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Archive for October, 2025

Pork Chops with Butter Bean Mash

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 22 October 2025| Leave a Comment »

We’re loving The Bold Bean Company range of jarred beans. This simple butter bean mash is super tasty and would make a great side to almost anything. In fact our daughter has demanded this mash with other things since – a miracle in itself!

Wine Suggestion: This demands a fuller bodied white, but we didn’t feel like an oaky style so went with Podere Guardia Grande’s Saldenya, which is an unoaked Vermentino from an old vineyard in Sardinia that runs down to the sea. Fresh and dare we say it, salty, but with a plushness and weight of sunshine. A joy on its own as we cooked and then a good match with the dinner.

Pork chops with butter bean mash – serves 4

  • 50g mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp tomato purée
  • 1 tsp pul biber
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 pork chops
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 large jar of good quality butter beans
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • rocket, to serve

Get a barbecue ready for direct grilling.

Mix the mayonnaise, lemon juice, tomato purée, pul biber, black pepper and a good pinch of salt, together in a large bowl. Add the pork chops and toss to coat in the marinade.

Cook the pork chops on a hot barbecue for 3-4 minutes on each side or until charred and tender.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a minutes, then add the drained butter beans, 70ml of just boiled water, the cumin and plenty of salt and pepper. Stir to combine then mash to whatever consistency you like.

To serve, divide the mash between plates, top with a pork chop and a handful of rocket leaves. Drizzle over any tasty juices over the top.

(Original recipe by John-Gregory Smith in Olive Magazine, July 2022.)

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Barbecued Prawns with Harissa Mayonnaise

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Gluten-free, Prawns, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 11 October 2025| Leave a Comment »

We couldn’t get enough of these smoky, juicy barbecued prawns — a real highlight from one of the many clever ideas in Tom Kerridge’s excellent new barbecue book (which we highly recommend). This recipe is quick, full of flavour, and seriously satisfying.

We’ve thrown in a little tip to make peeling the prawns less of a faff — but if you can find shell-on, deveined prawns, with that handy slit down the back, you’re golden.

Wine Suggestion: A fun starter deserves a wine to match — enter the Umani Ronchi Centovie Rosato. Fresh, dry, and deliciously savoury, the kind of rosé that knows how to keep up with smoky prawns and spicy harissa.

Barbecued prawns with harissa mayonnaise – serves 6

  • 1kg raw prawns in shells (we buy frozen prawns which already have the heads removed and are slit down the back for easy peeling when cooked)
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds, lightly crushed
  • 2 tbsp rose harissa paste
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • finely grated zest of 2 limes
  • lime wedges, to serve

FOR THE HARISSA MAYONNAISE:

  • 150g mayonnaise
  • 2 tsp rose harissa paste
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped dill

Get your barbecue ready for direct cooking.

Twist the heads off the prawns if needed. Then use a pair of scissors to make a shallow cut along the belly of each prawn, leaving the tail shell intact. This will make them easier to peel.

Put the prawns into a large bowl and add the crushed cumin, harissa paste, extra virgin olive oil and lime zest. Season with salt and pepper and mix well. Set aside for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise ingredients together and season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a serving bowl and set aside.

Place the prawns in a single layer on a very hot part of the barbecue and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. You want them to be lightly charred.

Transfer the prawns to a serving platter with the bowl of harissa mayonnaise and serve lime wedges alongside.

(Original recipe from The BBQ Book by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury:Absolute, 2025.)

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Hake with Rice and Date Pickle

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 8 October 2025| Leave a Comment »

Every element of this dish from Lugma by Noor Murad, but it’s the date pickle that truly brings everything together. It lifts the whole plate and we can definitely see it making repeat appearances alongside all sorts of other dishes.

Wine Suggestion: We’ve been exploring the fresher, lighter reds from north-western Spain, a joyful match for spiced or richly flavoured fish like this. A recent gem is the Finca Millara Lagariza, a youthful, fruit forward and light bodied Mencía that we served lightly chilled. A brilliant pairing.

Fish with rice and date pickle – serves 4

FOR THE FISH:

  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp paprika
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • seeds from 15 cardamom pods
  • 600g skinless hake fillet, cut into 6cm pieces
  • 1½ tbsp melted ghee
  • ½ lemon

FOR THE RICE:

  • 2 tbsp melted ghee
  • 5 cardamom pods
  • 5 cloves
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 3 fresh bay leaves
  • 150g date molasses
  • ½ tsp loosely packed saffron threads, roughly crushed
  • 300g basmati rice, washed until the water runs clear, then soaked for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours, then drained well

FOR THE DATE PICKLE:

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 1 tsp Aleppo chilli flakes
  • 120g Medjool dates, pitted and thinly sliced
  • 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 30g red onion, thinly sliced
  • 10g coriander, leaves and soft stems picked

Use a pestle and mortar to finely crush the cumin seeds and cardamom seeds.

Mix all the ground spices for the fish in a large bowl with ½ tsp salt and plenty of black pepper. Add the fish and mix well to coat, then put in the fridge until needed.

For the rice, add the ghee, whole spices and bay leaves to a medium, lidded saucepan and place over a medium heat. Cook for a few minutes, stirring now and then, until fragrant.

Stir in the molasses then pour in 620ml of hot water, the saffron and ¾ tsp salt. Bring to the boil, then stir in the rice. Bring up to a fast boil for exactly 5 minutes, without stirring, until the grains have started to plump up and have absorbed at least half of the water. Cover with a clean tea towel followed by the lid, securing the ends of the tea towel over the lid. Turn the heat to low and cook, without touching, for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the pickle. Add the oil and fennel seeds to a small frying pan over a medium heat. Cook for 2 minutes, until fragrant, then stir in the chilli and a small pinch of salt and pour into a medium heatproof bowl. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then stir in the dates, vinegar and onion. Set aside to pickle.

When the rice is read, remove the lid and tea towel. Allow the rice to cool slightly while you fry the fish.

Heat the ghee in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the fish and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until nicely browned and cooked through. Squeeze over the lemon juice.

Transfer the rice to a large platter and top with the fish and any fat in the pan. Stir the coriander into the pickle and serve alongside.

(Original recipe from Lugma by Noor Murad, Quadrille, 2025.)

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Lamb Koftas with Peppers and Feta

Posted in Food, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 7 October 2025| 2 Comments »

Some bold and tasty flavours in this dish by Noor Murad — lamb koftas baked with sweet peppers, salty feta, and oregano. This is minimal fuss for maximum payoff. Another standout from Noor’s beautiful new book, Lugma, a collection we’re really enjoying cooking from.

Wine Suggestion: Grenache all the way with this one. Tonight, we opened a rare treat, the Edetaria La Personal made from old-vine Garnacha Peluda. You won’t find this particular clone outside of Terra Alta, and we think it’s one to watch in a warming climate. The fine hairs on the backs of the vine leaves help trap humidity and conserve moisture, a clever natural adaptabion. It’s also delicious with the lamb and feta.

Lamb koftas with peppers and feta – serves 4

  • 1 large onion, sliced
  • 1 green pepper, sliced
  • 1 red pepper, sliced
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, plus a bit extra
  • 1½ tsp sweet paprika
  • 200g Datterini or cherry tomatoes
  • 150g passata
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • ¾ tbsp maple syrup
  • 150g feta, broken into large chunks

FOR THE KOFTAS:

  • 500g lamb mince
  • 40g panko breadcrumbs
  • 20g parsley, leaves and soft stems finely chopped, plus a bit extra to serve
  • 10g oregano leaves, finely chopped, plus a bit extra to serve
  • 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 onion, halved
  • 1 large ripe plum tomato

Heat the oven to 200C fan.

Make the koftas first by adding the lamb mince, panko, herbs, garlic, spices, bicarbonate of soda, 1 tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper to a large bowl. Grate the onion halves on the coarse side of a grater and squeeze out the excess liquid with your hands (it’s easiest in a clean teatowel). Add this to the bowl, then grate the tomato in the same way, straning off the juice through a sieve. Add this to the bowl too.

Grease your hands with a little olive oil and knead the meat mixture for about 4 minutes, then set aside to rest for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, add the sliced onion, peppers, thyme, 2 tbsp of the oil and ½ tsp salt to a large cast-iron frying pan and mix to combine. Bake for 15 minutes or until starting to brown, then remove from the oven and turn the temperature up to 220C fan.

Divide the meat mixture into 12 pieces, about 55-60g each, and form into torpedo-shaped koftas with oiled hands.

Stir the paprika and the tomatoes into the frying pan.

Whisk the passata, vinegar, maple syrup and ¼ tsp of salt together in a jug, then pour this into the pan.

Add the koftas, then drizzle over the final tbsp of oil.

Return to the oven for 8 minutes, then turn each kofta over. Dot with the feta and bake for 12 minutes or until the feta is nicely browned and the dish is bubbling.

Sprinkle over the extra herbs to finish.

(Original recipe from Lugma by Noor Murad, Quadrille, 2025.)

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Chicken Provençal

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 6 October 2025| 4 Comments »

Hanging onto summer like rosé in October… As Autumn seems to appear intermittantly in Dublin, we’re clinging to the flavours of sunnier days. This simple Chicken Provençal is sunshine in a frying pan. You can’t beat the cheerful tones of this French classic, perfect for lifting spirits as the evenings draw in. Serve it with buttery new potatoes or a chunk of crusty baguette.

Wine Suggestion: We paired it with a classic dry Provençal rosé from Château Léoube – textured and full-bodied (for a rosé), yet still elegant and crisp on the finish.

Chicken Provençal – serves 4

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 8 chicken thighs
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 anchovies in oil, chopped
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 red peppers, cut into strips
  • 1 yellow pepper, cut into strips
  • 1 big fennel bulb, quartered, core removed and thinly sliced
  • 2 courgettes, cut into 1cm thick slices
  • 8 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 200ml white wine
  • 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 1 litre chicken stock
  • 100g pitted black olives
  • 1 sprig of rosemary
  • 15g flatleaf parsley, leaves only, finely chopped
  • a handful of small basil leaves
  • a small handful of capers

Warm the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over a medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown well. You will probably need to do this in two batches. Put the browned chicken aside on a plate.

Turn the heat down and add the onion, anchovies, bay leaves and thyme with a good pinch of salt. Sauté gently for about 15 minutes or until very soft.

Turn the heat up a little, then add the peppers, fennel and courgettes, then sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for a further minute.

Pour in the wine and simmer for a couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes, stock, rosemary and olives. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan with any juices on the plate and simmer very gently for 35-40 minutes or until the chicken is very tender.

Stir in the parsley, half the basil and the capers. Taste and season again if required.

Serve with the rest of the basil scattered over.

(Original recipe from Lickedspoon with Debora Robertson on Substack, 4 Jun 2025.)

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Smoked Salmon on the Barbecue with Tomato Salad and Potato Salad

Posted in Barbecue, Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 2 October 2025| Leave a Comment »

Quite a lot going on here but all very straightforward and not too time-consuming. We highly recommend this potato salad – piquant and not to mayonaisy.

Wine Suggestion: We’ve always enjoyed albariño but have really got into it in a big way recently by exploring the Spanish, Portuguese and new areas in the world making this great grape that pairs with fish and seafood. Tonight a little off-piste the Newton Johnson Albariño from Hermanus in South Africa … which has similar granitic soils to Spain. Sunshine, Antarctic breezes and a southern African hint make this unique but recognisable and delicious with the salmon, capers etc.

Smoked salmon on the barbecue with tomato salad and potato salad – serves 4

  • 4 lightly smoked salmon fillets (we bought ours in M&S)

FOR THE CHIVE DRESSING:

  • a small bunch of chives
  • 1 small shallot, finely chopped
  • 90ml (6 tbsp) of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • ½ tsp salt

FOR THE TOMATO SALAD:

  • 6 tomatoes, finely sliced
  • 1 smal red onion, finely sliced
  • a pinch of caster sugar
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp sherry vinegar
  • a handful of basil, torn

FOR THE POTATO SALAD:

  • 1 kg new potatoes – we used Jersey Royals
  • 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 eggs, hard-boiled, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tbsp capers
  • a handful of cornichons, finely chopped
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 2 tbsp mayonnaise
  • a small handful of parsley and dill, chopped

Start by boiling the potatoes for the salad in salty water until tender, then drain and set aside to cool.

Get your barbeuce on to heat up.

When the potatoes have cooled, cut them into halves or quarters and mix with the rest of the potato salad ingredients. Set aside until ready to serve.

For the chive dressing, set aside 4 chives for a garnish and finely slice the rest. Mix them with the shallot, olive oil, vinegar and salt.

For the tomato salad, arrange the sliced tomatoes on a serving plattter and scatter over the red onion. Season well with salt, pepper and sugar, then dress with the oil and vinegar and garnish with the basil.

Brush the fish with a little oil and cook over a hot barbecue for a couple of minutes on each side.

Spoon some chive dressing on each plate and top with the cooked salmon. Garnish with the remaining chives and serve with the tomato and potato salad.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Food Stories, BBC Books, 2024.)

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