Wholemeal Soda Bread Makes: 2 Loves
125g Plain Flour
Teaspoon Bread Soda
350g Whole Wheat Flour
50g Treacle 275ml Buttermilk 150g Natural Yoghurt 1 Egg
25g Rapeseed oil Handful Porridge Oats
Method:
Preheat Oven to 180 degrees C Use a bowl and wooden spoon, do not use an electric mixer. Sieve the plain flour, add bread soda, whole wheat flour and mix thoroughly
Beat the egg, add the yoghurt, treacle, rapeseed oil & add buttermilk . Mix together then add the liquid to the dry flour mix and mix to form a deliberate wet mix
Grease two 1 lb loaf tins and drop mix into the tin half filling each tin. Do not pat down the mix as this tightens the resulting bread. Scatter some porridge oats on top and bake for approx. 40 minutes
Allow to cool before slicing.
Brian's Tips: Wrap bread in clean dry tea towel not cling film. Bread will freeze very well.
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Cranberry, Walnut and Cheesy Focaccia with Rosemary
Ingredients. (Makes 1Largre loaf):
1kg Strong Flour
7g Instant Active Dry Yeast
50g Local Honey
50g Butter
700ml Milk, Warmed
50g Yogurt
75g Grated Cheddar Cheese
Drizzle of Rapeseed Oil
2 Sprigs Fresh Rosemary, Chopped
150g Dry cranberries, Chopped
150g Toasted Walnuts, Chopped
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Method:
Preheated oven at 200◦C heat a small saucepan, add butter, chopped rosemary. Then add in chopped cranberries, heat for 2 minutes then turn off heat and allow to cool.
Bring the milk to a warm temperature and dissolve the yeast in warm milk. Add honey, yogurt and mix.
Add the milk mix to the flour and combine to a dough. Mix and knead to form smooth dough. Add half the walnuts , all the cheddar cheese and form into a ball. Return to the bowl and cover with cling film and allow dough to stay in warm place till it doubles in size.
Drizzle oil into the base of the tin, and shape the dough to a similar shape of the tin and lightly push the dough into the tin. Add the Rosemary, remaining walnuts and drizzle of oil. Make imprints with your fingers and allow the bread to rise before baking.
Season with top with cracked black pepper..
Bake 25 minutes or until golden colour. Once bake remove from the tin and place on a wire rack to cool.
Serve with Irish butter or some olive oil.
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Lightly Spiced Parsnip Soup
Serves 6
Ingredients:
5 Large Parsnips – peeled & chopped
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 Bay Leaf
1 Onion, diced
White of 1 leek, diced
Small knob of ginger, grated
50g butter
1 table spoon ground cumin
1 tea spoon garam masala
1 litres Milk
1Litre Vegetable Stock
150 ml Cream
Method:
Melt the butter in a large saucepan.
Sweat the onion, garlic, bay leaf & ginger for a few mins to soften.
Add the parsnips & leeks and sweat for couple of minutes. Then add the cumin & garam masala and sweat for 4 minutes until parsnips are soft. Pour in the milk and simmer then add the hot vegetable stock. Simmer for 15 minutes on a low heat stirring occasionally.
Add the cream and bring to the boil once then switch off.
Blitz the soup until its really smooth.
Brian’s Tips:
Serve with toasted cumin seeds on top or chopped coriander
Great with toasted sourdough & melted parmesan on top
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Glazed Festive Ham
Make sure the Ham is completely covered in water with plenty of room in the pot.
Add 6 cloves & 2 Bay Leaves to the water and bring to the boil.
When water starts to boil turn down to simmer rather than boil for remainder of the cooking allowing 20 minutes per LB weight.
When required time is reached and ham is cooked allow ham to cool in the liquid.
Remove ham from the liquid and allow to sit at room temperature for 10 -15 minutes this will help the glaze stick.
For the Glaze:
2 Table Spoons Mustard
100g Light brown Sugar
4 Table Spoons of Honey
Pinch of Ground Clove
Pinch of Nutmeg
Shot of Sherry
Few Drops of Worchester Sauce
Method:
Combine all ingredients together to form a runny paste.
Score the top of the ham with a knife and apply the glaze then return ham to a hot oven of 180 ° c for 20 /30 minutes. Halfway through take the ham out and spoon over the glaze that has dripped off and return to the oven.
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Roasted Whole Turkey
If you are using a frozen turkey, make sure it is completely defrosted before roasting. Remember to handle your turkey as little as possible, and wash your hands thoroughly as well as any surfaces that come into contact with raw turkey
Remove the giblets from inside the turkey
Preheat oven to 180°/350°F/gas mark 5
Wash, peel and half 2 carrots, 2 potatoes and 1 onion. Place them in the base of a deep roasting dish
Place the turkey on top of the carrots, potatoes and onions in the roasting tray.
Brush the outside of the skin with melted butter and season with salt and black pepper, and place fresh sprigs of rosemary, thyme and sage leaf into the cavity
Place the turkey in the oven
Allow 30 Minutes per KG cooking time for whole turkey on the bone.
Half way through the cooking time if the skin is already brown, you can place tin foil loosely on top of the turkey to keep it from getting too much darker in colour.
Once cooked rest the turkey for at least 20 minutes and cover loosely with tin foil while it's resting.
As with any poultry, always double check that the turkey is properly cooked before serving. Your turkey should be piping hot all the way through with no pink meat left and the juices should run clear when the thickest part of the thigh and breast are pierced with a clean fork or skewer.
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Cranberry, Orange & Port Sauce
Serves 6
250g Fresh Cranberries
50ml Water
125g Sugar
1 Orange Zest & half the juice
1 Shot of Port
Method:
Heat the water and sugar until it dissolves then add the cranberries and allow simmering until the cranberries burst. Then add the orange zest and juice with the port. Allow cooking on low heat for 10 minutes stirring occasionally.
If sauce gets a little too thick add a bit of warm water.
Place in a sterilised jar hot allow to cool and the refrigerate for use as required.
Brian’s Tip:
Double the recipe and the sauce will keep for a few weeks and is perfect for cheese boards and the all-important sandwiches with left-over Turkey and Ham.
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Festive Stuffing
Serves 6
75g Butter
1 Medium Onion Diced
15 fresh Sage Leaves ( or 1 tablespoon dried Sage)
200g Fresh Breadcrumbs
200g Chestnuts chopped
200g Apricots chopped
500ml Water
Black Pepper
Pinch Salt
Drizzle Rapeseed Oil
15 fresh Sage Leaves chopped ( or 1 tablespoon dried Sage)
Handful fresh Parsley chopped
Method:
In a pot add the water and simmer with the chopped onion and apricots until the water has reduced by half.
In a frying pan melt the butter with a drizzle of the rapeseed oil and gently fry the chopped chestnuts half the chopped sage, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Fry for 2 minutes then add the remaining half of the herbs.
In a bowl add the breadcrumbs followed by the apricots, onion and reduced water. Also add the fried chestnut mix and combine well together for a perfect balanced stuffing.
Brian’s Tip:
Add some fresh cranberries for a cranberry stuffing
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Sprouts My Way
Serves 6
700g Sprouts
200g Chestnuts
200g Cooked gammon or bacon
50g Butter
100 ml double cream
Freshly grated nutmeg
Fresh Ground Pepper
Sage Leaves
Method:
Boil water and cook sprouts for 8-10 minutes until they are soft. Drain and mash a bit to almost break the sprouts open.
Dice the cooked gammon or bacon
Roughly cut the chestnuts
Melt the butter, add nutmeg, pepper and gammon or bacon simmer for 3-4 minutes.
Add the sprouts, pour in the cream and bring to a warm temperature.
Place in earthen ware dish and sprinkle the chestnuts and chopped sage leaves on top of the sprouts and bake in the oven for 5 minutes at 200 degrees C.
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Roasted Potato & Vegetables
Serves 6
3 Sweet Potatoes
3 Potatoes
2 Carrots
2 Parsnips
½ Butternut Squash
2 Red Onions
4 Cloves Garlic
2 Table Spoons rapeseed Oil
2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 Sprig Rosemary
Pinch of Nutmeg
Twist of Black Pepper
Method:
Place a tray in a hot oven for 15 minutes at 200°c
Peel and roughly cut the vegetables into thick chip style. Place vegetables in a bowl and add the oil. Add black pepper and nutmeg.
Add fresh rosemary & thyme and mix everything together.
Place vegetables on to hot tray from the oven and you should hear vegetables sizzle immediately. Quickly return to the oven and cook for 35 minutes.
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Perfect Mash
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 Kg potatoes
100ml milk
75g cream
50g butter
pinch ground white
pinch nutmeg
pinch Salt
Method
Wash and peel the potatoes. Cook the potatoes in boiling water until soft. When potatoes are cooked, drain the cooking water off and return potatoes to the heat for 1 minute to evaporate any further moisture.
In a separate sauce pan heat the milk, cream, butter, salt, pepper and nutmeg until the butter is melted.
Start to mash the potatoes and when mashed add in the liquid and return potatoes to the heat and continue to mash constantly until you have no lumps.
You should have a creamy smooth Mash.
Brian’s Top Tip:
Cut potatoes in half for a quicker cooking time.
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Irish Cream Liqueur Cheesecake
Ingredients:
250g Digestive Biscuits
100g Butter melted
600g Cream Cheese
100g Icing Sugar
300ml Double Cream
80ml of Cream Liqueur
Zest of half a lemon
1 Vanilla Pod or tea spoon of vanilla bean past
Method:
In a food processor crush the biscuit to a crumb. Add the melted butter and combine. Empty all into a cheesecake mould and spread, pushing down with a spatula or spoon. Place in the fridge top allow base to firm up.
For the filling
Using an electric mixer with whisk attachment whisk the cheese until soft. Add the sieved Icing sugar and combine.
Add the vanilla and lemon zest followed by the double cream. Whisk until the mixture thickens and the cream forms a thick cream consistency. Add the cream liqueur and whisk and gently combine on lower whisk speed.
Remove biscuit base from the fridge. Pour cheese cake into mould and smooth it gently using a spatula.
Return to the fridge to allow it set for at least 1 hour.
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Festive Fruit Meringues
4 Egg Whites
120g Castor Sugar
120g Icing Sugar
250ml Fresh Cream
Drizzle of vanilla
Drizzle of Mango Puree (optional)
Hand full Fresh Raspberries
Hand full Fresh Blueberries
2 Passion Fruits
Shop of Passion Fruit Liquor
Method:
Pre Heat the oven to 110 C
Line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Place the egg whites in a bowl and add a spoonful of caster sugar and using electric mixer which until stiff peaks are formed.
Gradually add the sugar a spoonful at a time and whisk on high speed until all the sugar is added and incorporated.
Remove the electric whisk and sieve the icing sugar into the meringue and fold it in gently.
Add a drizzle of vanilla essence and drizzle of mango puree (optional) and fold in like a marble effect.
Fill a pipping bag with a star nozzle and pipe equal nests of meringue.
Bake in oven for 1 and a half hours at 110 C
Cool by removing from the tray and placing on a wire rack
Soak the berries with passion fruit liquor and leave aside.
Whip the cream until thick enough to pipe and fill a pipping bag with same nozzle you used to pipe meringue. Pipe cream on top of meringue nests.
Decorate with the berries and lastly slice in half the passion fruit and allow the seeds fall out onto the cream.
Dust with sieved icing sugar to serve.