Tag: Co Cork

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Darina Allen’s Sea Spinach Soup

 

darina allen sea spinach soup

Sea Spinach Soup

Sea spinach is at its sweetest and most delicious at present…. I absolutely love it and really want you to know about it so if you live near a rocky strand, look out for it – the shiny green leaves are unmistakable. It is, in fact, the ancestor to most cultivated varieties of beet, from beetroot to spinach beet. It can be cooked exactly like garden spinach and used in the same way, for example, try serving it in Middle Eastern style with raisins and pine kernels and a touch of cinnamon. Not surprisingly, because sea spinach is washed by the tides, it is full of iodine, minerals and other trace elements and it has an addictive salty tang. Sea spinach is tougher and slightly stronger in flavour than garden spinach, so it takes a little longer to cook.

The trick with these green soups is not to add the greens until the last minute, otherwise they will overcook and the soup will lose its fresh taste and bright green colour.

50g (2oz/1/2 stick) butter

110g (4oz/1 cup) onion, chopped

150g (5oz/1 cup) potatoes, chopped

600ml (1 pint/2 1/2 cups) homemade chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

425-600ml (3/4-1 pint/2 – 2 1/2 cups) creamy milk (1/4 cream and 3/4 milk)

salt and freshly ground pepper

225-350g (8-12oz/3 cups) sea spinach, destalked and chopped

Freshly ground nutmeg

‍

Garnish

2 tablespoons (2 American tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) whipped cream (optional

Freshly chopped parsley

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. When it foams add the onions and potatoes and turn them until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Add the boiling stock and milk, bring back to the boil and simmer until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Add the sea spinach and boil with the lid off for about 3-5 minutes, until the sea spinach is tender. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh green colour.

Liquidise and taste and add some freshly grated nutmeg.  Serve in warm bowls garnished with a blob of whipped cream and some chopped parsley

Ballymaloe Cookery
@BallymaloeCS

 

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Swedish Cardamom Cookies

rachel cardaomon cookies

Makes about 40 cookies.

You will need:

  • 225g (8oz) butter, softened
  • 125g (4½oz) icing sugar
  • 275g (10oz) flour
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons ground cardamom, see my Tip, above left
  • 1 teaspoon orange zest, finely grated
  • Pinch of salt
  • 200g (7oz) chopped pecans or sugar crystals/nibs – (coloured, if you like, available in some speciality food shops) (optional)

Put the softened butter in a bowl and beat until it is soft. Add in half of the icing sugar and continue to beat, then add in the other half. Keep beating until it is all incorporated. Next, add in the flour, the beaten egg, the ground cardamom, the finely grated orange zest and the salt, then continue to beat until everything is well combined.

Roll the dough out into a log shape approximately 4cm (1½in) wide and about 35cm (14in) long.

Roll the dough in the chopped pecans or the sugar crystals/nibs, whichever you’re using, if you’re using them, then transfer the dough to a large piece of parchment paper or cling film and roll it to cover it. If you have used pecan nuts or sugar crystals/nibs, press them in to the sides of the dough.

Put the dough in the fridge for a few hours or leave it in it overnight.

When you want to cook some, or all, of the cookies, cut the dough into ½-¾cm slices then lay them flat on a parchment-lined tray. Cook in an oven preheated to 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4 for about 15-24 minutes (the cooking time will vary, according to thickness), or until a light golden colour. Carefully lift on to a cooling rack to cool completely.

 

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Darina Allen’s Fish Papillote with Hollandaise Sauce

dariana_allens_fish_papillote_with_hollandaise_sauce

Named for the pouch in which it cooks, this dish steams the fish in foil while imbuing it with the richness of Irish butter made with grass-fed cow’s milk. Fresh herbs, a salt crust and quality fresh fish from the remaining legs on which this simple, elegant classic stand.

Serves:  1
Ingredients:

For each person:

4 ounce fillet of fresh fish, skinned, such as salmon, halibut, turbot, sea bass, monkfish or trout

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

2 ounces (4 tablespoons) Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter

Sprig of fresh fennel or dill

Hollandaise sauce, purchased or from recipe below

Mixture of chopped fresh herbs for garnish

Directions:

Salt the piece of fish and leave for 10 minutes. Take a sheet of aluminum foil and fold in half. Open the fold and smear a little Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter on the underneath sheet, place the piece of fish on this, season with freshly ground pepper, put the remainder of the butter and a sprig of one of the fresh herbs on top.

Fold over the foil and seal the edges. Bake in a preheated moderate oven at 350° F, for 10 to 12 minutes; serve immediately with a little Hollandaise sauce. Spoon a mixture of fresh herbs into the papillotes just before you serve them.

http://kerrygoldusa.com/recipes/darina-allens-fish-papillote-with-hollandaise-sauce/

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Rachel’s Home Made Rice Pudding Recipe

 

 

 

 

izabellanatrins's profile picture
izabellanatrins

Orange zest and cinnamon with orange slices sautéed In butter and the pan deglazed with a little brandy 💃💃💃

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Rachel Allen’s Rhubarb Ice Cream

ice-cream_0

 

 

 

Serves 12.

You will need:

250g (9oz) rhubarb, finely sliced

50g (2oz) sugar

1 tablespoon water, and 200ml (7fl oz) water

Juice of ½ lemon

250g (9oz) caster sugar

4 large egg whites

Pinch of cream of tartar

300ml (10½fl oz) cream, softly whipped – this should come to about 500ml (17½ fl oz) whipped cream

Put the sliced rhubarb, the 50g (2oz) sugar and the tablespoon of water in a small saucepan on a medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for a few minutes until the rhubarb is soft and tender. Stir in the lemon juice. Then pour the rhubarb out on to a plate and allow to cool.

Put the 250g (9oz) caster sugar and the 200ml (7fl oz) water in a saucepan on a medium heat. Stir to dissolve the caster sugar, then bring up to the boil. Increase the heat to high and boil fiercely for about 5 minutes until the mixture reaches the ‘thread’ stage. If you own a sugar thermometer, this is when it reads 106°C-113°C (223°F-236F). If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, dip a metal spoon into the mixture; as you remove it, the last drops of sugar syrup will form thin threads if the correct temperature has been reached.

Meanwhile, using an electric whisk, whisk the egg whites along with the cream of tartar until they are stiff. Still whisking, gradually pour in the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream, and continue to whisk until the mixture is cool, glossy and stiff (this will take about 4 or 5 minutes). Fold in the cooked rhubarb mixture and the whipped cream, though not completely, as I like to leave this slightly marbled. Put in the freezer and freeze overnight. This ice-cream can be scooped straight from the freezer.

Ice Cream Recipes

 http://www.rachelallen.com/post/rhubarb-ice-cream

 

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Asparagus and new potato salad with a poached egg

asparagus-potato-salad-poached-egg

Serves 4.

You will need:

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 200g (7oz) small-to-medium new potatoes, washed
  • 50ml (2fl oz) extra virgin olive oil
  • 25ml (1fl oz) lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon chopped marjoram or tarragon
  • 250g (9oz) asparagus stalks, approx 3-4 per person
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 handfuls of a lovely mixture of salad leaves
  • A piece of Coolea or Parmesan cheese, for shaving

First, place a saucepan of water on a high heat and add a good pinch of salt. Bring up to the boil then pop in the new potatoes, cover and boil for about 20-30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. While the potatoes are cooking, make the dressing by mixing the olive oil, the lemon juice, the chopped marjoram or tarragon, whichever you’re using, and some salt and pepper to season. When the potatoes are cooked, cut them into quarters while hot, place in a bowl and drizzle with some of the lemon and olive oil dressing and season with salt and pepper. Set aside but do not chill.

Place more water, with another pinch of salt, in the saucepan and bring to the boil on a high heat for cooking the asparagus. Prepare the asparagus by snapping off the woody ends at the base of the stalks, discard the snapped end. Next, using a peeler, peel away the slightly tough outer peel from about 2-3cm at the base of the stalks. When the water comes to the boil, drop in the asparagus and boil, uncovered, for about 4-6 minutes until tender. Remove the asparagus from the water but keep the water in the pot (for cooking the eggs) and place the asparagus stalks on a plate and immediately drizzle with some of the dressing.

Bring the water back to a boil again and crack in the eggs, turn the heat to medium to let the water simmer and poach the eggs for a few minutes until the whites are set and the yolks still soft. While the eggs are cooking, place the lettuce leaves in a bowl and drizzle with nearly all of the remaining dressing – enough to just make the leaves glisten. Divide the leaves between the plates and arrange the asparagus over or around or slightly peeping out from under the lettuce, then arrange the potatoes over or around and then place a perfectly poached egg sitting on top of each salad. To finish, peel a few shavings of the Coolea or Parmesan cheese, whichever you are using, for each plate and arrange over the top, drizzle with the last of the dressing, and serve.

 http://www.rachelallen.com/post/asparagus-and-new-potato-salad-poached-egg

 

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Darina Allen’s Cullohill Apple Pie

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup (1 brick) Kerrygold Butter, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sugar, plus 2/3 cup for the filling and a little extra for sprinkling
  • 2 large eggs, plus an extra for egg wash
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 pounds (4 to 5) tart crisp apples, such as Granny Smith, peeled, quartered, cored, and sliced
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

Cream butter and 1/4 cup of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer; add 2 of the eggs and beat until smooth. Reduce mixer speed and add flour a heaping half cup at a time to form stiff but sticky dough. Turn onto a floured surface and form into a ball. Divide dough into 2/3 and 1/3 portions; wrap each in plastic and press to flatten into a round. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 days. When ready to bake, adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Toss apples with remaining 2/3 cup of sugar and the cloves. Roll the larger dough round on a floured surface to a 13-inch circle; fit into a 10-inch tart pan or a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish pie plate. Turn apples into pie plate. Roll remaining portion of dough on a floured surface into a 10-inch circle. Lay pastry over apples and pinch with bottom piece of dough to seal; flute edges. Brush with an egg wash, and decoratively slit the dough top with a paring knife. Bake until pie is golden brown, 45 to 60 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Cut into slices and serve.

For more about the Ballymaloe Cookery School, visit www.cookingisfun.ie.

http://kerrygoldusa.com/recipes/darina-allen-s-cullohill-apple-pie

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Rachel’s Home Made Rice Pudding Recipe

 

 

 

izabellanatrins's profile picture
izabellanatrins

Orange zest and cinnamon with orange slices sautéed In butter and the pan deglazed with a little brandy 💃💃💃