A great starter dish from Persiana Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour. The sun came out so we could sit outside for a relaxed Saturday lunch, and this takes very little time to put together which was perfect.
Wine Suggestion: The much under-rated varietal, Chenin Blanc is our pick. A dry version like Adi Badenhorst’s Secateurs and it’s stonefruit and apple flavours over a flinty core stands up to the baked halloumi and bacon with aplomb.
Halloumi, bacon, date & apple salad – serves 4as a starter
250g block of halloumi
8 smoked streaky bacon rashers
4 large Medjool dates, pitted and halved
FOR THE SALAD:
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp clear honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp water
a small bag of mixed salad leaves
1 apple, cored and sliced
Preheat the oven to 240C.
Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
Cut the block of halloumi in half lengthways, then cut each half into 4 rectangular fingers.
Lay a piece of bacon on a board, put a piece of halloumi at the end and top with half a date, then roll up tightly to form a neat bundle. Repeat to make 8 rolls.
Roast the halloumi in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the bacon is very crispy.
Meanwhile, put the olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, cinnimon and water into a small bowl and whisk to combine. Spread the salad leaves over a platter, drizzle with the dressing and scatter over the apple slices.
Put the hot halloumi and bacon rolls on top of the salad leaves and serve.
(Original recipe from Persian Everyday by Sabrina Ghayour, Aster, 2022.)
It’s difficult to know how to introduce this recipe by Rosie Birkett. It is far from shy in terms of flavour, bursting with it in fact, and we’d suggest you have to be a bit adventurous, as it has so many punchy layers. Great to see celeriac getting the attention it deserves.
The recipe is not difficult, but it does take a little effort to make all of the separate components.
Wine Suggestion: to match such a punchy, savoury dish you can go all out with a wine to match these levels of flavour, or go light to be complimentary. We went the latter route and opened an easy, dry Rosé. Tonight a bottle from a friend, the Domaine le Novi Côté Levant Rosé, which tasted of fresh red berries, hints of citrus and light tannins, finishing zesty and minerally.
Gochujang-glazed celeriac with black beans, green salsa & crispy shallots – serves 2
about 25g of sea salt flakes
1 medium celeriac, about 750g, peeled, halved and cut into 3cm thick wedges
sunflower oil, for frying
1-2 shallots, finely sliced
FOR THE GLAZE:
2 tbsp gochujang paste
50g salted butter
3 tsp honey
1 orange, juiced
2 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp sesame seeds
FOR THE BLACK BEANS:
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp cumin seeds
1 bay leaf
1 onion, chopped
a small bunch of coriander, stems finely chopped and leaves reserved
a pinch of ground coriander
400g tin of black beans, don’t drain them as you need the liquid
½ lime, juiced (you will need the other half for the salsa)
FOR THE GREEN SALSA:
1 green apple, roughly chopped
½ green chilli, deseeded
1 tbsp pumpkin seeds, toasted
½ lime, juiced
1 tbsp olive oil
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Line a tray with baking paper and sprinkle the salt over the top. Put the celeriac slices on top of the salt, then roast for 15 minutes at the top of the oven.
Make the glaze while the celeriac is baking. Put the gochujang, butter, honey, a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp water, the orange juice and cornflour in a pan. Cook, stirring, for a few minutes or until smooth, then set aside.
Leave the celeriac to cool slightly, then remove any excess salt and toss each piece in the glaze. Discard the salt from the tray, return the wedges to it and roast for another 10 minutes. Glaze again and scatter over the sesame seeds, then roast for a final 10-20 minutes or until sticky and caramelised (turn the oven up a bit if you need).
Meanwhile, make the beans. Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the cumin and bay leaf until sizzling, then add the onion, coriander stems, ground coriander and a good pinch of salt. Fry, stirring, for about 8 minutes or until golden and soft. Add the beans with their liquid and a pinch of salt, then bring to the boil. Simmer for 5-8 minutes, stirring, until the beans look creamy and the liquid and almost gone. Remove the bay leaf, stir in the lime juice, then set aside and keep warm.
To make the salsa, put the apple, chilli, pumpkin seeds, lime juice and reserved coriander leaves in a food processor and whizz until combined but chunky. Add the oil and whizz again, then season to taste.
To make the crispy shallots, heat the sunflower oil in a small frying pan and fry the shallots over a low-medium heat for 15 minutes or until golden and crispy. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen paper and season.
Serve the beans on warm plates, topped with the celeriac, salsa and crispy shallots.
Wine Suggestion: Whatever you happen to have in the fridge will do nicely.
We liked the apple coleslaw which made this simple schnitzel dish really fresh and tasty. Great mid-week meal.
Chicken schnitzel with apple coleslaw – serves 4
4 small chicken breasts
3tbsp grated Parmesan
100g flour
1 large egg, beaten
75g dried breadcrumbs – we always use panko
75ml vegetable oil
FOR THE COLESLAW:
300g white cabbage, shredded
1 large carrot, peeled and grated
6 scallions, sliced diagonally
1 red-skinned apple, grated
150g pot natural yogurt
juice half lemon
2 tsp English mustard
Mix all the coleslaw ingredients together in a large bowl and season.
Put the chicken fillets between two pieces of cling film and bash with a rolling pin until they are an even thickness of about 2-3mm.
Put the flour on a plate and season, then put the egg on another plate. Coat the chicken in the flour first, shake of the excess, then coat with the egg.
Mix together the Parmesan and breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken in the mixture until completely coated in crumbs. You can put the schnitzel in the fridge now until you’re ready to cook them.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a fairly high heat and cook the schnitzels two at a time. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until completely golden, then drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm in a warm oven while you cook the rest.
We made this as a Sunday night dinner for two and it is rich and packed full of flavour. Pheasant is appropriately in season in Ireland at the moment, as are apples, so a perfect choice.
Roast Pheasant with Apple and Calvados – to serve 2-3
1 plump young pheasant, about 725-900g
10g butter
4-5 tbsp Calvados
225ml cream or 125ml cream and 125ml chicken stock
25g butter
2 desserts apples
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
Heat a casserole, just large enough to fit the pheasant. Season the cavity and spread the 10g of butter over the breast and leg. Place breast-side down in the casserole and allow to brown over a gentle heat, then turn over and season. Cover with a tight lid and cook for 40-45 minutes in the oven.
To check if it is cooked, poke a fork between the leg and the breast, the juices should be completely clear with no pink.Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.
Carefully strain and de-grease the casserole juices. Bring to the boil, add the Calvados and carefully light with a match. Shake the pan and when the flames have gone out, add the cream (or stock and cream). Reduce by boiling until the sauce thickens, stirring now and then, taste for seasoning.
Peel, core and dice the apples and fry in the 25g of butter until golden. Carve the pheasant and arrange on a hot serving dish or on individual plates. Cover with the sauce and serve with the apple. We also had some colcannon on the side.
Wine Suggestion: You need a powerful and earthy red, balanced with good acidity for this dish. We drank a 2005 Cornu Corton-Bressandes Grand Cru 2005 on the inspiration of one of Jono’s customers who was looking for an opinion; we heartily endorse it as it had the depth and personality to stand up to the rich and powerful flavours with it’s own power, depth and freshness. Superb. Burgundy and game work really well.
Jono & Jules do food & wine 