Category: recipes

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

Kevins spanish omelette

 

My Spanish omelette

 

One of my favourite dishes to make.

Take 2 large enough potatoes

1 red pepper

1 large onion

1 pack of thick cut trad bacon

6 eggs.

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Peel and cut the potatoes (I like little half moons)

 

And then slice everything else.

Fry the potatoes until soft in the middle. You may have to fry several times because you don’t double them up. (Fry separately) as in the photos.

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Take at the potatoes out and using the same oil fry off the veg and bacon until the bacon goes almost crispy. Then strain the oil.

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Layer all the ingredients after that potato then veg & bacon mix, potato then veg & bacon mix. Then add the beaten eggs. Then cook the base of the omelette on a low heat and the top of the omelette under the grill. This will serve 2 people or 4 people with chips and salad.

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Kevin is on twitter @parsnip78

macroon recipe

macroons

125g/4oz ground almonds

  • 200g/7oz icing sugar
  • 3 free-range egg  whites
  • 2 tbsp. caster sugar
  • ½ tsp cream of tartar
  • pinch red powdered food colouring

For the chocolate filling

  • 200g/7oz dark chocolate chopped
  • 200ml/7fl oz double cream
  • 1 tsp brandy
  • 15g/½oz unsalted butter

 

  1. Blend the ground almonds and icing sugar in a food processor until well combined. Set aside.

  2. Using an electric whisk, slowly whisk the egg whites in a large bowl at a low speed until stiff peaks form when the whisk is removed. Slowly whisk in the cream of tartar and caster sugar until the mixture is smooth and glossy, increasing the speed of the whisk as the mixture stiffens.

  3. Gently fold in the food colouring and blended ground almonds and icing sugar until the mixture resembles shaving foam.

  4. Spoon the macaroon mixture into a piping bag fitted with a 1cm/½in round nozzle. Pipe 5cm/2in circles onto the baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. If a peak forms, wet your finger and smooth it down. Sharply tap the bottom of the tray to release any air bubbles from the macaroons, then set aside for 60 minutes (the macaroon shells are ready to go in the oven when they are no longer sticky to the touch).

  5. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 160C/315F/Gas 2½.

  6. Bake the macaroons in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Carefully peel away the greaseproof paper and set aside to cool completely.

  7. Meanwhile, for the chocolate filling, heat the double cream and chocolate in a saucepan over a low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth and well combined. Add the brandy and butter and stir until smooth, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.

  8. Use the filling to sandwich the macaroons together then chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.