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    Deliciously Irish
    Deliciously Irish
    Deliciously Irish
    Ebook268 pages1 hour

    Deliciously Irish

    By Nuala Cullen

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    About this ebook

    Ireland’s rich culinary heritage is being rediscovered and the country is fast becoming one of Europe’s most exciting food destinations. Irish food has always been thought of as rustic and filling – the kind of stuff to get you through a cold winter – but you will now find a new strand of cooking still based on Ireland’s rural heritage but with a modern twist. A new wave of artisanal producers is bringing a superlative range of high-quality raw ingredients to a wider market, from the freshest wild salmon and oysters to award-winning marsh-fed lamb, farmhouse cheeses and black pudding, and delis and department stores around the world are now stocking many of these high-quality ingredients for the first time.

    Written by accomplished Irish food writer Nuala Cullen, Deliciously Irish takes a new look at traditional Irish fare. Fish and seafood feature largely, as do fresh vegetables and fruit, with delicious suggestions for desserts and cakes.

    More than a fabulous cookbook Deliciously Irish, is also a photographic record of the landscapes of Ireland, highlighting especially her wild west coast. Come wind, rain, sun, or snow, it is clear from these images that Ireland is one of the most unspoilt countries in Europe. Deliciously Irish presents a taste of its finest food and an equally evocative selection of its beautiful landscape.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins UK
    Release dateMar 5, 2015
    ISBN9781910496657
    Deliciously Irish
    Author

    Nuala Cullen

    Former cookery columnist for the Sunday Tribune newspaper, Nuala Cullen is a founder member of the Irish Food Writers Guild. She is the author of Savouring Ireland.

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      Book preview

      Deliciously Irish - Nuala Cullen

      INTRODUCTION

      The vision of ancient Celtic Ireland that has come down to us through folklore and poetry is of a land of plenty, where poetry and music were among the important occupations of the people, and honour and hospitality went hand in hand.

      Through the centuries, hospitality continued to be a matter of honour, for rich and poor alike. Nearer to our own times, in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, successive travellers to Ireland invariably commented on the lavish welcome, the rich variety and quantity of food and the large numbers of persons entertained. The ill-fated dependence upon the potato by almost one-quarter of the population, however, and the tragic aftermath of the failure of the potato crop in the successive famines of the 1840s, is all too well known. Life changed profoundly for many people as a consequence, and the tradition of prodigal hospitality was almost swept away.

      Ireland, however, is a natural food-producing country and, in recent decades, extensive research has produced an improved understanding of the best production methods for our food resources, creating a true land of plenty. Irish products are now in demand all over Europe. There has been a renaissance in Irish cooking, too: a new generation of Irish chefs, cosmopolitan in their training but with roots in their own tradition, are creating a discernibly Irish style of professional cooking, which allows the excellent raw materials to speak for themselves. We are also fortunate in Ireland that many of the festival days are still observed, even if only in perfunctory way. Such feast days obviously put the emphasis on seasonal ingredients, and the recipes included in this book aim to give an idea of some of the dishes that have been in common use in Ireland for many hundreds of years (with a few exceptions).

      I hope that you will enjoy them and that they will contribute in some measure to the enjoyment of your guests and the conviviality of the dinner table, a pleasure as important in Ireland today as it has been for centuries.

      Illustration

      The rolling hills of County Kerry.

      STARTERS

      Illustration

      Fishing boats at Dingle Peninsula in Lough Gill, County Kerry.

      Mussels with Bacon and Red Wine

      Soused Herrings

      Cod’s Roe & Cod’s Roe Pâté

      Oysters with Spicy Pork Patties

      Potted Salmon

      Smoked Salmon Pâté

      Scotch Eggs

      Devilled Prawns

      Smoked Salmon Tartlets

      Mushrooms in Pastry

      Black Pudding Patties

      Oysters in Champagne Sauce

      Smoked Fish Tart with Ardrahan Cheese

      Baked Eggs with Spinach

      MUSSELS WITH BACON AND RED WINE

      Illustration

      SERVES 6 AS A STARTER OR 4 AS A MAIN COURSE

      ‘Lord Smart (to Neverout): Tom, they say fish should swim thrice.

      Neverout: How is that, my Lord?

      Lord Smart: Why, Tom, first it should swim in the Sea (Do you mind me?), then it should swim in Butter; and at last Sirrah, it should swim in good Claret.’

      Jonathan Swift, Polite Conversation

      2 litres/3½ pints live mussels

      240 ml/8 fl oz red wine

      2 tablespoons butter

      1 fresh thyme sprig

      6 streaky bacon rashers, chopped

      4 shallots

      2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

      3 large ripe tomatoes, de-seeded and chopped

      1 tablespoon plain flour

      2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaved parsley, plus extra to garnish salt and freshly ground black pepper

      fresh crusty bread, to serve

      Clean the mussels thoroughly, discarding any that are broken or which don’t close when sharply tapped, and put them in a large saucepan, with the wine. Cover, bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time, until the mussels are open. Remove the mussels to a bowl, discarding any that do not open. Strain the liquid carefully into a bowl, discarding any sand or grit.

      Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a saucepan, add the thyme and bacon and cook until crisp. Then add the shallots and garlic and cook until soft. Add the tomatoes.

      Blend the remaining butter and the flour together and stir into the saucepan, a piece at a time, stirring until the flour is cooked and the sauce is smooth. Add the mussel liquid gradually, stirring until the sauce has thickened. If it is too thick, add a little water. Reheat the mussels in the sauce for a few moments, then stir in the parsley. Check and adjust the seasoning. Garnish with parsley and serve with fresh crusty bread.

      SOUSED HERRINGS

      SERVES 4–6

      The herring was once a staple of the Irish diet, and its seasonal reappearance was greeted with pleasure by rich and poor alike. Sousing, a simple way of preserving fish, became very popular in its own right. The sousing liquid here is a mild one, so if you like your herrings hot, leave them in the cold marinade for a few hours before cooking to develop the flavours.

      8–10 herring fillets

      8–10 shallots

      2–3 bay leaves

      1 onion, finely sliced

      1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

      small boiled potatoes, to serve

      FOR THE MARINADE

      300 ml/½ pint cider or white wine vinegar

      300 ml/½ pint dry cider or white wine

      2 teaspoons juniper berries, slightly crushed

      ½ tsp chilli powder or chopped fresh chillies, or to taste

      1–2 tablespoons each of brown sugar, mustard seeds and black peppercorns

      Boil the marinade ingredients together gently for a few minutes. Cool and allow to infuse for 30 minutes.

      Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas Mark 2. Lay out the fish fillets on a board and arrange a peeled shallot and a bay leaf on each half. Roll up and secure with a cocktail stick. Arrange in an ovenproof dish, scatter the onion slices over the top and pour the marinade into the dish. Cover with foil and bake for 30–40 minutes.

      Garnish with the parsley and serve with small boiled potatoes. To serve cold, cool before packing into a plastic box, which will allow the cooking liquid to cover them, and chill, overnight if possible. Serve with pickled onions or gherkins with mustard or horseradish sauce on the side. They will keep for 2–3 days in the fridge.

      COD’S ROE & COD’S ROE PÂTÉ

      SERVES 4 AS A STARTER OR 2 AS A LUNCH DISH

      The season for cod’s roe is very short, a mere 2–3 weeks between February and March, so it is important to make the most of it. The roes freeze well, either raw or cooked, so it’s a good idea to buy extra when they are available. Smaller roes are more delicate in texture, but the larger ones are very good, too.

      To cook, simply tie the roe loosely in a plastic bag, cover with boiling water and simmer slowly for 15–20 minutes, until it is firm to the touch. Leave to cool and remove from the bag. The simplest and most traditional preparation is to cut it into thick slices, dip in seasoned flour, or egg and breadcrumbs, and fry gently in a mixture of butter and oil until crisp. Very good indeed for breakfast, with crisp bacon and grilled tomatoes or mushrooms, or for lunch with creamy mashed potato and a slice of lemon.

      FOR THE PÂTÉ

      110–140 g/4–5 oz cooked cod’s roe

      55–75 g/2–3 oz butter, melted

      juice and grated zest of ½ lemon

      salt

      pinch of cayenne or chilli pepper to taste

      1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

      Purée all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth, seasoning with salt and cayenne or chilli to taste. Pack into individual ramekins and chill. This is delicious served with hot toast, as a starter. If it’s not to be eaten for a few hours, cover with melted butter before chilling.

      OYSTERS WITH SPICY PORK PATTIES

      SERVES 2

      St Valentine’s Day calls for something with amorous associations: it must be delicious, of course, but not too much trouble. The old fashion of eating chilled oysters and chipolatas (tiny hot spicy sausages) with champagne or white wine seems ideal. Chipolatas may be hard to find, so prepare and chill your own pork patties the day before and then cook them quickly, for a few minutes on each side. Serve hot, alternating with the chilled oysters.

      ½ onion, finely chopped

      1 garlic clove

      30 g/1 oz butter

      350 g/12 oz lean pork, finely minced

      2 teaspoons Yorkshire relish or Worcestershire sauce

      a pinch each of dried thyme, grated nutmeg and hot chilli powder

      1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

      12 oysters, opened (see note), on the deep half of the shell

      Cook the onion and garlic in a little of the butter until soft. If the patties are being prepared in advance, cool, then chill until required.

      Mix the meat with the remaining butter, the relish or sauce, seasonings and herbs, then stir in the onion and garlic and mix thoroughly. The mixture should be hot and spicy but not so much that the finished patties kill the taste

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