Smoked Mackerel Pate

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I'm a huge fan of Felicity Cloake regular column in the Guardian. 'How to cook the perfect...." I've used several of her recipes and they've all worked out very well. She cooks and reviews several chefs recipes for well known dishes. Then she creates her own 'perfect' recipe based on her results. I can only imagine what her home life is like "Hi family, this week we're eating only salad nicoise" in her attempt to test a range of different recipes and create her own.

I made this great smoked mackerel pate over the weekend. I'm in the process of a long move - so my kitchen things are in storage. I think the pate works quite well in these nice tea cups I got in the second hand shop!

Her recipe is over here. 
I followed it pretty closely - except I didn't use a blender as I prefer a coarser pate. The horseradish and dill off set the oily fish beautifully. A great dish that comes together very quickly. A great starter for a dinner party you can prepare the night before. Serve with homemade brown bread.

Cauliflower & Bacon Fritters

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Easy Weekday dinner

Ingredients

Makes lots for 2 - enough as side for 4

1/2 head of cauliflower steamed or boiled

1 large free range egg

3 rashers of bacon grilled until crispy

2 tablespoons of plain yogurt (cause I didn't have enough milk)

a dash of milk

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

1 clove of garlic crushed

1 heaped table spoon of gram flour / or regular flour

mustard seeds

salt and pepper

Method

1. Once your cauliflower is cool mash it with a fork or masher
2. Cut your bacon into small pieces
3. Mix all the ingredients together in a big bowl
4. Heat a frying pan with some oil over medium to high heat
5. When it's nice and hot spoon in one tablespoon of mixture per patty
6. Cook one one side for 2-3 mins or until nicely golden
7. Flip carefully over
8. Press down with the spatula to firm up the fritter
9. Remove from pan and place on kitchen towel
10. Repeat with rest of mixture

I served these along side some salad and homemade baked beans

Summer Swedish Balcony Salad

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This morning it was raining - tipping it down. A soggy July, hot on the heels of one of the wettest Junes on record! Then this afternoon the clouds parted and out came the sun. After work I headed to the park to take it in. On getting home I knocked up this quick, Swedish inspired salad with the fridge contents, and some fresh pickings from the balcony. The oak leaf lettuce, dill, parsley, and sprouts - are all the fruits of my semi attentive labour

Ingredients

Oak leaf Lettuce

Dill - finely chopped

Parsley - finely chopped

1/3 cucumber - seeded and diced

2 beetroots - diced

1 spring onion - thinly sliced

some fennel seeds

Some crumbled feta

Poppy seeds

a squeeze of lemon juice

a dollop of good olive oil

a drizzle of honey

To Serve - a hard boiled egg and some sprouted mung beans

Method

Mix the lemon juice, olive oil and honey in a small dish until blended. Put the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, drizzle over the dressing and toss. Top with sprout and boiled egg on the side. Hardly a recipe to change the world, but I had to start back somewhere.

Brown Irish soda bread - the definitive version

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Trial and error

It took me six attempts at making brown bread to figure out how to get it exactly right. I wanted chewy, dark, malty, deliciousness, and to begin with I got dry and hard as a bullet. I tried using all manner of powders and sodas, I tried all wholemeal, half wholemeal, several different types of flour, I overcooked it, undercooked it, and cooked it so that it fused itself to the baking parchment that I inadvisably used to line the tin. And after all that, this one, which takes one bowl and 20 seconds to make is the best brown bread...possibly ever. Now if only my house mates would stop eating it before its even cool!!

My main bit of wisdom to impart is this: use buttermilk. Nothing else makes it taste even nearly as good.

Ingredients:
3/4 lb of coarse wholemeal flour
1/4 lb plain white flour
1 heaped teaspoon bread soda
1 level teaspoon salt
1 level teaspoon sugar
450ml buttermilk

in a bowl combine flours, breadsoda, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add buttermilk and stir to a sloppy consistency. Pour this mixture into a well greased 1lb loaf tin. Bake in a preheated oven at gas 8/about 230 Celsius for 50 min. Remove from oven and take out of tin. Tap the bottom of the loaf. It should sound hollow. At this point I usually put it back in the loaf tin upside down and return it to the oven for another 10 mins to crisp up the bottom.

PS:
Apologies for not blogging for AGES! My cooking mojo is hiding under a rock and I dont have a decent camera. I will be back soon though. XxLola

Deep Fill Leek, potato & Bacon Omlette

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Lest I forget (completely) 

My photo archives show me some very tasty dishes I have cooked over the last year - but due to circumstances they never reached the pages of this blog in sufficient time - and I've forgotten how exactly how I made them, I have a good idea though. So no longer will these photos lie on my hard-drive unloved and unseen - the will be released onto the pages of our blog - and if anybody wants further details - just ask - and I'll do my best to remember!

Not a recipe

I guess I mandolin-ed  a few spuds – chopped some leek – cooked the leek in some butter with thyme and garlic – then added the spuds and cooked until they were soft. Then when this was all soft and golden and delicious – I whisked up some eggs with a little milk and seasoning  - then I chucked these over the leek and suds allowed to cook on the heat for a while. I probably then grated some cheese on top – then banged it under a hot grill which made it go all puffy and crisped the top,

Then I dressed some rocket leaves with balsamic vinegar and olive oil and shaved some parmesan and tomatoes. There appears to be some bacon in there too – that would have been fried up just before adding in the leeks I guess.There may well have been some chives in there  - or parsely

The one thing I remember for sure was – that is was delicious. Oh yes! It would have been a shame to let this recipe slide past just cause I’m forgetful

Thick Minestrone Soup

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Mammy Minestrone

Yup so this is a minestrone I made with my mum while home over the bank holiday. I decided to make it when I saw how much lovely homegrown spinach that they had in their cupboard. Then I forgot to add it in - whoops- well it was still a great soup and a nice filling lunch that got me the whole way back to Dublin in the car without any belly rumbles.

Ingredients

 1 white onion finely diced
2 cloves of garlic finely sliced
6 fresh tomatoes (chopped, skinned if you like)
3 carrots diced
3 sticks of celery finely sliced
big bunch of green beans cut into whatever size pieces you like
1 tin of mixed beans
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
3 handfuls of dry pasta (whatever shapes you like)
1 sprig of thyme
1 bunch of parsley
1 pint of vegetable stock
A couple of handfuls of basil leaves

To Garnish 

freshly grated Parmesan
basil leaves
 
Fry your onion over a medium heat for two minutes before adding in the garlic. Cook until the onion begins to soften, then add in the diced carrots and celery. Cook for a further 5 minutes. Then add in the sprig of thyme, the bay leaf, tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften. Then stir in all the other ingredients, except the basil, mix well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for about 12-14 minutes until the pasta shapes are cooked. Stir in the fresh basil just before serving and garnish with a few leaves and a generous grating of Parmesan. Enjoy with some nice brie and a glass of good red wine.

I only used about 1/2 litre of stock in this and it turned out very thick, so I recommended more stock in the recipe to make for a more liquid soup. I love cooking with my mum, she ways things like 'what'll I chop next?' and 'I'll get that from the garden' the perfect cooking partner

Thanks Mum!

Pork and Chorizo Hash

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Triple Pork Breakfast

Well it's not a fry - which is the traditional way of eating three types of pork first thing in the morning, I guess we could bill this as slightly healthier alternative, just! 

Ingredients

Serves 6

1 large white onion - Roughly diced
4 streaky rashers - thinly sliced
Fresh thyme
3 inches of chorizo - cubed finely
Left over pork - diced
1 red pepper - cubed
1 green pepper - cubed
1/2 teaspoon of paprika
4 large potatoes - cubes and cooked
3 cloves of garlic - finely sliced
left over corn

eggs for frying should you so desire!

In a hot pan - fry up your rashers some olive for a few minutes, then add in chorizo, cook until your rashers and chorizo are both a little crispy. Drain and put aside. Fry onion in a little of the oil left in the pan - which should have a nice red colour from chorizo. After two minutes add in the garlic, then fry until the onion is starting to turn transparent. Then add in your peppers and thyme, cook for another few minutes until they start to go tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients - and allow to re-heat. Gently turn the mixture every so often to ensure it all gets heated through properly. I like to allow it to stick to the pan a little producing nice little caramelised parts (others may call this burnt - I call it yummy!)

We served this with a fried egg on top - and some freshly chopped chives, and a nice apple chutney on the side. This is a great brunch/lunch/supper dish, really filling and satisfying. You could use any kind of left over pork, ham or chicken or corned beef, as well as combining with any left over cooked veg that you have.

This used up the leftover pork that the lovely Bord Bia sent us, Lola made it into the delicious Roast French Rack of Pork with Apple and Prune Stuffing  My mum used to make bubble and squeak - any recipes for that would be greatly appreciated!

Leek & Bread Pudding

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Twice Baked Bread

I saw this recipe mid-week and just knew I had to make it. One of my favorite things is bread and butter pudding, and this is a savory version including a rich conte cheese and gently carmelised leeks. This recipe comes from the super blog - based out of NYC - Smitten Kitchen. I love her recipes its one of m favorite blogs - so be sure and check it out. She has  a book in the due out in the next few, which is def on my Christmas list (oh hint, hint!)

I followed the recipe exactly at this link. I served it with some fresh - uncoloured smoked haddock, from the fishmonger at the Saturday food market in Temple Bar - I hadn't been there in a while and had forgotten how great it is, for an morning wander and a nibble. 

To prepare the fish - simply poach in milk for 5 minutes, flake over a slice of this bread pudding hot from the oven - it's Saturday lunch heaven. Give Delo an extra large slice cause he bought you a lovely bunch of flowers!!! My pictures don't really convey the texture of the bread too well, it was crispy and crunchy on top, whilst soft, spongy and creamy inside - this is a well recommended recipe and the possibility of endless variations.

Roasted Tomato and Parmesan Sauce

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For Pasta, Bread or Dipping

I say bread and dipping without having tried it myself, but I bet it's work, try it before I do!

Growing up my Dad would be traveling a lot during the week, so on Saturdays he would often make the lunch. I think he found cooking a nice way of unwinding. One of his signature dishes was pasta and tomato sauce. He was always sure to have the plates warmed and have plenty of grated cheese ready to lash on, it was eaten before watching the rugby beside the fire and drinking tea in Spring. Good memories.

After a lazy morning - I made a tomato and pasta sauce for Lola who was working away pretty hard. I think she liked it. We also watched the rugby long enough to see a try - perfect! 

Ingredients

12-14 small tomatoes on vine

6 cloves of garlic (in their skins)

1 small red pepper, cut into 8

1 small red pepper, cut into 8

2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan

2 handfuls of rocket

grated cheddar cheese

8oz pasta 

Olive Oil

Seasoning

Pre-heat the oven to Gas Mark 7. In a baking dish put the tomatoes, garlic and peppers and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at the top of the oven for 45 mins until getting black at the edges. I use my stick blender for the next step, but if you have a food processor - use that. Pop the roasted garlic out of it's skins, if it's properly cooked it should just pop out easily. Then liquidise everything as well as the Parmesan together. It should make a good volume of sauce.

Stir into cooked pasta, serve in warmed bowls, topped with rocket and grated cheese. If using this as a dip, it could be cooked a little longer to just thicken it up a little.

Happy Saturday

Saffron Spiced Bulgur Pilaf with Pomegranate

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Anti-oxidant Rich and Quick

So I have a quick hour to prepare some dinner after work before nipping off to rehearsal. I’d also like some food for my lunch tomorrow, so decide to make up a kind of fancy bulgur pilaf. Something full on flavour and light on time. You can substitute the bulgur for cous-cous, quinoa or rice if you have them handy.

Ingredients
2 as a main - 3 as a side
1 cup of bulgur wheat
5 strands of saffron
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 small red onion - finely diced
2 small cloves of garlic crushed
2 teaspoons of poppy seeds
1 large handful of cashews
1 handful of raisins
1/2 pomegranate - seeds
big pinch of garam masala

In a pan - add one cupful of hot water to the saffron strands, crush the strands gently with a wooden spoon to release the colour. Leave to steep while you prepare the rest of your dinner.

Fry the onion, in a non-stick pan, for two minutes over a medium heat for a few minutes before adding in the garlic. Cook until the onion is translucent. Stir in the garam masala and cook for another minute. Stir in the bulgur wheat until coated with oil, then add in the saffron water, and then another cup of water. Bring to a simmer and cook for three minutes, add a little more water if this begins to stick.

Stir in the seeds, raisins and cashew nuts when you think it’s cooked. A big bunch of freshly chopped parsley would be great stirred in here, or some fresh coriander if you have some. Stir in the pomegranate seeds when off the heat, reserve a few more for garnish.

This makes a great side to serve alongside baked sweet potatoe falafel or hummus, or alongside some sticky ginger roast chicken legs. It would be a great little dish to bring along to a picnic or buffet lunch. The yellow from the saffron and the red little jewels of pomegranate seeds make it a very pretty side dish. I served it with some carrots that I parboiled and then glazed with honey and balsamic vinegar and popped under the grill to get rich and brown.

Pizza

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A lovely Pie for the 4th of July!

Its the 4th of July! I wanted to celebrate and what could be more american that Pizza!?

Ok, I know i should have gone for burgers or something, but after spending time in New York, I came to the conclusion that it was the Americans, not the Italians, who actually invented this dish.

This was my first ever attempt at making it, but I like to think Im a bit of a dab hand at baking with yeast, so I was looking forward to the challenge. Unfortunately, my photos didn't come out too well, and Lucy is off in France so I cant get her to work her designer's magic on them. Maybe we will update them when she gets back... anyway, the most important thing was that this tasted AMAZING and was a big hit with Colm, who pretty much lives on Pizza.

Thanks to Sarah's Mum, who unknowingly provided the recipe for the dough, but I halved it as there were only two of us. The quantities below will make one large pizza (or two small ones)

Pizza Dough

8 oz strong white flour ( or you could use half white, half wholemeal)

1 level teaspoon sugar

1 level teaspoon salt

1 egg

4 fl oz warm water

1 sachet easy blend yeast.

Blend all the dry ingredients in your food processor. Add the egg and warm water and mix using a dough hook. Keep the mixer on until the dough in soft and silky (alternatively knead it for about 10 mins until you get the same effect). Leave the dough in an oiled bowl, covered in cling film in a warm place until it had doubled in size.

while its rising make the sauce:

Tomato sauce:

1 tin chopped tomatoes

1 clove of garlic, chopped finely

2 tbsps tomato puree

2 tsps oregano

Saute the garlic in some olive oil in a frying pan. Add the tomatoes, puree and oregano and simmer until the whole thing is reduced and thick.

Knock the dough down. You dont need to rise it a second time, but you could leave it in the fridge at this point for use later, which is what I did as Colm was running late!

Roll the dough out on a floured board and manipulate until it is about 1/4 and inch thick and the right size for your oven tray (I used a large rectangular one but you could use one of those round pizza tins). Make sure the tray is well greased with olive oil before you do this. If you like a thinner base you could do two and roll it out as thin as you can without making holes.

Spread the sauce over the dough and top with whatever you like best on a pizza. We did Cheddar cheese (because I couldn't get any mozzerella in the local centra) salami and black olives. Drizzle some olive oil over the whole thing and pop into a very hot oven for 10-15 mins.

Baba Ganoush

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Along the lines of hummous but with Baked Aubergine instead of chickpeas! The name always reminds me of a baby elephant for some reason, so healthy though it won't turn you into an elephant

2 Aubergines
1 serving spoon of tahini
Lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
Olive Oil

Score the skins of the aubergine and bake in a a hot oven for 30 mins. When cooked, cut in half, scoop out the insides and discard the skins. Pop mixture into a bowl along with the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, ad a small drop of olive oil, mix well and season. Allow to cool before serving.

We served this with some freshly baked bread for dipping, some various cheese, meats and salad. We also served it alongside some hummous. As I said it was like hummous, not a replacement!!

And with this I bid you farewell for a few weeks, I'm off on my holidays to France in the van with the Mr Delo. Lola will keep you updated in Ireland. I promise to write some recipes up while I'm over there, and hopefully have some beautiful sun-drenched pictures to go with them. They'll be coming from this little kitchen in this little van....

A Lovely Lunch in Stephens Green

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It's Friday.....

On a Friday lunchtime in work I like to treat myself so it was off on my bike to Sushi-King on Baggot Street (close to Stephens Green end opposite Donney & Nesbits) I picked up some delicious Salmon and Avocado roll and best of all some tom yum soup.

For those of you who haven't had it yet, it's a spicy broth, with a great kick of chili, and a heady mix of lemongrass and coriander.

I'm sure it's really good for you. Pictures don't do it justice I'm afraid (yeah cause I ate it before I took the picture). But I did happen upon some music in the band stand - two guys were all hooked up and playing bluegrass. The sun was nearly shining, my belly was full and I was a happy girl. The music is going on all summer at lunch time (not sure if it's just Fridays -but starts at 1) well worth checking out

Roast Leg of Lamb

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Sunday Lunch
I was home at my parents over the weekend, when they asked me what if I wanted anything special, I said my Dads roast leg of lamb, I've since learnt, that Dad seasons it and Mum cooks it, so it's a team effort. It was possibly the best lamb I've ever had and I've been to New Zealand! I only took a few pictures, but I thought it would be worth putting up.

Ingredients
1 leg of lamb
8 cloves of garlic
Bunch of fresh rosemary
Salt & Pepper

My Dad made some holes in the skin with a sharp knife and then stuffed them with a big chunk of garlic and bits of rosemary, then left it overnight to let the flavors infuse through the meat.


Here's my mums explanation of how to cook it

Hi Lucy,you cook it for 30 mins at gas 8 or 230 then turn it down to gas 4 or 180 and time it for half an hour to the pound thereafter....

Easy as that! Also shown on the plate (top picture) are my mums fantastic roast potatoes - recipe to follow I promise, the are the best roast potatoes in the world - I tell you.

Lemon, Parmesan & Rocket Pasta

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Parmesan & Rocket up a tree....

I’ve seen several recipes over the last month of so for lemon pasta, it sounded like a combination that I normally wouldn’t try out. But creamy spaghetti with a fresh bite of lemon sounds beautifully summery, don’t ya think? Especially summery when you can take such a nice light filled photo on your kitchen table. I was very happy with how it turned out – so much so that I’d make it again today…..

I think it would work great with some chicken added in, or some fish, maybe not salmon, but a nice white fish, or maybe a little smoked mackerel. Would also be great with some fresh peas - or sugar snaps, warm or cold

Ingredients
I lemon – zest and juice
4 oz spaghetti
Some olive oil
Some freshly grated parmesan
A big handful of rocket
Salt & Pepper
I also added in cheddar – cause hey – it’s cheese

Cook your spaghetti, in lightly salted water – al dente if you’ve got company – or squishy when I’m by myself, mmm squashy. While cooking the past I often use my bowl as a lid so it’s nicely warm when you pop the cooked pasta in it later.

Drain pasta, and return to pan – add a glug of olive oil and the lemon zest, stir over a low heat for 30 secs or so – then add in the lemon juice and cheese, stir to combine – taste and season. Remove from the heat – gently fold in the rocket.

Transfer to your bowl top with parmesan and freshly grated black pepper – yum! Why oh why did I not make enough for lunch today.

I've been growing rocket in the garden - it's going to seed at the moment, any tips on how to stop this would be greatly appreciated? - I love having rocket outside the back door, pure handy. You'd be amazed at how many bugs can live on one leaf though - the mind boggles.

Potato Salad

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The Anti-Salad

Not sure whether it was worth blogging a simple potato salad – but you never know. Mostly I eat salads to get some low carb, low fat and high vegetable content into my life – this salad does not comply to the above standards – being actually the complete opposite. But it’s Sunday and I’m hungover and I miss my friend Kate so all bets are off ok.


Ingredients
5 small new potatoes
5 shards of chives
3 sprigs of parsley
4 little pink radishes
2 spoons of mayonnaise
Salt & Pepper
1 slice of ham
a small handful of cashew nuts
1 teaspoon grainy mustard

The lovely Sarah Lowry introduced me to radishes in potato salad and now I wouldn’t have it any other way. Cook potatoes, chop parsley and chives, slice the radishes finely, slice ham and crush nuts gently. Combine all ingredients in a bowl – mix and serve.

I like to pop the potatoes in still warm – but if you want to cool them down – just run them under the cold tap for 30 seconds or so.

It’s great as a side dish for barbecues and summer food, quiches, fish and chicken – eat outside if possible. To prepare as a side dish simply leave out the ham and nuts

Tomato Dahl

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Tomato on your Roll Dahl?

Dahl is wonderfully satisfying served on top of rice as an accompaniment to curries. I've always had trouble reproducing a good one at home, they seem to vary widely in consistency. From a liquid to something thick and curry like. Because I love lentils I always tend to put too many of them in. This recipe I used only half a cup and this seemed to give a nice consistency, you could add more water if you wanted to serve it poured over the rice.

1 onion chopped
1 carrot small cubed
1-2 green chillies
4 tomatoes cubed (some recipes ask for peeled, but my life is too short to peel tomatoes)
½ cup of red lentils
2-3 garlic cloves crushed 1
inch ginger grated
¼ cup grated coconut (see previous post)
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 bay leaves
some coriander to serve
1-2 tablespoons of toasted almonds (mmmm)
Ghee /Veg Oil

In a pan heat up the oil, when hot throw in the mustard seeds, cumin & chillies. Cook until the mustard seeds start to go ‘pop’ and then you can add in the onions, tomatoes and carrots, as well as some salt and turmeric. Saute them until the onions and tomatoes are soft.

Add in the lentils and cook gently while stirring for 3 mins. Then add in two cups of water and some bay leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 15 mins till the lentils are soft and falling apart. You may need to add in some more water if the lentils start to stick to the bottom – so just keep an eye on it.

After 15mins or so - add the coconut simmer for another 4-5 mins. Sprinkle with coriander and toasted almonds. Serve with spiced rice for warm and satisfying meal, and mango chutney of course. Or as a side dish to accompany butter paneer masala and toasty hot naan breads.

Apologies for the terrible title - I just had to

Carrot & Corriander Salad

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Not one to blog the odd lunches I cook myself sometimes, but this one turned out so well that I really wanted to write it down. So in the morning as I have my coffee and breakfast sometimes I knock together my lunch for that day. This is a good and filling lunch that you can make in ten minutes or so, Bulgar wheat is a tasty and fast way to bulk up some light dishes.

I large carrot grated -grated
A handful of fresh coriander
1 clove of garlic - crushed
¾ cup of Bulgar wheat
Olive Oil
Mustard Seeds
White Wine Vinegar
A handful of cashew nuts
Some toasted almond flakes
A small handful of raisins

Cook the Bulgar in twice it’s volume of water – cooks in about 5 mins or so.

Put a layer of chopped coriander at the bottom of your lunch container (I use an old soup pot – the cylindrical plastic ones – with the pop top lids – so no leaking in my handbag) Then add the almonds and then the chopped carrot.

When the Bulgar is cooked stir in the olive oil, salt, pepper, mustard seeds, cashew nuts, raisins and vinegar, mix well and allow to cool for as long as you have till you leave the house.

When it was time for lunch I mixed it all together, and popped it in the microwave – it was thoroughly delicious, a little squeeze of an orange would have made it divine, I’m sure it would be equally as good cold.

Roast Butternut Squash with Harrisa

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Roast Butternut Squash with Harrisa

So I knew there was harissa in the fridge and that was enough to go with. I found a nice recipe for squash roasted with harissa – it looked great – so I thought I would serve it with some bulghur wheat and feta, but I had left over mash – so potato cakes it was again – the three worked wonderfully together – a nice contrast to the sharp feta is the sweet and spicy roasted squash – I just love the colour of squash to, very appetising.

Ingredients

I butternut squash – peeled and cubed 1 inch
2 tablespoon veg oil
1 tablespoon of harissa
Salt & Pepper


Toss the squash in the oil and harissa to coat evenly – bung it in the oven – gas mark 7-8 for about 35 mins. Serve with potato cakes and chunks of feta and some rocket.

Yum

Clonakilty Black Pudding with Apple & Sherry sauce served on a potatoe & chive cake

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Black Pudding - not just for breakfast

My long lost brother was returning to Ireland from France to celebrate his 30th birthday and I wanted to welcome him home with an Irish feast – so what better way to welcome him home than with some delicious Clonakilty black pudding starter and bacon and cabbage (which was a disaster)

Black pudding – Boudin Noir en Francais – was the source of our first swear word – ‘ca-ca boudin noir’ – which means ‘poo poo black pudding’. This gave us a laugh when me and Marty were little children living in Toulouse. I’ve been wanting to combine some black pudding with a nice apple sauce for a while as I’ve seen it on lots of menus out and about – you could also serve it as a nice brunch, lunch or light supper – Black pudding – not just for breakfast!

One last thing – a small word on black pudding – Clonakilty black pudding is made with the same ingredients – but with that addition of some whole grains, giving it a nutty texture unlike the other more pate types – Shaws of Limerick are also producing a nice version of it - if you
can’t get either of these I just wouldn’t bother – others may beg to differ – but that’s just me!

Serves 4

3 large potatoes – boiled (or left over mashed potato)
1 egg
A nob of butter
Another nob of butter
I teaspoon grainy mustard
A splosh of milk
8 rings of black pudding sliced 1.5cm thick
2 cooking apples – chopped into 1cm cubes
I small onion very finely chopped
2 servingspoons of sherry
1 teaspoon demerara sugar
bunch of chives – 20 stems or so – chopped with scissors is handy

While you are boiling your potatoes (you could also used some left over mashed potato) Fry up the onion in some oil or butter till translucent – turn up the heat and throw in the brown sugar – allowing the onion to brown at the edges, don’t burn. Then when a nice colour is achieved add in the sherry, stir. Then add in the apple and stir to coat – then turn down and allow to simmer gently – it will be a pretty thick mixture so use a non-stick pan.

Make your mash potato with a bit of butter, milk and salt and pepper. Mix in your snipped chives and mustard. Then crack your egg into the centre and mix well –season.

Then pop your black pudding under the grill – turning carefully as it gets pretty crumbly. Allow to brown gently on each side.

Heat a large frying pan and add a nob of butter, drop a servingspoon of potato mixture into the pan – then spread out a little so that it’s about 1-2cms thick – however you’d like them – when brown and crispy turn over. You may need to do this in two batches- pop on plate and put under the cooking pudding to keep warm.

Place your black pudding on top of your cakes and top with a dollop of the apple sauce – add a good grind of thick black pepper and a glass of Guinness and you’re done - welcome home Marty - we missed you Yum