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.

Eunice Power’s cranberry and orange cake 🍊 😋

Eunice Power

By Eunice Power

Celebrity Chef

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Irish Yoghurt Clonakilty Cranberry and Orange Cake.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • ½ orange zest and juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean extract
  • 250g plain flour
  • 1 heaped tsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp mixed spice
  • 100g Irish Yoghurt Clonakilty Greek Style Yoghurt, plus extra to serve
  • 150g fresh cranberries

Topping

  • 150g fresh cranberries
  • ½ orange, juice
  • 60g caster sugar
  • 150g icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Line a 23cm springform round tin with baking parchment.
2. Cream together the butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy.
3. In a jug, combine the beaten eggs, orange zest, orange juice and vanilla.
4. Add this mixture to the creamed butter in 3–4 additions, fully incorporating each before adding more.
5. Fold in the flour, baking powder and mixed spice.
6. Fold in the Irish Yogurt Clonakilty Greek Style Yogurt until the batter is smooth.
7. Transfer ¼ of the batter to the tin. Scatter a handful of cranberries in a line over this layer.
8. Fold the remaining cranberries into the rest of the batter and spoon into the tin.
9. Bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
10. Leave the cake in the tin for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.


Topping

1. Heat the cranberries, orange juice and caster sugar in a small pan for about 5 minutes until half the berries have popped and the rest are softened.
2. Strain through a fine sieve, reserving the softened fruit.
3. Mix 2–3 tablespoons of the strained liquid with the icing sugar to make a thick icing.
4. Stir the softened fruit into the remaining strained liquid.
5. Pour and spread the icing over the cooled cake and allow it to drip slightly down the sides.
6. Top with the softened fruit.

Serving suggestion: Serve with a spoonful of Irish Yogurt Clonakilty Greek Style Yogurt.

Chefs’ tips:

  • If the batter begins to curdle while adding the egg mixture, add a spoonful of the flour mixture — it stabilises the batter and keeps the cake light.
  • Scatter a little orange zest over the icing for a bright, fragrant finish.
  • For a decorative flourish, add a few candied rosemary stalks on top. To make these, dip fresh rosemary sprigs lightly in sugar syrup, then toss in caster sugar and allow to dry — they look frosted and pair beautifully with the cranberry flavour.

Eggs Benedict with Fresh Salmon @BordBia

Eggs-Benedict-with-Fresh-Salmon

A nice twist on eggs benedict – perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner.

Serves 4

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 x 100g salmon darns
  • A little olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 tableps. white wine vinegar
  • 4 thick slice of sourdough bread, toasted

Hollandaise Sauce

  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1½ tablesp. lemon juice
  • 100g unsalted butter
  • Salt and pepper

To Serve:

    Fresh dill and black pepper to serve Mixed salad

To Cook

To cook the salmon:

    Heat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C (350°F). Brush each piece of salmon with a little oil and season with salt and black pepper. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and place the pieces of salmon on it. Place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.

To poach the eggs:

    While the salmon is cooking poach the eggs. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and add the white wine vinegar and a little salt. Break two of the eggs into the water and simmer for 3-4 minutes until just cooked but still soft on the inside. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain well on kitchen paper. Repeat with the other two eggs.

To make the Hollandaise Sauce:

    Put the egg yolks and lemon juice in a food processor and whizz until the mixture is creamy. Melt the butter in a saucepan until it is sizzling hot. Keep the processor running and slowly pour in the melted butter. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Serving Suggestions

Place the toast on plates, top with the salmon darn and poached eggs. Spoon over the hollandaise sauce and sprinkle with dill and black pepper. Serve with a mixed salad.

Nutritional Analysis per Serving

Protein: 34g 

Carbohydrates: 24g 

Fat: 52g 

Iron: 2.8mg 

Energy: 677kcal 

Flahavan’s Oaty Blueberry Muffins

flahavans blueberry muffins

Ingredients
100g (4oz) Flahavan’s Progress Oatlets (plus extra for topping)
50g (2oz) Flahavan’s Oat Bran
150g (6oz) self-raising flour
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
75g (3oz) brown sugar
100g (4oz) pitted dates, finely chopped (or any dried fruit you have)
1 beaten egg
250g (10oz) Natural yogurt
100g (4oz) melted butter
125g (5oz) Blueberries (or any fresh or frozen fruit you have)
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/ Gas mark 4).
2. Place the oats, oat bran, flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar and dates into a large bowl and mix well.
3. Then add the egg, yogurt and cooled melted butter to the bowl, stir gently to combine and fold in the blueberries.
4. Grease a muffin tin or line it with muffin cases and divide the mixture between the cases.
5. Sprinkle oats on top of each muffin and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until risen and golden brown.
Serve warm or cold.

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.