Molly Malone’s cockle and mussel chowder by Rachel Allen ☘️ ♥️

molly malones chowder

Molly Malone was a beautiful girl who sold cockles and mussels and died tragically of a fever while still young, or so the song goes. Molly may not have been a real girl, but since at least the 17th century, there have been fishmongers on the streets of Dublin who sell ‘Cockles and Mussels, alive, alive, oh!’

Cockles, with their distinctive flavour and lovely curved shell, are traditionally eaten in Ireland with Oatcakes. If you can only find mussels, this chowder will be just as good.

Serve either as a substantial starter or with chunks of crusty bread as a meal in its own right.

Heat the sunflower oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and sauté for about 1 minute, until crisp and golden. Add the butter to the pan and melt. Then add the leek, carrot and potato. Reduce the heat to low and sauté gently for 4–5 minutes, until soft but not browned.

Meanwhile, prepare the cockles and mussels. Scrub the shells clean and discard any that remain open when you tap them against a hard surface. Remove the beard – the little fibrous tuft – from each mussel. Bring the wine to a boil in a large saucepan and add the cockles and mussels. Cover with a tight-fi tting lid and cook for 3–4 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until the shells have opened.

Remove from the heat, drain the shellfi sh in a colander, reserving the cooking juices, and discard any shells that remain closed. Return the shellfi sh to the empty pan to keep warm. Place a fine sieve over a measuring jug and strain the cooking liquid. You should have at least 600ml (1 pint); if not, add water to make up that quantity.

Add the pan juices and the milk to the bacon and vegetable mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6–8 minutes, until the potato is tender. Add the cream and simmer for another 2–3 minutes, until the soup is reduced and thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, remove half of the cockles and mussels from their shells and add them with the remaining cockles and mussels still in their shells to the chowder. Stir in the parsley and serve at once.

http://www.rachelallen.com/post/molly-malones-cockle-and-mussel-chowder

 

Crispy Baked Hake with Yogurt Tartar Sauce

crispy-baked-hake-with-yogurt-tartar-sauce

Panko breadcrumbs, if available, make the coating extra crispy but they are not essential.

Serves 4

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 hake fillets, approx. 175g each, skinned and boned
  • 25g butter, melted
  • 75g of stale breadcrumbs or Panko breadcrumbs
  • 15g finely grated cheese
  • 1 tablesp. chopped parsley leaves
  • 40g plain flour
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Yogurt Tartar Sauce

  • 150g Greek style yogurt
  • 1 teasp. Dijon-style mustard
  • 1 tablesp. capers, drained and finely chopped
  • 1 small gherkin, finely chopped
  • 1 tablesp. chopped parsley leaves

To Cook

Preheat oven to Gas Mark 6, 200°C (400°F). Line a large baking tray with parchment paper. Brush a little of the melted butter over the parchment paper.

Place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish with the grated cheese and parsley. Place the flour and egg in separate shallow dishes.

Season the hake with a little salt and black pepper. Dip the hake, one piece at a time, into the flour, shake off the excess, then dip into the egg and finally into the breadcrumb mixture. Place on the baking tray. Brush the remaining melted butter over the top and sides of the fish. Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until cooked through.

Meanwhile make the Yogurt Tartar Sauce:
Place yogurt, mustard, capers, gherkin, parsley, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Mix well to combine.

Serving Suggestions

Serve the sauce with the crispy hake, tender stem broccoli and sautéed potatoes.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Protein: 43g 

Carbohydrates: 44g 

Fat: 17g 

Iron: 2.3mg 

Energy: 504kcal 

http://www.bordbia.ie/consumer/recipes/fish/pages/crispybakedhakewithyogurttartarsauce.aspx

Irish Scones with Kerrygold Butter and Jam

Irish_Scones_with_Kerrygold_Grass-Fed_Butter_and_Jam

This scone recipe can also be made into one large loaf cooked on a baking sheet. Cut a deep cross in the center and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 400ºF (200ºC), Gas mark 6 and continue to cook for another 20 minutes until the base sounds hollow when tapped.

 

Apple and Yoghurt Pancakes with Blackberry and Honey Sauce

apple & yoghurt pancakes

Serves 6

Cooking time: 15 min

Ingredients

  • 300g self-raising flour
  • 50g sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 150ml natural yoghurt
  • 2 eating apples, peeled and chopped
  • Milk Butter to cook the pancakes
  • Blackberry and honey sauce
  • 200g blackberries (or blueberries)
  • 2-3 tablesps. Honey
  • Juice of 1 lemon

To Cook

Place all the batter ingredients in the processor. Whizz until well blended. Heat a non–stick pan & add a touch of butter. Add 4 large spoonfuls of batter, spaced well apart and cook for 2 minutes until bubbles appear, flip and cook for another minute. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the rest
(makes about 16.)

To make the sauce

Heat the fruit, honey and lemon juice until you have a nice thick fruity sauce. Serve warm with the pancakes and extra Yoghurt if you wish.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Protein: 11g 

Carbohydrates: 68g 

Fat: 9g 

Iron: 2mg 

Energy: 386kcal 

 www.bordbia.ie

 

Odlums Peanut Butter Cookies

peanut_butter_cookies

Category Afternoon Tea

Cook Time 15-25 mins

What you need:

  • 175g/6oz Odlums Self Raising Flour
  • 125g/4oz Butter (room temperature)
  • 175g/6oz Shamrock Light Muscovado Sugar
  • 125g/4oz Kelkin Crunchy Peanut Butter
  • 1 Egg, beaten

How to:

  1. Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Lightly grease 2 flat baking trays or swiss roll tins.
  2. Put the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.
  3. Next, beat in the peanut butter. Finally, stir in the beaten egg and the flour. Mix until smooth.
  4. Put teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto the baking sheet (a little apart, to allow for spreading during baking).
  5. Bake for 15 minutes if you like them soft in the middle, or for 25 minutes if you like them crisp.
  6. When baked, allow to set for about 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire tray to cool. When completely cold, store in an airtight container to keep them fresh.

Peanut Butter Cookies