Author: traleeculinarygangsters

Chef, food truck owner, Gardner, forager, blogger, author , columnists,

Tips on marshmallows

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Making marshmallows is a quick and easy process, but it involves specific timing and extremely hot sugar, so it helps to get all the equipment ready

Start by using a pastry brush to lightly brush your pan with vegetable oil then use a fine-mesh sieve to dust the pan with confectioners’ sugar

make sure the  mixture is thick and forms a thick ribbon when the whisk is lifted

using wet fingers to spread and smooth it into the pan

our mixture should stand for at least four hours or overnight

The next step requires patience: Let the marshmallows stand at room temperature until they are no longer sticky and you can gently pull them away from the sides of the pan

While it’s not required, you can cover the pan of marshmallows loosely with tin foil.but never cling film

When cutting marshmallows, a long thin knife, such as a 6-inch utility knife, makes the process effortless, but a chef’s knife also works

Once the squares are cut, coat them in additional icing’ sugar, shaking off any excess.

Store homemade marshmallows, layered between sheets of wax or parchment paper, in an airtight container

 

Baklava

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Ingredients

  • 18 sheets ready-made filo pastry(unwrap and keep under a damp tea-towel until you are ready to use)
  • 150g/5oz unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
  • 200g/7oz mixed pistachio and walnuts, roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cardmon

For the syrup

  • 300g/10½fl oz granulated sugar
  • 250ml/9fl oz water
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp orange blossom water

  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

  2. Grease a 17cm x 28cm (11in x 7in) baking tray with butter.

  3. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over low heat or in a microwave.

  4. Lay 10 sheets of filo pastry, one at a time, into the tray, brushing each sheet with butter before adding the next.

  5. In a clean bowl, mix together the nuts, sugar and cardamom and spread the mixture over the pastry in the tray.

  6. Layer up the remaining sheets on top of the nut mixture, brushing each sheet with butter, as before.

  7. Using a sharp knife, cut a criss-cross pattern into the top layers of the pastry.

  8. Place baklava in the preheated oven for approximately 20 minutes, then decrease the oven temperature to 150C/300F/Gas 2 and cook for an additional half hour to 40 minutes, or until the pastry is slightly puffed and golden on top. Do not allow the top to burn. Remove and allow to cool slightly.

  9. For the syrup, heat the sugar, water, lemon juice and orange blossom water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the sugar has melted and a syrup is formed. (This will take about 20 minutes or so.)

  10. Pour the syrup into the slits in the baklava and leave to cool. Cut into small diamond-shaped pieces and serve.

    follow chef noel on twitter @chefnoelk & instagram @chefnoelkeane

Moussaka

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moussaka

4 tbsp olive oil

3 medium or 2 large aubergines, sliced

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp dried oregano

500g minced lamb

2 tbsp tomato purée, mixed with 150ml water

150ml red wine

Small bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

For the bechamel:

500ml milk

60g butter

60g plain flour

50g kefalotyri or pecorino cheese, grated

2 eggs, beaten

Nutmeg, to grate

Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Cut the aubergines lengthways into 0.5cm slices, and put them on to oiled baking sheets. Brush with olive oil and season. Bake for about 25 minutes until soft, golden and floppy.

 

2. Meanwhile, put 2 tbsp olive oil into a large frying pan over a medium high heat and cook the onion until soft. Add the garlic, cinnamon and oregano and cook for a further couple of minutes, then stir in the lamb. Turn up the heat slightly, and brown the lamb well, cooking until the mixture is quite dry. Stir in the tomato and wine, bring to a simmer, then turn the heat down low and cook for 30–40 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season and stir in the parsley.

 

3. Meanwhile, make the bechamel. Bring the milk to just below boiling point, and melt the butter in another saucepan. Stir the flour into the butter and cook for a couple of minutes, then gradually whisk in the hot milk. Cook until you have a thick sauce, then stir in the cheese until melted. Take off the heat and allow to cool slightly, then beat in the eggs,

 

4. Arrange a third of the aubergines in the base of an oven dish, and top with half the meat. Repeat these layers, then finish off with a layer of aubergine, and top with the sauce. Bake for about 45 minutes until well browned

Greek meatballs

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Greek meat balls (keftedes)

500g beef mince
200g pork mince
1 large red onion grated
2 finely diced garlic cloves
1 egg
1 bunch fresh parsley chopped
10 mint leaves finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pinch oregano (dried is ok)
Salt and pepper to taste

Flour to coat

1) mix all ingredients thoroughly in a large bowl and leave to marinade for 1 hour in the fridge

2) make into small balls

3) roll in flour

4) batch fry in a pan and place on a tray and bake in an oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 15 mins

5) serve with pita breads

Alternatively serve with a Greek salad of cucumber, tomato, red onion, olives and mint leaves.

Kevin on Greece

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Having spent a few months as a young teenager in Greece on an island called Naxos. My brother and I fell in love with what we were told was a souvlaki but the one I fell in love with was a gyros. Marinated beef steak that was barbecued medium well in big chunks, then sliced and served in a pita or a type of naan bread that was wrapped. It was so nice. The street vendors had the best. The sauce was made from yogurt garlic lemon juice and some local herbs (fresh coriander or oregano). The ones we used to get were served in a sort of savoury wrap but thicker like a naan bread. Delicious.

These were also cooked with a lovely local island olive oil.

The island itself at the time was like stepping into the stone ages

Follow kevin on twitter @parsnip78

Forest floor by paul

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Winter in the forest floor

Now that the season is well underway the remnants of the summer herbs and vegetables are still to be see fading into the background.
Now the chick weeds mosses and thicker ferns cone into season, and mushrooms still holding strong although I suspect not much longer left in them ( please identify mushrooms correctly as they can be toxic)

Seeds and nuts are now in depending on where you are oak and pine check the floor for acorns and pine cones if the pine cones is fully opened with a white milky ring it’s empty no point trying to get the tasty nuts inside. If they are closed and still attached pick them leave them by the fire for a few days to open them then tap them to release the beautiful nuts inside, can be eaten raw and most often roasted or toasted and used in pesto’s.

If neither of these apply to you try the beech nuts which have a fuzzy casing that can be easily burst, again eat raw or roast or toast them as a healthy snack. Should you be lucky enough to find sweet chestnuts still hanging around these are the ones with the prickly casing on the outside these can be used to make a puree or as part of your stuffing for your Christmas dinner.

Spruce trees produce cones they are edible but are overpowering, so instead clip the tips off the branches and steep in hot water but not boiling water to make a tea which native Americans still enjoy.

Fir trees take the needles and dry them out by the fire or the hot-press, blend once dried and add to hot water to make tea or to fish, chicken dishes or soups to add a lemony taste.

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Now that’s one way to get rid if your Christmas tree as it’s works with pine and spruce also. Use the wood in the fire and the needles in the dinner.

While there are many different types of each of these trees here’s a general how to tell the difference between pine spruce and fir. While they all grow here, are coniferous and needle bearing. The difference lays in the needles
Pine has long needles, by comparison with the other 2.
Fir and spruce are the 2 most similar, both needles are short difference is the needles themselves fir needles are flat while spruce needles are rounded

See James piece for more info on the pine
Follow on Twitter James @boilingjames and myself @chefpaulc

James on pine trees

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All pines contain edible seeds in the late season cones. The only issue is the quality and size of those seeds are highly dependent upon the species of pine.

. The best time to gather pine nuts is in September and October. Look for the round open cones. Simply gather the cones, remove the seeds and shell before eating raw or roasting.you can also make tea from the pine needles which is load with vitamin C.to make the tea, simply gather a good handful of fresh green pine needles., dice the needles with a knife as fine as possible. Next, take these needles and put them directly into a cup of boiling water, letting it boil for a minute or two. The water should turn a light yellow color. Add some honey, and drink. what you can also yous of the pine tree is you can eat the bark this comes as the biggest surprise to most people.The first thing you’ll want to do is to choose a large, mature pine tree since it provides the most inner bark without harming the tree.With a heavy drive the tip of the knife through the outer bark with a strong stick with this you well carve out a rectangle  .once done carve out another layer .what you are left with is a tender and sweetest part of the inner bark. cut the bark into thin strips and simply fry them in some butter or oil until medium brown and crispy. Add a little bit of salt and it tastes like potato chips.

Follow james on twitter @boilingjames

Side note you can make pune salt by simply blending pine needles and salt together for a wonderful flavoured salt

This time of year place a few pine cones in the oven for the smell of christmas

 

a week in the life of a chef

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A week in the life of a chef

So this is my week Friday to Friday , with been a chef every week is different , but the weekends are much the same so I have written down this week to give you an idea of a chefs life , well my chefs life ,

Friday up at 8.30 and shortly off to work in by 9.45 Paul is in before me, first things first of course and a pot of tea, before starting the day’s work, and sorting out todays specials to be printed.

A look at the day sees a busy lunch service followed by a group in tonight along with normal evening, and an expo locally starting at 5 and a cooking demo at 8 which will take me out of the kitchen tonight but James will join Paul tonight, veronica will be on pastry and help Paul through lunch if and when needed, leaving me to take care of tonight’s menus mise en place (your days prep) orders for tomorrow and the set up for the expo.

By 10.15 the bread and roasts are in the oven and first of the bags of potatoes are on so its pots pots and more pots for sauces caramelised onions braised red cabbage rice and pasta are on the go ,chopping boards set up for salad mixes and slicing and dicing onions mushrooms etc

Deliveries’ start to arrive by 10.30 they need to be checked and put away as soon as they arrive,

By 11 o clock the fish is in and needs to be prepped today it is salmon ,hake ,scallops ,mussels and smoked salmon , finishing off the pot work by 12 for lunch and on to prep for tonight’s expo and demo ,

By 2 o clock most of it is done and I have to head off to the venue and set up the stand and the cooking demo unit with thanks to tasty Kerry for the use of it , once both are set up I’m back at the restaurant by 3.30, to finish off tonight’s menu , and check on everything , by 4.30 I’m back off to the expo , and we are doing two tasters at the stand athea black pudding with sweetened red cabbage and mussels steamed in Cronin’s cider , and mulled wine all are going down a treat ,Gavin Duffy of dragons den and some Munster rugby players are around and I get a few photos the expo is very busy and at 7.50 I’m off to do the cooking demo , till 9 and back to the stand to finish up ,

After a clean-up I’m back to the restaurant by 10 o clock and the lads are cleaning down after a busy night so it is place the last orders and home by 11 o clock ,

Saturday and in the restaurant by 9.30 Paul and veronica are in as well after checking in for the days specials its pack up and off to the expo by 10.30 and ready to go by 11 when the doors open until 2

So it is clean down and take the stand and cooking unit down pack up and back to the restaurant at 3.30, straight into the prep for tonight Christmas parties in tonight , and a surprise canapes and sandwiches for 6 o clock the restaurant is busy for lunch , by 5 we are set to go it is Saturday night so a full house, Paul is on starters I’m on main courses and ger will do the pass with veronica on pastry, at 10 o look the last mains are sent out and we start cleaning down and I write Sundays menu by 10.45 I’m leaving ,

Sunday is a late start for me and I arrive at 12.30 lunch has already started Paul  and ger are set.

Sunday lunch is as usual a busy one with a full house, James arrives at 4 and takes over from Paul who starts setting up for tonight, by 5 we change over to evening menu and Paul heads away at 6 and myself and James do evening service which finishes at 9 and we clean the kitchen down and I place the orders for the morning.

Monday morning and in at 10  Paul is in and I start with a prep list and start prep and menus for the day, and start the ordering for the next two days and looking forward to next weekend,

Throughout the day speaking with suppliers about the coming week and what they have in season, menus laid out for the week I speak with Paul and decide on what we will forage wild to add to the menu and about upcoming events , the culinary gangsters have a demo later in the week so after speaking with Kevin and James menu and work plans laid out for the demo, by 2.30 I’m off to Tralee to return the cooking unit and back by 3.30 to finish off the prep and orders, and into evening service, and a few more calls , by 7.50 I’m off again to a meeting about the Listowel food fair of which I’m involved , and I’m home by 10.30, a quick call to Paul to check everything was alright.

As I sit down with a cuppa it is time to write the baking tips for #cupcakehour a twitter hour on all things baking which I write weekly baking tips for and can be seen here on the blog.

Off on Tuesday bar a few calls to and from suppliers , Tuesday night I sit down to write my weekly piece for the Tralee advertiser

Wednesday morning and it’s a meeting and photo shoot for catex event in February and Wednesday night a meeting at 7 in Tralee with transition Kerry and home by 11

Thursday and in the restaurant by 9.30 check the bookings for the weekend and place the orders while setting up for lunch by 4 today im leaving to head to ballyroe hotel for another cooking demo with paul james and kevin set up and ready to go by 7 the demo kicks off at 8 till ten time to clean down and head home , feet up with a cuppa by 11

Well folks that is My week Friday to Friday this week , each week brings something different and as we head into the Christmas season it will bring its fair share

follow chef noel on twitter @chefnoek and Instagram @chefnoelkeane