Of course this recipe is great with just parsley but experiment with a combination of soft fragrant herbs sauce as parsley, chives, tarragon or chervil depending on what’s available.
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 x 175g hake fillets, skin on and boned
1 tablesp. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
50g butter
½ lemon, pips removed
1 tablesp. chopped mixed herbs (parsley, chives and tarragon)
To Cook
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and add the seasoned hake fillets, skin side down. Cook for a couple of minutes until the skin is just beginning to crisp, then add little knobs of butter to the pan around each hake fillet and cook for another couple of minutes until the skin is crisp.
Turn the hake fillets over and cook for another 3-4 minutes until cooked through. This will depend on the thickness of the fillets. Transfer to warmed plates while you make the sauce.
Add the rest of the butter to the frying pan and allow it to gently melt over a moderate heat. When it has melted, add a squeeze of lemon juice and the herbs, swirling to combine. Season to taste. Spoon this sauce over the hake fillets and serve with steamed broccoli and some sautéed new potatoes.
Serving Suggestions
Steamed broccoli and sauté new potatoes
Tips
Above all be careful not to overcook the fish. To check, gently prod the thickest part of the fish with a small knife. If it is cooked, the flesh will look opaque and the flakes will separate easily. If it isn’t done yet, it will still have the translucent look for raw fish.
Other fish you could use: Whiting, haddock or trout fillets
I’m a big country music fan and I love cooking!! So, when I saw Trisha Yearwood had a new cookbook, I had to give it a try!
You can tell that Trisha has put a lot of heart and soul into this cookbook. She shares family recipes and stories throughout. Trisha has a way of making you feel like you are a guest at her dinner table. By the end, you feel like you know, not only her better, but others in her family.
The recipes did not disappoint. As always, when I do a cookbook review, I had to try some of the recipes so I could genuinely rate the cookbook. There is a little something for everyone with 125 recipes that cover everything from breakfast, snacks, pork & beef, chicken, turkey & fish, etc. I made Company Chicken and PB&J Cookie Bars. What I love about the book is that it doesn’t call for a bunch of fancy ingredients, and I had everything on hand to make these two recipes. The Company Chicken was very flavorful and something easy that I will be able to make for guests. The PB&J Cookie Bars have become a fast breakfast in my household and are also super easy to make.
Keep in mind that most of the recipes are southern-inspired comfort food so, if you want to make the recipes healthier, you may have to make some ingredient substitutions.
QOTD: Do you have a favorite celebrity cookbook? If not, what’s your favorite dish to cook?
Do you like country music? Who’s your favorite singer/group?
My brother, Kenneth, loves Asian food and he is in no doubt that he is far better than me at cooking it! I don’t disagree. He is proud of this chicken satay dish and often makes it for the family. This dipping sauce also works well with pork, prawns, beef strips or turkey. And remember, kids just love anything on sticks!
SERVES 4
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp clear honey
2 tsp medium curry powder
450g (1lb) skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into long strips
FOR THE PICKLED CUCUMBER SALAD:
4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp caster sugar
pinch of salt
½ small cucumber, peeled, halved, deseeded and thinly sliced
FOR THE DIPPING SAUCE:
2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp light brown sugar
juice of ½ lime
1 x 160ml (5½fl oz) tin of coconut milk (Thai Gold, if possible)
½ red chilli, deseeded and finely diced
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 To make the dipping sauce, place the peanut butter in a small pan and stir in the soy sauce, light brown sugar and lime juice. Gradually whisk in the coconut milk and heat gently until you have achieved a smooth sauce. Stir in the chilli and coriander, then leave to cool, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
2 Soak 8 x 15cm (6in) bamboo skewers in a shallow dish of cold water for at least 30 minutes. Preheat a griddle pan until it’s smoking hot or light a barbecue.
3 Whisk together the soy sauce, honey and curry powder. Season with pepper and stir in the chicken pieces. Leave to marinate for 2 minutes, then thread the chicken pieces onto the soaked bamboo skewers and arrange on the barbecue. Cook the chicken skewers over medium-hot coals for 4–6 minutes, turning once or twice, until completely tender and cooked through. If using a griddle pan, reduce the heat to medium as soon as you’ve put the skewers on.
4 Meanwhile, to prepare the pickled cucumber salad, place the vinegar in a bowl and stir in the sugar and a good pinch of salt until both have dissolved. Tip in the cucumber, stirring to combine, and set aside to allow the flavours to develop. 5 To serve, arrange 2 chicken satay skewers on each warmed plate. Divide the dipping sauce among individual bowls and place to the side of the skewers. Add the pickled cucumber salad, leaving behind any excess liquid, to serve.
Butter Chicken
Swap your usual takeaway curry for this homemade chicken makhana, which combines marinated chicken with a rich, buttery sauce. This is an authentic Indian curry with its origins in Delhi, where it was first made to use up pieces of leftover tandoori chicken.
Serves 4–6
500g skinless and boneless chicken breasts or thighs
juice and finely grated rind of 1 lemon
3 tbsp mild curry seasoning
4 tbsp natural yogurt
3 tbsp sunflower oil
30g butter
2 red onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 red chilli, seeded
3cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
20g fresh coriander
400ml passata (Italian sieved tomatoes)
120ml cream
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Trim the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Put in a bowl and stir in half the lemon juice with a good pinch of salt. Add 2 tablespoons of the curry seasoning, the yogurt and 1 tablespoon of the oil. Mix to combine, then season generously with pepper. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour or up to 3 days in the fridge.
Heat the rest of the oil and a knob of the butter in a wok or skillet over a high heat, and quickly sear the marinated chicken in batches until golden brown, transferring with a slotted spoon to a clean bowl as you go. Add the onions to the pan and sauté for 4–5 minutes until they start to caramelise.
Tip in the garlic, chilli and ginger, then add another knob of the butter and sauté for 1–2 minutes. Chop the stalks from the coriander and add them to the pan with the rest of the curry seasoning and another knob of the butter. Toast for a few minutes until very fragrant. Pour the passata into the pan and bring to a simmer, then add the cream and the rest of the lemon juice.
Transfer to a blender and blend until you have a very smooth sauce. Return to the pan and add the chicken with any juices and reheat gently for about 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender. Season to taste, then fold in the lemon rind with the rest of the butter and the coriander leaves, reserving a few sprigs to garnish. Transfer to bowls and garnish with the coriander sprigs.
SERVE WITH … This mild and creamy curry is sure to please all tastes. Make some Homemade Flatbreads, perhaps brushing them with a little melted butter and sprinkling with black onion seeds. A bowl of Pilau Rice completes the meal, alongside some spiced mango chutney, mint raita and lime pickle.
odlums_ireland Who doesn’t love chocolate biscuit cake? This recipe is perfect to make a few days before Christmas Day to give you more time to enjoy the festivities.✨
You will need: 275g/10 oz Butter 150ml/¼pt Golden Syrup 225g/8oz Chocolate (good quality, at least 60% cocoa) ½ x 400g packet of Digestive Biscuits, roughly crushed ½ x 400g packet of Rich Tea Biscuits, roughly crushed 1 packet of Maltesers 125g/4oz Shamrock Walnuts, Brazil Nuts and/or Almonds (optional) Add the biscuits, Maltesers and fruit and nuts, if used. Stir well.
Method: ✔️Line a 15cms/6″ round cake tin or a 2lb loaf tin with a double layer of greaseproof paper. ✔️Melt the butter, syrup and chocolate in a pan over a low heat. Stir to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed together. ✔️Add the biscuits, Maltesers, fruit and nuts, if used. Stir well. ✔️Transfer to the prepared tin. Level it on top and press down well to avoid air gaps. ✔️Allow to cool and harden. Wrap completely in greaseproof paper and store in a fridge.
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.
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.
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
Dry the fish fillets on kitchen paper.
Season on both sides with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.
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.
OR you can dust the fillets with seasoned flour then spread some soft butter over one side.
Place buttered side in the pan first. Turn when golden on one side, then cook again until golden on the other side.
Place a couple of slices of herb butter over each fillet and serve immediately with asparagus and boiled new potatoes.
I never tire of a bowl of steaming hot stew. It’s the attention to detail that makes this dish one of the world’s great classics. This is my version that I have developed over the years. It’s a meal in itself, but for a special celebration, try serving it buffet style with bowls of turnip mash, colcannon and maybe even some glazed parsnips and carrots and watch your guests’ faces light up!
SERVES 6–8
900g (2lb) boneless lamb neck or shoulder, trimmed and cut into cubes
900ml (1½ pints) lamb or chicken stock
50g (2oz) pearl barley, washed
225g (8oz) potatoes, cut into chunks
225g (8oz) carrots, thickly sliced
225g (8oz) leeks, well trimmed and
thickly sliced
225g (8oz) pearl onions, peeled
100g (4oz) rindless piece of smoked
bacon, diced
2 fresh thyme sprigs
sea salt and freshly ground
black pepper
chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley,
to garnish
turnip mash with crispy bacon and onion, to serve (optional)
colcannon, to serve
1 Place the boneless lamb pieces in a large heavy-based pan or flameproof casserole and pour over the stock. Bring to the boil, then skim off any scum from the surface and then stir in
the barley. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 50 minutes, until slightly reduced and the lamb is almost tender.
2 Add the potatoes to the lamb with the carrots, leeks, pearl onions, smoked bacon and thyme and simmer for 30 minutes, until the lamb and vegetables are completely tender but still holding their shape. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3 Put the stew straight onto the table and scatter over the parsley. Serve dishes of the turnip mash with crispy bacon and onion and colcannon alongside and allow everyone to help themselves.
Oatmeal, Cranberry and White Chocolate Cookies
This recipe was given to me by Mary Flahavan. I like it so much that we now make it up in batches and keep them in Kilner jars in our rooms for guests in case they’re feeling a bit peckish after a long journey but don’t want to ruin their dinner.
275g (10oz) Flahavan’s
Progress Oatlets
225g (8oz) butter, at room
temperature
150g (5oz) caster sugar
100g (4oz) plain flour, plus a little
extra for dusting
½ tsp baking soda
100g (4oz) dried cranberries,
roughly chopped
100g (4oz) white chocolate,
finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/gas mark 6). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Blend the oatlets in a food processor until quite fine. Add the butter, sugar, flour and baking soda and blend again until the dough just comes together.
Tip into a bowl and beat in the cranberries and white chocolate. Shape into 12 even-sized balls and arrange on the lined baking sheets well spaced apart, then squash them down with the palm of your hand to about a 4cm (1 ½in) thickness. Bake for 15–20 minutes, until they are a pale golden colour and soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool and harden on the sheets for a minute, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool for a few minutes before tucking in with a nice cup of tea.
Pommes persillade might sound fancy, but the homey side dish — a staple on bistro menus — is incredibly easy to make at home. Crispy potatoes with soft, tender centers are tossed in melted butter, minced garlic, and fresh parsley to create the ultimate side dish. It’s like the classic diner home fries you know and love, only elevated.
The trick to getting these potatoes super crispy is to boil them in salted water before pan-frying them. This does two things: It cooks the potatoes all the way through so they are perfectly tender, and it helps bring some of the potatoes’ gelatinized starches to the surface so the potatoes get nice and crispy. To do this, you’ll cover diced potatoes with cold water, bring to a boil, drain them, and let them dry on a sheet tray, where they’ll cool for at least 10 minutes to allow the excess water to evaporate. Then, fry them in a hot skillet to crisp them up.
Here, we’re garnishing the crispy spuds with shredded Parmesan cheese to amp up their savoriness, but you can leave it out and still end up with a delicious side dish. Serve them immediately to maintain their crispy texture and pair with your favorite protein for the ultimate weeknight dinner.
Pommes Persillade
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes to 30 minutes
Ingredients
4 medium russet potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
1 tablespoon plus 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
Peel and cut 4 medium russet potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Place the potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover potatoes by 1 inch. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Uncover and reduce heat to low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until potatoes are easily pierced with a knife but not falling apart, 12 to 14 minutes. Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with paper towels.
Drain the potatoes, then transfer onto a baking sheet and spread into a single layer. Pat the potatoes dry with more towels and let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, mince 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chop the leaves from 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, and finely shred 1 ounce Parmesan cheese (about 1/2 cup). Microwave 4 tablespoons unsalted butter in a large microwave-safe bowl until melted, about 30 seconds. Add the garlic, parsley, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and stir to combine. Set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 10-inch cast iron or nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches if needed, add the potatoes and cook, stirring and flipping them often, until golden-brown and crisp on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes total. Transfer the potatoes into the bowl of garlic butter and toss to coat. Transfer into a serving bowl and garnish with the Parmesan.
To make the kale and cabbage, mix the vinegar, oils, sugar and garlic together in a small bowl and season with salt. Dress the kale and cabbage with the vinaigrette and set aside.
To make the lovage purée, heat the cream in a saucepan and add the lovage and kale. Stir well, add the salt and sugar and cook until the leaves have wilted. Transfer to a food processor or blender and blitz to a purée.
To make the boxty, mix the mashed potato, grated potato and flour in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk and egg and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the potato mixture to make a thin pancake, slightly thicker than a crêpe. Cook for 2–3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Use a round biscuit cutter to make 4 small pancakes.
To make the Dublin Bay prawns, bring a saucepan of water to the boil and blanch the prawns for 5 seconds. Immediately plunge the prawns into iced water and then peel away the shells and devein. Heat the butter, garlic and lemon juice in a frying pan and cook the prawns until they are pink and cooked through.
To serve, place the kale and cabbage on warmed plates and top with the prawns. Dot the lovage purée around the edges of the plates and finish with the lemon zest and radish. Serve the boxty on the side.
Put the tofu, ground star anise, vanilla seeds, treacle and agave syrup into a large bowl and blend with a hand blender until silky smooth.
Melt the chocolate in a heatproof glass bowl sat over a saucepan of simmering water, being careful not to let the bowl touch the water. Fold into the tofu. Spoon the mixture between 4 glasses and refrigerate until set.
To make the honeycomb, line a baking tray with baking paper. Put the sugar, glucose and golden syrup into a deep saucepan and heat until it reaches 145C. (This should take about 5 minutes). Quickly whisk in the bicarbonate of soda. Be careful as the mixture will bubble up very suddenly. Quickly pour onto the lined baking tray. Set aside to cool and harden.
To make the apricots, heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the apricots and star anise and cook until the apricots start to caramelise. Sprinkle over a pinch of sugar and leave to cool.
To serve, sprinkle the toasted almonds on top of the mousse and serve with the apricots and peices of honeycomb.
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