Category: Recipes

McCarthy’s Bramley Apple Bangers with Parsnip and Leek Mash, Sage and Cider Gravy with Black Pudding Crumble: Kitchen Hero – Donal Skehan

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It has been a pleasure to work with Donal Skehan this year. In July our wonderful award winning Apple Sausages played a big part in Kitchen Hero:Donal’s Irish Feast on RTE. Donal made McCarthy’s Bramley Apple Bangers with Parsnip and Leek Mash, Sage and Cider Gravy with Black Pudding Crumble. If you want to cook the recipe

Donal also published the recipe in his column in the Independent newspaper. We thank Donal for his support of McCarthys and all the other Irish Food producers that he has featured in the series.

McCarthy’s Bramley Apple Bangers with Parsnip and Leek Mash, Sage and Cider Gravy with Black Pudding Crumble

Jack McCarthy’s black pudding is championed by some of the best Irish chefs – it was served to the Queen on her state visit in 2011 and his Bramley apple sausages are made from free­ range pork. Fortunately they are now becoming more widely available in specialist stores and online.
independent
Ingredients:
2 tblsp Rapeseed oil
1 Large onion, very finely sliced
2 tsp Plain flour
1 tblsp Chopped fresh sage
330 ml Bottle artisan dry cider
1­2 teaspoons crab apple jelly
8 Bramley apple pork sausages (preferably jack mccarthy’s) 1 Slice black pudding (preferably jack mccarthy’s)
For the parsnip mash:
675 g Small parsnips, peeled and cut into 2.5cm pieces 25 g Butter
2 Small leeks, trimmed and finely sliced
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Splash of cream
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180C. For the parsnip mash, steam the parsnip for 15­20 minutes until tender.
2. Meanwhile, sauté the leeks in the butter in a frying pan until softened but not coloured.
3. Mash the parsnips and season with salt and pepper, then beat in the sautéed leeks with the mustard and cream.
4. For the sage & cider gravy, heat half the rapeseed oil in a large pan and sauté the onion for 10­15 minutes until lightly golden.
5. Stir in the flour and cook for another minute, then gradually add the cider and allow to reduce down by half.
6. Add the sage and then whisk in enough of the apple jelly to taste. 7. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm.
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8. Heat the remaining rapeseed oil in a large non­stick frying pan and sauté the sausages until lightly golden all over, turning regularly with a tongs.
9. Transfer to a baking tin and place in the oven for another 10 minutes or until cooked through and tender.
10.Break up the black pudding into small pieces.
11. Return the frying pan to the heat and quickly sauté the black pudding for a couple of minutes until sizzling.
12. Arrange the parsnip and leek mash on warmed serving plates with the Bramley apple bangers and spoon over the sage & cider gravy. Scatter over the black pudding crumble to serve.

Squab Pigeon on Masterchef Ireland

Mary Carney from Waterford won the title of MasterChef Ireland. McCarthys were delighted that to see their renowned black pudding included in her star dish. 28-year-old Carney from Waterford wowed McGrath and Munier with her final three-course meal serving a warm lobster salad, squab pigeon which seemed to particularly impress and a summer berry plate. Mary, who is a telecommunications policy and strategy advisor with a large telecommunications company, credits her mother with teaching her how to cook.
For the water bath squab:
Smoked bacon
Blend of coriander seeds and black pepper
Thyme
Port
Butter
4 squab
Dark Chicken Stock

For the pea puree:
2 packs of frozen petits pois
2 bags of fresh peas
4 Garlic cloves
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt
Chicken Stock
Basil
Mint
Sherry Vinegar

For the crumb:
Jack McCarthy’s Black Pudding
400g of Walnuts – shelled preferably

For the braised spring onions:
Water/butter for an emulsion
Salt
Pepper
6 bunches of spring onions

For the crispy bacon:
20 slices of smoked bacon

For the pigeon glaze:
Truffle honey
Dijon mustard

For the pigeon jus
Dark Chicken stock
Sherry vinegar

For decoration:
Flowering pea shoots
Borage flowers
Salt
Method

Pre-heat oven to 150 degrees.

For the spring onions: Prepare the spring onions, blanch and set in iced water. Closer to service, warm and cook through both spring onions and blanched peas in a water butter emulsion.

For the crumb: Cook the walnuts at 150 degrees for 15 minutes, remove and peel. Pan fry black pudding until crisp.

For the peas: Cook fresh peas in salted water, remove skins and set in ice cold water. Cook garlic in olive oil and allow to infuse. Cook frozen peas in water for 4 minutes. Blitz frozen peas for 5 minutes, with some light chicken stock, pass through a chinois and add garlic oil to taste, salt and sherry vinegar. Set peas on a bowl of ice to maintain colour.

For the glaze: Mix equal quantities of dijon mustard with truffle honey and set aside.

For the pigeon: Prepare the pigeon pieces and set in 2 vac pac bags with a few thyme sprigs, two slices of smoked bacon, a couple of tablespoons of port and a few knobs of butter. Place in a water bath at 61 degrees celsius for 2 hours. Remove from bag, reserving juices. Pass juices through muslin and reserve for sauce. Using a pastry brush generously paste glaze on to pigeon and place under the grill on high for 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown.

For the pigeon livers: Season livers just before cooking and pan fry in oil and butter for 2 minutes each side on a medium heat.

For the crisp bacon : Crisp bacon under the grill.

For the pigeon jus: Strain the reserved juice into a muslin cloth and allow to boil gently. Add chicken stock and sherry vinegar to taste. Serve alongside the pigeon in a jug.

Finish: Place crumbled pudding and walnuts on to pigeon. Set squab on top of pea puree, scatter with blanched peas and place the onions alongside. Place crisp bacon on the place. Decorate with borage flowers and pea shoots.

Equipment needed:
Two chopping boards
Plastic gloves
Five small metal trays which can be placed under the grill
Whisk
4 saucepans
Muslin
Water bath set to 61 degrees
Oven preheated to 150 degrees
Blender
Le Micro Blender
Microplane
Mandolin
Non stick frying pan
Spatula
Chinoise – or flat chinoise preferrrably
Hand blender
Bowl of ice in freezer

Roast Pork Belly Bavarian Style

This is a recipe which is translated courtesy of Hacker-Pschorr German Beer
Ingredients:
FOR 4 PEOPLE
500 g veal bones
1.5-2 kg of raw, boneless Belly Pork
Salt
2 tablespoons oil
700 ml chicken broth
1 kg small, waxy potatoes
300 g shallots
2 carrots
200 g celeriac
1 tsp powdered sugar
125 ml of malt
1 teaspoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, sliced
2 slices fresh ginger
2 bay leaves
1 / 2 tsp cumin, whole
1 / 2 teaspoon dried marjoram
black pepper
For more delicious recipes are available in Bavarian schools Alfons Beck’s new book:
“Bavarian enjoy”
Preheat the oven to 200 ° C. Put the chopped veal bones on a baking sheet and bake in preheated oven about 1 hour. Remove from oven and drain on absorbent paper. Turn the oven down to 150 ° C.

Rub the belly pork with salt. Heat the oil in a roasting pan and fry over medium heat on the flesh side. Then pour in the broth and put in the Belly Pork with the skin side down – the fat layer should be completely covered with the broth, otherwise add a little broth. Add the roasted bones and roast in oven for 1 hour.

Peel and chop the vegetables.

Remove the roast from the oven. Place the meat with the fat side up on a board and in the rind strips at a distance of about 1 to 1.5 cm cut.

Keep the broth from the roasting pan aside. Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium heat, add a dusting of icing sugar and caramelise lightly. Deglaze with the root beer, add the tomato paste and simmer until creamy. Then stir in the vegetables and pour over the reserved stock.

Place the meat with the skin side up on top of the vegetables and cook for about 1 1 / 2 to 2 hours. About 20 minutes before end of cooking add garlic, ginger, bay leaf, cumin and oregano.

If the crust is not crisp enough, move to the top of the oven or the grill. Take the roast from the oven, remove the garlic, ginger and bay leaves and cut the finished roast into slices. Serve with the vegetables and the gravy with salt and pepper to the meat and serve.

Images and original text © Alfons Beck, enjoy Bavarian

Eammon’s Black Pudding

Eamonn Gleeson’s Kanturk “Boar’s Head Pudding”, Green Onion, Potato Cake, Soft Poached Eggs and Frizzy Onions.

gleesons  Many thanks to Gleeson’s Townhouse in Roscommon for featuring this recipe on their website and for the warm welcome they gave Jack recently. 

Set right in the heart of Roscommon town, overlooking the square, Mary and Eamonn Gleeson’s townhouse and restaurant provides just what every visitor requires: a warm welcome, comfortable rooms and first-class food. Pan Fry the boudin lightly in clarified butter until warm through Pan Fry the potato cake on low heat until the outside is crusty. Poach the eggs in boiling water with white vinegar. For the frizzy onion, slice the onion paper thin, toss in a little light batter and dust with seasoned flour. Deep fry until crunchy. For assembly place the boudin in the centre of the plate, put the potato cake on top, followed by the poached eggs and frizzy onion. Garnish with fresh seasonal herbs, oregano, basil, etc.


Rozanne’s Corned Beef

rseanne stevens
image from rte.ie
Corned Beef With a Creamy Horseradish Sauce

Many thanks to Rozanne Stevens for allowing us to use this recipe. As well as being a regular guest on the Pat Kenny show Rozanne Stevens writes a column in The Health and Living Supplement of the Irish independent and she has been Head Tutor in Cooks Academy in Dun Laoghaire over the last 4 years.

1.5kg piece of Corned Beef
Peppercorns
Bay Leaf
Juniper Berries
Whole Cloves
Creamy Mustard Sauce:
Butter
Flour
600ml chicken stock
150ml cream
100ml milk
sp horseradish sauce
Pepper

Method
1. Simmer the beef in a large pot pf water with the spices for 30 minutes
per 500g. Remove from poaching water and allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving.
2. The sauce: melt the butter in a pot, add the flour and stir for a minute. Gradually add the stock and stir to bash out any lumps. Stir in the milk, cream and horseradish sauce. Season and adjust the amount of horseradish, it should be subtle.
3. Serve hot with the sauce, or cold on sandwiches

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Annette’s Spiced Beef Salad

spiced beefA wonderful unusual salad which includes spiced beef, pomegranate, and farmhouse cheddar cheese. Got to be tasted.

750g Guinness & Cider Spiced Beef
Crisp rocket leaves
Baby spinach
Flat leaf parsley
A celery stick
4 pears
Large shavings of Hegartys cheddar
Seeds from 1 Pomegranate
Icing Sugar
90 ml extra virgin Olive Oil
30 ml Sherry Vinegar
Salt and cracked Black Pepper

Annette Flanagan, Head Chef from Jacobs on the Mall
Annette Flanagan, Head Chef from Jacobs on the Mall

Spiced beef needs to be cooked long and slow. Put the beef in cold water with an onion, celery stick and carrot. Bring it to the boil slowly, turn down the temperature until the water is just trembling. It will take up to 3 hours to cook the beef. It will be done when a skewer can be pushed into the piece of meat with ease. Allow the meat to cool in the cooking liquor for best results.

The Hegartys cheddar has a sweet nutty flavour and contrasts very well with the spiced beef. The celery adds crunch to the salad and the pomegranate seeds add colour and extra flavour.

Roast Pears: Peel, quarter and core the pears. Heat a small roasting pan, add a little olive oil and then the pears. Colour them a little then sprinkle with a little icing sugar and then roast in a hot oven at 180C/356F for 10 minutes or until golden and tender. Ideally add to the salad whilst still warm.

Salad Dressing: Whisk oil into the vinegar and season with salt and cracked black pepper

To Serve: Put two slices of the cold spiced beef on a plate. Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl and dress with a little salad dressing and place on top of the beef. Serve with crusty white bread.

Hegarty Farmhouse Cheddar

An aged Cheddar made by Dan Hegarty.

White Church Foods
Church Road,
Whitechurch,
Co. Cork
021 4884238

Recipe courtesy of Annette Flanagan of Jacobs on the Mall, a 130 seat contemporary style Restaurant in the heart of Cork City’s financial district, with its own private dining room and piano bar, serving modern European food, with an emphasis on locally sourced free range and organic produce.;

Annette’s Crispy Bacon Salad

Annette Flanagan, Head Chef from Jacobs on the Mall

A delicious salad with a tasty dressing courtesy of Annette Flanagan of Jacobs on the Mall

16 slices of Dry Cured Spiced Streaky Rashers
2 bulbs of Fennel
1 small Red Onion
4 Scallions (spring onions)
250g salad leaves (including flat leaf parsley)

For the Dressing:

135 ml of sherry vinegar
1 Tsp whole grain mustard
1 Tsp maple syrup or honey

Salt and black pepper

Salad Dressing: Whisk all the ingredients together just before serving.

Put the bacon slices on a tray under the grill to cook.

Meanwhile thinly slice the red onion and spring onions. Trim the fennel and with a sharp knife cut into thin circles. Split the avocados in half lengthways, peel and remove the stone and cut into strips. Place all the ingredients into a large bowl.

When the bacon is crispy, drain on kitchen paper. Cut half of the slices into thin strips and mix with all the other ingredients in the bowl.

Finally add the salad leaves and parsley, dress with enough salad dressing to coat the leaves.

Serve immediately in large bowls and top with the remaining crispy bacon.

Jacobs on the Mall is a 130 seat contemporary style Restaurant in the heart of Cork City’s financial district, with its own private dining room and piano bar, serving modern European food, with an emphasis on locally sourced free range and organic produce.

Annette’s Roast Pork

Honey Cured Roast Pork with Roast Potatoes, Glazed Swede & Apple Puree

Recipe courtesy of Annette Flanagan, Head Chef from Jacobs on the Mall. Jacobs on the Mall is a 130 seat contemporary style Restaurant in the heart of Cork City’s financial district, with its own private dining room and piano bar, serving modern European food, with an emphasis on locally sourced free range and organic produce.

 

750g Joint of McCarthy’s Honey Cured Pork
1 Onion
4 Carrots
6 large Rooster Potatoes
1 bulb of Garlic
1 sprig of Rosemary
Olive Oil
Swede
Butter
Granny Smith Apple (s)
Sugar to Taste

Honey Glazed Roast Pork: Season the meat well and place on a roasting tray with some roughly chopped carrot and onion underneath the meat. Place in a hot oven at 220 C/428 F for 20 minutes. Then reduce the heat gradually to 180 C/356 F to allow the meat to continue to roast without it becoming over coloured. Baste from time to time. Allow approximately 25 minutes per 500g plus an extra 25 minutes. Roast pork must be well done, to test if cooked, press the meat firmly to squeeze out some juices, they should be clear in colour. Allow the meat to rest for approximately 15 minutes before serving.

Roast potatoes: Peel the potatoes and cut into four, place on a roasting tray and drizzle with some olive oil, enough to coat the potatoes. Break up the bulb of garlic and mix in with the potatoes (skin still on the garlic). Roughly chop the rosemary and sprinkle over the potatoes and garlic. Season with some salt and black pepper. Cook in a hot oven at 180 C/356 F. Move the potatoes around every now and then with a spoon to ensure an even colour. Cooking time approximately 30 to 35 minutes.

Glazed Swede: Peel the swede and slice the swede into rough cubes. Place in a saucepan and add some cold water 1/3 the way up the swede, (you are steaming the swede , not boiling it) and a large knob of butter. Cover with a lid and cook, stirring every now and then, again until it is cooked. Remove from the heat and strain off excess water.

Apple puree: Peel, core and roughly chop the apples (granny smiths). Place in a saucepan with a small drop of water to prevent burning. Cook slowly on a medium heat until it is a puree. Add a little sugar to taste and pass through a fine sieve.

Black Pudding with Pears Flambé and Rosemary Cinnamon Carrots

 

This recipe is from the blog of Chef Bryce Collins, born in Northern Ireland, and who lived in the United States most of his life, serving in the U.S. Navy for 7 years. He recently repatriated back to Ireland to produce a new Culinary Comedy Musical Series, – P.R.A.C.T.I.C.E.

 

 

YOU WILL NEED:
Comice Pears, (One per dish), Not too ripe..
Cinnamon
1 cup sugar
Star Anise
2 Lemons
Cardamon
Rum
Irish Butter
Baby Carrots (3 or 4 per dish)
Cinnamon
Rosemary Chopped
Brown Sugar
Irish butter
Salt & Pepper to taste
Olive oil
Jack McCarthy’s Black Pudding {I used Kerry Style} – (If you’re close enough)
Parma Ham
Roquette
Malt Vinegar
Garlic (Finely Chopped)
_________________________________________________
1. Core and peel pears, and let them dry out in Fridge uncovered for a day so that they will dry out a bit and not disintegrate in the pan
2. On a hot pan add the sugar and be sure to spread it out over the pan evenly so it won’t burn in the corners.
3. Add 3 dollops of Irish butter and mix so the sugar won’t separate.
4. Add pears, Star Anise, Cinnamon, Cardamon to the pan.
5. Coat pears with the mix and add rum to flambé. Then add 2/3 of the juice of the lemons to bring down the sweetness of the mixture.
6. Remove pears and strain, set aside, Reserve liquid in a separate bowl.
7. In a separate pan, blanch the carrots in water with rosemary and cinnamon until soft. This can be done up to one day before hand and stored covered in the fridge.
8. Let water reduce or (place a few splashes of water) in the hot pan.
9. Roll carrots around in the pan while sprinkling cinnamon, brown sugar, and a dollop of butter.
10. Continue searing carrots, occasionally adding the brown sugar and butter to taste…
11. Remove the carrots and set aside…
12. Dump the excess of the pan, but don’t clean pan.
13. Season pudding with Salt and pepper
14. Add Olive oil to the hot pan that had the carrots on it.
15. Sear Jack McCarthy’s Award winning Black Pudding, 45 seconds each side. Remove from pan and dab.
16. Wrap the pudding in parma ham and return to fire for an additional 45 second each side and remove and dab
17. Season the Roquette with Salt & Pepper to taste along with the rest of the lemon & a light sprinkle of malt vinegar, and minced garlic.
18. Place pears on the bottom of the plate, then Jack McCarthy’s Award winning Black Pudding, slice and dress the carrots around and the roquette on top.
19. With the remaining juice from the flambé lightly drizzle and serve!
Garnish with Star Anise if you wish…

Di Curtin’s – Eggs Benedict

by Di Curtin – The Weekend Foodie – The Evening Echo

With all the pizazz of a Royal Wedding and the long weekend coming up – I’m in the mood for some romantic celebratory food!

It’s a glamorous bank holiday brunch fit for a prince and his new bride – or anyone who is tying the knot this time of year: Of course you don’t have to be tying any knots to enjoy a touch of elegance in food this weekend. Eggs Benedict is an all time favourite – good, fresh, free-range effs softly poached and perched on muffins, dressed with a classic Hollandaise sauce and some crisp pancetta is a real long weekend treat.

Jack McCarthy of Kanturk makes his own version of the Italian pancetta, which crisps up wonderfully when you fry it in a pan. Hollandaise is not as scary to make as some would have you believe.

When I was training as a chef I made buckets of the stuff every morning for our room service menu.

I made it by hand as the head chef always insisted, but you can make it in the blender for ease – just put the blender on slow speed to add the butter very gently so the sauce emulsifies properly. I like the pancetta on top of the eggs and sauce but you can pop it underneath in traditional style if you like.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

For the sauce:
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 large free range egg yolks
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
100g butter

To Finish:
8 thin slices of Pancetta
8 large free range eggs
4 muffins halved
Parsley for decoration.

Method:

  • For the hollandaise sauce, place the vinegar in a pan and simmer to reduce to one tablespoon of liquid.
  • Place egg yolks in a blender with seasoning and whizz till blended. Slowly melt butter in a pan.
  • Pour the vinegar into the eggs and blend again. Pour the melted butter into a jug with a spout.
  • With the blender running on slow add the butter in a trickle to begin with, then a thin steady stream, till all is incorporated and the sauce has a creamy fairly thick consistency.
  • Add a squeeze of lemon juice and check the seasoning, then place in a bowl, cover and stand the bowl in a pan of warm, but not boiling water – if the water is too hot the sauce will curdle. This will keep the sauce warm while you poach the eggs and cook the pancetta.
  • Fry pancetta crisp in a dry frying pan. It shouldn’t need extra oil.
  • At the same time, poach the eggs in water with a splash of vinegar added. They should be soft so the yolks are still runny when eaten.
  • Pop the eggs on warm lightly toasted muffin halves and pour over some sauce.
  • Perch the crisp pancetta on top to serve. Decorate with parsley sprigs.