Darina Allen’s Carrot and Mint Soup

Carrot-Mint-Soup-(Carrot-Lovage-Soup)-(Carrot,-Chive

Carrot and Mint Soup

Most people will have carrots, onions and potatoes in their pantry – I’m using the first little shoots of fresh mint to flavour my batch of carrot soup today.

 

This soup may be served either hot or cold, don’t hesitate to put in a good pinch of sugar, it brings up the flavour.

560g(1 1/4lb/3 cups) carrots, preferably organic, chopped

45g(1 1/2oz/scant 1/2 stick) butter

110g(4oz) onion, chopped

150g(5oz) potatoes, chopped

salt,freshly ground pepper and sugar

sprig of spearmint

1.2litres (2 pints/5 cups) homemade light chicken or vegetable stock

62ml(2 1/2fl oz/generous 1/4 cup) creamy milk, (optional)

3 teaspoons freshly chopped spearmint

Garnish

a little lightly whipped cream or crème fraiche

sprigs of spearmint

Melt the butter and when it foams add the chopped vegetables, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and sugar. Add a sprig of mint, cover with a butter paper (to retain the steam) and a tight fitting lid.Leave to sweat gently on a low heat for about 10 minutes approx.Remove the lid, add the boiling stock and cook until the vegetables are soft. Pour into the liquidiser, add 3 teaspoons of freshly chopped mint and puree until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Adda little creamy milk if necessary.

Garnish with a swirl of lightly whipped cream or crème frâiche and a sprig of fresh mint.

Variation

Carrot and Lovage Soup

Substitute lovage for mint in the above recipe.

Carrot,Garlic Chive Flowers and Seeds

Add finely chopped garlic chives instead of mint in the master recipe. Garnish with a swirl of lightly whipped cream or crème fraiche,garlic chive flowers and seeds.  Society garlic flowers are also great.

Rachel Allen’s pan-fried fish with herb butter, asparagus, new potatoes: @RTEToday


By Rachel Allen

Celebrity Chef

More from
Today

Rachel Allen’s pan-fried fish with herb butter, asparagus, new potatoes.

Ingredients

Serves: 4-6

For the herb butter:

  • 50g soft butter
  • 1 tablespoon chopped herbs such as dill, fennel, chives, parsley
  • A squeeze of lemon juice
  • Salt and pepper

For the pan-fried fish:

  • 4 fillets of flat fish, such as John Dory, plaice, sole, brill or turbot, or part of a round fish fillet, like salmon, cod, grey mullet, etc. (allow 175g for a main course and 75g for a starter)
  • Approximately 4 tablespoons flour
  • Extra virgin olive oil or soft butter
  • A pinch of sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Dry the fish fillets on kitchen paper.
  2. Season on both sides with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.
  3. Heat a cast iron or non-stick frying pan on a high heat until smoking. Add a dash of olive oil and put in the fish fillets.
  4. OR you can dust the fillets with seasoned flour then spread some soft butter over one side.
  5. Place buttered side in the pan first. Turn when golden on one side, then cook again until golden on the other side.
  6. Place a couple of slices of herb butter over each fillet and serve immediately with asparagus and boiled new potatoes.

Lemongrass Coconut Cake by Rachel Allen @Ballymaloe


By Rachel Allen Celebrity Chef
More from
Rachel Allen’s Cake Diaries


A quirky combination. The end result? A scrumptious cake for all to enjoy.
Ingredients
4 stalks of lemongrass, base and tops trimmed, outer leaves removed but reserved for the syrup (see below)
250 g (9oz) caster sugar
4 eggs
200 g (7oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
125 g (41/2 oz) desiccated coconut
125 g (41/2 oz) plain flour, plus extra for dusting
2 tsp baking powder
greek yoghurt or creme fraiche, to serve
for the syrup
reserved trimmings and outer leaves of the lemongrass (see above)
75 g (3oz) caster sugar
23cm (9in) diameter cake tin with 6cm
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3). Butter the sides of the cake tin and dust with flour, then line the base with a disc of baking parchment.
Slice the lemongrass stalks quite thinly into rounds about 3mm (1?8in) thick, then place in a food processor with the caster sugar and whiz for 1–2 minutes or until the lemongrass is finely puréed and very aromatic.
Add the eggs, butter and coconut and whiz again until combined, then sift the flour and baking powder together and add to the machine, whizzing very briefly just until the ingredients come together.
Tip the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40–45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. While the cake is cooking, make the syrup.
Roughly chop the lemongrass trimmings, place in a saucepan with the sugar and 75ml (3fl oz) of water and set over a high heat. Stir the mixture until the sugar is dissolved, then bring to the boil and boil for 2 minutes before removing from the heat and leaving to infuse.
When the cake has finished baking, take it out of the oven and let it sit in the tin for 10 minutes. Loosen around the edges using a small, sharp knife and carefully remove the cake from the tin before transferring to a serving plate.
Reheat the syrup, then pierce holes all over the cake with a skewer and pour the hot syrup through a sieve onto the cake, moving the pan and sieve around as you pour so that the syrup covers the top of the cake. Allow the cake to cool down completely.
Serve with a dollop of natural Greek yoghurt or crème fraiche.

Rory O’Connell’s Tuscan Apple, Lemon & Almond Cake






Food on RTÉ

@RTEfood
·


Crisp on top and full of plump, juicy apples, this Tuscan tart is simply delicious.

By Rory O’Connell

Celebrity Chef

I am never quite sure if I should be calling this a cake or a tart but in any event, it is delicious and quite easy to make.

Ingredients

I am never quite sure if I should be calling this a cake or a tart but in any event, it is delicious and quite easy to make.

The origins of the recipe are from Tuscany in Italy but I like to use highly perfumed Irish dessert apples when in season. Look out for some lesser known but very delicious Irish dessert apples such as Irish Peach and Ardcairn Russet. 
 
Serves
 

  • 10g butter melted for greasing the parchment paper 
  • 4 dessert apples 
  • Finely grated zest of 2 lemons 
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
  • 250g caster sugar 
  • 2 eggs 
  • 150ml cream 
  • 110g butter melted and cooled 
  • 125g whole almonds, blanched, peeled and ground to a fine powder in a food processer or ground almonds 
  • 110g plain flour sieved 
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder sieved 
  •  100g of apricot jam 
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice, warmed and sieved 
  •  2 tablespoons of chopped sweet geranium leaves ( optional) 

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180c / 350 f / gas 4 
  2. Line a 28cm flan ring with a removable base with a disc of parchment paper. The paper should in one piece cover the base and sides of the tin and come up 1cm above the edge of the tin. Brush the paper with a little melted butter.
  3. Peel, core and quarter the apples and slice into c 3mm slices. Mix with the lemon zest. Whisk the vanilla, sugar, and eggs to a thick and light consistency similar to a batter. Whisk in the cream and cooled melted butter. Fold in the almonds, flour and baking powder. Add ¾ of the sliced apples, being careful not to break the apple slices.
  4. Pour the mixture into the prepared flan ring and gently smooth over the surface. Scatter the remaining apples over the surface and sprinkle with 1 dessertspoon of caster sugar.
  5. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 160c etc and cook for a further 40 minutes by which time the tart will feel gently set. It may be necessary to cover the tart during the cooking with a sheet of parchment paper if the tart is getting too dark.
  6. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. While the tart is still warm, Paint the surfaced with the warm sieved apricot jam to achieve a glossy glaze and if using the chopped geranium, sprinkle on immediately after glazing the tart. 
  7.  Serve warm with softly whipped cream. 

“Cooking with ingredients from a farm has made all the difference” @ballymaloecookeryschool @grated_food

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKCmFdfM19Z/?igsh=c2JtZ3BwNGVhOWJl

grated_food

and

ballymaloecookeryschool

Original audio

Liked by crouching_tiger_hidden_foodie and others

  • grated_food
  • IT’S IN SEASON 💖

    Still obsessed with rhubarb. It’s in peak season now—tart, sturdy, and showing up in everything. We made a classic rhubarb tart today, no frills, just letting the fruit do its thing & omg it was delish!!

    Also practiced French omelettes (the kind where one second too long ruins everything) and made a fresh chicken stock that’s going to carry half the meals this week.

    #ballymaloe #rhubarb #culinaryschool

Rachel Allen’s Smoked Mackerel, Apple and Fennel Salad

rachel-rocket-recipes_2

 

“Cooking with ingredients from a farm has made all the difference” @ballymaloecookeryschool @grated_food

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKCmFdfM19Z/?igsh=c2JtZ3BwNGVhOWJl

grated_food

and

ballymaloecookeryschool

Original audio

Liked by crouching_tiger_hidden_foodie and others

  • grated_food
  • IT’S IN SEASON 💖

    Still obsessed with rhubarb. It’s in peak season now—tart, sturdy, and showing up in everything. We made a classic rhubarb tart today, no frills, just letting the fruit do its thing & omg it was delish!!

    Also practiced French omelettes (the kind where one second too long ruins everything) and made a fresh chicken stock that’s going to carry half the meals this week.

    #ballymaloe #rhubarb #culinaryschool

Camilla Japonica also known as the winter rose @rachelallencooks #ballymaloe

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHaYQJ7skRR/?igsh=ZWozdXRxd3A3M2N6

rachelallencooks

and

ballymaloecookeryschool

Original audio

Liked by squirrel8293 and others

  • rachelallencooks
  • Camellia japonica 🌸 Also known as the winter rose, this evergreen shrub flowers in late winter and early spring, adding colour when little else is in bloom.

    Freshly picked for a natural, seasonal touch on cakes and desserts.