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Archive for August, 2021

Scallops with Green Peppercorns & Garlic

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 31 August 2021| Leave a Comment »

This really is just the most delicious treat; the perfect beginning of a meal for 2. You will need bread!

Wine Suggestion: an excellent match for a well made Chardonnay with deftly handled oak. Without spending huge amounts Rustenberg’s Stellenbosch Chardonnay is a go to wine for us. With wild ferment in barrels this is complex, nutty, rich and smooth. Power and restraint in equal proportions.

Scallops with green peppercorns and garlic – serves 2

  • 6 scallops, you can remove the corals if you like but we recommend eating them
  • a knob of butter
  • 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp green peppercorns (you buy them in jars with brine)
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 2-3 tbsp double cream

Heat the grill as high as it will go.

Put the scallops onto a small tray or dish that can go under the grill. We used a small oven-proof frying pan.

Dot the butter over and around the scallops, along with the garlic, peppercorns and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Put the dish under the hot grill, fairly close to the element. Grill for 2-3 minutes, then flip over, add the cream, give the tray a shake, then return to the grill for another 2 minutes or untl the scallops are cooked and the sauce bubbling.

Eat with lots of good bread to mop up the sauce.

(Original recipe from Gather by Gill Meller, Quadrille, 2017.)

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Creamy Salmon, Prawn & Almond Curry

Posted in Uncategorized on 29 August 2021| Leave a Comment »

This is really light and creamy, not too spicy and perfect for kids.

Creamy salmon, prawn & almond curry – serves 3 (or 2 big people and 2 little people)

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 red peppers, sliced
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 70g ground almonds,
  • 1 vegetable or chicken stock cube, dissolved in 500ml of water
  • 1 ½ tbsp double cream
  • 300g green beans, halved
  • 300g salmon fillet, skin removed and cut into chunks
  • 150g raw king prawns
  • a squeeze of lime juice, plus a few lime wedges to serve
  • a small handful of coriander leaves
  • 150g brown rice, cooked to serve

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a pan and cook the onion for about 10 minutes, until softened, then stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Add the sliced peppers, spices, tomato purèe and a splash of water, cook for a couple of minutes.

Add the ground almonds and stock, then season and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cream.

Meanwhile, cook the green beans in a pan of boiling water until tender, then drain.

Add the salmon to the sauce and simmer gently for 2-3 minutes or until it turns opaque, then add the prawns and cook for another minute until they are also pink. Test the salmon is cooked by ensuring if flakes easily with a fork, then stir in the cooked green beans. Remove from the heat and add a squeeze of lime.

Serve over the brown rice with some coriander scattered on top and lime wedges on the side.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Baked Green Eggs

Posted in Brunch, Cheese, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 23 August 2021| 1 Comment »

Try this for a tasty weekend brunch dish. Serve with toasted sourdough for mopping.

Baked green eggs – serves 2

  • 100g baby spinach, roughly chopped
  • 4 tbsp fresh pesto
  • 100ml double cream
  • 1 tbsp finely grated gruyère
  • 2 eggs

Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.

Mix together the spinach, pesto, cream and some seasoning, and tip into 2 shallow ovenproof dishes.

Sprinkle the grated cheese over the top.

Create a hollow in each dish with a spoon, then gently break in the eggs. Bake the dishes in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Pork & Cider Casserole

Posted in Uncategorized on 22 August 2021| Leave a Comment »

This is really a beef bourguignon recipe but the beef and wine have been replaced by pork and cider. A great crowd pleaser!

Wine Suggestion: This dish, naturally, goes with the cider used in the cooking, but we had none left after Jono scoffed the remainder of the bottle while cooking. Instead we opened the flavour-packed Chenin Blanc from Chateau Hureau, their Saumur Blanc Argile. A wine that’s delicious and vibrant in youth, but tonight one from the cellar and 6 years old. Still wonderful fruit but layers of extra development and texture; worth the wait.

Pork & cider casserole – serves 4-6

  • 25g butter
  • 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
  • 350g small shallots, peeled (if you have bigger ones just halve them)
  • 100g cubed pancetta
  • 700g stewing pork, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 50g seasoned plain flour
  • 750ml dry cider
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 2 celery sticks, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves
  • a few fresh sage leaves
  • 250g chestnut mushrooms, halve or quarter any large ones
  • 2 tbsp brandy

Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas 3.

Heat half the butter and oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallots and fry until starting to brown, then add the pancetta and fry until lightly browned. Remove the shallots and pancetta with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Put the pork pieces into a bag or large tub with the seasoned flour. Shake until well coated, then remove and shake any excess flour off the meat. Fry the pork in the same pan until golden all over. Transfer to a oven-proof casserole with a lid.

Add a little cider to the frying pan and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any tasty bits, then pour this over the pork with the rest of the cider and the stock, carrots, celery, bay leaves and sage. Add the shallots and pancetta and season. Give it all a stir, then cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 2 hours.

About half way through, heat the rest of the oil and butter in the frying pan and cook the mushrooms until lightly browned. Add the brandy and cook for another few minutes, then stir into the casserole and return to the oven for the remaining time.

Season to taste and serve with green veg and potatoes or bread.

(Original recipe from Neven Maguire’s Complete Family Cookbook, Gill Books, 2016.)

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Moules à la Créme

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 13 August 2021| Leave a Comment »

Mussels are a Friday night staple in our house, they’re such good value and sustainable too. We find a creamy, garlicky sauce hard to resist. You will need some fries or crusty bread to go alongside.

Wine Suggestion: It’s a while since we had Muscadet but mussels cried out for some, so Domaine de la Chauviniere’s signature Muscadet sür lie Sèvre et Maine was duly opened and thoroughly enjoyed. This wine is so reliable, plus not too expensive so you won’t mind using some in the dish too much.

Moules à la Crème – serves 4

  • 20g butter
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 5 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
  • 2 shallots, very finely chopped
  • 2-3 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1kg mussels, scrubbed
  • 350ml white wine
  • 75ml double cream
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • a large handful of flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Heat the butter and oil in a large frying pan, then add the garlic, shallots, thyme and bay leaf and cook gently for 5-8 minutes or until softened and starting to brown.

Add the mussels and wine, then cover and cook for a couple of minutes or until the mussels have opened. Strain the mussels over a bowl to catch the cooking liquid.

Return the liquid and bay leaf to the pan, bring to the boil and reduce by half. Add the cream, lemon and plenty of black pepper, then return the mussels and shallots to the pan and add the parsley. Put the lid back on and bring up to the boil for another minute. Serve in warm bowls with fries or crusty bread.

(Original recipe from Restore by Gizzi Erskine, HQ, 2020.)

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Fish Tagine with Saffron & Almonds

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 11 August 2021| 1 Comment »

A Moroccan-inspired fish dish for mid-week. Some couscous and yoghurt on the side are good additions.

Wine Suggestion: this works well with Grenache Blanc and we’ve fallen in love with one from Terra Alta in the south of Catalonia made by Edetaria. As it’s mid-week, the basic and joyful “via Terra” Garnatxa Blanca with its perfume and balance af fresh and ripe fruit flavours is perfect.

Fish Tagine with Saffron & Almonds – serves 4

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • a good pinch of saffron
  • 600ml hot fish stock or chicken stock
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • a thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated
  • ½ a green chilli, thinly sliced (keep the other half to serve)
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 tbsp ground almonds
  • zest of 1 orange, juice of ½
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 700g white fish, cut into large chunks, we used hake
  • a small bunch of coriander, chopped
  • a handful of flaked almonds, toasted
  • ½ green chilli, to serve

Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes to soften.

Meanwhile, put the saffron in the hot stock and leave to steep.

Add the garlic, ginger and chilli to the pan and cook for another few minutes. Add the spices and tomato purée, stir for a few minutes until fragrant, then add the tomatoes, ground almonds, orange zest and juice, honey and saffron-stock. Simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes, until the tomatoes have broken down and the sauce has thickened slightly.

Add the fish and nestle it well down into the sauce. Cover with a lid and simmer on a low heat for 2-3 minutes or until just cooked. Season to taste, then add the coriander and scatter with the toasted almonds. Scatter with the extra green chilli to serve.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Prawn Cakes with Peanut Chilli Sauce

Posted in Asian, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , on 10 August 2021| Leave a Comment »

We’ve had limited success with prawn cakes in the past, they often fall apart. These are grilled which makes things much easier and the peanut chilli sauce is amazing!

Wine Suggestion: these call for a vibrant, youthful white like Weingut Korrell’s Weißer Burgunder (Pinot Blanc) which was full of charming pear and apple flavours with a zesty citrus twist that complemented the limes and fish sauce a treat.

Prawn cakes with peanut chilli sauce – serves 4 as a starter

  • 2 tbsp palm sugar or soft brown sugar
  • 3 cm piece of fresh ginger
  • a handful of coriander leaves, chopped
  • 3 small Thai shallots, thinly sliced
  • 1 long red chilli, diced
  • 400g raw peeled prawns
  • zest of 2 limes
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 3 tsp vegetable oil
  • chilled iceberg lettuce, to serve

FOR THE PEANUT CHILLI SAUCE:

  • 100g caster sugar
  • 100ml rice vinegar
  • 2 red chillies, diced
  • 2 tbsp peanuts, toasted, finely chopped
  • 2 small Thai shallots, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp coriander

Put the palm or brown sugar into a small frying pan with 1 tbsp of water. Mix together and bring to the boil, then remove from the heat.

To make the peanut chilli sauce, boil the sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan with a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 5 minutes or until syrupy. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely, then add the chilli, peanuts, shallot, fish sauce and coriander.

To make the cakes, put the ginger, coriander, shallot and chilli in a food processor and blend until fine. Add the prawns, lime zest and fish sauce and pulse until combined, keep it chunky. Season with plenty of black pepper.

Put a little oil on your hands, then form the prawn mixture into 16 flat cakes. Put in the fridge until ready to cook.

Preheat the grill. Brush both sides of the prawn cakes with a tiny bit of oil then put on a rack on top of a baking tray.

Grill the cakes for 1 minute, then brush the tops with the palm sugar syrup. Cook for another 2-3 minutes or until opaque, there is no need to turn. Serve warm with the chilled lettuce leaves and peanut chilli sauce.

(Original recipe from My Asian Kitchen by Jennifer Joyce, Murdoch Books, 2018.)

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Cucumber, Za’atar and Lemon Salad

Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 7 August 2021| 2 Comments »

We’ve been serving this salad from Ottolenghi Flavour with just about everything this summer. We were surprised at the amount of lemon but it works perfectly and produces a really zingy and fresh salad.

Cucumber, za’atar and lemon salad – serves 4

  • 3 lemons
  • 4½ tbsp olive oil
  • 1¼ tsp dried mint
  • 1½ tsp za’atar
  • 1 banana shallot, halved lengthways and finely sliced
  • 1½ green chillies, finely sliced into strips
  • 1 large cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds scooped out, and cut at an angle into ½ cm thisk slices
  • 60g lamb’s lettuce
  • 10g dill, roughly chopped
  • 10g basil leaves
  • 5g mint leaves
  • salt

Squeeze 1-2 lemons to get 2½ tbsp of juice and put into a large salad bowl.

Cut 7 thin slices from another lemon. Discard the pips and pile the slices on top of each other. Remove and throw away half of the rind, then finely chop the slices inlcuding any remaining rind. Add this to the bowl along with the oil, dried mint, za’atar, shallots, green chillies, cucumber, and 1 tsp of salt.

Mix it all together really well, then add the lamb’s lettuce and all of the herbs, toss gently and serve.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Flavour by Yotam Ottolenghi and Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2020.)

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Lamb Chops with Cumin and Sumac with Tahini Sauce

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 6 August 2021| Leave a Comment »

We’ve been cooking from a new book, Camper Van Cooking by Claire Thompson and Matt Williamson. Every summer we’re usually off camping in a tent in France but not this year unfortunately. Still, we’ve had some amazing Irish sunshine so we’re making a big effort to cook and eat outside as much as possible. These chops were lovely with some flatbreads warmed on the barbecue alongside a herby couscous, and a tomato and cucumber salad.

Wine Suggestion: A barbecue Cotes du Rhone red comes to the rescue here; medium weight with gentle, warming spices. Jean-Paul Daumen’s version in the glass tonight and we can almost picture us sipping this in France.

Lamb Chops with Cumin and Sumac with Tahini Sauce – serves 4

  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1-2 tsp chill flakes/aleppo chilli flakes/urfa chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp sumac
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 12 lamb cutlets
  • ½ lemon

FOR THE TAHINI SAUCE:

  • 1 small garlic clove, crushed to a paste with a little salt
  • 3 tbsp tahini
  • juice of ½ lemon

Mix the garlic, cumin, chilli flakes and half the sumac with the oil in a bowl. Season the chops with salt and pepper, then rub them all over with the spicy oil and put them in the fridge. You need to leave them for at least half an hour or longer if you can. Bring them back to room temperature before cooking.

To make the sauce, put the garlic and tahini in a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and a splash of cold water, you want a smooth sauce with the consistency of double cream. Season to taste.

Heat a barbecue until very hot and cook the chops for a few minutes on each side or until nicely charred on the outside and however you like them in the middle. Grill the lemon half at the same time. Allow the chops to rest off the heat for a few minutes, then serve drizzled with the tahini and sprinkled with the rest of the sumac and a good squeeze of the barbecued lemon.

(Original crecipe from Camper Van Cooking by Claire Thompson & Matt Williamson,

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Turkish Eggs

Posted in Uncategorized on 5 August 2021| Leave a Comment »

We loved these easy breakfast eggs, a nice change from scrambled or poached. You will want some nice toast on the side to mop it all up.

Turkish Eggs – serves 2

  • 50g butter
  • 1 red chilli, finely sliced
  • 200g thick Greek yoghurt
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed
  • ½ a lemon, juiced
  • 2 eggs
  • a handful of coriander leaves
  • a pinch of pul biber or chilli flakes

Melt the butter in a small pan with the sliced chilli, then set aside.

Whisk the yoghurt with the garlic, lemon juice and some seasoning, then divide between 2 shallow bowls.

Poach the eggs and set one on top of each bowl of yoghurt. Drizzle with the chilli butter and sprinkle over the coriander and pul biber.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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