Happy St. Patricks Day everyone! Yes today is the big day, Ireland's answer to Christmas, when the Guinness is flowing, the food is a plenty and it all generally ends messily! I was in Dublin city yesterday and the amount of tourists with cameras strapped around their necks, I presume to catch a glimpse of an elusive leprechaun or two, was nothing less than impressive. I think there is something about our fine land of green, which musters up a somewhat mystical notion in the hearts of foreigners, that we are simple folk who tend to the fields by day and drink ourselves to sleep at night. Sure if it makes for a good story, why argue with it, I say! Right I will leave you with this traditional Irish dish of Bacon and Cabbage which will be part of The Daily Spud's Paddy's Day food parade and I'm off out to pull some potatoes from the ground, have a pint of guinness and kiss the blarney stone... Slán abhaile agus go n-éirí on bóthar leat!
Good Auld Bacon and Cabbage This dish would have been traditionally served quite regularly in homes all over Ireland, as the ingredients are quite readily available. It's real comfort food for me and I love the fresh flavours of the veg.
Serves 4 900g of Shoulder of bacon 1/2 head of savoy cabbage, sliced finely 2 Carrots, chopped 1 onion sliced 2 tablespoons of butter A good pinch of sea salt and black pepper
Creamy Leek and Parsley Sauce: 2 tablespoons of butter (a generous knob) 2 tablespoons of flour 2 large leeks, sliced finely 100-150ml bacon stock 1 teaspoon of English mustard A good handful of parsley, chopped 1 tablespoon of fresh cream
Remove the bacon from any packaging and place in a pot of cold water over heat. Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 40 minutes or until cooked. Remove from the water, place on a plate and set aside. Save the bacon stock.
To make the creamy leek and parsley sauce, melt the butter in a sauce pot and sweat the leeks until soft but not coloured. Add the flour, mixing to combine, then add a little of the bacon stock stirring until the sauce thickens. Judge the consistency of the sauce by eye, and you may want to use a little more or less to your taste. Season with a little sea salt and black pepper and stir through the English mustard. Keep warm until you have the consistency you require and then stir through the chopped parsley and tablespoon of cream.
To make the cabbage, melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the onion and carrots, cooking until soft. Add the cabbage to the pan and allow to wilt down slowly, turning every now and then until it has wilted down and become tender.
Serve the bacon in slices topped with the creamy leek and parsley sauce alongside the cabbage. Enjoy!
There are quite a lot of things that get me excited about food, but when it comes to sandwich ingredients, the combination of bacon and avocado always has me drooling! For many of us, lunch often becomes a chore rather than a pleasure, something that keeps us going between the days busy events. One of the best things you can do in order to ensure processed fast food doesn't become an option is to prepare in advance. Some cooked pasta with a little pesto and parmesan will always trump a big mac, plus your body will thank you for it! But when I do have time to eat at home for lunch this is one of my favourite sandwiches to make.
Bacon Avocado and Sundried Tomato Sandwich Try and choose some tasty bacon from your butchers, it will make all the difference!
Makes 4 tasty sandwiches. 4 rashers of good quality bacon. 1 nice ripe avocado. 4 slices of Irish brown bread. A little butter to spread. 75g of sundried or sunblushed tomatoes roughly chopped. A pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper.
Place 4 rashers under a hot grill and cook on both sides till crispy. Toast 4 slices of Irish brown bread. Slice the avocado in half, remove the stone and carefully scoop out the flesh. Slice the avocado into half moon pieces. Butter the slices of toast and place a rasher of bacon on each slice. Top the bacon with pieces of avocado and tomatoes. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and ground black pepper. Serve straight away.
I have a notebook full of all my great ideas for Christmas posts for the blog, which will just have to wait until next year. For those of you who don't know where I have been for the last month and a bit, I have been playing Peter Pan in the Tivoli Theatre panto! Two shows a day for over a month has meant that there has been no time for the blog unfortunately. I had my first proper day off last Monday but stayed in bed all day, but I was up with and with it today so I finally got around to some cooking!
I have been living on this salad from The Food Room in Clontarf over the last few weeks, so I thought I would recreate it here! It's really delicious and full of healthy ingredients, plus it's so easy to make!
Broccoli Feta and Cherry Tomato Salad
1 large head of broccoli, chopped into bite size pieces.
1 punnet of cherry tomatoes. (250g)
1 packet of ready chopped pancetta or bacon.
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.
A good pinch of ground black pepper.
A good handful of crumbled feta cheese.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil. While the water is boiling, combine the olive oil and balsamic vinegar in a serving bowl. Add the broccoli to the pot of water and blanch for 60 seconds, you should see the broccoli turn a vibrant green. Drain the broccoli pieces and run under cold water. Add the broccoli to the serving bowl and set aside.
Place a small frying pan over a high heat and fry the bacon pieces until crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan, place on on some kitchen paper and allow to cool before adding to the rest of salad. Slice the cherry tomatoes in half and tumble in to the bowl on top of the broccoli. Add the bacon pieces and feta cheese to the serving bowl. Gently toss all the ingredients in the dressing and season with black pepper. Serve as a tasty side dish or a really tasty lunch. You can also add walnuts or pine nuts for an extra crunch!
And I know it's a bit cheeky having not posted for a few weeks but here's a shameless plug to remind you, if you like the good mood food blog, you can nominate it for the Irish Blog Awards here!
I had planned all sorts of recipes this week but with rehearsals the plan has basically gone in the bin! However the lovely Lorraine from Italian Foodies has tagged me and asked me to share 7 things you may not know about me. So here goes!
I was studying for a degree in Media Arts after school, but dropped out to join a boy band! I think my parents nearly had a heart attack!
I generally eat a healthy diet, but I have a major weakness for Bacon flavored crisps, and lots of crispy Bacon!
I'm addicted to American TV shows, Dexter, Desperate Housewives, Dirty Sexy Money, Nip/Tuck, Arrested Development, Prison Break, Samantha Who, you name it, I've seen it!
I am violently compulsive when it comes to my music collection, I have everything labeled alphabetically, by year, artist, genre, and even mood!
I am obsessed with Asian cuisine, I can read books upon books upon books about it! One of my biggest dreams is to finally visit and eat my way across the continent!
I'm a huge believer in positive thinking. In the right head space you do anything!
I read cookbooks in the toilet and I don't care!!!
So there you go! Hope you enjoyed that little insight- no its my turn to tag people:
The lovely Kay and her Kayotic Kitchen!
Culinary Cory!
Darius T Williams!
Polly Pierce!
Deborah!
Eating Club Vancouver!
Jo!
Wow I felt a bit like a Quiz show host there! Have fun!
One of the things I mastered last year, was preparing healthy dishes which are easy to have with you on the go. We (Industry) were on the road everyday during the summer when we released our first two singles so I made sure we all ate well in between our fairly tight schedule. Healthy salads were normally on the cards and went down the best, but if we were stuck for time quick and tasty wraps sorted us out! As I mentioned we were on tour with JLS all week, and the wraps below kept us full on the road up to belfast! We have been debuting our new tracks which you can hear over here, and here, so I hope you don't mind that I have stuck up a few photo's from the gig on Saturday night. We were very excited to perform in the O2 in Dublin, but I want to brace yourselves for the photos below, because a momentous occassion took place where I got my first pair of knickers thrown at me! Knickers on a food blog, who'd have thought! :)
Quick Fresh Veggie Wrap With Crispy Prosciutto Wraps are extremely handy for a quick and tasty lunch! The best thing is that you can really go wild when it comes to the ingredients. There are so many variations on this recipe which I make regularely, like avocado and bacon, chicken and chickpea, or even tuna and rocket! Find your favourite combo and experiment. If you can't get your hands on proscioutto just pick up some streaky bacon instead.
Serves 2 6 slices of prosciutto ham 2 large wholemeal tortilla wraps 2 tablespoons of mayonaisse 2 large handfuls of baby spinach leaves 1 carrot, grated 1/4 of cucumber, sliced thinly 5-6 spring onions, sliced thinly A good pinch of ground black pepper
In a large hot frying pan fry off the slices of prosciutto until crisp and golden. Remove and set aside on plate with a piece of kitchen paper. Spread 1 tablespoon of mayo on one of the tortilla wraps. Arrange the slices of cucumber, carrot, and spring onions down the centre of the wrap. Add the spinach leaves and then place 3 slices of the crispy prosciutto on top. Roll up the wrap and enjoy! Repeat with the second the second wrap.
I did promise some great winter warmer meals, and here is one! Coq Au Vin sounds fancy and complicated buts it's basically chicken cooked in a creamy wine sauce. It's a delicious meal which goes great with steamed vegetables, brown rice, or salad. The other thing to mention is that this is another dish which can be easily frozen and reheated at your leisure. Wait until the dish has cooled, place in a freezer bag and place in the freezer. It should last you up to 3 months.
Coq Au Vin
Coq au vin was a regular winter dish in my house when we were growing up. It's a wonderfully warming meal which is perfect for cold November evenings! Chicken joints like thighs and legs are often far cheaper to buy than chicken breasts and there is something special about meat cooked on the bone that adds extra flavour.
Serves 4 1 tablespoon of butter 1 tablespoon of olive oil 150g of bacon or pancetta pieces 2 onions, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 4 chicken legs 200g of mushrooms sliced in quarters (about 10-15 mushrooms) 500ml of white wine 300ml of cream A good pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper A good handful of freshly chopped parsley
In a large heavy casserole pot, add the butter and olive oil. When the butter has melted add the pancetta pieces and fry until crisp. Add the garlic and onion and fry until soft. Remove and set aside. Brown the chicken thighs and legs on all sides in the same pot and then add the mushrooms, white wine, garlic, onions and pancetta. Bring to the boil and simmer over a low heat for 20-25 minutes. Turn the chicken legs halfway through the cooking time and remove any fat or scum that rises to the top. When the chicken is cooked remove from the pot and set aside. Stir the cream into the juices, add a pinch of sea salt and black pepper and simmer for a further 10 minutes or until the sauce is has become a little thicker. Place the chicken back in the pot, add the parsley, stir through and make sure it's hot when you serve it at the table!
This is another one of my favourite dishes from the book. Food that is full of flavour for only a tiny amount of effort is ideal for entertaining. Most of the time all you need is the basic ingredients in order to create wonders! Although chicken on the bone is a little bit more effort on the plate, I truly believe there is far more flavour going on than plain old chicken breasts. Not only that but it is cheaper to buy thighs, wings and legs it's far tastier! More often than not you can get them at special offer also. To be honest if you buy whole chickens and get your head around learning to cut them up into thighs, drumsticks, wings and breast pieces you will save a fortune. Stick the meat you don't need in freezer bags and pop them in the freezer and dinner will never be too far away! Chicken thighs are a handy ingredient and this recipe really makes the best of them. It's a hearty dish packed with mouth watering flavours!
Chicken Thigh Supper
This is a super dish for a big group of people, served with a tasty salad; it’s perfect for weekday entertaining. If you can’t get a hold of chicken thighs, you can use any other cuts as long as they’re on the bone. This gives the meat a really great flavour. Serves 4 6–8 chicken thighs 200g pancetta, diced, or bacon bits 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes 75ml/3fl oz red wine 2 garlic cloves, sliced thinly 1 red onion, chopped in half moons 2 sprigs of rosemary 2 sprigs of thyme 2 teaspoons of English mustard powder 2 tablespoons of olive oil
In a large deep frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and brown the chicken and pancetta, until you get a nice colour on the thighs. Set aside on plate covered with kitchen paper. In the same pan, add the rest of the oil and fry the garlic, onion, rosemary and thyme for 2 minutes. Sprinkle over the mustard powder and stir through. Add the tinned tomatoes and red wine, and bring to the boil. Add the chicken and pancetta pieces back to the pan, turning the chicken pieces to coat. Cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes over a low heat or until the chicken is cooked through. You may need to extend the cooking time depending on the size of the chicken thighs. I don’t add salt to this recipe as the pancetta can be quite salty, but make sure to taste it and add seasoning if needed. Serve with a tasty salad and some hearty wholemeal bread.
2009 has been a fairly spectacular year indeed, between the band, the book, and lots and lots of cooking I have never been so busy in my life, but it has been totally worth it! Here's my run down of 2009 highlights!
- Started the year flying high as Peter Pan in the Tivoli theatre's panto. - Putting together plans for a mixed pop group. - Forming Industry with Lee Hutton, Michele McGrath, and Morgan Deane! Favourite Recipe: Roast Garlic Potatoes
- Going to Stockholm to record Industry's first single, "My Baby's Waiting". - Received first draft of Good Mood Food, the book. - Pancake season! - Went to Stockholm to support my Swedish superstar buddy sing at the Swedish Eurovision selection. - A name was finally chosen for Industry, thankfully 4DB was thrown out the window. - Going to Stockholm again to record very first music video, for "In Your Arms". - Doing first photoshoot as a band- very glamorous. Favourite Recipe: Chocolate Chip Oreo Cupcakes
- Was busy working on what I thought were the final drafts of the book. - Planned my very first attempt at a vegetable garden. - Planted Dill, Fennel, Pak Choi, Broad Beans, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Red Cabbage, Cabbage, Cos Lettuce, Rosemary. - Submitted last photos for the book. - Made first public outing as Industry on the red carpet at the Meteor Irish Music Awards. - Went for a walk on the cliffs every morning this month. - Blog got 10,000 unique visitors in one day, was very excited. Favourite Recipe: Bacon Avocado and Sundried Tomato Sandwich
- Got my very first blog/book press. - Back to Stockholm to record more tracks with Industry. - Flew to Spain to record music video for Industry's "My Baby's Waiting". - Took a little break in Gothenberg with Sofie. - Submitted what I thought was the last draft of the book. - Fell in love with dried Mango... mmmm... mango. Favourite Recipe: Red Onion and Garlic Focaccia
- Got the BBQ out early for Mays mini heat wave. - Back to Stockholm again to record more tracks with Industry. - Shot the final cover for the book with the help of Erica and Sofie. - Performed with Industry at our press launch at The Sugar Club in Dublin. - Industry's single got it's very first airplay on 2fm. - Got a blackberry phone. - Sang Kate Bush wuthering heights in falsetto on radio, not pleasant but very funny. - Discovered Flahavans porridge pots which kept me alive and well on the road. Favourite Recipe: BBQ Cajun Spatchcock Chicken
- Got to finally visit Cork's English Market. - Went to Ireland's Eye with Morgan and Lee for my birthday. - Found a brill table to shoot food on. - My annoying but hilarious fight with the birds and the strawberries. - Lee buying male Ugg boots. - Got introduced to Dave Peelo, the toughest fitness trainer you ever did see. - Industry's first single "My Baby's Waiting" went straight in at number one in the Irish charts. - Performed at the Ms. Universe competition. Favourite Recipe: Warm Chorizo, Red Onion and Baby Potato Salad
- Went to LA with James, Morgan and Sofie. - Got upgraded on the flight over but had to slum it on the way back. - Saw the massive amount of tributes to Michael Jackson at his house and his Hollywood star. - Went surfing with my Uncle Niall on Santa Monica beach. - Did a photo shoot for VIP magazine, blue steel was out in force. - Went to outdoor yoga in Stephens Green in Dublin. - Supported the Pussycat Dolls at the Killarney Summerfest. - Sent off the final final final edits of the book. - Visited the republics very first Ikea store. - Recorded music video for Industry's second single "Burn" at the amazing Grouse Lodge studios. Favourite Recipe: Sticky Mustard Chicken Drumsticks
- Went on a romantic little bank holiday break in a cottage near Carlingford. - Co-hosted the South East Radio breakfast show with the brill Tony Scott and Industry. - Became a regular contributor with Irish Tatler. - Industry's second single "Burn" went to number one. - Supported Tynchi Stryder in Tralee, as you do. - Had a brill getaway anniversary weekend in Castle Leslie, massages all round. Favourite Recipe: Asian Teriyaki Chicken Salad
- Started tweeting 140 character recipes on my twitter. - Appeared on RTE's Ice with Industry. - Performed at the Barretstown Charity Bandana launch. - Went blackberry picking with Maisie the cupcake queen. - Picked up my copy of Good Mood Food! - Recorded 3 new tracks with Industry at the amazing Grouse Lodge recording studios. Favourite Recipe: Oriental Steak Salad
- Picked up my brand new camera, the Canon 5d Mark ii. - Saw the book in shops for the first time, rearranged the shelves. - Appeared on the front page of the Irish Examiner. - Did lots and lots of radio interviews about the book. - Went mushroom hunting with Aoife. - Went back to school to do a cupcake demonstration at my old school. - Interview on Tubridy with Ryan Tubridy about the book. - Got a text from Michele to tell me she nearly fell over when she saw a giant poster of me in the window of Dubray Books on Grafton Street in Dublin! - Did the official launch of the book in Dubray Books on Grafton street in Dublin. - Appeared on RTE's The Cafe with Industry. - Went to Gothenburg and visited a Swedish bakery. - Interview with Ian Dempsey on Today FM. Favourite Recipe: Blackberry Vanilla Cupcakes
- Upgraded my old desk, for a new fancy one from IKEA. - Wrote my very first food column for the Irish Independent Weekend Magazine. - Finally made a vision board. - Became obsessed with one of the kitchens in IKEA. - Heard that The Barefoot Contessa, Ina Garten has a copy of Good Mood Food. - Did a cookery demonstration at an all girls school. - Assistant food stylist on a Christmas food shoot. Favourite Recipe: Crispy Hasselback Potatoes
- All the brill Christmas food press. - Feature in the lovefood magazine with fellow Irish food bloggers, Italian Foodies, Cheap Eats, and Daily Spud. - Visit to a free range turkey farm. - Massive Christmas baking session with Erica and Maisie. - Getting a video of the book launch from Darragh. - Visit to Sheridans cheese, I am now hooked on cheese. - Skiing with Sofie in Gothenburg. - Jul pa Liseberg. - Christmas in Sweden Favourite Recipe: Avocado, Parmesan and Rocket Pasta
Thanks so much to all who read this blog for all the support, comments and emails this year, and I hope I'll be keeping you cooking all through 2010!
Below is a piece about cookclubs I wrote for the Irish Independent from the week before last. I know there are quite a few of you out there who are already running cook clubs quite successfully and if you are, I would love to hear from you. Starting next month the Irish Independent will be featuring different cookclubs with their stories and recipes from around Ireland. If you would like to get involved and potentially be featured in the Irish Independent Weekend Magazine email weekendcookclub@independent.ie telling them about your cookclub, new or old, the food you like to cook, your style of entertaining and any tips you have to share!
Cook clubs are fast becoming the hottest way to dine. With regular nights out becoming few and far between, people are looking for cost-effective ways of socialising. The cook club is an alternative to the book club and shakes up the regular home-cooked dinner party format. Although there are many home cooks out there who have started clubs with friends and family, I've discovered that they come in many different formats.
Generally, a guest list of six to eight people is agreed upon and, each week, a different person takes it upon themselves to cook a meal for their guests, but formats vary, with some clubs bringing different courses for each dinner.
"Come Dine With Me" has a lot to answer for in terms of introducing a competitive streak to the table. The show invites strangers to cook for each other over the period of a week and the person with the highest scoring meal walks away with a cash sum.
TV hype aside, cook clubs can be used to discover new ingredients. Myself and my friends ran one where we decided to try a different meat each. A lot of effort went into sourcing the likes of rabbit, ostrich and venison, not to mention the time it took to figure out how to cook them! But the result was a fantastic meal each week, which we all looked forward to.
Whatever you decide on for your cook club, make sure you keep things interesting. Some people like to plan a year in advance and commit to cooking certain dishes; some people mark each other out of 10. The most important things to remember, of course, are to enjoy the food, your company and yourself! I absolutely love entertaining at home and, although there may be a little extra pressure to ensure that you pull the whole night off, it is worth the effort.
No matter how adventurous you may be in the kitchen, cooking for guests is a whole different ball game. While you might want to wrestle a lobster, your guests will appreciate your company far more than any extravagant dish. Delicious recipes which can be made ahead of time will save your bacon, and you'll be able to enjoy the night far more than if you were stuck in the kitchen sweating! After all this is a social event, so keep it simple. Choose recipes that can be kept in the fridge the night before or even thrown in the freezer to be pulled out effortlessly when required.
Gizzi Erskine may be a new name to you, she was for me, but her book, "Gizzi's Kitchen Magic" cover totally caught my eye while I was browsing through the amazon cookery section the other day. This is possibly one the coolest cookbook covers I have seen for a while and it's even cooler when you get your hands on it as it's embossed in gold! Now not being one to judge a book by it's cover I took my copy with me on my travels to have a good nose through it and get a good feel for Gizzi's writing. To give you a brief bit of back ground Gizzi is one of the "Cook Yourself Thin" girls and was orignally a food stylist before she got into the tv side of things, so has a huge knowledge of food! The one thing I do have to point out is that the book is quite girly, and I know quite a few potential domestic goddesses who could definitely be encouraged into the kitchen with a present of "Gizzi's Kitchen Magic" wrapped up in a bow! The book is absolutely jam packed with really fantastic tips on everything from what meat cuts to buy to choosing the best pastry to make. The lovely folks at Virgin books have provided me with a few recipes from the book to share with you this week and on Friday there will be 3 copies up for grabs, so stick around for that. Gizzi will also be stopping in for a quick interview aswell so if there are any questions you want answered, leave a comment below.
Gizzi Erskine's Creamy Smoked Salmon & Pea Spaghetti Spaghetti carbonara is a classic for a reason, but it is laden with cream and, therefore, also very guilt-inducing. So I decided to halve the cream content and replace the rest with Greek yoghurt. Having done this, it seemed natural to replace the smokiness of the bacon with smoked salmon. I then decided to add some green colour with the summery addition of broad beans and green peas, my favourite veggies, and fi nished with a hint of lemon to lift the dish.
Serves 4 Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 10 minutes 350g dried spaghetti 150g podded and shelled broad beans 150g fresh or frozen garden peas 200ml double cream 200ml Greek yoghurt 2 large free-range egg yolks 35g Parmesan cheese zest of 1 unwaxed lemon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 180g smoked salmon (about 8 slices), sliced into short ribbons A small bunch of fresh chives, snipped
Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet. For the last 3 minutes of the cooking time add the broad beans and peas. Meanwhile mix together the cream, yoghurt, egg yolks, Parmesan, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Drain the cooked pasta, beans and peas, leaving a few tablespoons of water in the bottom of the pan. Return the pan to a low heat and pour in the sauce. Toss the pasta in the sauce, then add the smoked salmon and chives, giving it all a good mix round until it’s evenly incorporated and the salmon has cooked through. Serve piping hot.
(Taken from Gizzi’s Kitchen Magic by Gizzi Erskine published by Virgin Books, price £20)
Of all the dishes we prepared for Foodstock, I am pretty certain that the Irish Seafood Chowder was the biggest success. I am told that the French absolutely love their seafood which is probably why! The chowder we made had a great selection of fish, haddock, cod, smoked fish, and prawns which the amazing chefs at the Chalet meticulously prepared for us. I have to admit that cooking on such a large scale can be quite daunting in terms of producing a similar end product to that of a smaller quantity, but that said between the whole team we served up some damn tasty chowder!
For about an hour on the Wednesday night I did feel like I was in a soup kitchen and there was a high chance of some sort of repetitive strain injury after ladling the chowder 350 times! Luckily we had the lovely ladies from Bord Bia to help us out, one of whom was out on her first assignment with them, though I’m pretty sure she is well inducted after Foodstock.
Irish Seafood Chowder This is the kind of soup that if you put a lot of love and time in you will get the best results. The key is to add the fish at the very end leaving just enough time to let them cook. Cook the fish pieces too long and you will be left with an Irish seafood mush rather than a chunky creamy chowder! Serves 8 (Makes 3.15 litres) 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 medium onions, finely chopped 100g salt pork diced (or pancetta/bacon bits)
2 dried bay leaves 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped 1 kg of peeled and diced potatoes 1.125 litre of fish stock salt and freshly ground black pepper 1.25kg of cod (or similar white fish) 750g of fresh salmon 500g of mussels 500g of smoked haddock 330ml of heavy cream 1 tablespoon of fresh parsley, chopped finely 100g of smoked salmon, cut into fine strips for garnish
In a large pot, heat the butter and sauté the onions for 3-4 minutes. Add the salt pork and continue to fry until it colours. Add in the fresh thyme, bay leaves and potatoes and cook gently for 2-3 minutes before adding the fish stock. Season well with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are tender yet firm. (Some of the potato will break down and help thicken the chowder). Add the haddock, salmon, cod and mussels and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow to sit before finally and gently stirring in the parsley and cream. Serve with the strips of smoked salmon as a garnish on top.
Last month we stayed at Grouse Lodge, (the recording studios Michael Jackson used while he stayed in Ireland, don't you know!) to record Industry's new material which will be released in the UK. Now, when I'm "on the road" with the band I am usually fairly starved for foodie delights, however the lovely folks who own Grouse prepare the most amazing homecooked food! Not only that but they also have their own apple orchard, vegetable garden, and even a giant pumpkin patch. Not to mention the ducks and chickens which roam around keeping an eye on everything!
As you can imagine, I was fairly excited and spent every opportunity out taking pictures of the amazing garden! We had breakfast, lunch and dinner all freshly prepared, but one of my favourite meals was the delicious risotto which made a really tasty lunch. This is my version of it!
Pumpkin and Crispy Pancetta Risotto
I absolutely love this recipe, it is a real cosy dish, which leaves you full, satisfied and warm. Risotto may seem a little tricky, but it's just a case of giving it your full attention and slowly incorporating the liquid, so give it a go! If you can't get your hands on pancetta slices, use smoked streaky bacon. Serves 4 850g pumpkin, cut into slices A few fresh sage leaves 3 garlic cloves, roughly sliced 4 tablespoons olive oil 8 slices of pancetta 1 litre of chicken stock 150g butter 1 red onion, finely chopped 300g risotto rice 75ml white wine 150g parmesan freshly grated A good pinch of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 220oC/425oF/Gas Mark 7. Peel and gut the pumpkin and cut into slices. Make sure to save the seeds they are super tasty roasted with a little butter and sea salt. Place the pumpkin on a roasting tray with the garlic, sage, salt and pepper, toss together. Cover with tin foil and bake until soft for about 50 minutes. 10 minutes before the pumpkin is ready remove from the oven, lay the pancetta over the pumpkin and place bake in the oven till crisp. Melt 75g of the butter and the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan and gently fry the onion until soft for about 15 minutes. Add the rice and off the heat stir through until it is totally coated with the onion mix. Return to the heat, add enough stock to cover the rice and simmer stirring until the rice has absorbed nearly all the liquid. Continue to add a little more stock at a time until it is all absorbed. This should take about 15 minutes, until the rice has a creamy coating. Add the remaining butter, roast pumpkin, white wine, garlic and parmesan. Gently stir though. Serve immediately.
All this snow is not good for the diet. The cold weather seems to always make me crave serious comfort food so I do have to apologise for posting another seriously delicious, seriously sweet recipe! Most of yesterday was spent very busily building a snowman in my friends back garden, so there wasn't much time for cooking. Dinner last night was a quick carbonara, thrown together using the bacon I was gifted by the lads at Truly Irish our stand neighbours at the RDS, who gave me a great selection of pork products to try out! A big pasta dish and a great movie made the perfect snowy evening in!
Deep Dish Chocolate Chip Cookies I don't think there is any question that the Americans know how to create the most overindulgent desserts, and this one ticks all the boxes. These were created by an American chain of restaurants and have something of a cult following in the US. Put simply, it's cookie dough piled into individual serving dishes and baked at high heat, so you get a set top and edges but a ridiculously gooey interior. When they are pulled out of the hot oven, a big dollop of vanilla ice cream is plonked on top to melt and mingle with hot, soft cookie. Makes four individual portions.
Serves 4 200g butter, softened 200g light brown sugar, packed 1 large egg 1 tsp vanilla extract 200g plain flour 1 tsp baking soda 120g good-quality milk chocolate chips Vanilla ice cream, to serve
Pre-heat the oven to 260°C/Gas Mark 9. In a mixing bowl, using a electric hand mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar until it is light and pale. Add in the egg and vanilla extract and beat through. Add in the flour and baking soda, little by little, until you have a stiff dough. Using a spatula, stir through the chocolate chips until evenly combined. Divide the cookie dough among four large six-inch ramekins and place in the oven on a baking sheet. Bake for seven to 10 minutes but keep an eye on them, you want them to puff up and become golden brown around the sides and just about set in the middle. Remove them from the oven and serve straight away with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top.
Even the most easy going people are always quite particular when it comes to how they like their eggs. Scrambled, fried, over easy, poached, baked, everyone has their favourite. Sorry to get personal but I'm a soft boiled egg kind of guy, who loves nothing more than a drippy yolk and something to dip with. These home fries are a delicious accompaniement to the perfect soft boiled egg. I first tried home fries in Florida where it came as part of the pretty standard American breakfast, and although a little heavy to be eating so early on in the day, they are delicious.
Soft Boiled Egg with Home Fries Home fries can easily be adapted to whatever you may have in your fridge, add some bacon pieces, some finely chopped red pepper, or even some mushrooms. I generally boil the potatoes ahead of time the night before, as the whole process can seem a little more work for a breakfast meal when done all at once.
Serves 2 people. 3 large potatoes. 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. 1 onion, finely chopped. 2 eggs.
Chop the potatoes in half and place in a large pot with a lid. Cover the potatoes in water and bring to the boil over a high heat. When the potatoes come to the boil lower the heat so the water comes to a steady simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes or until the potato is nice and tender when poked with a fork. Drain the potatoes and carefully chop into bitesize chunks. Prepare the onion and gently fry in a large frying pan with a tablespoon of oil over a medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the onion softens and begins to take colour. Add the potato pieces and fry on all sides for about 6-8 minutes or until the pieces are all nicely browned. Place the two eggs into a small pot and cover with water and bring to the boil. When the water begins to boil, set a timer for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes drain the eggs under cold water and serve alongside a generous portion of home fries.
