Featured on Today with Claire Byrne on Wednesday 14th July 2021


New Potato, Rocket & Mackerel Salad

Serves: 4 Persons


Ingredients

250g New Potatoes, washed & diced with skin on

4 Eggs Soft Boiled

2 Honey & Mustard Smoked Mackerel Fillets

4 Slices Dry Cured Bacon

Handful of Rocket

50ml Rapeseed Oil

2 Fresh Tomatoes

1 Lemon

Salt & Paper

Pinch Fresh Tarragon or parsley

Method:

Cook the potatoes until soft but they hold their shape. Drain and keep warm.

Mix together zest of lemon, half the juice, rapeseed oil, salt & pepper.

Add the chopped tarragon or parsley. Set aside.

Grill the bacon until crispy, cut into strips.

Peel the soft boiled eggs and cut into quarters.

Cut the tomatoes into quarters.

Peel the skin from the mackerel and break into flakes.

Assemble by adding a table spoon of the dressing into the rocket and arrange in a bowl followed by the mackerel, tomatoes, warm potatoes, bacon and eggs.

Drizzle with dressing and serve.

Brian's Tip:

Warm the mackerel under the grill if you wish.

Replace bacon with some leftover cooked ham


Easy Salad Dressing

2 tea spoons Dijon Mustard

3 table spoons White Wine Vinegar

12 table spoons rapeseed Oil

1 table spoon local honey

Zest of half a lemon

Method: Grab a jar with a lid and pop all these ingredients into it and give it a good shake.


Irish Heritage Tomato Salad

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients

500g Irish heritage Tomatoes ( Different Colours & Varieties )

2 table spoons local Honey

Sea Salt & fresh ground black pepper

20 Fresh Basil leaves

Fresh chopped chives

100ml Olive Oil

Drizzle of balsamic Vinegar

Method:

Slice the tomatoes and arrange on a tray, season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle chopped chives on top and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

In a bowl whisk together the oil, vinegar & honey.

Arrange the tomatoes in a large plate and pour over the dressing and sprinkle with ripped fresh basil leaves

Brian’s Tip: Add some buffalo mozzarella


Charred Broccoli, Goats Cheese and Pecans

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients

1 Head of Broccoli

2 cloves Garlic peeled and sliced

50g dried cranberries

50ml Soy sauce

1 red onion peeled and sliced

Drizzle of rapeseed oil

50g Pecans

100g goats cheese

30g Apple Cider Vinegar

50ml honey

30g brown Sugar

Method:

Cut the broccoli florets and slice the stalks. Heat a skillet pan on medium heat and place broccoli directly on to the pan. Leave on for 5 minutes and turn when a brown char colour is achieved, then turn over and cook for further 2 minutes. Remove and place on a serving dish.

In the same skillet pan add the pecans and toast them. Remove and scatter over the broccoli.

To the skillet add the chopped garlic and sliced onion and cook on low heat for 4 minutes. Then add the honey, soy sauce and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add to a bowl then whisk in the vinegar and oil.

Scatter the cranberries over the broccoli and pour over the dressing. Crumble goats cheese on top of broccoli.


Hot Summer Five Bean Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Onion diced

2 cloves garlic peeled and crushed

1 red pepper diced

Handful green beans trimmed

1 tin mixed beans

100ml tomato passata

2 table spoons balsamic vinegar

Fresh parsley

Fresh basil

Drizzle of Rapeseed oil

Method:

Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and sweat for 2 minutes then add the garlic and sweat for further 2 minutes.

Add the peppers, green beans, tin of beans and vinegar.

Cook for 3 minutes then add the tomato passata and reduce the heat. Simmer until the passata is warm then add the fresh chopped herbs.

Brian’s Tip - Serve with toasted sourdough bread