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Posts Tagged ‘Recipe’

Chicken, Leek & Tarragon Pie

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , on 22 August 2026| Leave a Comment »

With our tarragon growing like mad in the garden and nerw season leeks at the farm shop we felt like cooking a proper chicken pie. This gorgeous recipe delivers two golden, puff-pastry-topped pies — one for now, and one to freeze for a no-fuss dinner down the line. It’s everything you want from a comforting pie: tender poached chicken, sweet leeks, smoky bacon, and a luxuriously creamy tarragon-spiked sauce.

Wine Suggestion: as usual with chicken pies we opened a chardonnay, in this case a little gem from Patrick Javillier in Meursault, Burgundy; their Bourgonge Côte d’Or Cuvée de Forgets. One of two different Bourgogne Blancs they make, this one richer and fuller, but remaining elegant and expressive and quite Meursault like with a creaminess and toastiness.

Chicken, leek & tarragon pie – serves 8 (makes 2 pies, each serves 4)

TO POACH THE CHICKEN:

  • 1 free-range chicken, cut in half lengthways (your butcher will do this for you but it is quite easy to do with strong scissors)
  • olive oil
  • 1 brown onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 celery sticks, roughly chopped
  • 1 carrot, roughly chopped
  • 3 bay leaves

FOR THE PIE:

  • 3 celery sticks, halved and sliced
  • 3 large leeks, chopped into 2cm rounds
  • 6 rashers of top-quality smoked streaky bacon, remove any rind and cut into chunks
  • 30g butter
  • 600ml poaching broth from the chicken
  • 50g plain flour
  • 150ml white wine
  • 200ml double cream
  • 1 heaped tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 20g fresh tarragon, finely chopped
  • 1 egg
  • 2 sheets of all-butter puff pastry
  • fennel seeds (optional)

Season the chicken halves generously and leave aside for an hour to come to room temperature.

Get a heavy-based pot that will fit both pieces of chicken (otherwise you can do this in two batches). Drizzle in some olive oil and place over a fairly high heat. When the oil is hot, fry the chicien pieces on both sides until golden brown and caramelised all over.

When the chicken is browned, add the chopped veg and the bay leaf. Top up with water so that the chicken is just covered. Season generously with salt and bring up to a very gentle simmer with the lid on for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is just cooked through – as always a thermometer is your best friend here.

Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool (keep the cooking liquid in the pot). When the chicken is cool enough to handle, strip the chicken from the carcass and put into a bowl. Put the bones, skin and gristle back into the pot with the poaching liquid. Put this back on the heat and simmer to extract all the flavour from the bones while you continue with the recipe.

Place the bacon in a large pan with th butter and fry to render out the fat. Add the celery, leeks and a ladleful of the chicken stock, then cover with a lid and cook until tender.

Strain the chicken stock now and measure out 600ml. Taste and seaon with salt if needed.

Add the flour to the leeks and mix well, cooking for a few minutes, then pour in the wine and mix again, it will look pretty awful at this stage but don’t worry. Add the chicken stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring until it is completely absorbed. When you have added all 600ml, turn the heat off and pour in the cream. Add the cooked chicken meat, mustard and finely chopped tarragon. Mix well and taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Fill a pie dish with half the mixture (we then freeze the rest in another dish, ready to cover with pastry when needed).

Heat the oven to 200C.

Whisk an egg and brush the edges of the pie dish. Place a pastry sheet on top and crimp the edges but leave a generous overhang. You can decorate with any extra bits. Brush the top with more egg wash, then sprinkle over the fennel seeds (if using) and season with salt and pepper. Pierce a hole in the middle so the steam can escape, then bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and puffed.

(Original recipe from The Farm Table by Julius Roberts, Ebury Press, 2023.)

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Prawn Saganaki with Beans

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 5 August 2026| Leave a Comment »

We’re trying to up our intake of beans and pulses. This is a nice healthy dish and it’s easy to make so perfect for busy weeknights.

Prawn saganaki with beans – serves 4

  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large white onion, diced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 red chillies, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp caraway seeds
  • 2 tsp nigella seeds
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 500g ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 50g feta cheese
  • 200g swiss chard or spinach, roughly chopped
  • 20g basil, roughly chopped plus a few extra to garnish
  • 400g tin white beans, drained and rinsed
  • 200g jumbo prawns, peeled and deveined

Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole over a medium heat, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes or until soft and translucent, then add the garlic, chilli and seasoning, and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the caraway and nigella seeds with the oregano and stir into the onions for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, tomato purée, honey and feta. Cover and cook for 12 minutes or until the tomatoes have broken down and the feta has melted into the sauce. Add a splash of water to stop it sticking if needed.

Meanwhile, preaheat the grill to high.

Uncover the pan and stir so that all the ingredients combine with the sauce, then add the green leaves and basil, reserving a few basil leaves to garnish, and stir for 2-3 minutes or until the greens have wilted.

Add the beans to the sauce and put the prawns on top. Simmer for 2 minutes then transfer to the hot grill for 4 minutes to cook the prawns and brown the top of the dish.

Garnish witht the reserved basil leaves.

(Orignal recipe from The Doctor’s Kitchen App)

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Chicken Drumsticks with Za’atar

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 4 August 2026| Leave a Comment »

This is melt-in-the-mouth cooking as it starts low and slow for about an hour before a final char over the flames.

Set up your barbecue for both indirect and direct cooking. We used a kamado with deflector plates, but you could also use a kettle barbecue with a small fire in the middle and the indirect cooking around the outside.

Wine suggestion: We often enjoy juicy wines with a lot of barbecue dishes, but because we’re a little obsessed with Northern Spain at the moment we opened a fuller bodied red from Rias Baixas, the Attis Espadeiro. Full bodied and elegantly smooth tannins, a super example of this little known grape.

Chicken drumsticks with za’atar, chopped salad & tahini dressing – serves 4 to 6

  • 1kg chicken drumsticks
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 tbsp za’atar

FOR THE DRESSING:

  • 75g tahini
  • 75ml cold water
  • juice of half a lemon
  • 1 clove of garlic, crushed

FOR THE SALAD:

  • 400g cherry tomatoes, diced
  • 1 cucumber, diced
  • 4 scallions, diced
  • 200g radishes, diced
  • 3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • juice of half a lemon

Cut a few deep slashes in each drumstick, then sprinkle with about 3 tbsp of za’atar, the olive oil and a little salt. Toss to coat, then cover and leave in the fridge for up to 48 hours.

To cook you need a barbecue prepped with a small central fire (see intro). Arrange the drumsticks around the fire so they cook indirectly. Shut the lid and cook for an hour, rotating the chicken occasionally.

To make the dressing, put everything into a bowl and whisk until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the salad, mix the tomatoes, cucumber, scallions and radishes. Stir through the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and black pepper. Spoon onto a platter and set aside.

Once the chicken has been cooking for an hour, move it over the high heat in the centre and cook for another 10 minutes, turning often, until crispy and browned.

Place the chicken on top of the salad and drizzle over the dressing. Finish with a sprinkling more za’atar and drizzle with your best olive oil.

(Original recipe from How to BBQ by Genevieve Taylor, Penguin: Random House, 2026.)

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BBQ Cauliflower Salad

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 2 June 2026| Leave a Comment »

There were cauliflowers galore at our local farm shop last week. Here is one barbecued with feta and heaps of other tasty things. Delicious! We halved this recipe to generously serve 3.

BBQ Cauliflower Salad – serves 6

  • 2 medium cauliflowers
  • 1 tbsp ras el hanout
  • 1 tbsp ground turmeric
  • 80ml rapeseed oil
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 100g podded broad beans, blanched and skinned
  • 2 green chillies, sliced
  • 200g feta cheese, crumbled
  • 30 pitted green olives
  • 20 sunblush tomatoes
  • 1 preserved lemon, finely chopped
  • 100g pomegranate seeds
  • 60g toasted pine nuts
  • 1 tbsp chopped mint

FOR THE DRESSING:

  • 150g natural yoghurt
  • 1 tbsp harissa paste
  • juice of ½ lemon

Remove the stems and cut the cauliflowers into small florets. Lay them in a tray and sprinkle with the spices, rapeseed oil and water. Season with salt and mix well with your hands to coat.

Lay the cauliflower directly onto a hot barbecue and cook until charred on all sides. This should take about 10 minutes. Put the cauliflower back into the tray and leave to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, mix the ingredients for the dressing together in a small bowl.

Add the broad beans, chillies, feta, olives, sunblush tomatoes and preserved lemon to the tray. Drizzle over the dressing, then scatter over the pomegranate seeds, pine nuts and mint.

(Original recipe from Outdoor Cooking by Tom Kerridge, Bloomsbury Absolute, 2021.)

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Whole Steamed Sea Bass with Soy

Posted in Asian, Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 31 May 2026| Leave a Comment »

A nice healthy dish with lots of flavour going on, perfect for when you pick up a whole sea bass. Serve with some steamed basmati.

Wine Suggestion:We find that lighter, youthful fruity whites with a zippy freshness work well with these steamed, aromatic fish dishes. Something like Villa Wolf’s Pinot Blanc from the Pfalz in Germany which has charming white peach and citrus fruit flavours. Super light and juicy with a zippy refreshing finish we love this super summery wine.

Whole steamed sea bass with soy – serves 2

  • 1 sea bass, about 400g, gutted and scaled
  • 200g tenderstem broccoli, halved lengthways
  • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 thumb-size piece of ginger, thinly sliced
  • a handful of coriander stalks
  • 1 carrot, peeled into thin strips
  • ½ a small cucumber, peeled into thin strips
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 red chilli, thinly sliced
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • basmati rice, to serve

Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.

Make 3 slashes in the fish with a sharp knife.

Cut two large pieces of baking paper big enough to completely fit and seal in the fish and broccoli. Place the sheets on top of one another on a large baking sheet and lay the fish in the middle. Scatter around the broccoli.

Mix together the soy sauce, shaoxing , sesame oil and sugar and pour over the fish. Stuff the belly of the fish with the ginger and garlic and a handful of coriander stalks. Season the fish and wrap the parcel up tightly to seal. Cook in the oven for 18-22 minutes (start checking at 18 minutes – the fish is done when it is coming away from the bone or when the internal temperature reaches 60C).

Meanwhile, put the carrot and cucumber strips into a bowl with the rice vinegar and some seasoning, and toss. Leave to pickle for 20 minutes.

When the fish is cooked, open up the parcel and top with the pickled carrot and cucumber strips, sliced red chilli and scallions. Serve with rice.

(Original recipe by Adam Bush in Olive Magazine, January 2022.)

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Epaules d’agneau aux asperges

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 17 May 2026| Leave a Comment »

So old-fashioned, and all the better for it. This slow-cooked shoulder of lamb with asparagus is a recipe we stumbled upon in a wonderfully dated French cookbook published by St Michael (yes, the old M&S brand). There’s something very comforting about its simplicity: tender lamb, sweet asparagus, and the kind of no-fuss cooking that lets good ingredients shine.

Wine suggestion: For this dish, we went a little off the beaten track and opened a bottle of Domaine la Taille aux Loups Triple Zero, an exceptional Pétillant Naturel from JP Blot. As the name suggests, it’s the ultimate minimal-intervention sparkling: zero chaptalisation, zero liqueur de tirage, zero dosage. Surprisingly rich and structured for a pét-nat, it had just enough freshness to cut through the creamy lamb and enough depth to complement, rather than clash with, the asparagus.

Epaules d’agneau aux asperges – serves 4

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 25g butter
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed with some salt
  • 1 kg boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat and cut into cubes
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 300ml chicken stock
  • 250g asparagus spears, snap off the woody ends and trim off and reserve the tips
  • 250ml double cream

Heat the oven to 160C.

Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole, then brown the meat in batches, remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Melt the butter in the same casserole, add the onion and fry gently until softened. Add the garlic and fry for a further minute, then stir in the lamb and any juices from the plate.

Add the lemon juice, stock and plenty of black pepper, then bring to the boil and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

Stir in the asparagus spears (keep the tips for later), then cover and and transfer to the oven for 1½- 2 hours or until the lamb is very tender, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, cook the reserved asparagus tips in simmer waters until tender, then drain and set aside.

Return the casserole to the top of the stove and spoon away any fat from the surface. Taste the sauce and season to taste. Mix the cream and reserved asparagus tip, then pour over the casserole. Heat through gently, without stirring, then serve.

(Original recipe from French Cooking by Jeni Wright, Octopus Books Limited, 1982.)

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Langarwali Dhal

Posted in Food, Healthy, Indian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 21 April 2026| 2 Comments »

Langarwali dhal is the dhal served to travellers or worshipers who visit a Sikh temple. Often made with sabut urad dhal mixed with chana dhal, with minimal spices, and finished with a simple tadka (ghee, cumin, garlic & chilli). It is light and deeply comforting. Soak the lentils overnight to help them take up all the flavours.

Langarwali dhal – serves 4

  • 190g sabut urad dhal
  • 65g chana dhal
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp deggi mirch (red chilli powder)
  • 3cm piece of ginger, chopped
  • 2 bay leaves

FOR THE TEMPERED OIL:

  • 1 tbsp ghee or vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 5-6 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 3 red onions, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp coriander seeds, coarsely ground
  • 3 cm piece of ginger, finely grated
  • ¼ tsp ground turmeric
  • 2 tsp deggi mirch (red chilli powder)
  • 100ml natural yoghurt, whisked
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • extra coriander and cooked basmati, to serve

Wash and soak the sabut urad dhal and chana dahl overnight.

The next day, put the drained lentils , turmeric, deggi mirch, ginger and bay into a large pot. Bring to the boil, then simmer gently for 2 hours, adding more water if they get dry. You are aiming for a loose creamy consistency (not watery) and the lentil should be softened and starting to collapse. Cook for a little longer if you need but keep an eye as it will thicken quickly at the end and will thicken further when you add the tadka.

For the tempered oil, put the ghee in a large, deep frying pan over a high heat until it just begins to smoke. Add the cumin and garlic, cookig for 1 minutes until the garlic turns light golden. Quickly add the onion, then reduce the heat to medium and sweat the onions until translucent and just starting to colour. Add the coriander seeds, ginger, turmeric and chilli powder. Continue to cook until the fat starts to separate from the ingredients, then stir in the yoghurt and coriander.

Add the lentils to the tempering mixture, reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring regularly to help the lentils break down and turn creamy. If it looks dry add a few tbsps of warm water and continue cooking. Adjust the seasoning as needed, you may need some salt.

Serve in bowls, garnished with the coriander and butter. Serve with steamed basmati.

(Original recipe by Chetan Sharma in Olive Magazine, January 2023.)

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Pan-fried Trout with Mash & Spinach Sauce

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 24 March 2026| Leave a Comment »

This comforting plate pairs buttery mash with with crisp-skinned Irish trout fillets. Plus there’s a spinach and watercress sauce to bring the dish to life.

Wine Suggestion: Pick a white wine with a fine fresh structure, clean fruit and a savoury back note to match the iron rich spinach. While we thought initially of opening a Grüner veltliner, we were tempted (again) by a Loire wine. This time Chateau du Hureau’s Argile from Saumur; all chalky, minerally from the limestone tuffeau soils, confrontingly dry and yet full of juicy, appley fruit.

Pan-fried trout with mash & spinach sauce – serves 4

  • 4 fillets of trout
  • 20g finely chopped fresh chives

FOR THE SPINACH SAUCE:

  • 30g unsalted butter
  • olive oil
  • 1 large brown onion, finely sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
  • 220-250g spinach
  • 150ml double cream
  • 80g watercress
  • 1 unwaxed lemon

FOR THE MASH:

  • 5 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into even chunks
  • 75g salted butter
  • whole milk (optional), we’re not mad on milk in our mash but occasionally add a splash of cream if we have it
  • 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard

Make the spinach sauce first. Put the butter in a heavy-based pan with a splash of olive oil over a medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the onion, garlic and a good pinch of salt. Fry for 10-15 minutes, until soft but not browned.

Add the spinach and cook briefly just until wilted.

Pour everything into a blender along with the cream and whizz until very smooth. Start adding the watercress in batches, whizzing after each addition, until you have achieved a peppery punch (you may not need all of it). Put it into the fridge and leave to cool (you will add some lemon juice to brighten it up before serving).

Cover the potatoes in cold water, add some salt and bring to the boil. Cook until tender, then drain and leave to steam dry. Mash until smooth.

If you are using milk, warm it in a pan with the butter, then add to the pan gradually until you have the consistency you like. Finish with the mustard and season with white pepper.

Pat the fish dry with kitchen paper. Season and rub the skin with a little oil.

Put a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Place the fish skin side down, pressing each to the pan. Fry until the skin is crispy, then gently turn over and briefly fry on the other side until just cooked through (use your thermometer if you have one).

Meanwhile, warm the spinach sauce in a small pan and make sure the mash is piping hot.

Add a squeeze of lemon to the spinach sauce, just before serving.

Pour the sauce into warm bowls, top with the mash and then the fish and sprinkle with the chives.

(Original recipe from The Farm Table by Julius Roberts, Ebury Press, 2023.)

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Asparagus Lasagne

Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 23 March 2026| Leave a Comment »

Just in time for our annual asparagus gorging season last year, this vibrant asparagus lasagne by Meera Sodha, published in The Guardian, landed right on cue. It’s a spring celebration in lasagne form and now you’re ready for when it lands this year!

Wine Suggestion: To create a balance between the contrasting green, earthy flavours of aspargus and the salty, sharp cheese you need a wine with a higher aciduty and minerally texture. We were inspired by the Pecorino cheese and looked to Italy and the Marche and opened Sartarelli’s old-vine Verdicchio “Tralivio” which was just what we were looking for, and the back notes of green almonds added a layer of flavour that surprised and delighted us.

Asparagus Lasagne – serves 6

  • 80g unsalted butter
  • 40g plain flour
  • 1 litre full-fat milk
  • 160g pecorino, finely grated
  • 2 big pinches of coarsely ground black pepper
  • about 900g asparagus, snap off the woody ends
  • 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and very finely sliced
  • 350g leeks, finely sliced, then rinsed and drained
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 25g fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped
  • 500g pack dried lasagne sheets (you won’t need the whole pack)

Make the bechamel first by melting 40g of the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, then add the flour and stir constantly for a minute or two. Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring continuously, until the sauce thickens to a double cream consistency, add half the grated pecorino, the black pepper and a half tsp of salt. Mix well and remove from the heat.

Roughly pulse the asparagus in a food processor until the it is in rough ½ cm pieces. Melt the rest of the butter in a large frying pan or saute pan over a medium heat. Addd the garlic and cook, stirring for a couple of minutes. Stir in the leeks and cook for 4 minutes or until wilted then add the chopped asparagus and stir-fry for 5-6 minutes or until softened but still retaining a bite. Stir in the lemon zest, mint and three-quarters tsp salt.

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

Spread half the asparagus mix in the base of a 20cm x 30cm baking dish. Layer lasagne sheets over to cover, then ladle in half the bechamel and spread it out evenly. Repeat the layers again, finishing with the final layer of bechamel. Sprinkle over the rest of the pecorino cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling, then remove from the oven and leave to rest for 15 mintues before serving.

(Origina recipe by Meera Sodha in The Guardian)

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Mici

Posted in Barbecue, Beef, Food, Gluten-free, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 22 March 2026| Leave a Comment »

These tasty little Romanian sausages make a perfect barbecued snack or starter. Serve with a dollop of mustard and some crusty bread.

Wine Suggeston: a youthful, medium weight red like a Syrah. For us tonight an uncomplicated, but pleasurable Crozes Hermitage from Ferraton.

Mici – makes 18

  • 400g pork mince
  • 400g beef mince
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely grated
  • 1 tbsp thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • ½ tsp ground allspice
  • 2 tsp sea salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 100ml beef stock
  • mustard, to serve
  • crusty bread, to serve

Put all of the micci ingredients into a food processor and pulse until well combined. Transfer to a bowl, then cover and leave in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.

Remove the meat mixture from the fridge and divide into 50g portions. Form into balls, then roll into short sausage shapes. Put the sausages into the fridge for an hour to firm.

Get your barbeuce nice and hot, then cook the mici for about 4 minutes on each side, turning regularly. It’s a good idea to have a bit of indirect heat so you can move any cooked micci to the side.

Serve with mustard and crusty bread.

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

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Teriyaki Monkfish with Pickled Cucumbers

Posted in Barbecue, Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 19 March 2026| Leave a Comment »

Teriyaki monkfish with pickled cucumbers – serves 4

It’s March which means spring time in Ireland and just about enough daylight to get back to the barbecue. We’ kicked off the season with this delicious monkfish and planning many more!

Wine suggestion: serve with a fresh, dry and uncomplicated rosé like the Chateau la Negly l’Ecume from the Languedoc.A charmer with hints of strawberry and a vinous, dry finish. Makes us dream of sunshine whenever we sip this.

  • 600g monfish fillet, cut into bite-size pieces

FOR THE PICKLED CUCUMBER:

  • 1 cucumber
  • 3 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 2 tsp flaked sea salt
  • 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

FOR THE MARINADE:

  • 100ml sake
  • 100ml mirin
  • 100ml soy sauce
  • 25g ginger, finely grated
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed

Make the pickle first. Slice the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon. Finely slice into half-moons and tip into a bowl. Stir in the vinegar, sugar, salt and sesame seeds. Stir together and set aside.

To make the marinade, pour the sake, mirin and soy into a small pan over a low heat. Add the ginger, garlic and lots of black pepper. Stir for about 5 minutes or until slightly reduced. Divide between two bowls, one to baste the monkfish and the other to serve as a dipping sauce. Set both aside to cool.

Get your barbecue ready for direct grilling.

Thread the monkfish onto metal skewers. Grill the kebabs for a couple of minutes on each side, basting as you go with the marinade.

Serve hot with the dipping sauce, pickled cucumber and some rice if you like.

(Orginal recipe from Scorched by Genevieve Taylor, Quadrilla, 2024.)

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Baked Red Fish

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , on 17 March 2026| 2 Comments »

We got two red fish in our monthly fish box which were described as red mullet, but they didn’t look like the other red mullet we’ve eaten … so we’ll just call them “Red Fish”. Whatever they were, they are tasty and this dish showed them off perfectly and will work with whatever type of red fish you happen to have.

Wine Suggestion: the combination of the herbal fennel and the meaty, white fish demand a white with both a bit of body and a nutty, minerality. As it was a bank holiday we opened Patrick Javillier’s Bourgogne Côte d’Or Cuvée Oligocène, a judiciously oaked Chardonnay from soils very similar to Puligny Montrachet … without the pricetag.

Baked Red Fish with Fennel, Tomatoes & Olives – serves 2

  • 2 whole red fish, scaled and gutted
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 bulb of fennel, sliced
  • cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
  • a handful of pitted black olives
  • lemon, for squeezing over
  • parsley, roughly chopped

Heat the oven to 200C.

Put the cherry tomatoes, fennel, olives and garlic into a large roasting tray. Drizzle generously with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Roast for 10 minutes, then place the fish on top, drizzle with more olive oil and roast for another 12 to 15 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.

Sprinkle with parsley and some lemon juice.

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Braised Fennel and Cod with Beans & ‘Nduja Butter

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 18 January 2026| Leave a Comment »

There are all sorts of good things going on in this dish from Ottolenghi Comfort. The beans turn lovely and creamy, the fennel is soft and sort of caramelised and the smoky ‘nduja butter is delicious. Highly recommended!

Wine Suggestion:

Braised fennel and cod with beans and ‘nduja butter – serves 4

  • 60ml olive oil
  • 2-3 large fennel bulbs, halved and cut into wedges
  • 3 banana shallots, quartered lengthwise and peeled
  • 1 head of garlic, unpeeled and halved widthways
  • 1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans (or black-eyed beans – we couldn’t get these this time)
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 125ml dry white wine (or dry vermouth if you have it)
  • 4 skinless cod fillets (or haddock or hake)
  • 50g crème fraîche
  • 5g chives, finely chopped
  • lemon wedges, to serve

FOR THE ‘NDUJA BUTTER:

  • 45g unsalted butter
  • 25g ‘nduja paste (we used an Irish one from Corndale Farm in Limavady)
  • ¾ tsp Urfa chilli flakes
  • ¾ tsp chipotle chilli flakes
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika

Heat the oven to 220C fan.

You need a shallow casserole dish with a lid. Cut out a piece of baking paper into a circle roughly a cm less than the width of your dish.

Put the olive oil into the casserole and put over a medium-high heat. Add the fennel, shallots and garlic and sauté for about 6 minutes, or until the veg starts to catch a little.

Add the beans, stock, wine, 1 tsp of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Stir gently and bring to a simmer, then place the paper on top, cover with the lid and bake in to the hot oven for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Remove the parchment and return to the oven without the lid (you can add a splash more stock or water if it looks a bit dry). Bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the vegetables have browned here and there.

Meanwhile, combine all the ingredients for the ‘nduja butter in a small saucepan and put over a medium-low heat. Bring to a gentle simmer, breaking the ‘nduja up with the back of a spoon to incorporate with the butter, then remove from the heat.

Season the fish very lightly with salt and some pepper. Drizzle 1½ tsp of the ‘nduja butter over each fish fillet and reserve the rest. Take the pan out of the oven and place the fish on top. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 7-10 minutes or until the fish is just cooked.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes, then dollop on the crème fraîche, drizzle with the rest of the ‘nduja buttter and sprinkle with the chives. Serve with the lemon wedges for squeezing over.

(Original recipe from Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi, Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller & Tara Wigley, Ebury Press, 2024.)

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Baked Crab and Lemon Gnocchi

Posted in Food, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 9 January 2026| 2 Comments »

We buy big tubs of Lambay Island white crabmeat and freeze it in small portions so we can have weeknight dishes like this one. Really simple but tastes luxurious.

Wine Suggestion: This demands a richer white, but with a core of minerality, texture and acidity. Tonight we opened a La Clef du Recit Sancerre Le Chêne Fourchu … an uncommonly oaked Sauvignon Blanc which, when handled deftly like this, adds layers and structure. We love how this has hints of tropical fruits, lemon and mandarin.

Baked crab and lemon gnocchi – serves 2

  • 1 pack of pre-made gnocchi – about 400g – go for a good quality one
  • 150ml double cream
  • 30g Parmesan, finely grated, plus a bit extra
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 100g white crabmeat
  • a handful of flatleaf parsley, chopped
  • dressed green salad, to serve

Cook the gnocchi in boiling salty water until if floats to the top, then scoop it out and set aside.

Heat the cream in a large pan, then add the Parmesan and lemon juice. Let it bubble up, then turn off the heat and add the crab, parsley and gnocchi. Sesson well with black pepper, then tip it all into a baking dish.

Sprinkle over some more Parmesan and place under a hot grill for a few minutes or until brown and bubbling.

(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, August, 2016.)

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Dover Sole À La Meunière

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 6 January 2026| Leave a Comment »

This might just be our favourite fish dish — and honestly, we can’t believe it took us this long to realise how utterly simple it is to cook. Dover sole (also known as black sole here in Ireland) is a truly special fish: delicate, buttery, and elegant with very little effort required in the kitchen. Since subscribing to a fish box from Urban Monger, we’ve been pushed out of our comfort zone and into cooking more seafood. This recipe is a great confidence booster: classic, quick, and very satisfying.

Wine Suggestion: Such a lovely fish needs respect, so don’t skimp on quality and look for a crisp, dry white with depth and personality. We chose a Chablis from Nathalie & Gilles Fèvre which is made in stailess steel, but left on its fine lees to add texture to an already layered, pure fruited wine: white stonefruit, a lemony twist and a limestone backbone.

Dover sole à la meunière – serves 2

  • 2 x 400-450g Dover soles trimmed and skinned (the ones we had were labelled black sole in Ireland but they are the same thing)
  • 25g plain flour
  • 4 tbsp flour
  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 2 tsp capers
  • lemon wedges, to serve
  • roast baby potatoes, to serve

If you need to trim the fish yourself, take a pair of scissors and cut the frilly fins and the fleshy bones off both sides. You will be removing about 4 cm off all around so you are left with just the 4 fillets on the backbone.

Season the fish with salt and white pepper, then dip both sides into the flour and pat off any excess.

Heat the oil in a non-stick for well-seasoned frying pan. Add one of the soles, lower the heat slightly and add a small piece of the butter. Fry over a moderate heat for 4-5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm while you cook the second fish.

Pour off the frying oil and discard. Add the rest of the butter to the pan and allow to melt over a moderate heat. When it starts to smell nutty and turn brown, add the lemon juice, parsley, capers and some seasoning. Pour some of the beurre noisette over each fish and serve with the lemon wedges and some roast baby potatoes.

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

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Crab Linguine

Posted in Food, Pasta, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 5 January 2026| 2 Comments »

This is super simple which is just the treatment that you want to give delicious Lambay Island Crab.

Wine Suggestion: We’re planning a trip to Galicia so are getting in the mood and trying a few Albariños. Tonight somethin a little special, the Pazo Señorans Colección which is 5 years old and all the better for it. Bone dry, but with a depth of fruit and a saline minerality reflecting both sunshine and the Atlantic weather. A delightful match with crab.

Crab linguine – serves 4

  • 400g linguine
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 100g brown crabmeat
  • 200g white crabmeat
  • about 5 tbsp white wine
  • small squeeze of lemon
  • a large handful of flat-leaf parsley leaves, very finely chopped

Bring a large pan of salty water to the boil and cook the linguine for 1 minutes less than it says on the packet.

Meanwhile, gently heat 3 tbsp of the olive oil with the chilli and garlic in a large pan. Cook very gently until they start to sizzle, then turn up the heat and add the white wine. Simmer until the wine and olive oil come together, then remove from the heat and add the brown crabmeat. Use a wooden spoon to mash it into the olive oil to make a thick sauce.

When the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat. Place the sauce over a very low heat and use tongs to lift the pasta from the water into the crab sauce.

Remove the sauce from the heat and add the white crabmeat and parsley to the pasta with a little sea salt. Stir really well, adding a drop of pasta water if needed. Taste for seasoning and add a small squeeze of lemon. Serve immediately drizzle with some more olive oil.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food.)

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Spanish Stuffed Peppers

Posted in Food, Pork, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 4 January 2026| Leave a Comment »

Roasted green peppers stuffed with a delicious slow-cooked ragu with pork and chorizo. If you cook the ragu in advance this is a quick and simple dinner and it tastes absolutely delicious. Something good to have in the freezer for a rainy day. Serve with a salad on the side.

Wine Suggestion: José Pizarro recommends serving with a rich Bobal from Vanencia or Utiel-Requena which sounds pretty good to us.

Spanish Stuffed Peppers – serves 8

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 200g cooking chorizo, skin removed and finely chopped
  • 500g pork mince
  • 1 star anise
  • finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  • 200ml white wine
  • 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp tomato purée
  • 350ml chicken stock
  • 8 large green peppers

Heat the oil in a large, deep frying pan and gently fry the onion and celery for 10 minutes or until very soft. Add the garlic and chorizo and cook for 5 minutes or until the chorizo has released its oil.

Turn up the heat and add the pork mince. Stir and break it up with a wooden spoon until browned all over.

Add the star anise, lemon zest, and white wine and allow to bubble for a few minutes.

Add the tomatoes, tomato purée and chicken stock. Season well with salt and pepper and bring to the boil, then reduce and simmer for 2-3 hours. Give it a stir now and then and add a little stock or water if it reduces too much.

At this point you can either proceed with the recipe or cool the ragu and store in the fridge or freezer for later.

Heat the oven to 180C fan.

Cut the tops off the peppers and deseed them. Put the peppers upright in a roasting tin so they fit snugly and won’t fall over. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until softened but still holding their shape (we had large peppers so we cooked them for a bit longer than this).

Fill the peppers with the ragu and roast for another 15 minutes or until bubbling.

(Original recipe from The Spanish Pantry by José Pizarro, Quadrille, 2025.)

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Bitter Leaves with Orange and Fennel

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 10 December 2025| 1 Comment »

This stunning salad is a riot of colour, texture, and flavours. From Boustany by Sami Tamimi, this is not your average side salad. We served it alongside pan-fried duck breasts.

Bitter leaves with orange and fennel – serves 4 to 6

  • 4 blood oranges (or regular oranges)
  • 4 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
  • 75ml olive oil
  • 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
  • 2 tsp orange blossom water
  • 100g radicchio leaves
  • 100g white or red endive
  • ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
  • 1 small fennel bulb, very thinly sliced
  • 120g rocket
  • 5g fresh tarragon leaves
  • 70g hard goat’s cheese, broken into chunks
  • 3 tbsp pomegranate seeds
  • 25g sunflower seeds, toasted

Remove the skin and white pith from the oranges (use a sharp knife), then slice the oranges into ½ cm slices.

Make the dressing by putting the lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, pomegranate molasses and orange blossom water into a small bowl. Add ½ tsp of salt and plenty of black pepper, then whisk well and set aside.

Separate the radicchio and endive into leaves and tear into large pieces, then add to a mixing bowl. Add the onion, fennel and rocket. Pour over about a quarter of the dressing, add a pinch of salt and some black pepper and toss well.

Layer the leaves, oranges, goat’s cheese and herbs onto a large platter or salad bowl. Finish with a few pieces of orange, some chunks of cheese and spoon over the dressing. Scatter the pomegranate and sunflower seeds over, then serve.

(Original recipe from Boustany by Sami Tamimi, Ebury Press, 2025.)

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Nigella’s Mirin-Glazed Salmon

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 8 December 2025| 2 Comments »

This dish is big on flavour but could not be simpler to throw together. Leftover salmon is unlikely but delicious for lunch the next day.

Wine Suggestion: you need a white with some oomph to match the umami, deep flavours here. Something like the Soalheiro Alvarinho Reserva from northern Portugal which combines ripe stonefruit flavours with a twist of quinine minerality and texture, overlaid with a toasty, nuttiness from barrel aging.

Mirin-glazed salmon – serves 4

  • 60ml mirin
  • 50g light brown sugar
  • 60ml soy sauce
  • 4 x pieces skinless salmon fillet
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1-2 scallions, shredded into fine strips

Mix the mirin, brown sugar and soy sauce in a shallow dish that will fit the salmon pieces. Marinate the salmon for 3 minutes on the first side, then turn it over and leave for another 2 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large non-stick frying pan on the hob.

Heat a dry pan over high heat. Place the salmon in the pan and sear for 2 minutes. Flip the pieces over and continue cooking. After another 2 minutes, pour in the marinade.
If your salmon pieces are thick or very large, extend the cooking time before adding the marinade, wait until the salmon is almost cooked through. If you add the marinade too soon it will turn to caramel.

Remove the salmon to a plate, then add the vinegar to the sauce and warm through.

Pour the glaze over the salmon and top with the scallions. Serve with sticky rice and sushi ginger if you have it (though not essential).

(Original recipe from Nigella Express, Chatto & Windus, 2007.)

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Easy Koshari

Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 25 November 2025| Leave a Comment »

We’ve made Koshari a few times, but this one is defintely the easiest. Less fuss, but still the classic Egyptian mix of rice, lentils, and pasta with lots of flavour. You can serve it as a side, but we reckon it’s perfect on its own. 

Wine Suggestion: with the warm spices in this dish we love pairing this with Gamay. Instead of heading to Beaujolais we went to the headwaters of the Loire and the Côte Roannaise, a marginal wine region benefiting from the extra warmth of climate change. Domaine des Pothiers l’Integrale we found on our last trip to France and it has a charming pure-fruited earthiness and freshness.

Easy Koshari – serves 6 to 8

  • olive oil
  • 1 large onion, very finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp ground cumin
  • 300g basmati rice
  • 450ml cold water
  • 400g tin chickpeas, drained
  • 400g tin green lentils, drained
  • 150g macaroni

FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:

  • olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ¼ tsp chilli flakes
  • 500g passata
  • 1 tsp caster sugar

FOR THE CUMIN OIL:

  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 large clove of garlic, crushed
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp wine vinegar

FOR THE CRISPY FRIED ONIONS:

  • olive oil
  • 2 large onions, thinly sliced into rings

TO SERVE:

  • a handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped

Make the tomato sauce first by putting a small saucepan over a medium heat, add a generous glug of olive oil and cook the garlic for a minute. Stir in the cumin and chilli flakes, then add the passata, sugar and season generously. Cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until reduced by about a third.

Meanwhile, put a large saucepan over a medium-high heat and pour in enought olive oil to coat the base. When the oil is hot, add the onion and fry until well browned. Add the cumin and stir, then add the rice and plenty of seasoning. Add 100ml of the cold water and stir, then add the chickpeas, lentils and the rest of the water and stir again. Cover with a tight lid and cook over a medium heat for 30 minutes.

While the rice is cooking, you can cook your pasta in a pan of salted boiling water according to the timings on the pack. Drain, then rinse in cold water and drain again.

Mix the cumin oil ingredients together in a small bowl with plenty of seasoning, then set aside.

For the crispy onions, heat a glug of oil in a pan and fry the onions until golden brown and crisp, then drain on some kitchen paper.

When the rice is cooked, add the pasta and leave to sit on top of the rice, then cover again with the lid for a minute or two to gently reheat the pasta. Check the seasoning, then gently fold the pasta into the rice mixture. Transfer the rice and pasta to a platter, then pour over the tomato sauce and finish with the cumin oil, crispy onions and parsley.

(Original recipe from Persiana Easy by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2025.)

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