Chef Alex has Five Tips, and a Recipe, for Christmas at Home

 TIPS ON HOW TO REDUCE STRESS WHEN COOKING 

CHRISTMAS DINNER FROM A TOP CHEF 

The Group Executive Chef at Trigon Hotels (Metropole Hotel and Cork International Hotel), Alex Petit has outlined his top tips for reducing stress around cooking this year's Christmas dinner. 

The French native said: "Christmas is a wonderful time of the year when family and friends are together. But that joy can sometimes be overshadowed by the worry of cooking the Christmas dinner. I know only too well about the pressures of preparing a meal so I’ve outlined a few pointers to help on the big day."

His five tips for cooking a stress - free Christmas dinner are:

1. Lists are your friend.

Write out the details of what you will be serving and what you need for each course. Make a list before you go shopping and tick everything off so you haven’t forgotten anything on the day.

2. Get a good meat thermometer.

A food thermometer takes away the worry of undercooking the turkey. There are a number of moving parts on the day, you don’t need the stress of wondering if the main part of the dinner is cooked correctly.

3. Prepare what you can the night before.

Peel and wash vegetables and potatoes the night before and put them into cold water. Select desserts you can make ahead like trifles and cheesecake to save you time on the big day.

4. It doesn’t have to be Instagram perfect.

A lot of people focus on the presentation of the food. Every dish doesn’t have to look social media ready - the most important thing is spending quality time with your loved ones.

5. Keep it light-hearted and fun.

It’s a special time of the year - friends and family are home and you are together. Get them involved and enjoy spending quality time with them.

Here's Alex's recipe for the ultimate stuffing.

Sausage meat and cranberry stuffing

Ingredients:

75 g butter

1 onion, diced

2 tsp chopped fresh mixed herbs (rosemary, sage and thyme)

50 g fresh cranberries

50 g dried cranberries

175 g fresh white breadcrumbs

225 g Rosscarbery free range pork sausage meat

Salt and pepper

Method:

In a medium size pan, melt the butter and add the finely diced onions.

Cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent and add the dried and fresh

cranberries.

Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook over low heat for 5 minutes.

Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

In a separate bowl, mix the sausage meat, breadcrumbs and fresh herbs.

Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.

Add the cooled butter mix and mix until fully combined.

You can either stuff the turkey with this stuffing or else bake it separately in a preheated

oven at 170 degree celsius for 25 minutes.

METROPOLE HOTEL’S FESTIVE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD AFTERNOON TEA INSPIRED BY THE EVERYMAN'S PANTO

METROPOLE HOTEL’S FESTIVE LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD 

AFTERNOON TEA INSPIRED BY THE EVERYMAN'S PANTO

Cast members from the panto enjoy the 
Little Red Riding Hood Afternoon Tea in the Metropole.

   

The Metropole has partnered with The Everyman for this year’s Christmas Panto - Little Red Riding Hood - to create a festive afternoon tea for young and old to enjoy.

The new “Once upon a time, there was a sweet little girl...” menu features favourite flavours with nods to the fairytale including Little Red Velvet Berry Iced Muffins, Old Granny’s Apple and Blueberry Jam Pie and Wolf Paw Cookies along with a selection of muffins and cakes, just like Little Red Riding Hood took to Grandma’s house.

Pierce Lowney, Director of Food and Beverage at Trigon Hotels said: “The panto is such an exciting event for families in Cork and a Christmas tradition that many people enjoy year after year. We are very excited to offer our new Little Red Riding Hood Afternoon Tea in the Metropole’s Tearoom, which can be enjoyed by young and old. So we invite people to come and indulge in some delicious festive treats before going to the Everyman for an evening of fun and laughter. Sourcing top-quality ingredients is very important to us at Trigon Hotels, which is reflected in the festive afternoon tea menu and we are looking forward to welcoming diners and experiencing this one-of-a-kind menu.”

On the menu is: 

WELCOME DRINK

A warming glass of mulled wine

SWEET TREATS

Woodland Pear and Chestnut Sponge

Little Red Velvet Berry Iced Muffins

Blackcurrant and Ginger Delice

Old Granny’s Apple and Blueberry Jam Pie

Wolf Paw’s Sugar Cookies

SCONES

Homemade Buttermilk Scone with Irish Strawberry Jam, Whipped Cream, Lemon Curd and Irish Salted Butter

ASSORTMENT OF SANDWICHES

Smoked Chicken, Fennel and Grape Crostini

Roast Turkey and Cranberry on White Bread

Poached Prawn in a Lemon Mayonnaise on Edward Buckley Soda Bread

Macroom Mozzarella, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Romesco

And for the kids..

WELCOME DRINK

O’Conaill’s Hot Chocolate or Mineral

SWEET TREATS

Old Granny’s Apple and Blueberry Jam Pie

Mini Chocolate Brownie

Wolf Paw’s Sugar Cookies

SCONES AND PUDDINGS

Muffins and Cakes, just like Little Red Riding Hood took to Grandma’s House

Homemade Buttermilk Scone with Irish Salted Butter, Strawberry Jam and Lemon Curd

Red Velvet Berry Iced Muffins

FINGER SANDWICH SELECTION

Honey Glazed Ham and Cheese on White Bread

Grilled Chicken with Mayonnaise on Edward Buckley Soda Bread

Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich 

The Little Red Riding Hood Festive Afternoon Tea is €45 per person and €25 per child. 

Pre-booking is essential and reservations can be made online at www.themetropolehotel.ie

press release

NEW AFTERNOON TEA MENU AT THE METROPOLE HOTEL FEATURES SEASONAL PRODUCE

 SEASONAL PRODUCE INSPIRES NEW AFTERNOON TEA MENU AT 

THE METROPOLE HOTEL 

Teatime at The Met for Pierce Lowney, Director of Food and Beverage at Trigon Hotels and Sandra Murphy, Group Brand and Communications Manager at Trigon Hotels. Pic: Brian Lougheed 

Seasonal and locally grown produce have inspired a new Autumn Afternoon Tea at the Metropole Hotel. 

The hotel's team is committed to supporting local suppliers and using

Jazz Dining Experiences feature as Metropole Hotel confirms line-up for this year's Jazz Festival Club.

Jazz Dining Experiences feature as Metropole Hotel 

confirms the line-up for this year's Jazz Festival Club. 

Excitement is building at the Metropole Hotel ahead of this year’s Cork Jazz Festival. The full line-up has been confirmed with a host of diverse artists on several stages around the hotel throughout

CORK'S MET BAR & RESTAURANT NAMED AMONG THE TOP TEN PERCENT WORLDWIDE BY TRIPADVISOR

press release

CORK’S MET BAR & RESTAURANT NAMED AMONG 

THE TOP TEN PERCENT WORLDWIDE BY TRIPADVISOR 

The Met Bar and Restaurant at the Metropole Hotel in Cork City has received a top honour by the globally recognised travel website Tripadvisor.

The Travellers’ Choice Awards are based on reviews and ratings collected over a 12-month period. The Met Bar and Restaurant scored a spot at the top thanks

CORK THEMED AFTERNOON TEA WITH MAHARANI GIN LAUNCHED AT THE METROPOLE

press release 

CORK THEMED AFTERNOON TEA LAUNCHED AT THE METROPOLE 

Part of Cork on a Fork Fest

The Metropole Hotel has launched an exclusive Afternoon Tea menu in collaboration with

The Met Summer Special Menu

press release

The Met Summer Special Menu

The Metropole Hotel is excited to announce the launch of

Summer in the City at Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel

 Hotel Press Releases SU24

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Summer in the City at Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel

Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel Launches Exciting Summer Soirée Series

 on the Iconic Rooftop Bar & Terrace

The luxurious, Anantara The Marker Dublin Hotel is thrilled to announce the launch of its new Summer Soirée Series, a trio of vibrant summer events set to take place on the hotel's iconic Rooftop Bar & Terrace in June, July and August. These three exclusive gatherings promise a perfect blend of gourmet cuisine, bespoke cocktails, and live music, making them the ultimate destination for summer entertainment in Dublin.

Guests at the Summer Soirée Series will be treated to tantalising

CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL TEAMS UP WITH LOCAL ATTRACTIONS TO ENHANCE FAMILY STAYS

press releases Spring24

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CORK INTERNATIONAL HOTEL TEAMS UP WITH 

LOCAL ATTRACTIONS TO ENHANCE FAMILY STAYS

Edel Kavanagh, Deputy General Manager and Michael Murphy, Trainee Manager relaunch the popular Family Concierge Service at the Cork International Hotel. Pic: Brian Lougheed

 

The Cork International Hotel is boosting its family experiences with links to local attractions including Fota Wildlife Park and Leahy’s Open Farm. The hotel, which is located close to Cork Airport, has also relaunched the popular Family Concierge Service to ensure families get the most out of their stay.

 

The Family Concierge Team

Metropole Hotel’s annual pancake race held this morning! Not just a race - check out the recipes too!

FLIPPING FUN FOR CORK TRADERS AS METROPOLE HOTEL HOSTS ANNUAL PANCAKE RACE

The race is on. (Pic: Brian Lougheed)

Not just a race - recipes too!

Traders from the VQ area of Cork City put on a flipping good performance this morning for the Metropole Hotel’s annual pancake race.

James Healy of the Shelbourne Bar beat off stiff competition to claim the winning title, which he had taken two years ago.

The pancake race was a Shrove Tuesday tradition when Thompsons Bakery was open on the street dating back to 1826.

Team members from the Metropole Hotel joined representatives from businesses including Nathan Trust, Acet Active Centre for English Training and the Shelbourne Bar as they ran along MacCurtain St while flipping pancakes.  The Metropole Hotel has been organising the event since 2018 and it brings lots of fun and laughter to the area every year.

Roger Russell, General Manager at the Metropole Hotel said: “The pancake race is a very old tradition that we resurrected and it’s been going from strength to strength.  It means an awful lot to the local community as it brings us all together for a bit of banter and a bit of fun.  We’re all friends on the street but ultimately we’re all very competitive and the bragging rights are fantastic. The VQ is a very close knit community and we are more than happy to organise anything that can help to support and promote the area.”

Speaking about his win James Healy said; “I was really looking forward to today as I won the race two years ago so I wanted to reclaim the title.  It was all down to luck on the day though and I’m delighted to have the crown back.”

Alex Petit is Group Executive Chef of Trigon Hotels, which include the Metropole Hotel and Cork International Hotel.  He’s created a delicious sweet and a savoury pancake recipe for people to try at home.

THE CINNAMON ROLL  

American style cinnamon pancake, mixed berry compote, whipped vanilla cream, toasted seeds.

 

Ingredients 

 

American style pancake recipe:

 

250 g self raising flour

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

50g caster sugar

2 large free range eggs

150 ml Buttermilk

 

For the garnish:

150g frozen berries

50g sugar

100 ml fresh cream

25g icing sugar

Vanilla essence

Mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, sesame……)

 

Method

 

For the pancake:

Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl

Add the wet ingredients and mix vigorously until smooth

Rest the batter for 45 minutes prior to cooking

Heat up a large frying pan with vegetable oil to medium/high heat

Cook your pancakes until golden brown on both sides

Those should rise and bubble as you cook them

 

For the garnish:

 

In a medium saucepan, add the mixed berries and caster sugar

Cook over medium heat until the water has mostly evaporated (20 minutes)
The mixture should be syrupy and shiny

 

In a large mixing bowl, pour the fresh cream

Whisk the cream until thick, add the icing sugar and few drops of vanilla essence

Reserve in the fridge until needed

 

In a preheated oven at 170 degrees, toast the mixed seeds until golden

Remove from the oven and Cool down at room temperature

 

To plate, stack 3 pancakes on top of each other

Add a generous amount of berry compote

Top with a large dollop of fresh cream and finish with toasted seeds.

 

 

THE CRÊPE MADAME 

French style thin crêpes garnished with home cooked gammon and Carrigaline cheddar topped with a fried egg.

 

Ingredients

 

French Style crêpe

 

250g plain flour

500ml whole milk

4 eggs

1 pinch alt

50g melted butter

2 tablespoon caster sugar

 

Garnish:

4 eggs

8 slices cooked gammon

200g Carrigaline cheddar

1 bunch fresh chives

 

Optional

 

Mix leaves

Elderflower & extra virgin olive oil dressing

1 red onions finely sliced

 

Method

 

For the crêpe:

Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl

Add the wet ingredients except the butter and mix vigorously until smooth

While whisking, add the melted butter gradually

Rest the batter for 45 minutes prior to cooking

Cook the crêpes one by one and rest onto a plate

 

For the garnish:

 

In a non stick pan, fry the egg sunny side up with little oil

Season with salt and pepper and place the cooked eggs onto a side dish

In a large frying pan on medium heat, add a knob of butter and place a crêpe on it

Place 2 slices of gammon side by side and sprinkle with a generous amount of grated cheddar

Place a fried egg on top and fold the 4 sides of the crepe to form a square

Keep cooking the crêpe until the cheese has fully melted

Plate the crêpe and sprinkle with freshly chopped chives

This can be served with a fresh salad dressed with an elderflower vinaigrette and finely shaved red onions