The Belle Isle School of Cookery in Ireland : Valentines Recipies

Mother's Day Recipes

Tomato, cheese & black olive bread

275g/10oz self-raising flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

4 eggs, lightly beaten

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp tomato puree

175g/6oz cheddar cheese grated

12 semi sun-dried tomatoes

3 tsp fresh herbs finely chopped

12 black olives, finely chopped

warm water

Method

Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Grease a 2lb loaf tin
Place the flour and baking powder into a bowl, stir in the eggs
Add the olive oil, vinegar and tomato puree. The pour in enough warm water (a little a time) to make a sloppy dough. Mix well.
Stir in the cheese, olives, tomatoes, herbs, salt & pepper
Bake for 30 minutes and then reduce the heat to 170C/325F/Gas 3. Bake for a further 20 minutes

Miriam's Wheaten Bread

makes 2 small loaves

450g/1lb coarse ground flour

225g pinhead oatmeal

4 tbsp sunflower seeds

2tsp bread soda

2tsp salt

25g/1oz butter

568ml/1pt approx buttermilk

Method

Preheat oven 200c/400F/Gas 6
Sieve the flour into a bowl with the salt and bread soda. Rub in the butter. Stir in the pinhead and sunflower seeds
Add the buttermilk a little at a time, you amy need to add a little more (or water) depending on the temperature of the flour. The mixture should be quite wet.
Mix well in. Divide into 2 well greased 1lb loaf tins
Bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes. Turn our of tins and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes

Twice Baked Souffles with cream sauce

Serves 8

50g/2oz plain flour

50g/2oz butter

15floz/450ml milk

5 eggs separated

1 tsp whole grain mustard

Salt & pepper

Pinch cayenne pepper

Nutmeg

butter for greasing ramekin dishes

For the sauce

600ml/ 1 pint double cream

110g/4oz mature cheddar cheese/Gruyere/Emmental,grated

Method

Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6
Grease 8 ramekins very well and place in a roasting tray. Melt the butter in a pan and add the flour, stirring well to make a roux. Cook for a couple of minutes without browning. Warm the mild and add to the roux, stirring well with a whisk to prevent lumps. cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Remover from heat.
Add the yolks one at a time, then the mustard and spices
Whisk the whites until stiff and fold into the mixture, Make sure the mixture is well seasoned. Divide between the ramekins. Run your finger around the edge of the ramekin to ensure they rise evenly.
Half fill the roasting dish with warm water and carefully place in the oven for 15-20 minutes
Heat the cream with the cheese, reserving a little for sprinkling over the top.
Either serve at once by tipping the souffle out in to the sauce on an ovenproof dish and replacing back in the oven for 3 minutes with the sauce or allow to cool in the ramekin. remove and freeze for up to 4 months well wrapped. to reheat, place straight in the oven from frozen for 10-12 minutes at 190C/375F/Gas5

Love Apple soup with poached oysters

Serves 2

2 beets washed topped and cubed

2 carrots washed and roughly chopped

1 stalk of celery roughly chopped

1 tin 400g of chopped tomatoes

1 clove garlic finely chopped

1 tsp chopped chives

1 onion finely chopped

1 egg white

1 egg shell crushed

1 tsp caster sugar

1 bay leaf

2 cloves

2 peppercorns

salt to taste

4 fresh oysters

Method

Place the beets, carrots and celery in a pan with about 600ml/1 pint of cold water, Bring to the boil and cook until tender
In another pot place the tomatoes, garlic, chives, onion, egg white and shells, sugar, bay leaf cloves and peppercorns
using a potato masher, mix all of the ingredients together over a low heat for 25 minutes.
Strain cooked carrots etc, reserving the liquid. (The vegetable can be mashed together and eaten with the main course)
Once the tomato mixture has finished cooking, pour the mixture ito a jelly bag or cheesecloth sitting on a large sieve. Add the juice to the vegetable cooking liquor. Season well with salt and reheat do not boil.
Open the oysters about 10 minutes before serving. Poach oysters in the hot soup for 1 minute before serving.
to serve, pour the ladles of soup into a hot bowl with 2 poached oysters. Garnish with chopped chives or chervil.

Prawns wrapped in smoked salmon with wasabi mayonnaise

Serves 6

12 large cooked prawns complete with head

6 slices good quality smoked salmon

For the filling

2tbsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1 tbsp finely chopped basil/mint

1 clove garlic minced

1 tbsp pinenuts/almonds/pistachios/toasted and chopped

75g/3oz cream cheese

For the mayonnaise

4tbsp Homemade or Hellman's mayonnaise

4tsp wasabi paste (Japanese horseradish) or to taste

Lemon juice to taste

method

Peel the prawns as far as the head and slit lengthways down the middle to remove the black intestinal tract
Mix together the herbs, garlic and nuts, Season the prawns with salt and pepper.
cut the smoked salmon slices in half. Lay the slices of smoked salmon out on a board or clean surface. Place a prawn on each one with the head peaking out. Dot each prawn with cream cheese and then divide the herb and nut mixture between the prawns. Drizzle with lemon juice and roll the prawns firmly up in the smoked salmon.
Mix the mayonnaise and wasabi together, adding the lemon juice to taste.
Serve the prawns slightly chilled with the mayonnaise.

Chicken & Spinach pie

Serve 6-8

1 free range chicken

1 large packet of baby spinach/1 pkt frozen spinach

Salt & Pepper

1 onion finely chopped

2 cloves of garlic

2 cloves

fresh nutmeg

Flat leaf parsley

50g/2oz plain flour

75g/3oz butter

150ml/10floz milk, warmed

Ladle or two from stock pot

1 stick celery, finely chopped

1 carrot finely chopped

1 packet puff pastry to cover

Method

Start by poaching the chicken whole, with the peppercorns, cloves carrot and celery in a large pot starting in cold water, Bring the pot to the boil and then simmer for 40- minutes. Remove from the heat. Allow the chicken to cool in the stock
Remove the chicken from the stock-at this point you can put the stock back on to the heat to reduce in order to bottle and freeze. Strip the meat from the bones and return the bones to the pot (if using for stock). Don't worry of the meat is slightly pink, as it will be cooked further in the sauce. Se aside. This is best done on the same day as you make the pie but if you cook the chicken the day before make sure it is chilled over night. .
Next start the sauce. If you are suing frozen spinach, make sure that it is thoroughly thawed out and well drained. If it is fresh heat 25g/1oz of butter in a pan and cook the spinach for no more than 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Next add the rest of the butter to a large pan and melt. Add the flour whisk well in. Cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes Next little by little slowly ass the mild whisking every time after a new addition to ensure no lumps are formed., Once you have added half or the milk, remove from heat and whisk very fast. Return to the heat and add the rest of the milk. Cook for 2-3 minutes and season well, this is important or the pie will be tasteless.
Add the nutmeg to taste then add the chicken and spinach, Cook for 5-6 minutes then add the cream, If the sauce is to thick add some of the stock. Pour into a pie dish and top with puff pastry or filo pastry or a mashed potato topping.
Cook in a preheated oven at 190C/375F/Gas 5 for 30-40 minutes.

Chicken scallopine

Serves 6

3-4 free range chicken breasts

plain flour for dusting

olive oil

1 glass white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

600ml/1pt vegetable/chicken stock

Salt & Pepper

75g/3oz cold butter

4tbsp flat leaf parsley finely chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 375F/170C/Gas 5
Cut the chicken breast into 2 or 3 chunks .
Place the pieces one by one between 2 sheet of cling film and gently flatten and bash with out using a rolling pin. Try to ge the meat as thin as possible with out tearing it. Remove to a plate. Continue to all the pieces are at 4 times there original size.
Heat some olive oil in a pan. Dust the chicken in seasoned flour and fry on both sides for 1-2 minutes or until almost cooked through. Place on a plate whilst your finish the batch. You will only be able to cook 3-4 at a time. If the bottom of the pan becomes too dirty clean with kitchen paper and add a little more oil.
Once the meat is cooked, keep the pan on the heat and add the glass of wine. reduce by half and add the chicken stock. Reduce by half, season and stir in the butter. Then stir in the lemon juice and parsley.
Arrange the cooked chicken in a shallow serving dish but do not layer too much on top pf one another. Pour over the sauce and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes. All the meat must be covered by the sauce to keep it tender.

Lime and chilli chicken

Serves 4

4-6 free range chicken legs, boned and cut into pieces

Grated zest and juice of 2 limes

Salt & Pepper

2 tins of creamy coconut milk

Olive or sunflower oil

1-2 red chillies deseeded

2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and cut ito very thin stick or grated

3 tsp fish sauce (Nam Pla)

8 scallions finely sliced

fresh coriander

Method

Place the chicken pieces in a bowl with the lime juice and zest. Stir well and leave to marinate for anything from 10 minutes to one hour
When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat some oil in a pan over a high heat, ass the chicken pieces with some seasoning and stir fry until they're golden. The add the chili and ginger. Fry for 1 minute, and add the coconut milk, fish sauce and half the coriander and spring onions.
Cook for another 1-2 minutes , then serve with Thai fragrant rice and he remaining coriander and spring onions sprinkled over.

Simple Roast Chicken with Gravy

Serves 6

1.6kg large free range chicken

50g/2 oz butter

Salt and pepper

Fresh rosemary, thyme or sage

For the gravy:

25g/1 oz butter

1 shallot/small onion, finely sliced

1 rasher of smoked bacon, finely diced

1 tsp. flour

1 glass white wine

200ml/ 7 floz chicken stock

Method

Preheat oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7.
Press down slightly on the breast of the chicken until you hear the ribs crack! This may be unpleasant but it will release juices during cooking.
Rub the butter into the skin with plenty of salt and pepper. Sprinkle over the herbs and place the bird in a large roasting tray.
Roast the chicken for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the juices run clear when the legs have been pricked with a skewer( the legs should also give a little when pulled outwards).
Remove from the roasting tray onto a warm serving plate and place in a low oven to rest.
Skim off any fat that is lying in the roasting tray and place back on the heat. Add the butter and scrap off any crispy bits that are on the tray. Sauté the onion and bacon for a few minutes. Add the flour and whisk in well. Add the wine, still whisking and then finally the chicken stock, little by little. Bring to the boil and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Season and strain into a jug.
Serve hot with the chicken.

Meat Balls in Tomato Sauce

Serves 4

For the meatballs:

900g/2 lb good quality medium lean, freshly minced beef

1 onion, peeled

1-2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tsp. freshly grated ginger

2 rashers of streaky bacon, roughly chopped

Salt & pepper

Olive oil/Rapeseed oil

For the sauce:

2 x 400g tin of plum tomatoes

1 clove garlic, finely sliced or grated

Stalk of basil leaves

Olive oil

Method

Turn the minced beef out into a large bowl.
Put the onion, garlic, ginger and bacon in a food processor and whiz to a rough puree. Add this to the meat and squelch it thoroughly with your hands, seasoning well. Once well mixed, form small even sizes balls with your hands.
Heat some oil in a large pan and brown the meat balls in batches all over. Remove the meatballs from the pan (wiping it out with kitchen paper if the pan is scorched).
Add the tomatoes, garlic and basil leaves. Bring to the boil and then return the meatballs to the pan with the tomatoes. Simmer for about 5-6 minutes and season to taste. Remove the basil leaves before serving.
Serve with noodles, cream potatoes, crusty bread or rice.

Pork en Croute with Cider sauce

Serves 6

500g/18 oz puff pastry

2 pork tender loins, trimmed and cut into 6 even pieces

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 clove garlic

350g/12 oz Philadelphia cheese

50g/2 oz fresh breadcrumbs

200g/7 oz field mushrooms

3 pork and leek sausages, roughly cut

Salt/pepper

Handful fresh parsley

50g/2 oz butter

Olive oil

6 small crêpes

Beaten egg for glazing

For the Sauce

330ml/12 floz cider

200ml/7 floz chicken stock

25g/1oz butter

Preheat oven 220C/425F/Gas 7.
Heat the butter and add the shallots. Sauté for 2-3 minutes then add the finely chopped mushrooms. Cook for 5-6 minutes, add the garlic and stir well. Season. Transfer to a food processor and process for 1 minute. Reheat in the same pan and cook for a further 2-3 minutes or until the liquid evaporates from the pan.
Pour a little olive oil into a separate frying pan and fry the breadcrumbs until golden. Add to the mushroom mixture along with some parsley and if it needs it, a squeeze of lemon juice. Allow to cool. Mix in the sausages with your hands, squeezing well to amalgamate thoroughly.
Brown the pork fillets all over in olive oil and allow to cool.
To assemble the dish: Roll out the pastry into two pieces, making sure both pieces are big enough to wrap the fillets. Cut a deep slit in the pork and stuff each piece with the cream cheese. Press together to seal up again. Season the meat well and place each piece on a crêpe. Brush all over with the mustard. Spoon a layer of the mushroom and sausage mixture on top. Neatly wrap the crêpe (trimming it where necessary) and then the pastry around the whole pork parcel, folding in the sides to form a neat parcel. Seal the sides with egg wash and then brush all over with egg also. Repeat with the other pork fillet. Cut shallow slashes in the pastry to make it easier to slice once cooked. Chill until 20 minutes before cooking.

Cook for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

For the sauce, using the pan the pork was seared in, deglaze with the cider. Continue boiling until the cider has reduced to a syrup. Add the stock and reduce by half. Strain through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Whisk in the cold butter.

To serve, slice and serve with piping hot sauce.

Pork Stroganoff

Serves 4-5

700g/1½ lb. pork tenderloin

1 large onion, finely sliced

Olive oil

50g/2 oz butter

300ml/10 floz white wine

450g/1 lb. Button mushrooms, finely sliced

275ml/10 floz double cream

Sea salt & pepper

Slice the meat into thin strips of about ¼ inch/5 mm wide.
Heat a little oil in a pan and when it is quite hot add the meat and season well. Brown all over. Remove the meat from the pan and cook the onions in the same pan with the butter. Season the onions well.
Once they begin to soften, add the mushrooms and cook until soft. Turn up the heat and add the wine. Reduce by half.
Put the meat and any juices back in the pan. Heat up the meat again, stirring it through the onions and mushrooms. Add the cream. Cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes and check the seasoning.
Serve piping hot with boiled rice or sauté potatoes.

Pan fried Salmon with sauce vierge

Serves 4

4 fillets of wild Irish salmon, pin boned

For the sauce:

90ml/3 floz extra virgin olive oil

1 clove garlic, crushed

2 plum tomatoes, deseeded and cut into small dice

2 small tins anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely diced

Juice of ½ lemon

2 tbsp. fresh basil, chopped

1 tbsp. flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

Warm the oil and garlic gently in a pan and then add the anchovies and tomatoes. Heat gently for 2 minutes until the tomatoes have just softened. Stir in the herbs and lemon juice. Season to taste.
Heat a non-stick frying pan and add a little oil. Season the salmon fillets and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side depending on their size.

Rosemary Roast Potatoes

Serves 6

2 kg roasting potatoes, peeled and quartered

Large sprigs of Rosemary

Salt and pepper

Sunflower/rapeseed oil

Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Bring the potatoes to the boil in cold salted water and simmer until quite tender. Drain well and shake in a colander to fluff up the surface of the potatoes
Allow the potatoes steam on a try until almost cold
Heat the oil in a large roasting tray and then add the potatoes and rosemary. Season well.
Roast for 60-70 minutes, turning in the oil from time to time until golden and crispy

Gratin Dauphinois

Serves 6-8

1 kg./2¼ lb. Potatoes such as King Edwards, Desiree, Idaho or Maris Piper

1 clove garlic, crushed

50g/2 oz butter

600ml/ 1 pint double cream

Salt & pepper

110g/4 oz Gruyere cheese, grated (optional)

Preheat oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2.
Peel the potatoes and finely slice them using a sharp knife, mandolin or food processor.
Rinse the potato slices very well, to remove the starch, and dry in a clean tea towel.
Butter a large ovenproof dish and rub all over with the clove of garlic.
Place the potato slices into the dish, seasoning each layer well. Make sure that the final layer is very neat. Dot with butter and pour over the cream. Sprinkle with cheese.

Cook for 1 ½ hours, pressing down well with a palette knife or fish slice half way through

Carrot and bacon parcels with honey

Ingredients

Serves 8

8 carrots

8 slices of smoked streaky bacon

Fresh rosemary/thyme, finely chopped

85ml/3 fl oz Balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp. runny honey

Salt and pepper

Knob of Butter

Olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Peel the carrots and cut into even batons. Poach the vegetables in the water for 2-3 minutes and drain well. Place in a bowl while still warm with a knob of butter, chopped rosemary, a tablespoon or so of honey and balsamic vinegar. Mix well and season to taste.
Allow to cool.
Divide the vegetables into 16 small bundles. Cut the streaky bacon strips into two. Wrap the bacon tightly around the carrot bundles. Place in a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6. Roast the vegetables for 10-15 minutes and serve at once.

Broccoli gratin with blue cheese

Serves 4-6

600ml/1 pint chicken/vegetable stock

2 large heads of broccoli, separated into florets

1 onion, sliced

Zest of a lemon

75g/3 oz Cashel blue cheese

1 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

For the cream stock:

50g/2 oz plain flour

50g/2 oz butter

300ml/ ½ pint double cream

For the breadcrumbs:

25g/1 oz butter, melted

110g/4 oz breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Bring the stock to the boil and cook the onions and broccoli for 2 minutes. Transfer the vegetables with a slotted spoon to an oven-proof dish. Reserve the stock.
To make the sauce, melt the butter and stir in the flour. Over a low heat begin by whisking the hot stock into the roux mixture. Add the stock slowly whilst whisking to avoid any lumps. Once all the stock has been incorporated, bring the sauce to a boil and then simmer until the sauce thickens. Stir in the cream and season well. Remove from the heat.
Crumble the cheese over the broccoli and onions. Sprinkle the lemon zest and parsley over the dish and then pour over the sauce.
Mix the breadcrumbs and butter together and sprinkle over the whole dish.
Cook for 20 minutes until golden brown on top.

Gooey Chocolate Puddings

Ingredients (serves 6 or 12 small portions)

125g/4½ oz dark chocolate

125g/4½ oz butter

3 large free range eggs

75g/3 oz caster sugar

35g/1¼ oz plain flour

Preheat oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.Grease the ramekins well with butter.Melt the chocolate and butter together over a low heat in a saucepan then allow to cool slightly. Whisk the eggs and sugar together. Add the flour and mix well in. Whisk in the cooled chocolate.Divide the mixture between the ramekins and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the tops are firm and slightly cracking. These delicious little puddings should be very, very gooey in the middle.
Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Shaun Hills steamed Clementine puddings

Make these little puddings in Dariole mounds or ordinary 3-4 oz ramekins.

Naturally, the Clementine zest could be replaced with orange, lemon, grapefruit or any other flavour! I make these in a vegetable steamer but a bain-marie will work well too.

Serves 8

150g/5 oz butter, at room temperature, plus extra for greasing

150g/5 oz caster sugar

150g/5 oz self raising flour

½ tsp. baking powder

40g/1 ¾ oz bread crumbs

3 free range eggs

3 tbsp. milk

Zest and juice of 6 Clementines

6-8 tbsp. golden syrup

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6, if you don’t have a steamer.
Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs and then the flour, baking powder, breadcrumbs and milk. Beat well until very creamy adding more milk to loosen the mixture if you have to.Beat in the zest.Grease the ramekins or moulds very well with butter and drop a tbsp. of golden syrup into the base of each one.Divide the batter between the moulds.Cover each mould or ramekin with a square of pleated, buttered tin foil (the pleat in the middle of the foil will help the foil to expand once the pudding starts to rise). Secure with string or an elastic band.Put the puddings in a steamer and steam for 40 minutes, alternatively, place in a deep roasting tin, half filled with almost boiling water and cook in the oven for 40 minutes.
Once cooked, cool slightly and then turn out. Serve with sour cream.

Easy label chocolate loaf

Serves 6

3 x 100g “Mars bars”, roughly chopped

2 x 155g “Crunchie” bars,

1 bag x 175g “Maltesers”

6 “Maryland” double chocolate chip cookies, roughly chopped

200ml/7 floz double cream

Wet the inside of a one lb loaf tin and line it with cling film.
Pour the cream into a saucepan and add the chopped up Mars Bar. Heat gently until the Mars Bar has melted into the cream.
Add the rest of the ingredients to the melted mixture. Stir well and spoon into the tin. Chill for about 2 hours or over night. To serve, remove from the tin, peel off the cling-film and slice.