Neven Maguire returns to RTÉ One this week with the second part of his food-filled programme, Neven's Kilkenny Christmas. Watch our interview in the video above.
We love any kind of food hack, especially at this time of year, so we caught up with the Cavan chef to find out what meals we should be digging into this Winter and how we can put the slow cooker to use for Christmas dinner.
"The lesser used cuts; pork belly, beef cheek, lamb shoulder even chicken legs or thighs - I love those because they're a better value and you have to cook them slow and low, I think that's the key. It can take up to two or three hours to cook a lamb shank or a piece of beef cheek but then you could eat it with a spoon," explains Neven.
For those of us who are short on time, or simply don't excel in the culinary field, a slow cooker can be an absolute God send. It certainly works for soups and stews, but could we put it to use on Christmas day?
"Why not do a small piece of ham or if it's a big piece, cut it in half - it depends on the size of your slow cooker. You could cook that in some water, a little bit of cider or apple juice, some vegetables and you cook that in five or six hours, according to your piece of equipment," says Neven.
He continued: "That can be done three to four or five days ahead of Christmas so you can be one step ahead. Preparation is key coming into Christmas."
On tonight's episode of Neven's Kilkenny Christmas, we''ll be getting in the mood for Christmas with a visit to St Canice’s Cathedral, Ireland’s best preserved and extraordinary medieval cathedral where Neven listens to two choirs rehearsing carols.
Next, we'll visit one of the Kilkenny’s new cafés, Cake Face, run by Laura and Rory Gannon who show him how to make their "Untraditional Chocolate Mince Pie".
In the kitchen, our Cavan chef cooks a loin of bacon – very similar in taste to a glazed ham but easier to cook, and easier to carve. He also comes up with a new way to make the most of the leftovers: turkey and ham coleslaw.
Part 2 of Neven’s Kilkenny Christmas airs Friday 7th December 2018, 8.30pm, RTÉ One.
