Neven Maguire’s Irish Stew and Mary Flahavan’s Oatmeal Cookies – Marty in the Morning @rte lyricfm

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.

Grilled Peaches with Cashel Blue Cheese @KerrygoldUSA

grilled-peaches-with-cashel-blue-cheese-thumbnail

Farmhouse Irish blue cheese made with grass-fed cow’s milk makes the perfect pairing for fresh grilled peaches. As an appetizer or a gourmet snack, they make for a sweet, creamy treat perfect for outdoor grilling. They can also be made on the stovetop using a grill pan for a year-round taste of Irish summer.

Prep:  5 minutes
Cook:  4 minutes
Serves:  4

Ingredients:
Directions:

Heat a gas or charcoal grill. Cut peaches in half and remove pits. With a melon baller, scoop out a little flesh to enlarge the cavity where the pit was removed. Brush peaches lightly with olive oil on both sides. Place peaches on grill, cut side down. Grill about 2 minutes or until grill marks form. Turn over and grill for 2 minutes more. Place peaches on a serving platter, cut side up. Fill holes where pit was removed with Kerrygold Cashel Blue Farmhouse Cheese and drizzle peaches with honey. Serve warm.

http://kerrygoldusa.com/recipes/grilled-peaches-with-cashel-blue-cheese/

White Soda Bread recipe @Ballymaloe Co.Cork â¤ď¸

INGREDIENTS

Preheat the oven to 250deg C

Makes 1 loaf

450g (1lb, 31/2 cups) plain flour
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
300-600ml (1/2 – 1 pint, 1 1/4 – 2 1/2 cups) sour milk or buttermilk

METHOD

Sieve the dry ingredients. Make a well in the centre.

Pour in all the milk at once. Using 1 hand, with your fingers stiff and outstretched like a claw, stir in a full circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl in ever increasing circles. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. Wash and dry your hands. Tidy it up and flip over gently. Pat the dough into a round, about 4cm deep.

Cut a deep cross on the loaf and prick in the four corners.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes then turn down to 200deg C for 30 minutes until cooked. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread, when it is cooked it will sound hollow. Cool on a wire rack.

Tip! Soda breads are best eaten on the day they are made, but are still good the next day.

Spotted Dog

Follow the recipe above adding: 1 dessert spoon of sugar, 100g sultanas, 1 egg.

Add the sugar and the sultanas with the flour and drop the egg in with the milk before missing. Spotted dog is also called railway cake in some parts of Ireland.

Stripy Cat

Follow the spotted dog recipe replacing the sultanas with 75g of roughly chopped best quality chocolate.

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