Recipe: Beef & Mushroom Pasties with Onion Marmalade & Cashel Blue Cheese

Whilst I love traditional Cornish pasties, I have to admit that I have completely fallen for this pimped up version containing sirloin beef, sautéed mushrooms and onion marmalade. The pasties also contain nuggets of Cashel Blue cheese which is one of my favourite Irish farmhouse cheeses. Made by the Grubb family in County Tipperary since the early 1980s Cashel Blue is considered one of the best blue cheeses out there. I regularly use it in my cooking and baking as I find its earthy, nutty notes complement the flavours of so many other ingredients.

This recipe combines the Cashel Blue with beef - another of my favourite foods. I have also included some sautéed mushrooms and a little onion marmalade which I think adds a little sweetness which balances out the other flavours. You can make your own onion marmalade but to be honest I use a commercially produced one. Alternatively a couple of spoons of fruit chutney would also work well.

Although you can use puff or shortcrust pastry to make the pasties but I prefer the taste and texture of hot water crust pastry which is relatively easy to make. Lard is often used when making this pastry but I feel that butter results in a superior tasting crust. The only thing that you need to remember if using it is that you need to roll the pastry while it is still warm/hot because it becomes increasingly difficult to manipulate as it cools.
 

INGREDIENTS:

Filling:

1tblsp vegetable oil and a small knob of butter

125g button mushrooms, sliced

250g sirloin beef, chopped into small 1cm dice

200g potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1cm dice

50g onion marmalade

1 tblsp of finely chopped thyme

A few splashes of Worcestershire Sauce

75g-100g Cashel Blue cheese, broken into 2cm ‘nuggets’

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to season

Hot Water Crust Pastry:

400g plain flour

½ tsp salt

125g chilled butter

150ml water

To finish:

1 egg beaten to glaze

METHOD:

Filling:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan Oven 180C/Gas Mark 6. Line a large baking tray with some non-stick baking parchment and set aside.
2. Melt the oil and butter in a small frying pan over a moderate to high heat and add the mushrooms, Season with a little sea salt and freshly ground pepper and fry until they have softened slightly and turned a golden brown colour. Remove from the heat, drain on some kitchen paper and allow to cool.
3. Place the chopped beef and potatoes in a mixing bowl and add the cooled mushrooms. Next add the onion marmalade and chopped thyme. Season well and add a couple of splashes of Worcestershire Sauce. Mix together to disperse everything evenly but try not to break up the cheese.  Set aside while you make the pastry.

Hot Water Crust Pastry:

1. Sift the flour and salt together. Separately place the butter and water into a medium sized saucepan, place over a high heat and bring up to the boil. Immediately remove from the heat once the butter has melted and add the flour stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together.
2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly until smooth but do not overwork.
3. Using a large rolling pin, roll out the dough until it 3 or 4mm thick. Using an upturned side plate as a guide, cut out 4 or 5 circles (approximately 20cms in diameter).
4. Dividing the mixture evenly, place mounds on one half of each circle, leaving a good edge clear all around the circle. Brush around the edge of each pasty with a little beaten egg and bring the one side over to meet the other edge thus encasing the filling. Pinch and crimp the edges together to ensure that they are well sealed and place on the prepared baking tray.
5. Brush the pasties with a little more egg wash and cut a small slit in the top of each to allow steam to escape.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for ten minutes and then lower the heat to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4 and continue to bake for a further 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
7. The pasties can be served hot or cold but I like to eat them when they are still slightly warm and the Cashel Blue oozes out seductively.

Makes 4-5.

 

Recipe: Dubliner Cheese Ambassador Challenge - Brussels Sprout & Dubliner Vintage Frittata

I knew from the start that I wanted to use brussels sprouts in my recipe for the festive-themed Dubliner Cheese Ambassador Challenge as I remember with fondness the brussels sprout gratin that my grandmother used to make when I was a child. She would smother parboiled sprouts in a rich, creamy and very cheesy sauce and bake in the oven for twenty minutes. I have loved the sprouts/cheese combo ever since.



I have always been a huge fan of brussels sprouts and I would truly feel that I was missing out if they didn’t appear on my dinner plate alongside the roast turkey and ham on Christmas day.  I recognise that not everyone feels the same about them but I believe that this has a lot to do with the fact that they are so often served overcooked. As with so many vegetables, you are better to err on the side of undercooking rather overcooking them.

 

Frittata ingredients

Most people tend to boil or steam sprouts but they can be used in so many other ways. Sometimes I finely shred them and use them raw along with finely sliced onion and grated carrot to make a festive coleslaw which is delicious. I also like to slice and fry them with some leftover ham and roast potatoes for a St. Stephen’s Day brunch hash which, topped with a poached egg, always goes down a treat. Just let your imagination run riot and you will be surprised by the tasty dishes you can come up with.



The following frittata recipe is very simple to make using ingredients that most of us will have knocking around at Christmas time. I feel that you need a cheese with an assertive flavour but one that also has good melting qualities. My cheese of choice would be Dubliner Vintage which has a lovely complex taste with an underlying nutty sweetness that goes perfectly with the salty bacon and the sweet onions in this recipe. The frittata is quick to make and would be perfect for a light lunch or supper dish during the festive season. Most importantly it tastes sensational.

Eggs and Dubliner Vintage

Although you can allow the frittata to cool to room temperature before serving, I recommend letting it stand for no more than 5-10 minutes - then serve it in wedges whilst the Dubliner Vintage is still warm and oozes out seductively.

INGREDIENTS:

2tblsp olive oil

4 rashers of smoked bacon sliced into lardons

1 sprig of thyme

1 medium onion, chopped finely

14-16 brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

6 large eggs, lightly beaten

75g Dubliner Vintage cut into small cubes

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

1. Heat 1tblsp olive oil in a medium-sized non-stick, oven-proof frying pan and fry the bacon and thyme over a moderate heat until just beginning to get crispy and the bacon fat has rendered down slightly. Remove the bacon and thyme with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper. Discard the thyme. Leave the remaining oil in the frying pan.

2. 

   Add loads of Dubliner Vintage

   Add the chopped onions and brussels sprouts to the frying pan. Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan and let everything fry gently over a moderate-to-low heat for approximately 10 minutes until the onion is translucent but not coloured and the brussels sprouts are beginning to soften.
3. Return the bacon to the pan and add the beaten eggs. Give the mixture a gentle stir so that the ingredients are evenly distributed. Sprinkle over the cubes of Dubliner Vintage and let the frittata cook over a gentle heat for approximately 12-15 minutes until the eggs have set around the edges but are still slightly wobbly in the centre.
4. Place the whole frying pan under a hot grill for 3-5 minutes until the frittata puffs up slightly and turns a light golden brown colour. Remove and allow cool in the frying pan for 5 minutes before upturning onto a large plate and serving cut into wedges.

Serves 4-6 depending on appetite.

 

Brussels Sprout & Dubliner Vintage Frittata

Recipe: Fresh Pea & Mint Falafel

I’m a huge fan of peas and with their inherent sweetness find them hard to resist. They are relatively trouble-free to grow so I plant quite a large crop each year. I love the taste of freshly podded peas and will admit that many of them are eaten as they are being picked. The sugars in fresh peas quickly turn to starch after picking but luckily frozen peas work just as well in this recipe, so feel free to use whichever you like.

 

The accompanying dip, simply flavoured with harissa paste, contrasts wonderfully with the sweetness of the peas and its light pink colour looks fabulous against the intense green of the falafel.

 

INGREDIENTS:

 

Pea Falafel:

300g fresh peas, podded (or frozen peas)

1 tblsp vegetable oil

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 red chilli, finely chopped

1 tsp ground cumin

1 large handful of mint, finely chopped

1 tblsp sesame seeds

50g fresh breadcrumbs

1 large egg

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

4-5 tblsp vegetable oil for shallow frying

 

Harissa Dip:

150g natural Greek-style yoghurt

1 tblsp harissa paste

 

METHOD:

 

Pea Falafel:

1. Place fresh peas (if using) in a small saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and allow to simmer for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and drain. If using frozen peas, place in a bowl and cover with boiling water and allow to defrost. Drain and set aside.
2. Place the vegetable oil in a small frying pan over a moderate heat and gently cook the shallot for a couple of minutes until beginning to soften. Add the chilli and cumin and cook for a further minute.
3. Place the shallot mixture and the peas into a food processor and pulse a few times to break the peas down and mix everything together. Add the chopped mint, sesame seeds, breadcrumbs, egg and pulse again to form a chunky paste. Do not purée the peas as you want them to retain a bit of texture.
4. To fry the falafel, heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large frying pan over a moderate heat. Drop a tablespoons of the falafel mixture into the oil and fry for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Place onto a plate lined with kitchen roll to drain. Place in a warm oven so that they don't go cold. Fry the falafel in batches until all the mixture has been used up. Serve warm with some of the harissa dip.

 

Harissa Dip:

1. Mix the yoghurt and harissa paste together and place in a bowl alongside the falafel.

Makes 16-18 falafel.

 

 

Smoked Haddock Chowder

Anyone who reads my blog regularly or has browsed through the recipes here will know that I am a big fan of soups. There’s nothing more nourishing and comforting to eat on a cold and wintry day than a big bowl of steaming hot soup. Whilst there are many wonderful chilled soup recipes out there such as Vichyssoise and Borscht, I love soups that warm your very soul and make you feel good from the inside out!

 

I find it hard to understand why people spend so much money buying packet or tinned soups or even  fresh soups from the chilled section in the supermarket when it is so easy to make your own at home. In most cases, they can be made in little time using ingredients that are relatively inexpensive.

 

My gang love the Cream of Vegetable Soup that I make using potatoes, carrots, onions, and leeks, but they also like my version of Minestrone Soup into which I add some pasta. Soups like the latter are a meal in their own right and require nothing more than some nice crusty bread as an accompaniment.

 

Chowders are creamy, thickened soups usually containing chunks of potato and can include other vegetables. Fish or shellfish are often used in chowders and here I have included smoked haddock which gives the soup a lovely smokiness which marries well with the creaminess of the soup itself. Along with the sweetcorn, the chunks of potato and the samphire this is a substantial dish which is incredibly tasty.

 

This chowder is inspired by the wonderful chowder that I recently had in The Vintage Kitchen which I was so impressed with. I am not claiming that this version is as magnificent as the one that I ate there but it is still incredibly delicious and relatively simple to make. The Vintage Kitchen’s chowder included samphire which I thought was an inspired addition so I have used it here too. Samphire can be a little hard to source, so if you can’t get your hands on some just leave it out – the chowder will still taste amazing!
 

Ingredients:

To poach the fish:
300g smoked haddock (preferably undyed)

350ml vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

Chowder:

50g butter

1 large white onion, finely chopped

200g potato, peeled and chopped into 2cm chunks

A large sprig of thyme

1tsp of Dijon mustard

250ml double cream

125g frozen sweetcorn

125g samphire, blanched and refreshed in cold water

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

To finish:

Chives, finely chopped
 

Method:

To poach the fish:

1. Place the fish in a medium-sized but deepish frying pan, add the bay leaf and cover with the vegetable stock. Bring up to simmering point over a medium heat and allow to bubble away for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to stand for 5 minutes.

2. Carefully remove the fish with a slotted spoon but reserve the poaching liquid. Flake the fish into large chunks, removing and discarding any bones that you come across. Set aside.

Chowder:

3. Heat the butter in a large saucepan over a moderate heat and add the onions. Fry for 2 minute and then add the potatoes and thyme. Reduce the heat and place the lid on the saucepan. Allow the vegetables to sweat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until they have begun to soften.

4. Add the reserved poaching liquid and the Dijon mustard and allow to simmer uncovered, over a gentle heat for 10 minutes until the potatoes have softened but are not disintegrating.

5. Add the cream and stir through. Allow to simmer for a further 3 minutes and then add in the fish and frozen sweetcorn. Remove and discard the bay leaf and sprigs of thyme. Simmer for 3 minutes and then add the blanched samphire. Taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

6. Serve sprinkled with chopped chives.

Serves 6.
 

Brussels Sprout, Goat's Cheese & Bacon Frittata

I am really pleased with this recipe… because it uses up ingredients that I would probably have thrown out eventually but also because it tastes so darn delicious! Now; I fully realise that some people detest Brussels sprouts and that very little could persuade them otherwise, but I urge you (and them) to give this recipe a go. It really is incredibly tasty.

In a general sense, frittatas are great vehicles for using up those ingredients that you have hanging around, but this doesn’t mean that they should be dumping grounds for all the food odds and ends that you have lurking at the back of the fridge. As with most things, less is more and I would advise using ingredients that complement each other rather than using the frittata as a metaphorical blank canvas on which to express your culinary creativity.

I had some sprouts and a few strips of lightly smoked bacon in the fridge and wanted to use them up. Luckily the subtle smokiness of the bacon is a perfect foil for the earthy sweetness of the sprouts so I already had the foundations of a tasty dish. I added a finely chopped onion, a few eggs and some creamy and slightly salty goat’s cheese that was also left over after Christmas. Originally, I had considered making a savoury tart, but didn’t want to faff around making and blind baking pastry, so decided to keep it very simple and make a frittata.

The frittata was absolutely delicious and was fresh tasting but satisfying to eat at the same time. The most amazing thing was that the ardent sprout-haters in my family thought it was lovely, which as far as I’m concerned was a real result!  With some salad on the side the following recipe easily served 3-4 people.
 

Ingredients:

Olive oil
4 rashers of smoked bacon cut into lardons
1 medium onion, diced

1 sprig of thyme

12-14 Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

6 large eggs, beaten

50g soft goat’s cheese, crumbled

Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper
 

Method:

1. Heat a tiny amount of olive oil in a medium sized non-stick, oven-proof frying pan and fry the bacon and thyme over a moderate heat until just beginning to get crispy and the bacon fat has rendered down slightly. Remove the bacon and thyme with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper. Discard the thyme. Leave the remaining oil in the frying pan.

2. Add the chopped onions and Brussels sprouts to the frying pan. Add a good glug of olive oil (about 25ml) and let everything and fry over a gently to moderate heat (almost as if it is poaching in the oil) for approximately 10 minutes until the onion is translucent but not coloured and the Brussels sprouts are beginning to soften.

3. Add the beaten eggs and return the bacon to the frying pan. Season well. Give everything a brief stir so that everything is evenly mixed. Sprinkle over the goat’s cheese and let cook over a gently heat for approximately 12-15 minutes until the eggs have set around the edges but are still slightly wobbly in the middle.

4. Place the whole frying pan under a hot grill for 3-5 minutes to until the frittata puffs up very slightly and is golden brown. Remove and serve cut into wedges.

 

Serves 3-4.