Author: traleeculinarygangsters

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

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

Demo at ballyroe for artfert school

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Oven Roasted Plum Tomato Soup Recipe makes 12 portions

1 Celery

1 Leek

1 Irish onions (Smaller the vegetables the better the flavour, Irish onions are fantastic)

1 Cinnamon stick

4 Cloves

1 Star Anise

Very simply sweat off all your vegetables and season with salt and pepper. You don’t want to brown the veg as you won’t be blending it. Add 4 cartons of tomato juice and the cinnamon cloves and star anise. Bring to the boil and leave to the side.

 

After the soup has sat for about an hour and the flavours have infused from the cloves, cinnamon and star anise. Strain it, bring to the boil again and serve.

 

Serving suggestion: Put Pesto and Parmesan shavings on the top.

 

Mussels in a garlic, white wine, lemongrass, sweet chilli and coconut sauce.

1kg Net of mussels

1 large clove of garlic

1 stick of lemongrass

½ a cup of white wine

½ a cup of coconut milk.

First you must remove all the beards off the mussels, if you come across mussels that are open when you buy them, pinch them to see if they close, if they don’t stay closed or close slowly after then dump them. Then get a pot that is big enough for them when the mussels are open. Place the pot over a good heat and allow to heat up. When hot enough add the mussels and white wine, garlic and lemongrass. Place a lid on as quick as you can and the wine will steam the mussels open. This will take about 1-1.5 minutes. When the mussels are open add the coconut cream, bring to the boil and serve

 

Pepperonata:

First of all this recipe is best made with skinned peppers. Both yellow and red and more red then yellow. To skin a pepper is simple, first:

You need a naked flame and you burn the outside of the pepper, burn the skin. Then place the pepper in a covered or cling filmed container. Leave for about 20 minutes, take it out and the skin will literally fall off

 

3 red peppers

4 red onions

1 yellow pepper

 

1 cinnamon stick

3-4 cloves

1 star anis

 

½ a cup of cocktail capers

½ a bottle or red wine

2 splashes of white wine vinegar.

2 shots of creme de casis if you don’t have that use black current mi wadi and make it ½ a cup.

1 small tin of tomato purée.

 

First you must make a sack for the cloves, cinnamon and star anise (an old towel cut up and the clove etc. tied up inside it

 

Slice the veg into thin julienne.

 

Fry off the red onion in a little olive oil. When soft or close to caramelising add the red wine, vinegar and crème de cassis. Put the cloves cinnamon and anise in now to draw out its festive flavours. When the liquid is almost gone take out the spice sack and add everything else and cook the purée out for about 4 minutes folding all the time with a wooden spoon. At the very end add a fist full of chopped parsley, this will help soften all the different flavours. This will make a lovely veg for the Christmas period. Enjoy.

 

Plaice, Clams and Coastal greens

1. Heat oven 180degrees

2. Heat pan dust the plaice with salt and pepper (skin on or off)

3. Colour both side place in oven approx. 8 minutes.

4 place clams into pan with white wine and butter until clams open add greens to heat through Serve butter greens under plaice with clams around

 

Wild Boar rack mustard seed and Apple cider sauce.

1. Heat oven to 180 degrees

2. Heat a pan with oil and seal the rack until brown turn and place in the oven 30 mins

3. De-glaze the pan with cider, reduce add mustard seeds

4. Add a cup full of water and thicken with gravy granules & Serve

 

Smoked salmon roulade stuffed with brie and wild nasturtium pesto.

 

Start off with placing cling film on the table this well help you later on in the method.

Next place your salmon on the cling film in sections like a sheet. In a bowl mix your brie some lemon salt and pepper and add the wild nasturtium pesto. Mix well. Next spread your brie mix equally down the smoke salmon.

Roll the salmon as tight as u can when rolled pull back to you and roll the cling film around it by doing this you’re securing the salmon in place Next place in fridge and let to set over night. Then cut into section and serve. It can also help to cup by using a hot blade that you heat in boiling water and then dry before cutting.

 

James on nettles

nettle-leaves

 

so out off all the wild food that we have in Ireland the one thing that  strikes  me is no restaurant is using nettles there by far the easiest wild food to harvest it wouldn’t take too much time to get a container off it.there not hard to prep either or make a soup out off it. recipe

 

 

 

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Boil some water pour over the nettles to take the sting out off it chop the leaves and leave to the side while you Melt the butter in a large pot, over a medium heat. Add in the chopped potatoes, onions and leeks and toss them in the butter until well coated. Season well.cook the vegetables over a gentle heat for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but not coloured.Add  the stock and bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer,Add the chopped nettle leaves and simmer

Be careful not to overcook the soup at this point or the vegetables will discolour and will also lose their flavour.Liquidise the soup, then add the cream

#cupcakehour mince pie tips

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Just like other pastry items, treat your mince pie pastry with a light touch

If using a food processor, only process the dough until it resembles breadcrumbs, before finishing it off by hand

make sure you allow the pastry to rest for at least 20 minutes before rolling it out and cutting the circles

You can make mince pies any size you like. Choose a muffin tin for a conventional size

You can store any uncooked mince pies in the freezer for up to 2 months

grease proof paper between the pies to prevent them from sticking and store in an airtight container

Pop the frozen pies straight into the preheated oven

try using an all-butter pastry recipe.