begins his journey in Newcastle 🏰🍞 From climbing the 847-year-old Newcastle Castle for views over the Tyne’s iconic bridges, to meeting Michelin-star pioneer Terry Laybourne for classic pub bites at The Broad Chare.
He also explores the city’s Irish connections through football legend Jack Charlton, before finishing at Big River Bakery, learning to make the famous Geordie Stottie and Pease Pudding.
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.
This recipe for Bangers & Cheesy Mash from our Simply Better brand ambassador @nevenmaguire is the perfect comfort food. Find the full recipe below:
Bangers & Cheesy Mash with Caramelised Red Onion Gravy Ingredients (Serves 4) 2 Packs Simply Better Irish Pork Spring Onion & Black Pepper Sausages 2 Tubs Simply Better Irish Made Beef Gravy 3 Tbsp. Simply Better Handmade Caramelised Red Onion Relish 1 Tbsp. Simply Better Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Tbsp. Simply Better Italian Balsamic Vinegar Steamed Greens, to serve Cheesy Mash 100g Simply Better West Cork Co-Op Extra Mature Drinagh Cheddar, grated 750g Rooster Potatoes, cut into chunks 75g Butter Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6). Place the sausages on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, drizzle with the olive oil and cook in the oven for 25 minutes, turning halfway through cooking to ensure they are golden brown on all sides. 2. To make the mash, put the potatoes in a pot of cold salted water. Cover and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until tender. Drain the potatoes and return to the pot over a low heat for 1-2 minutes to remove as much moisture as possible. Remove the pot from the heat, then mash with a potato masher or pass through a potato ricer until smooth. Beat in the cheese and butter and season to taste. 3. To make the gravy, heat the gravy in a saucepan over a medium heat, whisk in the caramelised red onion relish and balsamic vinegar and simmer for 2-3 minutes. 4. To serve, place a large spoonful of mash in the centre of a plate or serving bowl. Top with 3 of the roasted sausages and pour over the onion gravy. Serve with some of the steamed greens.
begins his journey in Newcastle 🏰🍞 From climbing the 847-year-old Newcastle Castle for views over the Tyne’s iconic bridges, to meeting Michelin-star pioneer Terry Laybourne for classic pub bites at The Broad Chare.
He also explores the city’s Irish connections through football legend Jack Charlton, before finishing at Big River Bakery, learning to make the famous Geordie Stottie and Pease Pudding.
This Satay Style Baked Chicken recipe from our brand ambassador @nevenmaguire is perfect for feeding the whole family. Find the full recipe below and shop the ingredients in your local @dunnesstores
Method Put the curry paste in a shallow dish with half of the coconut milk and crumble in two pieces of the palm sugar. Mix with a fork to form a smooth paste, then add the chicken and mix well to combine. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour, although the longer the better. Remove from the fridge about 20 minutes before you plan to cook it.
To make the peanut-coconut sauce, add the peanut butter with the soy & ginger sauce, sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, the remaining palm sugar and coconut milk to a saucepan and stir over a gentle heat to make a smooth sauce. Transfer to a bowl and set aside until needed.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas Mark 6). Arrange the chicken on a baking tray and bake for 35-40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown. Remove from the oven and arrange on a platter, then scatter over the fresh chilli and coriander. Tuck in the lime wedges and serve straight to the table with the rice and peanut-coconut sauce for dipping.
NEVEN’S TOP TIP
To make this an easy family tray bake, add a packet of baby potatoes that you’ve halved and tossed in a little oil to the chicken before roasting.
begins his journey in Newcastle 🏰🍞 From climbing the 847-year-old Newcastle Castle for views over the Tyne’s iconic bridges, to meeting Michelin-star pioneer Terry Laybourne for classic pub bites at The Broad Chare.
He also explores the city’s Irish connections through football legend Jack Charlton, before finishing at Big River Bakery, learning to make the famous Geordie Stottie and Pease Pudding.
Neven Maguire is shortlisted for the Bookselling Ireland Food and Drink Book of the Year in the An Post Irish Book Awards. You can vote at irishbookawards.ie.
Ingredients
Give this classic Italian dessert a twist with a delicate creamy vanilla flavour and a fresh strawberry topping. It’s the perfect dessert for a chilled summer gathering. If you want to make it less rich, simply replace 200ml of the cream with milk.
Serves 4
1 vanilla pod
3 sheets gelatine 600ml cream 100g caster sugar
300g large strawberries (preferably Pat Clarke’s)
½ lemon
2–3 tsp icing sugar, to taste
Method
To make the panna cotta, split the vanilla pod in half and scrape out the seeds . Put the gelatine sheets into a bowl of cold water and leave them to soak for 5 minutes . Put the cream, caster sugar and vanilla seeds into a pan, and slowly bring up to the boil, whisking continuously . Take the pan off the heat . Take
the gelatine out of the water, gently squeeze out the excess water and add to the cream mixture, whisking continuously until it has dissolved . Strain the mixture through a sieve into a measuring jug .
Divide the mixture equally between 4 x 200ml dariole moulds or ramekins, place them on a baking tray and leave them to set in the fridge for at least 3 hours or up to 2 days .
Choose the 4 nicest strawberries for decoration, then cut them in half with the stems intact . Remove the stalks from the remainder, then add to a blender with a squeeze of lemon juice and icing sugar to taste – the amount will depend on how sweet the strawberries are . Blitz to a smooth purée, then pass through a sieve into a jug .
To serve, leave at room temperature for 15 minutes, then turn each panna cotta upside down on to a serving plate . If it won’t drop out, carefully dip the mould briefly into a bowl of warm water to loosen it . Serve with a drizzle of the strawberry compote and the sliced fresh strawberries .
Serve after … Panna cotta is a brilliant stand-by dessert because it’s quick and simple enough to make in the morning . I leave it to set in the fridge and serve after Fragrant Butterflied Lamb (p .69) with a large bowl of the best strawberries in Ireland . Pat Clarke has been delivering me strawberries for years, and their flavour is sensational.
#ad | Looking for the perfect chicken dinner? Try this Chicken Parmigiana recipe from our @simplybetterds brand ambassador @nevenmaguire find the full recipe below and shop the ingredients in your local @dunnesstores
Ingredients (Serves 4) 2 Simply Better Irish Corn Fed Chicken Fillets 2 Simply Better Irish Free Range Corn Fed Large eggs 2 Tbsp. Simply Better Organic Irish Jersey Milk 150g Simply Better Rustic Ciabatta Breadcrumbs 50g Simply Better Parmigiano Reggiano grated, plus extra to garnish 2 Tbsp. Simply Better Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Tub Simply Better Italian Mozzarella, cut into 4 slices 1 Jar Simply Better Italian Tomato & Mascarpone Pasta Sauce 25g Butter 75g Plain Flour A small handful of fresh basil leaves
To serve: 300g Simply Better Italian Bronze Die Spaghetti, cooked Mixed Leaf Salad
DIRECTIONS 1. Place the chicken on a chopping board and cut each fillet in half lengthways. Spread them out and cover with parchment paper, then bash with a rolling pin until they are about 1cm thick.
2. Put the flour in a dish and season generously with salt and pepper. Put the eggs in a separate dish with the milk and season, then beat lightly with a fork. Put the breadcrumbs and Parmesan into a third dish, stirring to combine. Dust each chicken escalope in the seasoned flour, then dip into the beaten eggs and finally coat it in the breadcrumbs. Arrange on a plate.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).
4. Heat the oil and butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the escalope’s for 2 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden. Pour half of the tomato sauce on a baking tray or into a baking dish, then add the chicken. Spoon a little of the sauce on each one and top with a piece of mozzarella and a spoon of pesto. Transfer to the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the mozzarella is bubbling.
5. Garnish the chicken with some fresh basil and serve straight to the table with a bowl of spaghetti and a bowl of salad so everyone can help themselves.
Today I got to visit @dunnesstores new store in @dundrumtc wow what a stunning store congratulations to all the team in making this happen and best of luck to all the designers too 👏👏 I was so happy and proud of our cookwear kitchen and can’t wait to go back soon and do a cookery demo there it was amazing a lot of hard work went into this thank you to my team im delighted hope you get to visit this stunning store soon 🥰 #shopping#cookwear#fun#pots#pans#cookwithnevenmaguire6w
#ad | Looking for the perfect chicken dinner? Try this Chicken Parmigiana recipe from our @simplybetterds brand ambassador @nevenmaguire find the full recipe below and shop the ingredients in your local @dunnesstores
Ingredients (Serves 4) 2 Simply Better Irish Corn Fed Chicken Fillets 2 Simply Better Irish Free Range Corn Fed Large eggs 2 Tbsp. Simply Better Organic Irish Jersey Milk 150g Simply Better Rustic Ciabatta Breadcrumbs 50g Simply Better Parmigiano Reggiano grated, plus extra to garnish 2 Tbsp. Simply Better Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 Tub Simply Better Italian Mozzarella, cut into 4 slices 1 Jar Simply Better Italian Tomato & Mascarpone Pasta Sauce 25g Butter 75g Plain Flour A small handful of fresh basil leaves
To serve: 300g Simply Better Italian Bronze Die Spaghetti, cooked Mixed Leaf Salad
DIRECTIONS 1. Place the chicken on a chopping board and cut each fillet in half lengthways. Spread them out and cover with parchment paper, then bash with a rolling pin until they are about 1cm thick.
2. Put the flour in a dish and season generously with salt and pepper. Put the eggs in a separate dish with the milk and season, then beat lightly with a fork. Put the breadcrumbs and Parmesan into a third dish, stirring to combine. Dust each chicken escalope in the seasoned flour, then dip into the beaten eggs and finally coat it in the breadcrumbs. Arrange on a plate.
3. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark 4).
4. Heat the oil and butter in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the escalope’s for 2 minutes on each side, until crisp and golden. Pour half of the tomato sauce on a baking tray or into a baking dish, then add the chicken. Spoon a little of the sauce on each one and top with a piece of mozzarella and a spoon of pesto. Transfer to the oven and cook for 10-12 minutes, until the mozzarella is bubbling.
5. Garnish the chicken with some fresh basil and serve straight to the table with a bowl of spaghetti and a bowl of salad so everyone can help themselves.