Taste of the Week. Rhubarb and Vanilla Jam

Taste of the Week
Rhubarb and Vanilla Jam

No bother getting your hands on rhubarb these days. It's is all over the place, including the farmers markets. You'll see it on the dessert list in virtually every restaurant.

And of course many of us grow it in the back garden. And when it comes into season, as it is now, you'll quite possibly have too much of it on your hands. It freezes well of course.

One way we have of using the excess is to make jam. Two years or so back, thanks to Dermot O'Sullivan, known to many of you on Twitter as @Gas_mark_seven, we got an excellent recipe in which he uses vanilla with the rhubarb. That jam is our Taste of the Week.

You can find the recipe, and more, on his website here. Thank you Dermot!  

Come to the Supper Club

Come to the Supper Club

Banu and Ruth, of the South Indian Supper Club,  have been in touch to tell me they "have lots of events and evenings planned for the next few months that hopefully some of you will be able to attend". 

"Our supper clubs are going from strength to strength. We had our last one on Saturday night in Banu's house. It was fully booked and all had a great time! The dates for the next evenings are:

12th April - Saturday

3rd May - Saturday

14th June - Saturday

These events cost €35 for 3 courses plus a welcome cocktail and are lots of fun and very sociable! Please contact us for details (annamkitchencork@gmail.com). 

Our Indian cookery classes, which are proving a huge hit, are running on Monday evenings, and are held in the Cookery Cottage on South Douglas road. They run from 7-9pm and cost €25 for 2 hours. A 4 week cookery class will also be commencing on the 9th of May. This will cost €99. Banu will be teaching a range of Indian cusines during this class. Please contact us for more details. Also please do not forget to mention 48 hours prior to attending if you have been to any other of our classes so that we can make sure recipes aren't repeated. 

We are also now offering event catering. In conjunction with Lishh catering in Turner's Cross we are able to provide home cooked, tasty, authentic Indian food for your parties and events! Please spread the word!

We have also attached a recipe for you to have a go at at home. Let us know how you get on."

Spicy Potatoes South Indian Style
Ingredients

4 large potatoes

1 tbsp. oil

½ tsp black mustard seeds

1/4^th tsp asafoetida powder

½ tsp turmeric powder

½ to 1 tsp red chili powder

Salt

Method:

Peel and cube potatoes

Cook in boiling water until soft

Drain well

In a frying pan, heat oil

Crackle the mustard seeds

Take off the heat

Add all the spice powders with the salt

Add potatoes and coat well in the spiced oil

Place the potatoes on a baking tray or an over proof dish

Bake in preheated oven at 200 C for 3- to 40 mins until crisp and golden

Serve hot

You Can’t Beat a Beetroot!

You Can’t Beat a Beetroot!

You can;t beat a beetroot, says The Butler's Pantry Executive Chef Niall Hill who reckons he has cracked this beautiful purple gem. Luckily, Niall loves to share his recipes using traditional Irish ingredients that are in season and easily accessible; taking a classic ingredient and putting his own modern twist on it.

“I love experimenting with every new season’s ingredients, their different flavours, colour and textures.  In season this month we will start to see root vegetables such as celery, beetroot, carrots, parsnips and swede.  Beetroot is one of my favourites as there are so many ways to enjoy this purple jewel and awaken your taste senses”.

Root vegetables were very accessible as they were not difficult to grow and store. Beetroot evolved from wild seabeet, which is a native of coastlines from India to Britain.   As with a lot of traditional ingredients in Ireland throughout the last century, they have been influenced by what was accessible across the British Isles.

Nutritionally beetroot is famed for its ability to purify the blood and kick start the liver. Many people are averse to beetroot, familiar only with the pickled variety. Fresh beetroot has so much more to share in terms of flavour (sweet, slightly earthy), texture (smooth and velvety) and colour (dark red/purple).

In the kitchen, try it cooked, peeled and in a salad, roasted for Sunday lunch, as a refreshing consommé or create a delightful feast for the eyes in a delicious risotto.

Beetroot makes a great ketchup which goes fantastic with a rosemary grilled chicken, cold cuts and a cheese board – see Niall’s recipe below and he also has a smoked beetroot variety available in The Butler’s Pantry shops.

Niall’s Famous Beetroot Ketchup:
Cooked beetroot diced                     300g
Garlic                                                  1 tsp
Cider vinegar                                       200ml
Onions diced                                       1
Honey                                                  100ml

Method:
        • Place all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil
        • Turn the heat down and simmer for 20 minutes
        • Transfer to a blender and blend until smooth
        • Season to taste, chill and serve cold.


The Butler’s Pantry have shops in Blackrock, Clontarf, Donnybrook, Greystones, Temple Hill Monkstown, Rathgar, Sandycove and Sandymount

CURIOUS WINES TREASURE TROVE

Mont Marcal's Gareth York (right) with Clare and myself and that gorgeous good value Cava!
Pic by Ger McCarthy

CURIOUS WINES TREASURE TROVE


When most people go to Curious Wines, they leave with wine, naturally enough. Me? I leave with a recipe, thanks to Gareth York of Mont Marcal Vinicola Penedes (Spain).

But I must admit I did get through quite a bit of tasting before I got to Gareth! All you Curious fans, and there are quite a few of you, will know that the brothers Kane have a massive selection and, in fairness, had dozens of bottles open during their Wine Fair in aid of the Guide Dogs last weekend. And the good news is that they have plenty left to sell between now and Christmas.

I’ve often heard and read the brothers talking up the Ned Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand and now I’ve have to join them. It is top class but they’ve got some other cracking SBs from down, under including the Ant Moore and the Kings Favor.

Others whites that impressed on Friday evening were the Chartron & Trebuchet Mâcon-Villages Chardonnay 2010 and the Pellehaut Ampelomeryx 2009.

I’ll leave the Spanish, and Gareth’s stand, ‘til later. Started the reds with a Crane Lane Pinot Noir 2009 (8.49) from California but that was soon outmatched by The Ned 2010 (19.99) and another Kiwi The Kings Wrath 2009 (22.00).

Liked the Gregorina Sangiovese Superiore 2010 on sale at 9.99, even though it was a bit on the cold side, and then moved on to the Spanish.

Well, I had already tasted a pretty good Valdamor Albarino 2008 here at €16.99 and also a nice fruity Mont Marcal Blanco 2010 at a very reasonable €7.99. The Red will cost you the same. These two would be quite acceptable at the Christmas party, or indeed, at any party.

They had two excellent Riojas here. First was the more basic Vallobera Pago Malarina 2008, on sale at €8.99, and then the Vallobera Crianza at €11.99.

It was while we were quaffing the Cava, especially the Mont Marcal Extremarium, that I got really chatting with Gareth who is based in Barcelona with the company.

Gareth is a big fan of Café Paradiso’s Denis Cotter and of US food writer Coleman Andrews. He didn’t know about the US writer’s Irish book but highly recommended his Catalan Cuisine.

Gareth likes to play his music when he is in the kitchen and this recipe is one of his favourites to accompany the Cava. I’m not sure if it comes from the Andrews book. Maybe not.

Basically, you’ll need to toast some good quality bread and use your Iberico ham at room temperature (not straight from the fridge). Iberico ham (“the one with the acorns”) is best but you may use Serrano. You will also need really ripe tomatoes. “If hard, grate them and make a puree to which you add olive oil and salt”.

Then you pile your ham and the purée on to your toast. Pour a glass of Cava, probably your second one, and away you go!

RECIPES FROM A PUMPKIN

RECIPES FROM A PUMPKIN
youtu.be/ccQnw4uV_X4 latest video from Irish Examiner - Roz Crowley in the kitchen

TOO MANY RABBITS TO COUNT

Rabbit recipes, that is! Dylan McGrath's rabbit recipe grabbed the attention in a previous round of Masterchef on RTE. We've got easier ones here, possibly harder ones as well. Check for yourself.

Rabbit stifado “This easy recipe will be definitely used again time and again.” ~ CheffieMonster   All Rabbit recipes

Tiramisu Pancakes

Just for the crack:

Tiramisu Pancakes

FOTA ISLAND RESORT: RECIPE + VIDEO

CLASS ACT
Watch Fota Island Resort's Executive Pastry Chef, Rachid Zaouia, prepare delicious White Bread Bagutini and Herbe de Province Bread Rolls ow.ly/5ZFNG

Gubbeen Chorizo, peas and rice. Let's cook!

West Cork Chorizo and Sage with Rice


Gubbeen's Chorizo is widely available.


I regularly get one at the Mahon Point Farmer's Market where Gubbeen have a stand. Their Chorizo is based on southern Spain’s famous spicy salami: Pimenton, chili, garlic, oregano, pepper. So you'd expect it to go well with Spanish rice. It does and here is the recipe. 


Fresh peas are beautiful just now. I know the recipe (from an old Reader's Digest Book) says frozen but if you have fresh then so much the better. Picked a bowl in the garden the other day and used them with the recipe and they were just terrific.

LAMB AND EGGPLANT SHEPHERD’S PIE

Classic Irish Dish Gets New Mexico Twist in this guest post by Steve Collins

LAMB AND EGGPLANT SHEPHERD’S PIE

Shepherd’s pie is a classic Irish pub dish. The best ones are a braise of meat and vegetables covered with a layer of cheddary mashed potatoes and baked until a crust forms and the gravy bubbles. This one uses lamb and eggplant because they go so well together. Because I’m from Santa Fe, NM, I couldn’t resist adding some dried ancho and chipotle for a bit of spice. Enjoy this with a substantial ale and good craic.        

Eggplant Lamb Shepherd’s Pie

1 eggplant, peeled and

TEMPTATION NO 2

Braised Beef and Guinness Casserole is the recipe provided by Tipp butcher and author Pat Whelan (who, by the way, will allow you use any stout you choose!). Details here

TEMPTING

Like to try out the recipe of the month from the chef at the Cork Radisson? It is a very tempting Baked Salmon with Chorizo Risotto and Basil Pesto. Click here for the recipe. 

BARBECUED BANANAS

EASY DESSERT  

These barbeque days just last and last, fingers crossed!

Here’s my favourite dessert when out in the garden.

Put your bananas on the grill and allow them to almost blacken (about 15 minutes on ordinary charcoal).

When bananas close to ready, get your bowls and lay down some ice-cream. When bananas ready, slit them quickly, remove skins, and lay flesh on the ice-cream. Now, add in a table spoon or two, and one for the cook, of a nut liquor. And eat quickly.

No nut liquor? Then try Kirsch or a dark rum. But, if you do get the chance to get yourself some nut liquor, do so as it definitely gives the best results. Believe this veteran. I’ve been doing this for 17 years, since I first visited the Dordogne and bought myself a bottle of Sarlanoix.

RHUBARB WHIP

EASY DESSERT

Been working hard in the garden this sunny day but the reward won't come until tomorrow when I’ll enjoy a favourite dessert: Rhubarb Whip. Last outside job today was to pick a pound of the red sticks, the basis for this very easy recipe.

RHUBARB WHIP

Serves 6/7

1 lb of rhubarb;

¼ pint of water;

4 ozs of sugar;

1 Raspberry jelly;

7 oz can condensed milk.

Method:

Cook rhubarb in water and sugar until soft. Add pieces of jelly and stir well until melted.

Leave to become cold. Whip milk. Fold into rhubarb and jelly. Leave in fridge overnight to set.

Serve with ice-cream, cream and grated chocolate.

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