Neven’s chicken sauce lyonnaise with crushed baby potatoes from Neven’s Ulster Food Tour airs Wednesdays on RTÉ One at 8.30pm.

Neven Maguire

By Neven Maguire

Celebrity Chef

Neven’s Ulster Food Tour airs Wednesdays on RTÉ One at 8.30pm.

Ingredients

Serves 4

For The Chicken

· 4 x Quality Assured Cornfed Chicken breasts, skin on

· 150g Chestnut Mushrooms, sliced

· 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

· 2 x Shallots, peeled and finely sliced

· 50ml Madeira Wine

· 75ml White Wine

· 1 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

· 1 tbsp fresh thyme leave, chopped

· 200ml Beef Stock

· 120ml Double Cream

· Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper


For The Crushed Baby Potatoes

· 1 Packet Irish Charlotte Potatoes

· 6 tbsp Olive Oil

· 6 Garlic Cloves, lightly bashed in their skins

· 1 tbsp rosemary sprigs

· Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method

For The Chicken

· Heat a large heavy based saucepan over a medium heat

· Add the rapeseed oil and butter

· Place the chicken into the heat pot skin side down and season the flesh side with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

· Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until just sealed

· Remove from the pan and set aside

· Using the same pot, add in the shallots, garlic and mushrooms and sauté for 2-3 minutes, stirring to combine

· Deglaze with the madeira wine, white wine and red wine vinegar

· Allow to reduce slightly

· Add in the chopped thyme and stir

· Add in the beef stock followed by the double cream and stir well to combine everything

· Return the chicken to the pan and nestle it into the sauce

· Cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer

· Cook for 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender

· Finish with chopped parsley


For The Crushed Baby Potatoes

· Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/ Gas mark 6).

· Put the potatoes in a large pan with cold salted water. Bring to the boil and cook for 15-20 minutes until tender. Drain and leave to steam dry for a few minutes.

· Arrange the potatoes in a large shallow baking tin, leaving enough space between each one so they have room to spread once smashed. Using the back or a large spoon or potato masher, push down on each of the potatoes to make them crack open.

· Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes, season with sea salt and black pepper and add the garlic to the tray along with rosemary sprigs.

· Roast for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning once and removing the garlic, until the potatoes are crisp and golden.

· Arrange on a platter and let everyone help themselves

Rachel Allen’s pan-fried fish with herb butter, asparagus, new potatoes: @RTEToday


By Rachel Allen

Celebrity Chef

More from
Today

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

  1. Dry the fish fillets on kitchen paper.
  2. Season on both sides with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.
  3. 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.
  4. OR you can dust the fillets with seasoned flour then spread some soft butter over one side.
  5. Place buttered side in the pan first. Turn when golden on one side, then cook again until golden on the other side.
  6. Place a couple of slices of herb butter over each fillet and serve immediately with asparagus and boiled new potatoes.

Apricot Jam Breakfast Muffins with banana and honey @RTEfood, or for their lunch

apricot jam breakfast muffins

15m15 minutes ago

These Apricot Jam Breakfast Muffins can be prepared the night before and cooked to perfection in the morning –

Ingredients

  • 2 large free-range eggs
  • 150ml pot of natural low-fat yoghurt
  • 50ml rapeseed oil
  • 2 tblsp no added sugar apricot jam
  • 1 ripe banana, mashed
  • 4 tblsp clear honey
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 200g of wholemeal flour
  • 50g of porridge oats, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tblsp mixed seeds
  • extra apricot jam
  • a handful of flaked almonds, for sprinkling

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas Mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with 12 large muffin cases.
  2. In a mixing jug, combine the eggs, yoghurt, rapeseed oil, Apricot Jam, banana, honey and almond extract.
  3. In a large bowl, combine the wholemeal flour, oats, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and mixed seeds.
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine until you have a smooth batter. Don’t over mix as this will make your muffins tough.
  5. Divide the mix between the muffin cases and place about half a teaspoon of Apricot Jam on the top of each of the muffins. Sprinkle with the extra porridge oats and the flaked almonds.
  6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until risen and golden. Check that they’re cooked by inserting a skewer into the middle of one of the muffins. They’re done if it comes away clean.
  7. Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. These will keep for 3 days in a sealed container but they taste best on the day of baking.

Notes

Recipe courtesy of Folláin

Hearty and zingy, this Thai rice soup is perfect for in-between weather. Donal Skehan @RTEfood

Donal Skehan’s Thai rice soup

Donal Skehan

By Donal Skehan

Celebrity Chef

Ingredients

Serves: 4

Time: 35 minutes

  • 1.5ltrs good chicken stock
  • 2 inch piece of fresh ginger
  • 2 lemongrass stalks
  • 1 lime, juice and peeled zest
  • 2 – 4 Thai Birds Eye chillies – depending on your spice tolerance!
  • 50ml fish sauce, plus extra to season
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • pinch ground turmeric
  • 6 chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 500g cooked white rice
  • pinch white pepper
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 red onion
  • Sesame oil, to serve
  • Handful of coriander leaves
  • Handful of mint

Method

  1. First, get the chicken stock into a pan. Slice half of the ginger, chilli and lemongrass and add to the pot. Peel the zest off a lime then bring to a boil, and season with the 25ml of the fish sauce. Turn down to a simmer whilst you prepare the rest of the dish.
  2. Finely chop the remaining ginger, chilli and lemongrass and place into a bowl. Grate in the garlic and add the remaining fish sauce. Chop the chicken thighs into inch pieces and add to the bowl along with a pinch of turmeric and mix everything together.
  3. Get a wok over a high heat and add the oil followed by the chicken pieces. Cook, stirring, until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.
  4. Scoop the aromatics from the broth and discard then add the rice to the broth and warm through for at least 5 minutes.
  5. To finish, slice the red onion finely and season the broth with some white pepper, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice and some extra fish sauce if needed.
  6. Add the rice and broth to your bowls then top with the chicken, followed by the sliced onions. Garnish with extra sliced red chillies, if you can handle them!, and lots of coriander and mint.

More stories on

Sharon Hearne Smith’s Porridge Bread is SO easy to make! @RTEToday


By Sharon Hearne Smith

Food Stylist & Writer

More from
Today

Sharon Hearne Smith’s Sesame Seed Porridge Bread from Today with Maura and Dáithí.

Ingredients

This is an unusual bread recipe, based on porridge oats and yoghurt instead of flour and water. It is quick, easy and virtually foolproof to make.

Use any selection of seeds you prefer instead of sesame seeds, or omit them altogether for a plain bread. Alternatively, add other flavours like nuts and dried fruits or sundried tomatoes and basil or a swirl of pesto would be delicious too. This bread stays quite moist and fresh for a few days stored in an airtight container.

Makes: 1 loaf (about 12 slices)

  • Sunflower oil for greasing
  • 500g tub natural yoghurt
  • 100ml milk
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds + extra for sprinkling
  • 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 x 500ml yoghurt tubs of porridge oats (or 400g)
  • butter for serving, optional

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C), 400F, Gas Mark 6. Grease a 1Lb loaf tin (approximately 3 x 5 x 7 inch) with parchment paper and grease again.
  2. Scoop the yoghurt into a large bowl. Add the milk, oil, sesame seeds and bicarbonate of soda and mix until well blended.
  3. Fill a clean and dry yoghurt tub with oats and tip them in. Repeat with a second tub of oats. Alternatively, weigh out 400g of oats on a scales.
  4. Mix everything together until well blended.
  5. Spoon into the prepared tin, spreading the top level. Scatter a small handful of sesame seeds on top.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when pierced in the middle.
  7. Remove from the tin and return the loaf to oven, directly on the shelf, for another 5 minutes to dry out the crust.
  8. Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack. Cut into slices and serve spread with a little butter if liked.

Shane’s strawberry and pistachio galette: Today @RTEfood

Sweet strawberries and salty pistachios are a match made in heaven.

By Shane Smith

Award-winning Irish pastry chef Shane Smith.

More from
Today

Sweet strawberries and salty pistachios are a match made in heaven.

Ingredients

Serves: 6

Prep: 15 mins

Bake: 35 mins

Dough:

  • 80g wholemeal flour
  • 170g plain flour
  • 80g caster sugar
  • 150g Irish butter, room temp
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • pinch salt
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 600g Irish Strawberries
  • 1 tbsp cornflour
  • 1 tbsp water
  • ½ tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp chopped pistachios

To serve

  • 200g Greek yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp lemon zest

Method

  1. For the pastry, in a bowl using your fingertips, rub together both flours, sugar, butter, and salt until a breadcrumb consistency is reached.
  2. To this add the yolk and water and mix until a dough is reached.
  3. Turn this onto a floured table and gently work, wrap, and chill for 30 mins hour.
  4. Once the pastry is rested, roll into a circle and using the rolling pin, transfer this onto a lined baking tray.
  5. Into a bowl, mix the cornflour, water and maple syrup and mix this with the prepared strawberries.
  6. Spoon this mixture into the centre of the pastry, leaving a 2-inch rim around the edge.
  7. Carefully fold the edges inward on top of the fruit leaving some of the centre fruit exposed.
  8. Egg wash the pastry and sprinkle with chopped pistachios.
  9. Place in a preheated oven at 180C and bake for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown.
  10. Remove and allow to rest before serving.
  11. To serve mix the yoghurt, honey and lemon zest and serve on the side.

Sharon Hearne Smith’s Porridge Bread is SO easy to make! @RTEToday


By Sharon Hearne Smith

Food Stylist & Writer

More from
Today

Sharon Hearne Smith’s Sesame Seed Porridge Bread from Today with Maura and Dáithí.

Ingredients

This is an unusual bread recipe, based on porridge oats and yoghurt instead of flour and water. It is quick, easy and virtually foolproof to make.

Use any selection of seeds you prefer instead of sesame seeds, or omit them altogether for a plain bread. Alternatively, add other flavours like nuts and dried fruits or sundried tomatoes and basil or a swirl of pesto would be delicious too. This bread stays quite moist and fresh for a few days stored in an airtight container.

Makes: 1 loaf (about 12 slices)

  • Sunflower oil for greasing
  • 500g tub natural yoghurt
  • 100ml milk
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds + extra for sprinkling
  • 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 x 500ml yoghurt tubs of porridge oats (or 400g)
  • butter for serving, optional

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C (fan 180C), 400F, Gas Mark 6. Grease a 1Lb loaf tin (approximately 3 x 5 x 7 inch) with parchment paper and grease again.
  2. Scoop the yoghurt into a large bowl. Add the milk, oil, sesame seeds and bicarbonate of soda and mix until well blended.
  3. Fill a clean and dry yoghurt tub with oats and tip them in. Repeat with a second tub of oats. Alternatively, weigh out 400g of oats on a scales.
  4. Mix everything together until well blended.
  5. Spoon into the prepared tin, spreading the top level. Scatter a small handful of sesame seeds on top.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when pierced in the middle.
  7. Remove from the tin and return the loaf to oven, directly on the shelf, for another 5 minutes to dry out the crust.
  8. Remove and leave to cool on a wire rack. Cut into slices and serve spread with a little butter if liked.