Beef Pickle its so corny......

A few years ago I decided to try and come up with a good corned beef recipe, it took  quite a few times to get it right but boy was it worth it. Historically it is a very old way to preserve beef and was a favourite at the dinner table in Ireland for years. It fell out of favour for a number of years but like all good things, they make their way back even stronger. Try this out, the secret I find was to keep the beef in the brine for at least eight days and if you can't get your hand on saltpeter don't worry just add an extra 100g of salt instead. 

2kg of Beef, (top side or eye of the round) 

5 liters of cold water

375g of salt

50g saltpeter

3 sprigs of thyme

1 bulb of garlic cut in half

10 juniper berries

50g brown sugar

200g Black Treacle

Dissolve the salt, sugar and saltpeter in the cold water, add the thyme, juniper berries and garlic. Add the beef and leave it in the solution for at least eight days. 

Slowly boil the beef in clean water for 2 hours or until it is nice and tender, serve with creamy mash potatoes, cabbage and a large bottle of Stout

Wild Garlic Pesto

You smell it before you see it, the strong sent of garlic hangs in the air as you walk along the road side or in a wooded area and then you see it, bright green wide leaves with a sprinkling of white flowers. My advice to you is get down on your knee and pick a big bag of this free fantastic food. Bring it home and make pesto, which will keep in a fridge for weeks. Use it in pasta or a good spoonful on fish or grilled meat, all i can say it is delicious, so get out in the Spring air and follow your nose.....

100g of wild garlic leaves
45g of pine nuts
400ml of good quality olive oil

70g of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
salt, white pepper and a little sugar

In a food processor, blitz the garlic leaves, pine nuts, olive oil. Fold in the Parmesan cheese and season. Keep in a sterilised jar in the fridge.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - We No Who U R

Breath it in......

The Chef and the Cheese maker

Gerry Galvin and David Tiernan were men that I respected, looked up to and was always excited to meet. They both had a burning passion for food and had a fabulous knack of encouraging young raw talent.
As a young chef I heard of Jerry through Myrtle Allen and when I finally met him he was warm and extremely generous with his knowledge. Euro Toque events took on a new meaning for me where I would seek Gerry out and we would talk simply about what was good about Irish food. His presence in a room was felt by many, he was a true gentleman and I am glad we crossed paths.
David you could say was cut from the same cloth as Gerry, he too had this addictive charm that I and anyone else that met him would warm to straight away.
I met David at a Euro Toque event ten years ago, we sat at the same table over dinner and talked about life, food, wine and of course cheese. I remember thinking afterwards it was one of the first open conversations I had with a complete stranger. He brought the best out of people and was generous to a fault.
I will miss the chats, laughter and honesty both of these men brought to my world.

Seamus Sheridan, Sheridan's Cheesemonger talks food, GAA and Irish Food

Sticky Shank of Lamb

Who does not like a sticky tasty lamb shank?

This is a simple recipe, one that requires patients but worth the wait.

Serves 4

4 small lamb shanks

3 tbsp. of olive oil

1 large onion chopped finely

2 carrots, peeled and diced finely

5 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1small tin of chopped tomatoes

500ml of red wine

4 tbsp. of brandy

500ml of water

1 tsp. of chopped rosemary

1 bay leaf

Salt, pepper and a little sugar

In a large casserole, fry the lamb shanks in the oil until nice and golden on all sides remove from the pan. In the same oil fry the onion and carrot until the onion is soft, now add the garlic and tomatoes, and cook out for a few minutes.

Put the shanks back into the pan with the tomatoes and pour in the wine, brandy, rosemary, bay leaf and water. Season with salt, pepper and sugar and cook over a low heat so that the liquid barely simmers for two hours or until the meat is tender and falls away from the bone. You can also put this in the oven at 140 degrees if you prefer, but make sure it is covered with a lid.

The secret of this dish is to cook it and let the sauce reduce until nice and sticky, serve with crisp roasted potatoes and a little salad. Magic..

Garlicky Mussels

The first time I tasted these intensely flavored mussels was at home when my Mum put them on the table for the family to eat. A big dish, with the shellfish carefully laid out in a spiral, all I can say is that they did not last long and we all were calling for more.

A great pre dinner nibble or a starter with a little salad is where these shine.

Serves 6

48 rope harvested Mussels cleaned

Garlic butter

75g of fresh soft white breadcrumbs

Cook the mussels in a large pot with a good splash of white wine over a high heat until they open. Drain and keep the liquid for a fish soup or stock for a sauce.

To make the garlic butter, peel and crush 2 large cloves of garlic in a mortar with 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped parsley and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Gradually beat in the butter until it all comes together.

Now spread the soft butter evenly over the mussels in their shells. Dip each one into the breadcrumbs. They can be prepared ahead to this point and kept in a fridge until called for.

Before serving preheat the grill and place the mussels under it until nice and brown, serve at once.

Go for the Oyster

OYSTER ROCKEFELLER

The famous poet Jonathan Swift once said, “He was a bold man that first ate an oyster”. There are two types in Ireland the Native and the Rock oyster, If I had a choice I would eat the Native Oyster all day, they are smaller and a little sweeter than the rock but that said once they both are fresh and handled properly they are delicious. So go for it and leave your preconceptions at the door.

This dish is simple to prepare and beautiful to eat.

Serves 3

Get your hands on a proper oyster knife, preferably one with a hand guard, this will save you from a nasty gash. Always use a tea towel, its prevents the Oyster slipping.

6 fresh oysters opened

1 tbsp. of butter

1 good handful of fresh spinach leaves

1 tbsp. of finely chopped shallot

1 tbsp. of chopped parsley

1 tbsp. of chopped tarragon

1 tbsp. of fresh breadcrumbs

A dash of Tabasco sauce

1 lemon

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the spinach, shallot and herbs, cook until the spinach is wilted and add the breadcrumbs, Tabasco and a little salt, cook on for a few minutes and blitz in a food processor until you have a nice green paste.

Heat the grill and put the oysters on a baking tray and spoon the spinach paste evenly on top of the oysters, grill for a few minutes and serve with lemon.

Euro-Toques Young Chef of the Year Final

The Future is Bright.....

Long Boarding at its best

just had to put this up