serve with a warm madeleine on the side.
To make the Madelines
Clementines are not as easy as oranges to zest – as they are softer and smaller – it is tricky to get any ‘purchase’ on the fruit whilst grating the rind. The important part is not to collect any pith as you grate, so slowly and gently does it. Lightly whisk the eggs and sugar with the clementine zest until very frothy. Using the whisk, fold in the sieved flour and then the cooled butter. Leave to rest for up to 30 minutes, covered in a cool place.
Preheat the oven to 180˚C/350°F/gas mark 4. Brush the madeleine moulds generously with soft butter, sprinkle with flour and knock out the excess. This will ensure that the little cakes, once cooked, fall out of the moulds with ease. With a dessert spoon or large teaspoon, scoop the filling into the moulds, almost to the rims. Bake for 10–12 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden. Leave to cool for a few minutes then tap them out of the tin and serve as soon as possible
Bar Tartine’s Overgrown Garden Pickles
Turn to this recipe in late summer when your garden goes into overdrive or when there is a deal on the ugly but delicious vegetables at the farmers’ market. It’s a simple technique that can be used for almost any vegetable, resulting in a glut of pickles to enjoy well into the winter months.
Makes 11.5 litres
Enough whole vegetables such as cucumbers, (flower ends removed), summer squash, onions, carrots, beets, green tomatoes, green beans to fill an 11.5 litre container
280 g (2 cups) kosher salt
7.5 litres (14 pints/8 quart) water
8 garlic cloves
4 shallots, peeled
5 serrano or jalapeno chillies, or any hot chillies from the garden, stemmed
2 bunches of fresh dill
Fresh herb sprigs such as basil, tarragon, parsley or marjoram for garnish
Fennel oil or extra virgin olive oil for garnish
Put all of the vegetables in an 11.5 litre non-reactive container. In a separate non-reactive container, dissolve the salt in the water to make a brine. Transfer about 480 ml (18 fl oz/2 cups) of the brine to a blender; add the garlic, shallots and chillies; process on high speed, pour the puree into the remaining salt brine and stir to mix well. Add the dill bunches to the vegetables, then pour the brine over them. Top the vegetables with a weight to keep them submerged in the brine. Seal the container, using a lid with an airlock, if you have one. If you have sealed it without an airlock, open the container every few days or so to release carbon dioxide build up and check for mould. Place in a clean, well-protected low light area with an ambient temperature 16-20C/60-68F until the pickles taste sour, about 1 month. Refrigerate for up to a year.
To serve – slice the pickles into bit size pieces and return them to the brine. Refrigerate until serving, for up to one year. We like to garnish these pickles with torn garden herbs and fennel oil.
Last week I was asked a seemingly simple question by a food writer – ‘which do you love most – Christmas dinner or the leftovers’, well now, doesn’t that set you thinking…..
Even when you are super organised, Christmas dinner is still quite a mission, but whipping up some recycled leftovers is a more chilled affair entirely. I love the improvisation and creative challenge of incorporating dollops of this and that into something entirely different. Think Asian, Moroccan, Middle Eastern and Mexican as well as traditional favourites.
So let’s think what you might have left over apart from the usual morsels of turkey, ham or goose, maybe plum pudding, stale bread, cranberries, sprouts….
Several of these, eg cranberries can be frozen for another time and the sauce itself (see last week’s recipe) is good for months. Mincemeat has a long shelf life, a year at least and can gradually be used when the fancy takes you. It makes delicious Eccles cakes and Pear, Frangipane and Mincemeat tart, all very morish when served warm. Add a teaspoon of mincemeat to a basic muffin recipe and serve them warm with left over brandy or rum butter, no need to apolgise for that, in fact there could well be a ‘scrap’ to get the last morsel.
Fresh or frozen cranberries can also be added to muffins or a cranberry loaf popped into ice cubes with a fresh mint leaf to enhance Christmas lemonades and sodas. They are also super delicious added to pear compote. Apple and cranberry chutney goes deliciously with pork or some cold duck or goose. Left over bread of all kinds can of course be frozen, made into breadcrumbs for gratins or pannagratto or as a basis for a bread and butter pudding.
We’ve also got delicious recipes for mincemeat and for a Cranberry and Raisin bread and butter pudding.
Brussel Sprouts keep well in a cold larder or a fridge but basically they are best when they are really fresh. Do try them roasted or shredded into salads or quickly blanched and dressed as a last minute addition to risotto or a pilaff rice with lots of grated Parmesan or Coolea cheese and maybe a few crisp cubes of chorizo or Merquez sausage scattered over the top.
The remains of the ham is a bonus rather than a bother, apart from sandwiches and wraps, it can be eaked out in toasties, croque monsieur and eggs benedict. So here are some more recommendations to whet your appetite and empty out your fridge and pantry in a fun and delicious way
Hot Tips
Watch out for RTE’s Christmas cookery programmes. My brother Rory O’ Connell and I have just shot two programmes, first of which will be shown on Tuesday December 22nd 2015.
O’ Connell’s Restaurant in Donnybrook, Dublin have the iconic O’ Connell Sherry Trifle back this year. A perfect gift for trifle devotees. Available in three sizes. The trifle comes in a glass bowl, topped with berries, gift wrapped and ready to serve. Tel: 01 269 6116 or http://oconnellsrestaurant.com
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Eggs Benedict
This recipe is a combination of two forgotten skills: poaching eggs and making Hollandaise sauce (which also involves eggs). It is the perfect breakfast for a lazy weekend.
Serves 4 (or 2 if very hungry)
Hollandaise Sauce (see recipe)
4 organic eggs
4 slices good sourdough bread or 2 English muffins or 2 bagels
butter
4 slices home-cooked ham or 8 rashers good bacon, cooked
First, make the Hollandaise sauce and keep it warm. Poach the eggs. Meanwhile, toast the bread, muffins or bagels. Slather a little butter on the hot bread and lay a slice of ham or freshly cooked crispy bacon on the base. Prop a beautifully poached egg on top and coat generously with the Hollandaise sauce.
Hollandaise Sauce
A classic Hollandaise is based on a reduction of dry white wine, vinegar and finely chopped shallots. In the version we make at the Cookery School we simply emulsify rich butter with egg yolks by whisking and then sharpen with a little lemon juice. Unless you have a heavy-based saucepan, don’t attempt this recipe without a bain-marie. Even on the lowest heat, cooking a Hollandaise sauce in a pot that isn’t heavy-based may scramble the eggs.
Once the sauce is made, it must be kept warm, though the temperature should not go above 80ºC (180ºF), or the sauce will curdle. A thermos flask can provide a simple solution on a small scale; otherwise put the sauce into a Delft or plastic bowl in a saucepan of hot, but not simmering, water. Hollandaise sauce cannot be reheated very successfully so it’s best to make just the quantity you need. If, however you have a little left over, use it to enrich other sauces or mashed potatoes. When it solidifies, it makes a delicious Hollandaise butter to melt over fish.
Serves 4–6
2 organic egg yolks
125g (5oz) butter, cut into dice
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Put the egg yolks in a heavy, stainless-steel saucepan on a low heat or in a bowl over hot water. Add 2 teaspoons water and whisk thoroughly. Add the butter bit by bit, whisking all the time. As soon as one piece melts, add the next piece. The mixture will gradually thicken, but if it shows signs of becoming too thick or slightly scrambling, remove from the heat immediately and add a little cold water to cool it quickly. Do not leave the pan or stop whisking until the sauce is made. Finally add the lemon juice to taste.
If the sauce is slow to thicken it may be because you are excessively cautious and the heat is too low. Increase the heat slightly and continue to whisk until the sauce thickens to coating consistency.
It is important to remember that if you are making Hollandaise sauce in a saucepan directly over the heat, it should be possible to put your hand on the side of the saucepan at any stage. If the saucepan feels too hot for your hand, then it is also too hot for the sauce.
Another good tip if you are making Hollandaise sauce for the first time is to keep a bowl of cold water close by so you can plunge the base of the saucepan into it if becomes too hot.
Oaxacan Turkey Soup with Accompaniments
We love this light broth with lots of tasty accompaniment to add in at the table.
Serves 6
1.8 litres (3 pints/7 1/2 cups) well-flavoured, well skimmed and well-seasoned turkey or chicken stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper
225g (8ozs) shredded, cooked or raw turkey or chicken
Tasty Accompaniments
6 medium tomatoes, 5mm (1/4 inch) dice
2-3 ripe Hass avocados, 5mm (1/4 inch) dice
2 medium red onion, 5mm (1/4 inch) dice
3 green Serrano or Jalapeno chillies, thinly sliced
3 limes
3-4 corn tortillas
4-6 tablespoons (5- 7 1/2 American tablespoons) of coriander leaves or coarsely chopped
Put the turkey or chicken stock into a wide saucepan, bring to the boil. Taste and season, it should have a full rich flavour otherwise the soup with be bland and insipid.
Meanwhile cut each tortilla into 8 ‘chips’. Heat oil in a deep-fry to 180C. Cook a few at a time until crisp, drain on kitchen paper.
Just before serving.
Add the shredded turkey or chicken to the hot broth – I sometimes use scraps from the carcass from the stockpot but it could be raw or cooked, either brown or white meat. Cooked meat just needs to be reheated in the broth. Raw white meat will take a few minutes to cook and brown meat a little longer. Poach it gently so it doesn’t toughen. Taste again and correct the seasoning.
Ladle into soup bowls. Provide each guest with a side plate with some diced avocado, tomato, red onions, sliced green chilli, coriander leaves, tortilla chips and a segment of fresh lime to add to their soup as they choose.
Pilaff Rice with Yummy Left Overs
Although a risotto can be made in 20 minutes it entails 20 minutes pretty constant stirring which makes it feel rather laboursome. A pilaff on the other hand looks after itself once the initial cooking is underway. The pilaff is versatile – serve it as a staple or add whatever tasty bits you have to hand. Beware however of using pilaff as a dustbin, all additions should be carefully seasoned and balanced. Here we add turkey and ham.
Serves 8
1 oz (30g/1/4 stick) butter
2 tablespoons (2 American tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) finely chopped onion or shallot
Melt the butter in a casserole, add the finely chopped 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 turkey or chicken stock, cover and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a minimum and then simmer on top of the stove or in the oven 160C/325F/regulo 3 for 10 minutes approx. By then the rice should be just cooked and all the water absorbed. Just before serving stir in the turkey, ham and fresh herbs. Bubble for a couple of minutes and pour into a large serving dish and serve hot with a good salad of winter leaves.
Note
Basmati rice cooks quite quickly; other types of rice may take up to 15 minutes.
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Apple, Celery, Walnut and Turkey Salad
One of the few mixed salad combinations that works really well. The tart combination of apple and celery makes it an excellent counterbalance to rich meats such as duck or pork, and a perfect foil for leftover turkey, or it may be served as a first course on its own.
Serves 6
450-700g (1-1½lb) freshly cooked leftover turkey and shredded crispy skin
1/2 head of fresh crispy celery
225g (8oz) green dessert apples
225g (8oz) red dessert apples
2 tablespoons approx. lemon juice
1 level teaspoon castor sugar
5fl oz (150ml) homemade mayonnaise
2oz (50g) shelled fresh walnuts
Garnish
sprigs of watercress
freshly chopped parsley
Separate the celery, wash it and chop or julienne the stalks into 1 1/2 inch (4cm) lengths. Put them into a bowl of iced water for 15-30 minutes. Wash and core the apples, and cut into 1/2 inch (1cm) dice.
Make a dressing by mixing the freshly squeezed lemon juice, castor sugar and 1 tablespoon (1 American tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) of mayonnaise. Toss the diced apple in the dressing and let it stand while you prepare the remainder of the ingredients.
Chop the walnuts roughly. Add the celery and the walnuts to the diced apple with the turkey and the rest of the mayonnaise, and mix thoroughly. Taste and correct seasoning.
Garnish with sprigs of watercress and scatter some chopped parsley and the remainder of the chopped walnuts over the centre.
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Apple, Celery, Walnut and Fig Salad
Add 4ozs (110g) sliced dried figs to the above recipe with the walnuts.
Apple, Celery, Walnut and Turkey or Chicken Salad
Add 2 cooked and sliced turkey or chicken breasts to the salad with the celery. Serve as a main cours
Croque-Monsieur
A croque-monsieur is the quintessential Parisian sandwich.  It’s really no more than a grilled ham sandwich topped with grated cheese, but it appears in many different guises.  Sometimes a croque-monsieur is topped with a thick Mornay sauce, or transformed into a croque-madame with the addition of an egg.
Makes 1
A dab of butter
2 thin square slices best quality white bread (pain de mie in France)
1 slice best quality ham, cut to fit bread
1oz (25g) Gruyère cheese, grated
Preheat the grill.
Butter the slices of bread on one side. Place the slice of ham on one buttered side and cover with the other slice of bread.
Pop the sandwich under the grill and grill on one side until golden.  Remove, turn and cover the uncooked side with the grated cheese.  Return to the grill and cook until the cheese is bubbling and golden.
Eat immediately while hot – Bon appetit!
Russet Apple with Coolea Cheese, Brussel Sprouts, Hazelnuts and Apple Syrup
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This light, simple and refreshing salad has a wonderful Autumn freshness.
Serves 4
2 large Russet of Cox’s Orange Pippin apples
4 Brussels sprouts
12 -16 hazelnuts, toasted and thinly sliced or chopped
4 radicchio leaves
4 tablespoons (5 American tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon (1 American tablespoon + 1 teaspoon) freshly squeezed lemon juice
100g (3 1/2oz) Coolea cheese
4 teaspoons Highbank apple syrup
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Slice the apples and Brussels sprouts very thinly on a mandolin or by hand and place in a wide bowl. Add the hazelnuts and dress very gently with olive oil and lemon juice and season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Cut the radicchio leaves into strips or pull into bite sized pieces and divide between 4 plates or a large flat serving dish.
Spread the apple, sprout and hazelnut mixture over the radicchio in a single layer.
Peel, thin slices off the cheese using a vegetable peeler or cheese slicer and lay over the salad.
Drizzle 1 teaspoon of apple syrup over each salad and finish with a pinch of sea salt and serve as soon as possible.
Pearl Couscous, Turkey and Dried Cranberry Salad
I’m loving pear cous cous – looks like little bobbles and can be used as a pilaff or as an accompaniment to a meal.
Serves 8
4 tablespoons (5 American tablespoons) extra virgin olive oil
215g (7 1/2oz/1 cup) pearl couscous
450ml (2 cups) turkey, chicken or vegetable stock
150g (5oz/1 cups) dried cranberries
100g (3 1/2oz/3/4 cup) pine nuts toasted
50g (2oz/1 cup) spring onions, green and white parts thinly sliced at an angle
75g (3oz) approx. 1/2 red onion chopped and washed under cold water
zest of 1 organic lemon
freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon to taste
3-4 tablespoons (4-5 American tablespoons) coriander sprigs
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 lb (450 g) cooked, diced brown and white turkey meat and some crispy skin
Heat 2 tablespoons (2 1/2 American tablespoons) of the extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan, add the couscous and stir for 3 or 4 minutes until coated and toasted. Add the seasoned stock, bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the coucous is al dente. Drain, toss in the remaining 2 tablespoons (2 1/2 American tablespoons) olive oil and allow to cool.
When cold, add the dried cranberries, toasted pine nuts and chopped and sliced onions. Add the turkey meat. Grate on the lemon zest over the top, squeeze on some freshly squeezed lemon juice. Add the coriander leaves, toss, taste and pile into a bowl and serve.
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Pear and Cranberry Compote Â
Serves 6
6 Pears
225g (8oz) sugar
600ml (1 pint) water
A couple of strips of lemon peel and juice of ½ lemon
150 g (5 ozs/1 cup) of cranberries
Fresh mint leaves
Bring the sugar and water to the boil with the strips of lemon peel in a non-reactive saucepan. Meanwhile, peel the pears thinly, cut in half and core carefully with a melon baller or teaspoon, keeping a good shape. Put the pear halves into the syrup, cut side uppermost, add the lemon juice, cover with a paper lid and the lid of the saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer until the pears are just soft – the tip of a knife or skewer should go through without resistance. Add the cranberries, cook for 3-4 minutes or until they just burst. Turn into a serving bowl, chill and serve, on their own or with homemade vanilla ice-cream and fresh mint leaves if available.
Cranberry and Apple Jam
This is another dual-purpose jam that can be used as a sweet or savoury accompaniment. Delicious on scones or with curd cheese, cold turkey, ham, pork or venison.
Makes 7 x 450g (1lb) jars
1kg (2lb) Bramley’s Seedling cooking apples
1kg (2lb) cranberries
1.7kg (33â„4lb) granulated sugar, warmed
Peel, core and chop the apples. Put the chopped apple into a wide, stainless-steel saucepan and add the cranberries and 300ml (1â„2 pint) of water. Bring slowly to the boil and continue to cook over a medium heat until the apples and cranberries dissolve into a pulp. Add the warmed sugar and stir to dissolve. Increase the heat and cook until it reaches a set. Bottle in sterilised jars and cover while still hot. Store in a cool, dry place.
Mincemeat Cupcakes and Brandy Butter Cream
Makes 12
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150g (5oz) soft butter
150g (5oz) caster sugar
150g (5oz) self-raising flour
2 large free-range eggs
2 tabespoons milk
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3-4 tablespoons of mincemeat
Brandy Butter
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175g (6oz) butter, softened
150g (6oz) icing sugar
4 tablespoons brandy
Cream the butter, add the icing sugar, beat well.
Finally add the brandy.
1 cupcake tray lined with paper cases
Preheat oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4
Put all the ingredients except milk and mincemeat into a food processor, whizz until smooth 1-2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add milk and whizz again for a couple of seconds. Fold in 3 tablespoons of mincemeat.
Divide evenly between the bun cases, put 1 tablespoon of mixture in each case.
Alternatively, put a half tablespoon of the cake mixture into each case, put about a half teaspoon of mincemeat on top and cover with another half tablespoon of the mixture.
Bake for 20-25 minutes approx. Allow to cool on a wire rack.
Brandy Butter Cream
Cream the butter, add the icing sugar, beat well.
Finally add the brandy.
Pipe a rosette or blob of brandy butter cream on top and decorate with Christmas fancies.
It seems like most of our readers are total traditionalist because the requests have come flooding in for recipes for a time honoured Christmas dinner. Well here we are.
As well as the traditional roast turkey bolstered up with lots of our best loved fresh herb stuffing and all the trimmings, I’ve included a goose with our favourite potato stuffing, lots of gravy and tons of roast potatoes cooked in the goose fat – you’ll need to do twice the amount as they are so crunchy and irresistible. Slow cooked red cabbage will complement the goose deliciously but so too would a dish of cauliflower cheese or creamed celery – a bit 70s but so delicious.
Don’t forget to make a bowl of Bramley apple sauce – all of these vegetables, sauces, herb stuffings can be made ahead to lighten the pressure and work load on Christmas day. Brining the turkey also makes a phenomenal difference to the flavour, (see recipe).
Many families have a favourite starter. We love native Irish oysters as a starter on Christmas day. But I can well understand that they don’t tick everyone’s box. So how about another timeless favourite,  Grape, Melon and Mint. It’s light and refreshing and loved by everyone from toddlers to aged great aunts.
A green salad is essential after a rich meal. It has the magic potential to make you feel less full so you have room for pudding.
Make it with organic leaves for extra deliciousness and a few foraged greens, a subject for lively conversation.
There’s lots of navelwort or pennywort, wintercress, wood sorrel and watercress in season at present, these little gems are available in the urban areas as well as the countryside.
Christmas Desserts are easy, hopefully you have already make a juicy plum pudding, but if you haven’t managed to get to it,  it’s still not too late to whip it up. Alternatively, there are still some available – Peter Ward of Country Choice in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, make some of the best one I know and people are also talking about Clare Nash’s puddings…..
We also love to have a trifle, this too actually benefits from being made ahead but wait until Christmas morning to add the final embellishment of cream, cherries, angelica, hundreds and thousands, silver and gold baubles.
A citrus fruit salad would also be an inspired idea, if not for Christmas day certainly on St Stephen’s Day or Boxing Day when despite you’re good intentions you’re probably be feeling a touch bloated.
Either way, have lots of clementines, mandarins, satsumas and walnuts in stock for nibbling.
Leftovers are my absolute favourite, so hopefully there will be some tasty morsels to provide, an opportunity to make some delicious dishes.
Don’t forget a make a turkey stock with the carcass and giblets, it makes the very best broth and basis for warming soups, sauces and stews. We love this turkey broth with orzo, pea and spring onion. There a ton of ways to use up morsels of turkey, ham and goose, that’s if there’s anything left in the carcass after the family have tucked into turkey sandwiches on Christmas evening.
Boxing Day pie is a winner but the mixture can be also be piled into popovers or pastry cases to make yummy bites.
The revised edition of A Simply Delicious Christmas, published by Gill and Macmillan to celebrate it’s 25th anniversary is choc a bloc with traditional and alternative recipes.
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Hot Tips
Watch out for RTE’s Christmas cookery programme s. My brother Rory O’ Connell and I have just shot two programmes, first of will be shown on Tuesday December 22nd 2015.
Glebe Gardens in Baltimore, West Cork have an enticing range of Christmas gift vouchers and hamper delights http://www.glebegardens.com/shop/, the website is worth a browse
Friday Night at The Granary Foodstore in Midleton 4th, 11th and 18th December 2015. Casual and family friendly evening menu, the perfect venue for a relaxed bite to eat after the Christmas shopping. The Granary also has a tempting array of Christmas cakes, Chocolate Biscuit Christmas Pudding, gluten free Christmas cakes and mince pies, hampers…….
Everyone around here is looking forward to the East Cork Christmas Market at Garryvoe Hotel on Sunday December 13th from 11.30am-4.30pm. Â Delicious Christmas treats, order your Christmas poultry, baking, handmade crafts for the Christmas stocking, face painting and fun for the children. Admission by voluntary donation with proceeds to Cancer Care Support
O’ Connell’s Restaurant in Donnybrook, Dublin have the iconic O’ Connell Sherry Trifle back this year. A perfect gift for trifle devotees. Available in three sizes. The trifle comes in a glass bowl, topped with berries, gift wrapped and ready to serve. Tel: 01 269 6116 or http://oconnellsrestaurant.com
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Old-fashioned Roast Turkey with Fresh Herb Stuffing, Cranberry Sauce and Bread Sauce
Serves 10-12
Brining the turkey ahead is so worthwhile. It adds immeasurably to the flavour, wrapping it in muslin means you don’t need to baste it during cooking. We are finding a turkey that has previously been brind is taking a little less time to cook.
This is my favourite roast stuffed turkey recipe. You may think the stuffing seems dull because it doesn’t include exotic-sounding ingredients like chestnuts and spiced sausage meat, but in fact it is moist and full of the flavour of fresh herbs and the turkey juices. Cook a chicken in exactly the same way but use one-quarter of the stuffing quantity given.
(4.5-5.4kg) 1 x 10-12lb, free-range and organic, turkey with neck and giblets
Brine
6 litres (10 1/2 pints) water
600g (1 1/4lb) salt
Fresh Herb Stuffing
175g (6oz/3/4 stick) butter
350g (12oz) chopped onions
400-500g (14-16ozs) approx. soft breadcrumbs (check that the bread is non GM) (or approximately 1lb 4oz of gluten-free breadcrumbs)
neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone and wingtips of turkey
2 sliced carrots
2 sliced onions
1 stick celery
Bouquet garni
3 or 4 peppercorns
For basting the turkey
225g (8ozs/2 sticks) butter
large square of muslin (optional)
Cranberry Sauce (see recipe)
Bread Sauce (see recipe)
Garnish
large sprigs of fresh parsley or watercress
Frist brine the turkey overnight, not essential but it makes for moist, tender and flavourful eat.
*Add the salt to the water and stir to dissolve. Put the turkey crown into a clean stainless steel saucepan, plastic bucket or tin.  Cover with the brine and a lid and chill for 24 hours. Drain and dry well. This is of course optional, but it hugely enhances the flavour of the turkey.
Remove the wishbone from the neck end of the turkey, for ease of carving later. Make a turkey stock by covering with cold water the neck, gizzard, heart, wishbone, wingtips, vegetables and bouquet garni. (Keep the liver for smooth turkey liver pate). Bring to the boil and simmer while the turkey is being prepared and cooked, 3 hours approx.
To make the fresh herb stuffing: Sweat the onions gently in the butter until soft, for 10 minutes approx., then stir in the crumbs, herbs and a little salt and pepper to taste. Allow it to get quite cold. If necessary wash and dry the cavity of the bird, then season and half-fill with cold stuffing. Put the remainder of the stuffing into the crop at the neck end.
Weigh the turkey and calculate the cooking time. Allow 15 minutes approx. per lb and 15 minutes over. Melt the butter and soak a large piece of good quality muslin in the melted butter; cover the turkey completely with the muslin and roast in a preheated moderate oven, 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, for 2 3/4-3 1/4 hours. There is no need to baste it because of the butter-soaked muslin. The turkey browns beautifully, but if you like it even browner, remove the muslin 10 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Alternatively, smear the breast, legs and crop well with soft butter, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper. If the turkey is not covered with butter-soaked muslin then it is a good idea to cover the whole dish with tin foil. However, your turkey will then be semi-steamed, not roasted in the traditional sense of the word.
The turkey is cooked when the juices run clear.
To test, prick the thickest part at the base of the thigh and examine the juices: they should be clear. Remove the turkey to a carving dish, keep it warm and allow it to rest while you make the gravy.  .
The turkey is done when the juices run clear. To test, prick the thickest part at the base of the thigh and examine the juices, they should be clear. Remove the turkey to a carving dish, keep it warm and allow it to rest while you make the gravy.
To make the gravy: Spoon off the surplus fat from the roasting pan. De-glaze the pan juices with fat free stock from the giblets and bones. Using a whisk, stir and scrape well to dissolve the caramelised meat juices from the roasting pan. Boil it up well, season and thicken with a little roux if you like. Taste and correct the seasoning. Serve in a hot gravy boat.
If possible, present the turkey on your largest serving dish, surrounded by crispy roast potatoes, and garnished with large sprigs of parsley or watercress and maybe a sprig of holly. Make sure no one eats the berries.
Put the fresh cranberries in a heavy-based stainless steel or cast-iron saucepan with the water – don’t add the sugar yet as it tends to toughen the skins. Bring them to the boil, cover and simmer until the cranberries pop and soften, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar until dissolved.
Serve warm or cold.
Note: Fresh cranberries keep for weeks on end but also freeze perfectly.
Note:Â It should be soft and juicy, add a little warm water if it has accidently over cooked.
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Bread Sauce
I love Bread Sauce but if I hadn’t been reared on it I might never have tried it – the recipe sounds so dull! Serve with roast chicken, turkey and guinea fowl.
Bring to the boil in a small, deep saucepan all the ingredients except the cream. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Transfer to the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the onion and add the cream just before serving. Correct the seasoning and add a little more milk if the sauce is too thick. Serve hot.
Note: The bread sauce will keep in the fridge for several days – the remainder can be reheated gently – you may need to use a little more milk.
Quatre Epices is a French spice product made of equal amounts of ground white pepper, cloves, nutmeg and ginger.
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Traditional Roast Goose with Potato Stuffing and Bramley Apple Sauce
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Roast Goose with Potato Stuffing is almost my favourite winter meal. However, a word of warning. A goose looks enormous because it has a large carcass. Many people have been caught out by imagining that it will serve more people than it does. Allow 450g (1 lb) in cooked weight per person. This stuffing is also delicious with duck but use one quarter of the quantity given below.
Serves 8-10
4.5g (1 x 10 lbs) approx. goose
Stock
Neck, giblets and wishbone of goose
1 sliced onion
1 sliced carrot
Bouquet Garni
a sprig of thyme
3 or 4 parsley stalks
a stick of celery
6 or 7 peppercorns
cold water to cover
Potato Stuffing
30g (1 oz/1/4 stick) butter
450g (1 lb/4 cups) chopped onions
450g (1 lb) cooking apples e.g. Brambley Seedling, peeled and chopped
1 fl oz (25ml/1/8 cup) fresh orange juice
900g (2 lbs) potatoes
1 teaspoon each thyme and lemon balm
3 teaspoons finely grated orange rind
salt and freshly ground pepper
To make the stuffing: Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan. Add the onions, cover and sweat on a gentle heat for about 5 minutes; add the apples, herbs and orange juice. Cook covered until the apples are soft and fluffy. Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in their jackets until cooked, peel, mash and add to the fruit and onion mixture. Add the orange rind and seasoning. Allow it to get quite cold before stuffing the goose.
To prepare the goose: Gut the goose and singe off the pin feathers and down if necessary. Remove the wishbone from the neck end. Combine the stock ingredients in a saucepan, cover with cold water and simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours. Season the cavity of the goose with salt and freshly ground pepper; rub a little salt into the skin also. Stuff the goose loosely and roast for 2 hours approx. in a preheated moderate oven, 180°C/350°F/regulo 4.
Prick the thigh at the thickest part; the juices which run out should be clear. If they are still pink, the goose needs a little longer. When cooked, remove the goose to a serving dish and put it in a very low oven while you make the gravy.
To make the gravy: Spoon off the surplus fat from the roasting tin (save for sauteeing or roasting potatoes – it keeps for months in a fridge). Add about 1 pint (600ml/2 1/2 cups) of the strained giblet stock to the roasting tin and bring to the boil. Using a small whisk, scrape the tin well to dissolve the meaty deposits which are full of flavour. Taste for seasoning and thicken with a little roux if you like a thickened gravy. If the gravy is weak, boil it for a few minutes to concentrate the flavour; if it’s too strong, add a little water or stock. Strain and serve in a hot gravy boat.
Carve the goose and serve the Bramley Apple Sauce and Gravy separately.
Rose Geranium and Bramley Apple Sauce
1lb (450g) cooking apples, (Brambley Seedling)
1-2 dessertsp. (2-4 American teasp) water
2oz (55g/â…“ cup) sugar approx. depending on tartness of the apples
2-4 rose geranium leaves
Peel, quarter and core the apples, cut pieces in two and put in a stainless steel or cast iron saucepan with the sugar, water and rose geranium leaves. Cover and put over a low heat. As soon as the apple has broken down, stir and taste for sweetness. Serve warm with the duck, goose or roast pork.
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Turkey, Orzo, Pea and Spring Onion Broth
This broth can be the basis of a flavoursome light soup to use up delicious morsels of cooked poultry.
Serves 6
1 litre (1 ¾ pints)well-flavoured turkey, chicken or pheasant stock
Bring the stock to the boil; add the orzo, celery and chilli flakes. Cook for approximately 10 minutes or until the pasta is just cooked, add the peas and shredded turkey. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes, correct the seasoning. Ladle into soup bowls, sprinkle with lots of spring onion and fresh coriander and/or mint.
St Stephen’s or Boxing Day PieÂ
Try to keep some left-over turkey and ham for this delicious pie – it’s the most scrumptious way to use up left-overs and can be topped with fluffy mashed potatoes or a puff pastry lid.
Serves 12
900 g (2lbs) cooked organic or free-range turkey, white and brown meat and crispy skin
450 g (1lb) cooked ham or bacon
30 g (1oz) butter
1-2 teasp. grated fresh ginger (optional)
340 g (12oz) chopped onion
225 g (8oz) flat mushrooms or button if flats are not available
1 clove of garlic – crushed
900 ml (30 fl.oz) well flavoured turkey stock or 568ml (20 fl oz) stock and 300 ml/10 fl.oz) turkey gravy
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped chives
2 teaspoons fresh marjoram or tarragon if available
150 ml (¼ pint) cream
450 g (1lb) puff or flaky pastry or 900g (2lb) Duchesse or mashed Potato
2 x 1.1 L/2 pint) capacity pie dishes with a lip.
Cut the turkey and ham into 1 inch (2.5 cm) approx. pieces and shred the crispy skin. Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan, add the chopped onions and ginger if using, cover and sweat for about 10 minutes until they are soft but not coloured. Meanwhile wash and slice the mushrooms. When the onions are soft, stir in the garlic and remove to a plate. Increase the heat and cook the sliced mushrooms, a few at a time. Season with salt and freshly-ground pepper and add to the onions and garlic. Toss the cold turkey and ham in the hot saucepan, using a little extra butter if necessary; add to the mushrooms and onion. De-glaze the saucepan with the turkey stock. Add the cream and chopped herbs. Bring it to the boil, thicken with roux, add the meat, mushrooms and onions and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning.
Fill into the pie dishes, and pipe rosettes of potato all over the top. Bake in a moderate oven, 190C/375F/regulo 5, for 15-20 minutes or until the potato is golden and the pie is bubbling.
Alternatively, if you would like to have a pastry crust, allow the filling to get quite cold. Roll out the pastry to about 1/8-inch (3 mm) thickness, then cut a strip from around the edge the same width as the lip of the pie dish. Brush the edge of the dish with water and press the strip of pastry firmly down onto it; wet the top of the strip again. Cut the pastry into an oval just slightly larger than the pie dish. Press this down onto the wet border, flute the edges of the pastry with a knife and then scallop them at 1 inch (2.5 cm) approx. intervals. Roll out the trimmings and cut into leaves to decorate the top. Make a hole in the centre to allow the steam to escape while cooking.
Brush with egg wash and bake in a preheated oven, 250C/475F/regulo 9, for 10 minutes; then turn the heat down to moderate, 180C/350F/regulo 4, for 20-25 minutes or until the pastry is cooked through and the pie is bubbling.
Whisk the eggs in a bowl, add the salt, freshly ground pepper, fresh herbs, diced ham and grated cheese into the eggs. Melt the butter in a non-stick frying pan. When the butter starts to foam, tip in the eggs. Turn down the heat, as low as it will go. Leave the eggs to cook gently for 12 minutes on a heat diffuser mat, or until the underneath is set. The top should still be slightly runny.
Preheat a grill. Pop the pan under the grill for 1 minute to set but not brown the surface. Alternatively after an initial 3 or 4 minutes on the stove one can transfer the pan to a preheated oven 170ºC/325ºF/gas mark 3 until just set 15-20 minutes.
Slide a palette knife under the frittata to free it from the pan. Slide onto a warm plate.
Serve cut in wedges, arrange some rocket leaves on top of the frittata and top with a blob of tomato and coriander salsa or alternatively you can serve with a good green salad and perhaps a tomato salad.
Ham & Cheese Frittata
Add 225g (8oz) diced cooked ham or bacon or a mixture of cold turkey and ham to the frittata and cook as above.
Darina Allen’s Traditional Sherry Trifle
Mum’s Traditional Irish Sherry Trifle
Trifle was a Christmas tradition at our house and was served in a special “cut glass†bowl kept especially for the purpose. Our mother Elizabeth O’Connell’s trifle was legendary, she made huge bowls of trifle at Christmas, with trifle sponges, (later she used sponge cakes when they were unavailable), home-made raspberry jam and custard, and lots and lots of good sweet sherry.  She had to become more and more inventive about hiding places, because the boys would search high and low to find it when they arrived in from a night out on the town. Eventually she hid it in her wardrobe to keep it intact for Christmas Day.
This is now a favourite item on my brother Tom O’Connell’s dessert menu at O’Connell’s in Donnybrook.
Serves 8-10
450g (1lb) approx. homemade sponge cake or trifle sponges (see recipe)
(trifle sponges are lighter so you will need less)
225g (8oz) homemade raspberry jam
600ml (1 pint) custard made with:
5 eggs, organic and free-range if possible
1 1/4 tablespoons castor sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
750ml (1¼ pint) rich milk
150-175ml 5-6 fl.oz) best quality sweet or medium sherry
– don’t spare the sherry and don’t waste your time with cooking sherry.
Garnish
600ml (1 pint) whipped cream
8 cherries or crystallised violets
8 diamonds of angelica
a few toasted flaked almonds
1 x 1.7 litre (3 pint) capacity glass bowl
Sandwich the rounds of sponge cake together with homemade raspberry jam. If you use trifle sponges, sandwich them in pairs.
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Next make the egg custard.
Whisk the eggs with the sugar and vanilla extract. Heat the milk to the ‘shivery’ stage and add it to the egg mixture whisking all the time.  Put into a heavy saucepan and stir over a gentle heat until the custard coats the back of the wooden spoon lightly. Don’t let it boil or it will curdle.
Cut the sponge into 2cm (3/4 inch) slices and use these to line the bottom of a 1.7 litre (3 pint) glass bowl, sprinkling generously with sherry as you go along.  Pour in some homemade egg custard and then add another layer of sponge. Sprinkle with the remainder of the sherry. Spread the rest of the custard over the top. Cover and leave for 5 or 6 hours, or preferably overnight in a cold larder or fridge to mature.
Before serving, spread softly whipped cream over the top, pipe rosettes if you like and decorate with cherries or crystallised violets and large diamonds of angelica. Scatter with a few toasted flaked almonds.
Note
For a posher version, line the glass bowl with slices of swiss roll.
Great Grandmother’s Butter Sponge
A buttery sponge cake was standard fare to serve with afternoon tea at my Grandmother’s house in Donoghmore, Co. Kilkenny and a great many other Irish houses also. When it was taken out of the oven of the Aga it was cooled on a wire rack by the window in the back kitchen. Thick yellow cream spooned off the top of the milk in the dairy was whipped and as soon as the cake was cool it was sandwiched together with homemade jam made from the raspberries picked at the top of the haggard. This is the best sponge cake you’ll ever taste.
175g (6oz) flour
175g (6oz) castor sugar
3 eggs, organic and free-range
125g (4½ oz) butter
1 tablespoon milk
5g (1 teaspoon) baking powder
Filling
110g (4oz) homemade raspberry jam
300ml (10 fl.oz) whipped cream
castor sugar to sprinkle
2 x 18cm (7 inch) sponge cake tins
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.
Grease the tine with melted butter, dust with flour and line the base of each with a round of greaseproof paper. Cream the butter and gradually add the castor sugar, beat until soft and light and quite pale in colour. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well between each addition. (If the butter and sugar are not creamed properly and if you add the eggs too fast, the mixture will curdle, resulting in a cake with a heavier texture). Sieve the flour and baking powder and stir in gradually. Mix all together lightly and add 1 tablespoon of milk to moisten.
Divide the mixture evenly between the 2 tins, hollowing it slightly in the centre. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until cooked – the cake will shrink-in slightly from the edge of the tin when it is cooked, the centre should feel exactly the same texture as the edge. Alternatively a skewer should come out clean when put into the centre of the cake. Turn out onto a wire tray and allow to cool.
Sandwich the two bases together with homemade raspberry jam and whipped cream. Sprinkle with sieved castor sugar. Serve on an old fashioned plate with a doyley.
Raspberry Jam
Makes 3 x 450g (1lb) pots
Raspberry jam is the easiest and quickest of all jams to make, and one of the most delicious. Loganberries, Boysenberries or Tayberries may also be used in this recipe.
900g (2lb) fresh raspberries
900g (2lb) white sugar (use 110g/4oz) less if fruit is very sweet)
Wash, dry and sterilise the jars in a moderate oven 180°C/350°F/regulo 4, for 15 minutes. Heat the sugar in a moderate oven for 5-10 minutes.
Put the raspberries into a wide stainless steel saucepan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the juice begins to run, then add the hot sugar and stir over a gentle heat until fully dissolved. Increase the heat and boil steadily for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Test for a set by putting about a teaspoon of jam on a cold plate, leaving it for a few minutes in a cool place. It should wrinkle when pressed with a finger. Remove from the heat immediately. Skim and pour into sterilised jam jars. Cover immediately.
Hide the jam in a cool place or else put on a shelf in your kitchen so you can feel great every time you look at it! Anyway, it will be so delicious it won’t last long
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Turkey, Ham and Mushroom Popovers
This is little gem of a recipe is an excellent standby, it can be made in seconds, the ingredients are inexpensive, sweet or savoury fillings work.
For 14 popovers
4 ozs (110g/1 cup) flour
2 eggs
10 fl ozs (1/2 pint/300ml/1 1/4 cups) milk
1/2 ozs (15g/1/8 stick) butter, melted
Filling
See Boxing Day Pie recipe
Parsley sprigs
Sift the flour into a bowl, make a well in the centre of the flour, drop in eggs. Using a small whisk or wooden spoon, stir continuously, gradually drawing in flour from the sides and, add the milk in a steady stream at the same time. When all the flour has been mixed in, whisk in the remainder of the milk and cool melted butter. Allow to stand for one hour. Grease Hot Deep Patty Tins with pure beef dripping or oil and fill half full. Bake in a hot oven 230°C/450°F/regulo 8, for 20 minutes approx.
Remove from the tins. Cool, fill with hot turkey, ham and mushroom filling. Pop a sprig of flat parsley on top of each one and serve ASAP.
Cheese Popovers: Add 2 ozs (50g) grated Cheddar cheese and 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard and a good pinch of salt to the mixture, season well and proceed as above
Can you imagine I got my first Christmas card on the third of November, that has to be a record….Christmas is creeping up on us, not slowly but with great speed and even though we may long to opt out of the whole palaver or hide away until all the frenzy is over. It’s simply not an option, so once again, we’ll enter into the spirit of the season wholeheartedly. If you’re thinking of serving a fine free range turkey or goose for Christmas dinner, put in your order right away. Beautifully reared organic and free range birds are difficult to source for various reasons not least the lack of slaughtering facilities and support for artisan poultry producers – can you imagine that we don’t have one single poultry instructor in Ireland at present despite the craving for a product we can trust with a memorable flavour. Order a fine fat ham too from a free range heritage pig producer, this kind of food costs much more that the food of the same name on the supermarket counter shelf. Often twice the price but it does take much longer to rear with much more expensive GM free and organic feed.
When those orders are in, you may want to make a plump juicy Christmas cake and a couple of gorgeous crumbly plum puddings. Despite the mystique neither are difficult to make. So allocate an afternoon. Buy top quality dried fruit, real crystallized cherries (those bright red ones are fake, most were never near a cherry in real life) and candied peel. We make our own which may seem to be a step too far – I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news but a lot of the chopped candied peel is also fake, made from a gelatinous product rather than citrus peel.
So here’s the recipe, you can make it slowly over several days, it’s a brilliant way to use up left over orange, lemon and lime peel and of course it makes a lovely present for foodie friends who can use it in cakes or puddings or simply dipped in chocolate as a petit four or sweetmeat.
Even though a lovely moist Christmas cake is a great stand by, not everyone wants a big cake. My favourite Christmas cake can be made in a 9 inch round or 2 x 7 inch tins. The second one will make a welcome present for busy friends.. We also make some ‘little dotesâ€, 4 inch cakes as presents for older friends who love a little cake but don’t want anything too large which lingers on after Christmas making them feel a tad guilty.
Stir about Sunday is on the last Sunday before Advent, Sunday November 22nd, but even if we have missed that why not gather up some of your kids and their friends and create an exciting party atmosphere around the making of the Christmas cake and pudding. Everyone can help, lining the tin, make a wish as they stir the pudding and cake and best of all you’ll be passing on the cooking skills to another generation. For the many who feel making a Christmas cake, a pudding, mincemeat is beyond them believe me the pudding and mincemeat are simply a matter of mixing ingredients in a bowl, hardly ‘rocket science’ for even the least undomesticated goddess.
Hot Tips
Nash 19 are now taking orders for their Christmas Hampers. Don’t forget their plum pudding packed with delicious fruit and whole cherries. Claire Nash will be in Terroirs on Morehampton Road in Dublin on Saturday 5th December from 12 noon with her plum puddings, call in to taste a juicy morsel. Contact Claire or Mairead on 021 4270880 or email info@nash19.com
Country Choice in Nenagh, Co Tipperary, huge stocks of ingredients for Christmas baking have arrived. Peter Ward sources supberb  quality dried fruit, nuts and real cherries. He also has a stall at the Milk Market in Limerick every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Phone 067 32596 or www.countrychoice.ie
Looking for a special Christmas present, don’t forget Ballymaloe Cookery School vouchers can be tailored in a variety of ways to create the perfect gift for the food lover or garden enthusiast in your life! Cooking is one of the most important skills a person can learn and the best bit is the Cookery School vouchers last indefinitely.
Fishy Fishy restaurant in Kinsale is hosting a series of Pop Up lunches over the coming months. Noel McMeel of Lough Erne Resort will create a special 5 course lunch on Wednesday 9th December. Tickets are €50 and can be booked www.fishyfishy.ie or 021 4700415
Just discovered a brilliant new source of free range duck. Jacqui Mason who comes from Heredforshire in the UK, found it difficult to find good duck when she came over to Ireland so she decided to rear some duck herself and now rears 75 free range Alysbury ducks every week and sells them to local restaurants and butchers (quite different from ‘farm fresh’) including Jack McCarthy Butchers, Kanturk, O’ Sullivans Poultry at the English Market
The fruit used in this recipe should be organic if possible; otherwise scrub the peel very well. Use just one citrus fruit, or a mixture of all three.
5 organic unwaxed oranges
5 organic unwaxed lemons
5 organic unwaxed grapefruit
1 teaspoon salt
1.3kg (3lb) sugar
Cut the fruits in half and squeeze out the juice. Reserve the juice for another use, such as homemade lemonade. Put the halves of fruit into a large bowl (not aluminium), add the salt and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for 24 hours.
Next day, discard the soaking water, put the fruit in a saucepan and cover with fresh cold water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer very gently until the peel is soft, about 3 hours. Remove the fruit and discard the water. Scrape out any remaining flesh and membranes from inside the cut fruit, leaving the white pith and rind intact. Slice the peel into long strips or leave whole if you prefer.
Dissolve the sugar in 700ml (11â„4 pints) of water, bring to the boil, add the peel and simmer gently for about 30–60 minutes, until it looks translucent and the syrup forms a thread when the last drop falls off a metal spoon. Remove the candied peel with a slotted spoon and fill into sterilised glass jars. Pour the syrup over the peel, cover and store in a cold place or in a fridge. It should keep for 6–8 weeks, or longer under refrigeration.
Variations
In Caster Sugar
Spread the peel on a baking tray and leave to sit for 30–60 minutes to cool and dry out. Then toss the peel in caster sugar and store in covered glass jars until needed.
To Nibble
Cut the candied peel into 5mm–1cm (1â„4–1â„2 in) slices, roll in caster sugar and serve with coffee.
Chocolate Candied Orange
Dip the strips of candied orange peel into melted dark chocolate. Arrange individually on a sheet of silicone paper and leave to set.
Core and bake the whole apples in a moderate oven, 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, for 30 minutes approx. Allow to cool. When they are soft, remove the skin and mash the flesh into pulp. Grate the rind from the lemons on the finest part of a stainless steel grater and squeeze out the juice and stir into the pulp. Add the other ingredients one by one, and as they are added, mix everything thoroughly. Put into sterilized jars, cover and leave to mature for 2 weeks before using. This mincemeat will keep for a year in a cool, airy place.
How to make Beef Suet
Suet comes from the fat that protects the beef kidney. Suet and tallow (the rendered suet) had fallen out of favour, but chips fried in suet and potatoes roasted in it are lovely. The flavour is much better and, incidentally, beef tallow has more vitamin B and despite its reputation is considerably better for you than cheap, trans-fat ridden cooking oils. People now make plum puddings with butter because they’re so paranoid of eating the wrong kinds of fat, but I’m still a great fan of the traditional plum puddings made in the classic way with suet, as they have a better flavour and texture. Serve these on hot plates, though, because if suet congeals it’s distinctly unappetising. Many sweet puddings can be made with suet, such as Plum Pudding (see recipe).
One can buy suet ready-prepared in packets but it’s very easy to do it yourself at home. Your butcher will probably give you the suet for free because there is so little demand. Coeliacs need to be aware that ready-prepared suet usually contains white flour.
Strictly speaking, beef dripping is the fat and the meat juices that render out of a joint of roast beef while it’s cooking, whereas suet or tallow is fat just rendered from fat surrounding the beef kidney. However, nowadays the term ‘dripping’ is colloquially used to refer to all of these.
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Suet – How to Prepare
To prepare suet, start by asking your butcher for the fat that surrounds beef kidneys.
Remove and discard the papery membrane and any red veins or fragments of meat. If you’re not meticulous about this, these bits will deteriorate and the suet won’t keep properly. The fat will separate into natural divisions. Chop it coarsely and either mince or whizz it in a food-processor for a minute or two until it’s evenly grainy (years ago, people used to grate suet on a simple box grater). Refrigerate and use within a couple of days, but if it has been properly trimmed it will keep for weeks in a fridge.
Mummy’s Plum Pudding with Mrs. Hanrahan’s Sauce
It has always been the tradition in our house to eat the first plum pudding on the evening it is made.  The grandchildren can hardly contain themselves with excitement – somehow that plum pudding seems the most delicious, it’s our first taste of Christmas.  The plum pudding can be made from about mid-November onwards. Everyone in the family helps to stir so we can all make a wish.
Its fun to put silver plum pudding charms in the pudding destined to be eaten on Christmas Day. Wrap them individually in silicone paper so they are bulky and clearly visible.
This recipe makes 2 large or 3 medium puddings. The large size will serve 10-12 people, the medium 6-8 but I also like to make teeny weeny ones.
Mix all the ingredients together very thoroughly and leave overnight; don’t forget, everyone in the family must stir and make a wish! Next day stir again for good measure. Fill into pudding bowls; cover with a double thickness of greaseproof paper which has been pleated in the centre, and tie it tightly under the rim with cotton twine, making a twine handle also for ease of lifting.
Steam in a covered saucepan of boiling water for 6 hours. The water should come half way up the side of the bowl. Check every hour or so and top up with boiling water if necessary. After 5 hours, 3 hours, 2 hours depending on the size, remove the pudding.  Allow to get cold and re-cover with fresh greaseproof paper. Store in a cool dry place until required.
On Christmas Day or whenever you wish to serve the plum pudding, steam for a further 2 hours. Turn the plum pudding out of the bowl onto a very hot serving plate, pour over some whiskey or brandy and ignite. Serve immediately on very hot plates with Brandy Butter.
You might like to decorate the plum pudding with a sprig of holly; but take care not to set the holly on fire – as well as the pudding!
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Mrs. Hanrahan’s Sauce
This recipe is so delicious that people ask to have more Plum Pudding just so that they can have an excuse to eat lots of sauce. This makes a large quantity but the base will keep for several weeks in the fridge, so you can use a little at a time, adding whipped cream to taste.
Melt the butter, stir in the sugar and allow to cool slightly. Whisk the egg and add to the butter and sugar with the sherry and port. Refrigerate.
When needed, add the lightly whipped cream to taste.
This sauce is also very good with mince pies and other tarts.
Children’s Christmas Cake
Darina Allen’s Iced Christmas Cake
This makes a moist cake which keeps very well. It can either be made months ahead or, if you are frenetically busy then it will still be delish even if made just a few days before Christmas – believe me I know!.
225g (8oz/1 cup) pale, soft-brown sugar or golden caster sugar
6 organic eggs
275g (10oz) flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 large or 2 small Bramley seedling apples, grated
Line the base and sides of a 23cm (9 inch) round, or 20cm (8 inch) square tin with a double thickness of silicone paper. Then tie a double layer of brown paper around the outside of the tin. Have a sheet of brown or silicone paper to lay on top of the tin during cooking.
Wash the cherries and dry them gently. Cut in two or four as desired. Blanch the almonds in boiling water for 1–2 minutes, then rub off the skins and chop them finely. Mix the dried fruit, nuts, ground almonds and grated orange and lemon zest. Add about half of the whiskey and leave for 1 hour to macerate.
Preheat the oven to 160°C/ 325°F/gas mark 3.
Cream the butter until very soft. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs and add in bit by bit, beating well between each addition so that the mixture doesn’t curdle. Mix the mixed spice with the flour and stir gently into the butter mixture. Add the grated cooking apple to the plumped up fruit and stir into the butter mixture gently but thoroughly (don’t beat the mixture again or you will toughen the cake).
Put the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Make a slight hollow in the centre, dip your hand in water and pat it over the surface of the cake – this will ensure that the top is smooth when cooked.
Now lay a double sheet of brown paper on top of the cake to protect the surface from the direct heat. Bake for 1 hour. Then reduce the heat to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2 and bake for a further 21â„2 hours, until cooked; test in the centre with a skewer – it should come out completely clean. Pour the remainder of the whiskey over the cake and leave it to cool in the tin.
Next day, remove the cake from the tin. Do not remove the lining paper but wrap the cake in some extra greaseproof paper and tin foil until required.
Store in a cool, dry place; the longer the cake is stored the more mature it will be.
Almond Paste and Cake Icing
I ice the Christmas cake above with almond icing and decorate it with heart shapes made from the almond paste. Then I brush it with whisked egg yolk and pop it in the oven – simply delicious!.
Serves about 40
450g (1lb/2 cups) golden caster sugar
450g (1lb) ground almonds
2 small organic eggs
2 tablespoons (2 American tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) Irish whiskey
a drop of pure almond extract
For Brushing on the Cake
1 organic egg white, lightly whisked, or sieved apricot jam
For the Fondant Icing
1 packet fondant (450g/1lb)
Sieve the caster sugar and mix with the ground almonds. Whisk the eggs, add the whiskey and 1 drop of almond extract, then add to the other ingredients and mix to a stiff paste. (You may not need all of the egg).
Sprinkle the worktop with icing sugar, turn out the almond paste and work lightly until smooth.
Remove the paper from the cake. To make life easier for yourself, put a sheet of greaseproof paper onto the worktop and dust with some icing sugar. Take about half the almond paste and roll it out on the paper: it should be a little less than 1cm (1â„2 inch) thick.
Paint the top of the cake with the egg white or apricot jam and put the cake, sticky-side down, onto the almond paste. Give the cake a thump to ensure it sticks and then cut around the edge. If the cake is a little round-shouldered, cut the almond paste a little larger; pull away the extra bits and keep for later to make hearts or holly leaves. Use a palette knife to press the extra almond paste in against the top of the cake and fill any gaps. Then slide a knife underneath the cake or, better still, underneath the paper and turn the cake the right way up. Peel off the greaseproof paper.
Then roll out 2 long strips of almond paste: trim an edge to the height of the cake with a palette knife. Paint both the cake and the almond paste lightly with egg white or apricot jam. Then press the strip against the sides of the cake: do not overlap or there will be a bulge with the uneven edge upwards. Trim the excess almond paste with a long-bladed knife and keep for decoration and to make almond biscuits. Use a straight-sided water glass to even the edges and smooth the join. Then rub the cake well with your hand to ensure a nice flat surface.
Leave in a cool, dry place for a few days to allow the almond paste to dry out; otherwise the oil in the almonds will seep through the fondant icing.
To fondant ice.
Sprinkle a little icing sugar onto the worktop.
Roll out the sheet of fondant to a thickness of a scant 5mm (1â„4 inch).
Paint the cake with egg white or apricot jam, then gently lift the sheet of icing and lay it over the top of the cake so it drapes evenly over the sides.
Press out any air bubbles with your hands, then trim the base. Decorate as you wish. We use a little posy of winter leaves and berries including crab apples, elderberries, rosemary, old man’s beard and viburnum.
That’s just one option. You could also add simple shapes stamped out of the remaining fondant icing – stars, holly leaves, Santa’s – to produce an impressive result. If you are really creative, the fondant may be coloured using edible food colouring and then you and all the family can really have fun!
Variation
Toasted Almond Christmas Cake
If you’d rather not have fondant icing, the almond paste can be toasted and will keep just as well and be irresistible to nibble. Roll out the remainder of the almond paste to about 5mm (1â„4in) thick. Stamp out star shapes, paint the whole surface of the cake with whisked egg yolk and stick the star shapes at intervals around the sides of the cake and on top. Brush these with egg yolk also.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 425°F/gas mark 7.
Carefully lift the cake onto a baking tray and bake for 15–20 minutes or until just slightly toasted. Remove from the oven, leave to cool and then transfer onto a cake board.
Decorate with sprigs of holly and a dusting of icing sugar, though you may feel that holly leaves and berries made of almond paste would be more appropriate for Christmas!
‘Little Dote’ Christmas Cakes
Makes 8 little cakes
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225g (8oz) butter
225g (8oz) pale soft brown sugar
6 eggs
285g (10z) flour
1 teaspoon mixed spice
35ml (2½ fl.oz) Irish whiskey
340g (12oz) best-quality sultanas
340g (12oz) best-quality currants
340g (12oz) best-quality raisins
110g (4oz) cherries
110g (4oz) homemade candied peel
55g (2oz) ground almonds
55g (2oz) whole almonds
Rind of 1 lemon
Rind of 1 orange
1 large or 2 small Bramley Seedling apples, grated
Grease and line 8 tins 4 inch (10cm) diameter x 1½ inch (4cm) deep. (We used springform tins from the Ballymaloe Shop)
Wash the cherries and dry them.  Cut in two or four as desired.  Blanch the almonds in boiling water for 1-2 minutes, rub off the skins and chop them finely. Mix the dried fruit, nuts, ground almonds and grated orange and lemon rind. Add about half the whiskey and leave for 1 hour to macerate.
Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/gas 3.
Cream the butter until very soft, add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs and add in bit by bit, beating well between each addition so that the mixture doesn’t curdle. Mix the spice with the flour and stir in gently. Add the grated apple to the fruit and mix in gently but thoroughly (don’t beat the mixture again or you will toughen the cake.)
Divide the mixture between the 8 prepared tins. Make a slight hollow in the centre, dip your hand in water and pat it over the surface of each cake: this will ensure that the top is smooth when cooked. Put into the preheated oven, bake at 160C/325F/gas 3, for 1½ hours – until cooked; test in the centre with a skewer – it should come out clean. Pour the rest of the whiskey over the cakes and leave to cool in the tins.
Next day remove from the tins. Do not remove the lining paper but wrap in some extra greaseproof paper and tin foil until required.
To ice the cakes –
To brush on the cake:
1 egg white, lightly beaten
Almond Paste – to ice the tops of the cakes
8oz (225g) ground almonds
8oz (225g) castor sugar
1 small egg
A tiny drop of pure almond essence
1 tablesp Irish whiskey
Sieve the castor sugar and mix with the ground almonds. Beat the egg, add the whiskey and 1 tiny drop of pure almond essence, then add to the other ingredients and mix to a stiff paste. (You may not need all the egg.) Sprinkle the worktop with icing sugar, turn out the almond paste and work lightly until smooth.
Remove the paper from the cakes.
Put a sheet of greaseproof paper onto the worktop, dust with some icing sugar. Roll the almond paste out on the paper; it should be a little less than ½ inch (1cm) thick. Paint the top of each cake with the lightly beaten egg white and put the cake, sticky side down onto the almond paste. Make sure the almond paste sticks to the cake and then cut around the edge and tidy and smooth the almond paste.  For the ‘little dotes’ we just iced the top of the cakes.
Leave to dry overnight before applying Royal or Fondant Icing.
Royal Icing
1lb (450g) icing sugar
2 egg whites
2 teasp. Strained lemon juice
Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl just until they begin to froth; then add the sieved icing sugar by the tablespoonful, beating well between each addition. If you are making the icing in a electric mixer, use the lowest speed. When all the icing sugar has been incorporated, add the lemon juice, and if you would like a slightly soft icing, add a few drops of glycerine.  Beat until the icing reaches stiff peaks; scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth for 1 hour or until you are ready to use the icing.
With a flexible palette knife, smear the icing over the top of each cake.  To achieve a snow-scene effect dab the palette knife onto the cake at irregular intervals so the icing comes up in little peaks. While the icing is still wet, stick on some Christmas Cake decorations, eg Santas, Christmas trees and robins or if you prefer use some frosted fruits or flowers.
If you like you could tie a ribbon or cake frill around the edges of the cakes.
