Darina Allen’s Sea Spinach Soup

 

darina allen sea spinach soup

Sea Spinach Soup

Sea spinach is at its sweetest and most delicious at present…. I absolutely love it and really want you to know about it so if you live near a rocky strand, look out for it โ€“ the shiny green leaves are unmistakable. It is, in fact, the ancestor to most cultivated varieties of beet, from beetroot to spinach beet. It can be cooked exactly like garden spinach and used in the same way, for example, try serving it in Middle Eastern style with raisins and pine kernels and a touch of cinnamon. Not surprisingly, because sea spinach is washed by the tides, it is full of iodine, minerals and other trace elements and it has an addictive salty tang. Sea spinach is tougher and slightly stronger in flavour than garden spinach, so it takes a little longer to cook.

The trick with these green soups is not to add the greens until the last minute, otherwise they will overcook and the soup will lose its fresh taste and bright green colour.

50g (2oz/1/2 stick) butter

110g (4oz/1 cup) onion, chopped

150g (5oz/1 cup) potatoes, chopped

600ml (1 pint/2 1/2 cups) homemade chicken stock, vegetable stock or water

425-600ml (3/4-1 pint/2 โ€“ 2 1/2 cups) creamy milk (1/4 cream and 3/4 milk)

salt and freshly ground pepper

225-350g (8-12oz/3 cups) sea spinach, destalked and chopped

Freshly ground nutmeg

โ€

Garnish

2 tablespoons (2 American tablespoons + 2 teaspoons) whipped cream (optional

Freshly chopped parsley

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. When it foams add the onions and potatoes and turn them until well coated. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cover and sweat on a gentle heat for 10 minutes. Add the boiling stock and milk, bring back to the boil and simmer until the potatoes and onions are fully cooked. Add the sea spinach and boil with the lid off for about 3-5 minutes, until the sea spinach is tender. Do not overcook or the soup will lose its fresh green colour.

Liquidise and taste and add some freshly grated nutmeg.  Serve in warm bowls garnished with a blob of whipped cream and some chopped parsley

Ballymaloe Cookery
@BallymaloeCS

 

Ottolenghi – Curried cauliflower cheese filo pie..

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Curried cauliflower cheese filo pie.. in reverse! Once described as โ€˜molten-hot-cheese-lavaโ€™, it’s the ultimate comfort food. And itโ€™s the first recipe weโ€™re cooking from OTK: Shelf Love on Youtube: LIVE NOW!!

Head to my link in bio to watch me and @noorishbynoor cook it on #otkwhatsfordinner, and youโ€™ll find the full recipe in the book, out Sept 30th in the UK / Nov 2nd in the US.

Photos taken by the wonderful @elenaheatherwick3d

.@clodaghmckenna’s Orange Pistachio Yogurt Cake

clodagh orange pistachio

Yields 8 Servings
Prep Time30 mins
Cook Time1 hr
Total Time1 hr 30 mins

This is one of my favourite cakes at this time of the year. Itโ€™s a much needed burst of sunshine. Deliciously light, and moist due to the natural Irish yogurt. You can make a gluten free version by simply using gluten free breadcrumbs. You can substitute the pistachios with hazelnuts, roast the hazelnuts before you add them to the cake, it enhances their flavour. It will last for one week, but not sure you will have any left for to test me on that!

To serve:

Decorate with 50g roughly chopped pistachios and the zest of one lemon on top. Serve with a dollop of natural Irish yogurt

Ingredients checklist
50 g slightly stale white breadcrumbs
100 g almonds, ground
100 g pistachios
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
150 g caster sugar
125 ml sunflower oil
200 ml natural Irish yogurt
zest of 1 orange
zest of 1 lemon
Ingredients checklist for the citrus syrup
juice of 1 orange
juice of 1 lemon
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 190ยฐC / Gas 5.

Grease a 20.5cm (8in) round and 5cm (2in) deep tin and then lightly dust with flour.

In a large bowl mix together the breadcrumbs, almonds, pistachios and baking powder.

In a separate bowl whisk the eggs with the caster sugar. Continue to whisk while pouring in the vegetable oil, followed by the natural Irish yogurt.

 

Next stir the liquid pour into the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the orange and lemon zest.

Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and into the pre-heated oven.

 

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the cake is golden brown. To ensure cake is done, insert a skewer into the center โ€“ if itโ€™s ready, the skewer should come out clean. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out onto a plate.

 

Meanwhile, make the citrus syrup. Put all of the ingredients into a saucepan and bring gently to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved completely. Simmer for 10 minutes or until thick.

 

While the cake is still warm, pierce it several times with a skewer, then spoon the hot syrup over the cake, allowing it to run into the holes. Leave to cool. Spoon any excess syrup back over the cake every now and then until it is all soaked up.

 

Sprinkle chopped pistachios on top, and the zest of one orange. Serve with natural Irish yogurt

https://ndc.ie/recipe/clodaghs-orange-pistachio-yogurt-cake/