How to Cook a Turkey & my Favourite Stuffing Recipe

The turkey is the centrepiece of both the traditional Christmas Dinner, Thanksgiving Dinner and the 4th of July Dinner and it's great for any other special occasion, which is why cooking it properly is so important. Mess it up and not even the best side dishes will save you! 

Turkey is becoming very popular because it is relatively low in cholesterol and high in vitamins that boost the immune system. It's also very juicy and tasty! 

So here are some tips on how to prepare & cook your perfect Turkey! 

A juicy & tender whole roasted turkey really does add to the sense of occasion at Christmas or Any time!

1. First things first. Buy a Fresh Turkey if you can. Don't buy a turkey that has been pre-stuffed as mishandling or incorrect cooking can cause bacteria to multiply inside the stuffing.

2. It's so important that if you're buying a frozen bird, that you thaw your turkey completely before cooking. If it’s done improperly, bacteria can multiply to a point where even oven temperatures won't be able to kill all of them off. This can cause food poisoning. 
The safest thing to do is to thaw your turkey in the fridge, but if you don't have the room, put it into a roasting tray in a cool room, covered with a dry cloth until it defrosts. You should leave the turkey in its original wrapper until you're ready to cook it.

3. If you're placing the turkey in the fridge (raw meat should always go the bottom shelf) also put it on a tray to catch all the juices that may leak out.  It takes approximately 2 days for a 15 pound turkey to fully defrost.

4. Don't wash your Turkey. The water splashing around will spread more bacteria than you are washing off it.

5. Add some extra flavour by loosely filling the cavity of the bird with some peeled vegetables like carrots, celery, onion & garlic which work great together. 

6. Before roasting, coat the outside of the turkey with real butter and season it with sea-salt and ground black pepper. Cover the complete bird with streaky bacon to add more flavour and to keep it from browning too much. Don’t forget to cover the legs too!

7. Loosely cover the complete bird with tin foil and scrunch it up around the edge of the tray. Once you get the turkey in the oven, resist the temptation to open the oven door! Every time you open the door the temperature drops and all the moisture escapes increasing the likelihood of a dry bird.

8. Have your oven Pre-heated to 180°C (170°C for fan assisted ovens), 365°F, so that the turkey is going into a hot oven.

The simple rules for Turkey cooking times are: 

If it weighs Less than 4kg (8½Lbs) weight cook for 20 minutes per kg
then add 70 minutes extra time.

If it weighs More than 4kg (8½Lbs) weight cook for 20 minutes per kg
and add 90 minutes extra time.

• To Convert Pounds (lbs) to Kilograms (kg) multiply by 0.46
• To Convert Kilograms (kg) to Pounds (lbs) multiply by 2.2

Here's a cooking Time example:
20 lbs weight Turkey = 20 x 0.46 = 9.2kg weight

9.2 kg x 20mins =184 minutes.
Add 90 = 274 minutes. 
Divide this by 60 (minutes in an hour) = 4 hours and 35 minutes Turkey Cooking Time.

8. About 30 minutes before the turkey should be done, remove the foil from the breast to crisp up the skin.

9. Test the turkey using a sharp pointed knife by inserted the knife the meaty area above the top of the leg. Push in the blade and the gently ease down on it. Juice from the turkey will run down the blade.
If the juices run clear then it is cooked. If there are traces of pink in it give it another half an hour in the oven and test it again.

If you have a cooking thermometer ensure that the centre of the thickest parts return a temp of 75°C.

10. After you take the turkey out of the oven let it rest, under the loosened foil, for about 15 minutes before carving. This lets the hot juices relax and spread evenly through the meat, giving a moist and juicy bird.

No. 11. Relax and Don't Panic... :)

My Favourite Stuffing Mix

This is a stuffing recipe that I have used for years. It is versatile and adaptable and can be used with any type of meat. This makes enough for 8 people - generous portions!

This is my recipe but you can add whatever herbs you like to your stuffing!

My Ingredients:

250g (10oz) butter

200g (8oz) diced onion

100g (4oz) diced red onion

100g (4oz) grated carrot

1 tblsp chopped thyme

1 tblsp chopped parsley

1/2 tspn cracked black pepper

2 cloves garlic diced

1 tablespoon of Mixed herbs

300g (12oz) white breadcrumbs made with crusts and all

300g (12oz) wholemeal breadcrumbs made with crusts and all
Use Gluten Free Bread if you wish

My Method:

1. Simply place the butter and all other ingredients, except the crumbs, on a medium heat and cook gently, stirring, until the onions and other veg are soft.

2. Add the breadcrumbs and mix in well until the crumbs have absorbed all the butter and juices.

3. If the stuffing feels a little dry (depending on the type of day, the weather, the heat of the kitchen or one of another hundred amazingly uncontrollable conditions) I tend to add a little splash of my favourite white wine at this stage and mix well and then add a little of the cooking juices from the cooked turkey just before serving.

Enjoy your Turkey!

zack

There are Turkeys Roaming Free (range) in the Boyne Valley

If you know Olivia Duff, you'll know that she really is a very busy woman! She is a dynamic character who passionately promotes Irish and in particular county Meath produce at every opportunity. When managing the award winning family run hotel, The Headfort Arms, in Kells, she strives to serve the best of Irish food in all food service areas of the business. An example of this being their unique menu, served in the Vanilla Pod restaurant, in which all the ingredients are sourced within a 30-mile radius of the hotel.

Olivia Duff is passionate about telling the story of great Irish food

Olivia is one of the driving forces behind the Meath Food Showcase and the Meath Food Trail Package. This trail offers visitors an opportunity to visit local producers and on returning to the hotel, an opportunity to enjoy the 'Meath Menu' featuring food from the rich sources of the Boyne Valley. She is also one of the Failte Ireland Food Champions and is dedicated to helping others tell their own 'food story'.

Her passion for food has led her family to breeding turkeys, rare breed pigs and sheep, supplying their artisan produce directly from their farm to the consumer. Maperath Farm is a small mixed farm, just outside Kells, which is committed to involving the customer in the full story of food production and they take great pride in this story. With her husband, Eoin Sharkey, a former builder and keen horseman, they have created an atmosphere of honest farming, one that invites the customer to discover where their food comes from. Whether that is a newly born lamb or a day old chick, visitors can follow the process of the meat from the farm directly to the table.

All the animals on Maperath Farm are traditionally reared and enjoy fodder crop (the first poultry farm in Ireland to do so) alongside natural feeds and acres of free range lifestyle. New for 2015 will see Maperath Farm's ‘Lamb in a Box’ which will offer the customer a chance to order a full lamb direct from the farm. This will be then custom-butchered to the customer wishes and presented in a box, ready to eat or for the freezer. This year also sees expansion of their brand to include Maperath Farm Christmas Relish & Chutneys.

Maperath Farm ‘Lamb in a Box’ will be available in 2015

The farm produces rare breed pigs, grass fed lamb and poultry, but it is the Free Range Turkeys & Geese which are the main event at this time of year. With huge demand for their birds, it proves that consumers in Ireland really do care about the welfare, rearing and production of their food.

Olivia's husband, Eoin, believes in honest food direct from the farm

Maperath Farm is unique because it represents a true model of Sustainable Farming, incorporating models of high animal welfare, natural feed products and low levels of intensity. It also represents a real concept of ‘honest food direct from the farm’. Customers can order their own lamb, turkey or goose knowing that it is traditionally reared, then processed and butchered locally.

Olivia and Eoin's farm offers premium product which involves the customer throughout the full story of farm to the table. The long-term vision for Maperath Farm is to expand into a unique Free Range mixed farm which will involve its customers from day one in the production of food. Customers will be invited to visit their food as it grows and for the farm to become a Food Tourism Destination as part of the Boyne Valley.

The free range lifestyle of any bird is reflected in the quality and flavour of the meat

Maperath Farm has a limited number of their free range Turkeys and Geese available over the next few months, but they're going fast! Contact the Farm today on 087 902 7070 or see www.facebook.com/maperathfarm

Zack

See my 10 Tips on How to Cook a Turkey & my Favourite Stuffing Recipe here: www.irishfoodguide.ie/2011/12/10-tips-for-perfect-turkey-my-stuffing.html

An Irish Whiskey Pumpkin Pie for Halloween

The original Jack O'Lanterns were carved from turnips, potatoes or beets and has been a popular tradition here for centuries! Immigrants from Ireland brought the Jack O'Lantern tradition with them when they went to the United States. They soon found that pumpkins, a fruit native to America,  were easier to carve into the perfect Jack O'Lanterns and they made great pies too!

In recent years, Pumpkin Pie is becoming a very popular Halloween dish here in Ireland, as coffee shops and restaurants have been adding this sweet, mousse-like dessert dish to their seasonal menu. I'm adding another little piece of Ireland to the Halloween story, by flavouring my Pumpkin Pie with a little Irish Whiskey. You can use whichever brand is your own favourite!

The first recorded recipe for pumpkin pie was published as a 'Pompkin Pudding' in 1796, in a book called American Cookery by Amelia Simmons. This cookbook is considered to be the first Cookery Book to be published by an American, in America. Only four copies of the first edition are known to exist!

The first American Cookbook: American Cookery, by Amelia Simmons, 

published by Hudson & Goodwin of Hartford, Connecticut, USA, in 1796

Pumpkin Pie is made in the same way as a Baked Cheesecake or a Custard Tart and is flavoured with cinnamon, cloves and ginger. If you've never eaten some, you could be excused for thinking that it might taste like a savoury vegetable quiche - but it's really more like a sweet cheesecake in a pastry crust! The Gingernut biscuits add flavour and also help to make the base crunchier. The evaporated milk gives a richness to the pie and the Irish whiskey works just perfectly with the spices to give it a yummy taste sensation!

You can make this recipe at any other time of year by substituting Butternut Squash or Sweet Potato instead of pumpkin. Their texture and taste are almost the same when flavoured and cooked. In the US, you can buy canned puréed pumpkin for use in cooking.

Becky Pumpkin - Butternut Squash - Sweet Potato

This recipe makes one 10" x 1.5" Pumpkin Pie

To Make the Pumpkin Puree:
Cut a medium-sized pumpkin into wedges and discard all the seeds. Cook the pumpkin in the microwave on high power for 12 minutes. Scrape off all the cooked flesh and purée it quickly in a blender until smooth. (If you are using canned pumpkin purée you'll need to spoon it onto a clean tea-towel and squeeze away as much liquid as possible.) You'll need 400g/14oz prepared Pumpkin Purée for the pie.  

The Puréed Pumpkin, a Splash of Irish Whiskey & Crushing the Gingernut Biscuits

Sweet Pastry and Base
(8.5oz) 250g Plain Flour
(3.5oz) 100g Butter
(2.5oz) 75g Light Brown Sugar
1 medium egg
a little Cold Water
(3.5oz) 100g crushed Gingernut Biscuits

1. Rub the butter into the flour until it's like breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and mix in. Break in the egg and quickly pull the pastry together adding a little cold water if needed. Roll it out and line a floured  10" Pie Dish (about 1.5 " deep). Trim off any extra pastry.

2. Crumb the Gingernut biscuits in a blender or by placing them in a sandwich bag and rolling them with a rolling pin until fine. Sprinkle the biscuit-crumb over the pastry base, pat it down and refrigerate until needed. Crush the Gingernut Biscuits and gently press them onto the Sweet Pastry.

Crush the Gingernut Biscuits and gently press them onto the Sweet Pastry

The Filling
3 Medium Eggs
(5.5oz) 160g Light Brown Sugar
(15 fl.oz) 1x 410g can Evaporated Milk
1 tspn ground Cinnamon
1/2 tspn ground Ginger
A pinch of ground Cloves
1/2 tspn Salt
(14oz) 400g Your Pumpkin Purée
(1 fl.oz) 35ml Irish Whiskey

1. Break the eggs into a large bowl and whisk them well. Add the brown sugar and mix in for 30 seconds until they're thick and creamy. Add the can of Evaporated Milk and mix well for about 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin purée along with the flavourings and mix everything together until smooth. Lastly add the whiskey and stir it into the filling.

2. Carefully pour the mix into your Pie Dish and tap the side of the dish a few times to help raise the air bubbles to the top. Bake in the centre of a pre-heated oven at 160°C / 320°F for 40 minutes.

3. Check the pie as you would when testing a sponge cake. It should be soft, but responsive to the touch when it's cooked - giving you a little spring in the centre when gently pushed down.  Leave the pie aside, in the dish to set, until cold.

Zack's Irish Whiskey Pumpkin Pie

To turn it out, put a flat plate on top of the pie, turn it over tap the bottom of the baking tin. Lift off the tin gently. Now put your serving plate on the base of the pie and turn it back over! It's now ready to serve with a little fresh cream to which another little drop of Irish Whiskey has been added.

Enjoy!

Zack

Oven Baked Creamy Wild Garlic & Cheese Potatoes

This is a twist on one of those great potato dishes that tastes magic, is easy to cook and you keep forgetting to make until something else reminds you and then you want it!

The delicate white flowers aren't out on the Wild Garlic in Donegal yet

I was down the garden today and the  smell of my wild garlic plants wafted over and ticked me on the nose. "Mmm", I thought, "Oven Baked Creamy Wild Garlic & Cheese Potatoes". So I made them this evening and here's the recipe!

Use a good floury potato because they'll be perfect for soaking up the cream. Roosters are a great all round potato being good for roasting, mashing, baking or making chips. I used a mix of Cheddar and Parmesan Cheese because I like to! You can use just cheddar cheese if you wish.

The taste of chopped wild garlic is more subtle compared to normal cloves of garlic and the flowers aren't out on them yet here in Donegal, but you can chop them up too when they bloom!


My Ingredients:

1.5kg (3 1/2 lbs) Potatoes
500ml (1 pint) Whipping Cream
100g (4oz) Cheddar Cheese, grated
50g (2oz) Parmesan Cheese, grated
About 10 Wild Garlic leaves, shredded thinly
Freshly ground Black Pepper

My Method:

1. Peel and slice thinly all the potatoes using a sharp knife, the blades on a grater or a mandolin. Place them in a large bowl.

2. Add all the grated parmesan cheese, most of the cheddar cheese, the cream and the wild garlic. Add 8-10 twists of freshly ground pepper.

Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top of the dish

3. Mix everything together well with a large spoon and then scoop it into a 2" deep baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining Cheddar cheese over the top and flatten everything down gently.

4. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 175°C, 350°F, Gas 4 for 1 hour. After 30 minutes, take the dish out and gently press the potatoes down again to let the cream come up over the top of the mix. Pop it back in the oven to finish the cooking time.

Delicious as a side dish or on it's own with a salad for a late night snack!

The top of the potato dish will be lightly crispy and golden/brown and it will be ready to eat straight away.

If you want to, you can make this the day before a special dinner, let it cool completely when cooked and cut it into squares. When you're ready eat, it heats up in a hot oven or in a microwave quite quickly to serve as a garnish or a side dish.

You could eat this potato dish all day - it didn't last long!

There you go, simple and very tasty - Oven Baked Creamy Wild Garlic & Cheese Potatoes. Yum!

Zack

How to Roast Chestnuts without an Open Fire

"Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire". Those immortal words from the famous Nat King Cole song always pop up around the middle of November and indicate the beginning of the build-up to the Christmas season and all that goes with it!

In Ireland we don't really have a tradition of eating roasted chestnuts, but like everything else, the world is becoming a smaller place and we can now get our hands on anything, if you really want it.

Edible chestnuts do not grow in Ireland. Most of the chestnuts that are eaten around the world are imported from Japan, China, Spain, and Italy. They are known as 'Marrons' in France.

I got my local veg-man to get me a bag of sweet chestnuts to try out and did some research on how to cook them. They taste different from what you'll expect and also, don't be disappointed if many of them break up when you're taking them out of the shell - that's happens in real life!

How to Roast Chestnuts without an Open Fire

Heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.

1. Using a small, sharp pointed knife, cut a cross into the flat-side skin of each Chestnut. This helps to prevent the chestnut from exploding while cooking.

2. Drop them into cold water, to soak, for 15 minutes. This helps them steam and stay moist.

3. Place the Chestnuts on a roasting tin, cut side up and bake until the skin splits open and the inside is tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Put the cooked chestnuts in a dry towel and press gently to crush open the shell. Peel the shell back and eat them straight away!

If they start to get cold they become very hard to peel. Only a few of mine came out looking perfect and that was because I peeled some very carefully! You can pop the chestnuts back into the oven and warm them up a little again, to help peel them.

You can serve them out in paper bags or newspaper cones if you wish. You can also boil chestnuts for 15 minutes and peel them before you add them into your Christmas Stuffing. Give them a go either way!

You can find my favourite stuffing recipe here: 10 Tips for the Perfect Turkey & My Stuffing Recipe

Zack

Halloween & My Barmbrack Recipe

Halloween, celebrated on October 31st, is one of those true Celtic traditions that has become a world-wide celebrated occasion. Historically, it is based on the Celtic festival of Samhain which is derived from Old Irish and means roughly "summer's end".

With the plantation of Ulster in the early 1600's, the Scottish colonists brought with them the festival of All Hallow's Evening (All Hallows Even') celebrated on the same night and the two traditions merged. This was the night that the souls of the dead were thought to walk the earth and many people believed it a setting for supernatural encounters! I remember how Holy Water was sprinkled on the outhouses, sheds and farm animals  to keep them safe during the night and mirrors in our house were covered with sheets so that the poor souls could not enter the living world.

The traditional bread served on the night was the Halloween Barmbrack, meaning speckled cake, which is a sweet fruit bread. The word Barm comes from an old English word, "beorma", meaning yeasty fermented liquor and Brack comes from the Irish word "breac", meaning speckled - which it is with the dried fruit and candied peel.

The bracks made with yeast are called "barmbracks" and those that use baking powder and fruit soaked in tea are called "tea bracks".

Each member of your family must get a slice and it was always a great treat, to find the penny in the cake as this meant you were going to be rich. Other items buried in the barmbrack are: a ring for the bride-to-be, a thimble for the one who would never marry and a small piece of cloth indicating the one who would be poor. This is the recipe I have used for many years and it makes one loaf.

My Ingredients:

450g (3½ Cups) plain flour 

1/2 tspn ground cinnamon

1/2 tspn ground nutmeg

7g (1 sachet) (2 teaspoons) dried yeast 

75g butter (4 tablespoons)

75g (1/3 Cup) castor sugar 

250ml (1 Cup) milk 

1 beaten egg

150g (1 Cup) raisins 

100g (3/4 Cup) currants 

50g (1/4 Cup) chopped Dried Fruit Peel 

A little melted butter for greasing

My Method:

1. Warm the milk, add the butter and let it melt in the warm milk.

2. Mix the yeast with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Add half the warmed milk mixture. Add the beaten egg.

3. Sift the cinnamon with the flour into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour the yeast and liquid mixture into it. Sprinkle a little flour over the liquid and leave it in a warm place for 1/2 hour until yeast froths up.

4. Add in the remainder of the liquid and mix the whole lot into a dough. Turn it out onto a floured board and knead the sugar, raisins, currants and chopped peel into the dough.

5. Put the dough into a butter-greased large bowl, cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm place until doubled in size.

6. Knead it back again and then shape into your greased bread tin. Brush the top with melted butter and cover until doubled in bulk again.

7. Bake for 40 minutes in a pre-heated hot oven at 200°C until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

8. To give it a nice glaze stir 1 tbls sugar into 50ml boiling water and brush this over the top of the loaf when it comes out of the oven and is still hot.

zack

Hot Cross Buns for Easter!

One a Penny, Two a Penny, Hot Cross Buns!

Hot cross buns are traditionally baked to be eaten during Lent, the 40 days before Easter. The bun acquired mythical properties over the centuries and early literature reveals that the hot cross bun was also known as the Good Friday Bun.

The most famous story says that the origins of the Hot Cross Bun date to the 12th century when an English monk was said to have placed the sign of the cross on the buns to honor Good Friday. Throughout history the bun has received credit for special virtues, among them that of ensuring friendship between two people sharing a bun. An old rhyme states, "Half for you and half for me, between us two, good luck shall be."

Another tradition holds that a hot cross bun should be kept hanging from the kitchen ceiling from one year to another to ward off evil spirits. Healing properties were also attributed to it. Gratings from a preserved bun were mixed with water to provide a cure for the common cold.

There are loads of delicious ways to eat this legendary treat: you can slice them, toast them and butter them! I love them toasted with real butter and strawberry jam! This recipe is an old family one and it makes about 10 buns - but we always double it up!

Hot Cross Buns


My Ingredients:
450g bread (strong) flour
pinch of salt
2 tsp mixed spice
75g butter
7g fast action dried yeast (generally 1 sachet)
50g caster sugar
1 egg
275ml warm milk (40 seconds in microwave will do)
200g dried raisins or currants (I don't like the traditional dried mixed fruit - but if you do, use that instead)
grated rind of an orange

My Method:

1. Put the flour, salt and mixed spice in a bowl and give them a quick whisk to mix. Rub in the butter to the flour mix until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the yeast, sugar, beaten egg and milk and stir together into a soft dough.

2. Knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. If you are using a mixer to make these buns give it five minutes on low with the dough hook. Add in the dried fruit and the grated orange rind and knead for another minute.

3. Roll out the mix slightly and cut the dough into 10 pieces. Roll these into balls on the table using the flat of your hand and place on a baking sheet or tray. Leave their own width again between each bun so they will have room to rise.

4. To make the cross mix 1 Cup flour with about 3 tbls cold water to make a basic soft dough. Roll it out really thin and cut into little strips. Dampen with a little water and stick to the top of each bun. Take a length of plastic wrap and brush with a little cooking oil. Place this loosely on top of the buns (oiled side down) and leave in the kitchen to double in size - about 20 minutes depending on the weather and the warmth of the room. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 390ºF (360ºF if a fan oven) for 20 minutes.

Hot Cross Buns were traditionally brushed with a sugar & water glaze when they're still hot, but I prefer to brush them with local honey from the Saturday country market in Leghowney, near Donegal Town!

And Here's my recipe for Hot Cross Buns with American Cup measurements
http://www.irishcentral.com/culture/food-drink/Irish-hot-cross-buns-recipe-for-Easter.html

Enjoy!

Zack

Video & Music by http://www.youtube.com/user/annshelaann

My Easy to Make Christmas Pudding and Brandy Custard

Hi!

Christmas pudding is also known as plum pudding because of the abundance of prunes in it! This rich tasty pudding is boiled or steamed, made of a mixture of fresh or dried fruit, nuts and suet (beef or mutton fat). Vegetarian suet may also be used.

This pudding is very dark and is saturated with whiskey or brandy, dark beer, or other alcohols. They used to be boiled in a "pudding cloth," but today they are usually made in pudding bowls.

You can't beat a Traditional Christmas Pudding flamed with Irish Whiskey

People have always stirred lucky charms into their Christmas pudding mixture for good luck similar to Halloween Barmbracks.
These were always:
silver coins (for wealth), tiny silver wishbones (for good luck), a silver thimble (for thrift), a gold ring (for marriage) or an anchor (for safe harbour)
and whoever got the lucky serving, would keep the charm!

Ready-made and cooked puddings are now available in the shops but they will never compete with the pleasure that comes with the flavour of your own Christmas Pudding!

Here's my easy to make Christmas Pudding recipe with a whiskey/brandy custard cream too!

My Ingredients:

125g ready-to-eat prunes, chopped

225g raisins

225g currants

225g sultanas

Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

50g chopped almonds

1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and grated

1 medium carrot, peeled and grated

225g demerara sugar

225g suet (I use vegetable suet rather than beef)

125g fresh white breadcrumbs

125g plain flour

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp ground coriander

½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

3 eggs

150ml Stout

1 tbsp black treacle

35ml Irish Whiskey or Brandy

It sounds like a lot of work - but the Christmas Pudding is very easy to make!

My Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together.

2. Whisk the eggs, stout, whiskey or brandy and black treacle together and stir into the mixture.

3. Cover and leave to stand overnight in a cool place.

4. Butter three x 600ml pudding bowls and put a circle of grease-proof paper in the base.

5. Pack the mixture into the bowls and smooth the top. Leave about 2.5 cm space to the top of the bowl.

6. Cut a double layer of grease-proof paper into a 30cm circle. Cover each pudding with the paper and tie with string around the edge. Tie another piece of string across the top of the pudding so that it can be easily lifted in and out of the pan.

7. Put the bowls into a heavy-based saucepan (placing an up-turned plate in the bottom of the pot first, to raise the pudding bowls off the bottom of the pot). Pour boiling water around the edge until it comes two-thirds of the way up the sides of the bowls. Cover with a lid and simmer for 3 hours. Top up the pot with boiling water to the starting level every hour.

8. Lift out the puddings after 3 hours and let them cool. Put on a new grease-proof or parchment cover and then cover tightly with foil.

9. Store in a cool dark place until Christmas. The puddings will keep for up to six months.

10. To serve cut into portion sizes and heat in a microwave, on full power, for 1 minute until piping hot. Warm two tablespoons of whiskey or brandy in a small saucepan. Set alight and carefully pour over the pudding. Serve with my flavoured custard cream (see recipe below).

Christmas Pudding with a Brandy Custard Cream!

Brandy Custard Cream

This is a very simple and tasty Christmas cream that I prefer to serve with my Christmas Pudding more than anything else!..

Whip 250ml cream until it holds a figure eight shape and stir it into 250ml of cold custard (you can make this yourself or buy it pre-made). Pour in 35ml (one shot) of Irish Whiskey or brandy and add a pinch of grated nutmeg and stir until smooth.

This can also be served over warmed mince pies for a delightful change to the usual! Enjoy!

Zack

Follow me @IrishFoodGuide on Twitter 

Irish Blackberry Ripple Ice Cream

I love this time of year! Blackberries make a really tasty ice cream with their sweet and sometimes sharp flavour mixing well in this luscious, simple and fast homemade ice cream recipe. This recipe is adapted from my Blackcurrant Ice Cream recipe.

Blackberry Ripple Ice Cream

My Ingredients:

450g Blackberries
100ml apple juice
175g caster sugar
500ml whipping cream
400g sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp vanilla essence

My Method:

1. Put the Blackberries and the apple juice in pan, bring to the boil and turn down, simmering for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, stirring until dissolved and cook out for another 5 minutes, let it thicken a little. Cool. Leave 4 spoons of this fruit aside for garnish.

2. Rub the rest of the cooked fruit through a sieve to get rid of the seeds.

3. Beat the whipping cream until it makes peaks, pour in the condensed milk and vanilla essence and whisk back up to peaks again.

4. Pour the cream mixture into a freezer box and drizzle half of the Blackberry purée over the top. Stir the mixture gently to ripple the purée through it. Cover with a lid and freeze for 4 hours. 

5. To serve, mix the 4 spoons of saved fruit with the rest of the purée and spoon over the top of your Blackberry Ripple Ice Cream.

The same recipe & method can be used for Blackcurrant or Raspberry ice cream too.

Zack

French Toast or Gypsy Toast made with Duck Eggs

Ordinary plain white bread that is dipped in egg and milk and fried on the pan is called Gypsy Toast, French Toast, Eggy Bread, Pan Dulcis, Torrija, Fatias Douradas, Lost Bread and Pain Perdu. The name used today apparently comes from a New York innkeeper named Joseph French, who created a dish in 1724 and advertised it as "French's Toast". The printer made a mistake on his Menu and it became French Toast!

It's really simple to make and is a great way to get kids eating eggs. You can eat it with savoury or sweet additions or just with a knob of butter!

Traditionally French Toast is made from older or stale bread because it soaks up the egg mix better than when fresh, but you can use fresh bread anyway. When I was over in Norway last year one of the gourmet restaurants we were eating in served it up as a dessert with cinnamon-sugar and ice cream. Simple.

I picked up a half dozen lovely big free-range Duck Eggs at our local Leghowney Country Market yesterday, so I decided to make a big batch of French Toast with them. 

Funny thing is, the man who was selling the eggs had never heard of dipping bread into beaten egg and frying it! I was telling him how to make it and was astounded that he'd never come across it before. He was going home to make some straight after the market! So, here is my recipe for French Toast.


My Ingredients:
2 large Eggs (Duck or Hens eggs)
100ml / ½Cup Milk
12 Slices White Bread (more or less)
rapeseed oil or vegetable oil to fry

My Method:

1. Cut the bread into half slices. Beat the eggs and milk together in a bowl.

2. Heat the pan on a low heat with a tiny rub of oil covering the base of the pan. Dip the bread into the egg mix, turning it over to cover both sides and shaking off any excess. Place on the frying pan leaving a space between each slice.

3. Cook until golden brown (approx. 1 min) on each side. Remove from the pan and cover with a cloth to keep warm. Repeat until all the egg mix is used up.

You can eat French Toast with anything! Spread it with Butter, sprinkle it with a little Sugar & Lemon, serve it with Bacon, Maple Syrup, Honey, Cinnamon Sugar, Ice-Cream, Strawberry Jam and Fresh Cream or just plain! Yum!

Zack

Some handy Cooking Tips for any Kitchen

I was sent this infographic by David Dempsey of Noel Dempsey Kitchen & Bedroom Design, based in Charvey Business Park, Rathnew, County Wicklow and thought you might like to print it out and stick it up in your Kitchen!

Right-Click on the infographic above and click "Open image in a new Tab" to get the full-size image and then you can print it out from there.

You can check out Noel's Kitchen Design company at http://noeldempsey.com

Zack

Roast Lamb with Fresh Mint Sauce

Easter Sunday was always a big occasion in our house when I was growing up as Lent was finally over and we hadn't eaten a sweet thing for the last 40 days! The smell of a roasting spring lamb with garlic is one of those meals that can take your mind back to your childhood and make your mouth water at the thought of it!

The history of the Easter Sunday roast Lamb goes back to the biblical Passover of the Jewish people. A sacrificial lamb was roasted and eaten with unleavened bread and herbs in the hope that the angel of God would "pass over" their home and bring no harm. Christians often refer to Jesus as The Lamb of God and as religions merged, lamb became the traditional meat for Easter Sunday.


Easter Sunday Roast Lamb with Fresh Mint Sauce

1 Leg of Lamb off the bone (about 4lb feeds 8 people)
6 cloves of fresh Garlic
1 bunch of Rosemary
50g Butter
Freshly ground Pepper & Salt

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Place the Leg of Lamb on a roasting tray.

Score the leg of lamb with a sharp knife making 1/2" deep incisions and push the garlic cloves and sprigs of rosemary into the cuts in the meat. Rub the butter all over the leg and sprinkle liberally with freshly ground pepper and salt.

Cook the lamb for about 1 hour 20 minutes, turning it over half way through and spoon the juices over the meat every half hour. 20 minutes per pound will give you a medium cooked meat - adjust the timing to your own taste.

Transfer the meat to another tray and cover with a clean dish cloth, to rest for 10 minutes, before you cut it. This allows all the muscle to relax and makes the meat really juicy and tender.

Roast Gravy
To make the gravy, place the roasting tray on top of the stove over a moderate heat, use a scraper to lift all the tasty residues off the bottom of the tray and let the juices caramelise a little for about 1 minute. Spoon off any excess fat and add a pint of cold water. Bring this to the boil and let it reduce down by half. Strain the meat juices into a small pan.

Thicken the gravy with a simple roux. This is made by pouring 2 tbls of olive oil into a cup and adding 2 tbls flour and stirring this together into a paste. Whisk a little roux into your hot juices. It will thicken immediately. Let it cook out for another minute.

Fresh Mint Sauce
50g  finely chopped fresh Mint
2 tablespoons white Sugar
2 tablespoons Vinegar
75ml Water
3 tbsp freshly squeezed Lemon juice

Combine the water, sugar, vinegar & lemon juice in a small pot and bring back to the boil. Cook for 1 minute until the liquid thickens slightly and then add the chopped mint. Turn off the heat and pour it into a serving jug and refrigerate until required.

Roasted Vegetables
1 lb Each of carrots, parsnips & white turnip, peeled and chopped into 1" chunks
2 red onions, peeled and cut into eight
Olive oil
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper
Put the vegetables in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and toss about to coat them. Transfer them to a roasting tin and spread out into a single layer. Cook for 20-30 minutes until tender.

Champ Potatoes
Add some chopped scallions, salt, a little white pepper and some butter to your mashed potatoes to make Champ Potatoes to serve with your Roast Lamb.

Enjoy & Happy Easter!
Zack

How to Make a Real Irish Coffee

I thought you'd like to have this recipe for my Irish Coffee, as Christmas is around the corner and you might have far too much Irish Whiskey lying around the house but they're delicious at any time of year!

The important rules for making a perfect Irish Coffee are:

1.  Whip the cream before you start!

2.  Make sure your Coffee is hot.

3.  Heat the Glass with boiling water before you assemble the drink, but place a teaspoon into the glass before you add the hot water and this will stop the glass from cracking.
4. Pour out the water and 3/4 fill your glass with hot strong coffee.

5.  Stir in the sugar until dissolved, but don't take too long doing it!

6.  Add the whiskey and stir it well so that the coffee is still turning gently when you are putting the cream on top.

7.  Never mind about pouring the cream over the back of a spoon or any of that nonsense! Simply dip your teaspoon into a glass of hot water and quickly, but carefully, scoop the whipped cream and place it on top of the hot coffee. The hot spoon will make it slide on to the Irish coffee.

8.  Three or Four teaspoons of lightly whipped cream will be sufficient and it will float perfectly on top of your Irish Coffee if you have followed all of the above simple steps.

You can right-click on this picture below, save it as a image, Print it out on card and stick it on your fridge for Christmas. By New Year's Day you should have perfected the recipe and method for making a yummy Irish Coffee!

Enjoy!

Zack

Rough Puff Pastry, Beef Guinness Pie & Monica Lewinsky!

My friend Chris Cassidy wrote a song in 1999 about Monica Lewinsky at the height of that particular scandal.  The Master Tape was lost until last week when we found it in a box and this week just happens to be Monica's 40th Birthday!


Chris' dad was a butcher so all his family have the 'local family name' of "Pie" eg Chris 'Pie' Cassidy etc. A local family name is a thing that you often find on the Irish west coast to distinguish one family of the same name as another. This being a food website, it was only logical that I give you a recipe for a Pie to go with the music! So here is "Rough Puff Pastry & Beef Pie" to the music of Chris Pie Cassidy!


Do enjoy both the music & the pie and please Share  it round the world - the words to the song are on the YouTube website :)

Click to play the music and the Rough Puff Pastry, Beef Guinness Pie recipes are here below :)

Rough Puff Pastry
This type of pastry is great for pies and tarts, either sweet or savoury. You can also use it for sausage rolls!


My Ingredients:
250g Plain flour
75g "Cookeen" vegetable fat
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Water
75g butter




My Method:
1. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl and rub in the white fat as normal when making pastry. Add the lemon juice and cold water to mix to a stiff dough. Refrigerate for 1/2 an hour to relax.
2. Roll out the pastry into a rectangle. Cut the butter into lumps about the size of a walnut and place it over 3/4 of the pastry.
3. Fold in the unbuttered 1/3 to the middle of the pastry and then fold the 1st 1/3 over this, so that the butter is layered inside the pastry.
4. Carefully roll out this pastry to it's original size keeping it lightly floured to stop sticking. Fold it in 3 again and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
5. Repeat this rolling and folding three more times relaxing the pastry in the fridge between each folding.
6. Leave the pastry for one  hour in the fridge before finally rolling it out for your Pie top.

Beef 'n Guinness Casserole

My Ingredients:
1 kg Stewing or Braising Beef
75g Butter
2 tbls olive oil
225g Onions Roughly chopped
225g Chunky-cut Carrots
100g Roughly chopped Celery
2 cloves garlic, chopped small
1 tblsp Flour
1 tspn Wholegrain Mustard
1 tblsp Brown Sugar
1 tspn each of chopped Thyme, Parsley and Marjoram
1 Orange, simply cut in quarters
500ml Guinness
Sea Salt and Ground Black Pepper

My Method:
1. Cut the meat into bite-sized chunks. Melt 1/2 the butter in a large pan, add the meat and brown on all sides over a high heat. Remove with a spoon and set aside.
2. Turn down the heat to medium and add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic to the pan with the remaining butter and cook for 5minutes.
3. Add the flour, mustard, sugar and stir thoroughly. Add the Guinness and mix well. Stirring occasionally, cook until the sauce thickens a little.
4. Return the meat to the pan, squeeze in the orange juice and add the herbs. Season with a twist of pepper and sea salt.
5. Mix well. Then cover and simmer very gently, giving it an odd stir for approximately 2 hours until the meat is tender. You can eat this straight away as a casserole at this stage if you wish.
6. When making the pie it's best to let the meat cool a bit before topping so that it doesn't melt the pastry before it gets to the oven (which would effect the rising of the pastry). Roll out your pastry to suit your Pie Dish with 2cm extra all round.
7. Add your meat to the dish, cover with the pastry and roll in the 2cm around the edge to give a crust. Decorate and brush with beaten egg and milk to glaze.
8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 35 minutes until risen and golden in colour!

There you go. Simple and delicious! And I hope you enjoyed the music too!
zack