Crème Caramel with orange, date and sherryCrème Caramel 500ml whole milk
225g castor sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
4 eggs + 1 yolk Take 4 x approximately 200ml ramekins or 4 metal pudding bowls and place on a folded towel or blue cloth in a roasting tin. Set the oven to 130oc.
Heat 100g of the sugar in a pan and cook until a golden amber colour. Divide among the bottom of the ramekins and allow to set.
Place the milk and vanilla in a pan and bring to a simmer. Whisk the eggs and yolk with remaining sugar and pour over the hot milk. Whisk then pass through a sieve into a jug. Pour into the ramekins. Pour boiling water half way up the outside of the ramekins in the pan and cook for about 45 minutes or until wobbly but set. Cool in the tray and then chill in the fridge. Orange,date and sherry salad
2 large oranges
75g chopped dates
50g dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
50ml Pedro Ximenez sherry Peel the oranges with a serrated knife, including the pith. Segment the oranges by going in between the membranes and removing the segments. Squeeze the remaining juice into a pan and add the dates, vanilla, sugar and sherry. Bring to a simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Cool and mix in the orange segments.
Place the bottom of each ramekin into a pan of boiling water, run a sharp knife around the edges and turn the pudding, sugar side up onto plates. Arrange the orange salad around the plate and serve.
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7:59
Hake with Cucumber and Dill Veloute, Dulse Pickled Shallot
4 x 175g fillets hake, scaled and pinboned
200ml water
15g seasalt
2 tablespoons oil
25g butter Place the water and salt in a pan and bring to a simmer until salt has dissolved. Cool completely then submerge the hake in the brine and leave for an hour. Remove and pat dry on kitchen paper.
Heat the oil in a large non stick frying pan ( or line a frying pan with parchment paper to ensure no sticking). Add the oil and heat until hot. Add the hake, skin side down and press into the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until skin is golden. Add the butter and cook for a minute then flip over a cook through on the other side for a couple of minutes. Allow to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.Cucumber and dill veloute ½ cucumber
1 shallot, finely chopped
15g butter
150ml dry white wine or dry cider
200ml chicken stock
75ml double cream
2 tablespoons chopped dill
Salt to taste If you have a small melon baller, make about 20 balls out of the cucumber. If not, cut the cucumber in half lengthwise, then in half again. Scoop out the seeds and cut the cucumber into 1cm dice.
Cook the shallot in the butter over low heat until soft – about 5 minutes. Crank up the heat and add the wine. Boil until reduced by half. Add the stock and boil to reduce by half again. Add the cucumber and cream and boil to spoon coating consistency. Check seasoning and add the dill. Dulse pickled shallots 2 shallots, peeled and sliced as thinly as you can
50ml cider vinegar
50ml water
2 teaspoons castor sugar
1 tablespoon dulse Bring the cider, water, sugar and dulse to boil until sugar has dissolved. Check seasoning and add the shallots. After an hour remove the dulse and shred finely. Add back to the shallots. When ready to use, drain off.
Serve the hake with the sauce around and some pickled shallots on top with a few sprigs dill.
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9:02
Chocolate Buttermilk Slab Cake with Raspberries
Chocolate buttermilk slab cake
275g castor sugar
125g chopped dark chocolate
90g butter
175ml water
225g plain flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
100ml buttermilk
2 eggsSet the oven to 170c. Line a brownie tin with parchment paper. Place the sugar, chocolate, butter and water in a saucepan and cook gently until the chocolate and butter have melted. Cool
Whisk in the buttermilk and eggs. Sift the flour and baking soda together and fold into the mixture.
Spoon into the cake tin and bake for 45 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool and remove from tin.Raspberry ripple cream 100g frozen raspberries
50g castor sugar
500ml double cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar Cook the raspberries and castor sugar for 5 minutes then press through a sieve. Cool. Whip the cream and sweeten with the sugar. Fold the raspberry puree through the cream. To assemble 125g fresh raspberries
Dehydrated raspberries ( optional)
Fresh mint or angelica Cut the cake in half and spread two thirds of the cream on top. Place other chocolate half on top. Pipe the remaining cream on top and add raspberries. Scatter over the dehydrated raspberries, add a few leaves of mint or angelica and serve.
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5:57
Grilled Souvlaki Haloumi Sandwiches with Tzatziki
400g haloumi, cut into 12 slices
½ small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Zest and juice 1 lemon
1 teaspoon fresh oregano or ¼ teaspoon dried
25ml olive oil
Blend the onion,garlic, paprika, lemon, oregano and oil to a smooth paste. Rub all over the haloumi and marinate in the fridge for a few hours,
8 slices sourdough bread
Soft butter to spread
75g finely grated hard cheese like parmesan or vintage gouda Butter the bread on both sides. Arrange the haloumi over 4 slices and scatter over half the hard cheese. Place the other slice on top. Place in a grill pan or large frying pan and sprinkle some of the hard cheese on top. Cook for a couple of minutes then flip and sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top. Cook until golden and crisp on both sides. Tzatziki
400g thick Greek style yoghurt
1 cucumber
Zest of 1 lemon
Juice of half the lemon
1 clove garlic, grated finely
25ml olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh dill
Salt and pepper to tasteCut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.
Chop the cucumber into 1cm pieces and mix in with the remaining ingredients.
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8:20
Pork Schnitzel with Apple and Celery Salad
4 pork chops about 150g each
2 eggs
100g plain flour seasoned with salt and pepper
100g panko breadcrumbs (crispy Japanese crumbs available in most supermarkets) or regular breadcrumbs
50g finely grated parmesan
oil for fryingSet the oven to low heat – about 80°c.
Beat the eggs in a dish. Place the seasoned flour in another and mix the crumbs and parmesan in another.
Place a chop on a sheet of parchment, top with another sheet and beat with a rolling pin to flatten into escalopes.
Dip the escalopes in the flour, then the egg and then cover with the crumbs.
Heat a thumb nail depth of oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.
Place a wire rack on a roasting tray.
Add the escalopes one or two at a time into the oil – don’t over crowd and cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp. Place on rack and in oven while you cook the rest.Apple and celery salad 4 stalks of celery from inside
1 Granny Smith apple
150ml sour cream
100ml olive oil or good local rapeseed oil
2 tablespoons chopped lovage or parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon white balsamic or cider vinegar
2 little gem lettuces, leaves separated washed and patted dry on kitchen paperSlice the apple thinly until you get to the core then slice another side until the core is exposed. Cut the slices into thin matchsticks.
Arrange the leaves around a bowl. Slice the celery thinly on the bias and mix in with the apple. Whisk the sourcream, oil, vinegar and lovage together and season to taste. Toss in the celery and apple and spoon over the leaves. Serve with the schnitzel.
Ireland