Donegal :Lamb Stew

 

Donegal Lamb Stew

This is a traditional Donegal stew that is actually white and creamier, lighter and more flavorful than most brown stews.
Ingredients:
2 pounds boneless leg, neck or shoulder of lamb, cut into 2-inch chunks
6 large peeled carrots, chopped
1 leek, sliced 1 inch thick
2 onions, sliced 1 inch thick
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 sprig thyme
6 whole black peppercorns
½ cup parsley, stalks and leaves divided and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
3 large Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
6 cups prepared Irish mashed potatoes,

Irish Mashed Potatoes Recipe:
This recipe can be made the day before, slowly and carefully to get them extra smooth and creamy, and be one less thing to worry about on the day.Serves 4–6
Ingredients:
6 large Russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 stick unsalted Irish butter
½ cup milk
¼ cup whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for approximately 20 minutes. Dry the potatoes by draining, then reheating in a clean pan on the stove with no liquid to get rid of all the moisture. Pass the potatoes through a fine ricer.

While the potato mixture is hot, mix through the butter to melt, then add the cream. Add to Donegal Braised Lamb Stew

Directions For Lamb Stew:

Place the lamb into a large pot, cover with water by about ½ an inch and bring to a boil. Strain off and discard the water, so as to clear the meat of impurities.

In a new clean pot, place the lamb and add 2 carrots, the sliced leek and onions, garlic, thyme, peppercorns, parsley stalks and cover with water. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 2 hours. Using a spoon, check the meat’s tenderness. When it’s nearly tender, remove the pieces of lamb from the pot with tongs. Strain and save the liquid, discarding the vegetables; you should have around 8 cups liquid.

Return the lamb and liquid to the pot and season the liquid with 1 tablespoon salt. Add the peeled potatoes and the remaining 4 carrots. Continue cooking on medium heat, and once the potatoes in the pot are cooked and a fork passes through (approximately 20 minutes), stir in the mashed potatoes to thicken the mixture. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper if desired.

Add the chopped parsley leaves and serve with an extra dollop of mashed potatoes if you like. Serves 4 to 6

Chai Tea

Chai Tea

Chai Tea is a beverage with no hard and fast recipe.  The one rule you want to follow is, do not boil the spices after you add the tea leaves but steep only.  Spices can be altered, eliminated, or increased to suit your taste.  This formula I offer is from the internet.   

Ingredients:

15 green cardamom pods or 6 brown pods

4 cinnamon sticks or 16 grams

16 grams black peppercorns or 1 tablespoon

12 whole cloves

Place on a baking tray and roast at 350*F  for 6 to 8 minutes until fragrant.  When cooled, grind the spices with a mortar and pestle, .   

Add ground spices and the ginger and nutmeg to filtered water: 

1/3 cup ginger,  rough chopped

1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1 quart filtered water:

MOST IMPORTANT   Over boiling will make your Chai bitter!  

Bring to a boil and quickly reduce heat to a simmer for 10 minutes.  Cool 30 seconds,  and add 1/2 cup good quality black tea.  Steep 4 to 5 minutes.  Do not boil tea but steep !!!

Add equal part of flavored mix with equal milk.

Cider-Brined Spareribs With Maple Pepper BBQ Sauce

Cider-Brined Spareribs with 

Maple Pepper BBQ Sauce

This is an easy method for low-and-slow spareribs when you don’t feel like firing up the smoker or grill. Brining keeps the ribs moist and juicy, plus apples are such a natural partner with pork. A bold spice rub adds more layers of flavour, and quick BBQ sauce brings sweet, sour and peppery heat.

Ingredients:

Brine
8 cups (2 L) non-alcoholic apple cider
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
1 tbsp (15 mL) whole black peppercorns
1/2 cup (125 mL) kosher salt or 6 tbsp (90 mL) fine sea salt

Spice Rub and Ribs

1 tbsp (15 mL) sweet paprika
2 tsp (10 mL) dry mustard
2 tsp (10 mL) onion powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) garlic powder
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground black pepper
1/2 tsp (2 mL) ground coriander
1/2 tsp (2 mL) chili powder
1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground sage
2 racks spareribs (St. Louis cut), about 2 lbs (905 g) each

BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup (125 mL) ketchup
2 tbsp (30 mL) apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup
2 tsp (10 mL) yellow mustard
2 tsp (10 mL) ground black pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp (1 mL) garlic powder
1/4 tsp (1 mL) onion powder

Directions:
 For the brine, place cider, bay leaf, rosemary, garlic, peppercorns and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and stir until salt is completely dissolved, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Strain into an airtight container. (Brine can be refrigerated up to 2 days.)

For the spice rub, combine spices in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly. Transfer to airtight container. (Spice rub can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months.)

To brine ribs, place rib racks in a large roasting pan and add brine. Cover and place in refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours. Do not brine any longer or ribs will get too salty.

Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).

Remove ribs from brine, rinse lightly, and pat dry with paper towel. Season ribs all over with spice rub. Place ribs on a foil-lined baking sheet. Cook on middle rack until fork-tender, about 2 hours.

While ribs are cooking, make BBQ sauce. In a small bowl, whisk all ingredients until combined. Set aside.

Remove ribs from oven and raise heat to 450°F (232°C). Brush ribs generously with BBQ sauce. When oven reaches temperature, return ribs to oven, and cook until sauce is set and brown, about 5 minutes. Remove ribs from oven and brush once more with sauce. Rest for 5 minutes then cut into individual ribs. Serve immediately with remaining BBQ sauce on side.  Serves 4 to 6

Sage-Infused Panna Cotta With Poached Pears & Walnuts

 

Sage-Infused Panna Cotta 

With Poached Pears & Walnuts

Infusing warm cream with sage off the heat imparts a light herbal flavour. It’s a wonderful contrast to the spiced poached pears and toasty walnuts. The leftover poaching liquid can be used to poach more fruit or reduced to a syrup for pancakes. To toast walnuts, bake on a baking sheet at 350°F (177°C) for 7 to 8 minutes.

Ingredients:

Poached Pears:
2 Bosc pears, peeled, quartered and cored
2 cups (500 mL) water
1/2 cup (125 mL) sugar
1/2 cup (125 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 cup (60 mL) honey
1 pod star anise
4 black peppercorns
1 slice fresh ginger, about 1 oz (30 g)
Pinch salt
 
Panna Cotta
1/4 cup (60 mL) cold water
2 1/4 tsp (12 mL) powdered gelatin
1 3/4 cups (425 mL) whipping cream
2/3 cup (150 mL) sour cream
1/4 cup (60 mL) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped
1/2 cup (125 mL) whole sage leaves, about 15
1/2 cup (125 mL) walnut halves, toasted and chopped roughly

Directions:                                                                                                     To make poached pears, combine ingredients in medium-size pot. Cook at a bare simmer until pears are soft but not mushy (a paring knife will meet with little resistance), 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool in liquid. Transfer to an airtight container with liquid and refrigerate up to 1 week.

To make panna cotta, place cold water in a small bowl and sprinkle powdered gelatin over in a single layer. Set aside.
 
Whisk cream, sour cream, sugar and vanilla pod and seeds in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat. When mixture comes to a simmer and sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and add sage. Let stand 20 minutes. Remove vanilla pod and sage leaves with a slotted spoon and discard. Return to medium heat. When it comes to a simmer, remove from heat and whisk in gelatin mixture until dissolved.
 
Divide mixture between four 6-oz (170-mL) ramekins. Refrigerate, uncovered, until custard is completely set, 3 to 4 hours. When set, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 2 days.
 
Run a small knife around inside of ramekins and turn out each panna cotta into its own bowl to serve. Serve with two slices of poached pear and a few toasted walnuts on top. Spoon a little pear poaching liquid over each dessert to finish.   Serves 4

Juniper-Cured Salmon

 Juniper-Cured Salmon

Ingredients

Salmon
1 tbsp (15 mL) juniper berries
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) pink peppercorns
2 cups (500 mL) finely chopped dill with tender stems, about 1 bunch
1/4 cup (60 mL) Windsor kosher salt
1/4 cup (60 mL) raw cane sugar
1/4 cup (60 mL) light brown sugar, lightly packed
1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated grapefruit zest
1 to 1 1/2 lbs (455 to 680 g) skinless salmon fillet
2 tbsp (30 mL) London dry gin

Sauce
3/4 cup (175 mL) crème fraîche
1/2 tsp (2 mL) smoked flaky sea salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) finely grated lemon zest
Thinly sliced seed bread and lemon wedges for serving

Directions:

For the salmon, use a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder to crush the juniper berries and peppercorns until coarsely ground. Transfer to a medium bowl, then add dill, salt, sugars and zest, mixing well to combine.

Pat salmon dry, then lay on a large, rimmed baking sheet, bottom side down. Pour gin over fish then gently rub in to fully coat. Flip salmon over, and sprinkle with half of dill mixture, spreading evenly so surface is fully covered. Flip salmon again, bottom side down, then sprinkle with remaining cure, packing it to ensure the fish is fully coated. Place a piece of parchment over fish to cover, then set another rimmed baking sheet directly on top. Refrigerate until firm and cured in the centre of the thickest part, 48 to 72 hours.

Scrape dill mixture off fish then rinse well under very cold water. Pat dry with paper towel. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the sauce, add crème fraîche to a small serving bowl. Sprinkle over salt, using your fingertips to break up flakes, then add zest, stirring to combine.

To serve, slice salmon very thinly on a bias starting at the tail end using a long, sharp knife. Arrange on a platter alongside crème fraîche. Serve with bread and lemon wedges.

Serves 6 to 8

Salmon Baked With Herbs and Caramelized Lemons

Salmon Baked With Herbs And Caramelized Lemons 

Ingredients:
1 5⁄8 kg or 3 lb. salmon, scaled, gutted and washed (1 whole salmon)
olive oil, and drizzling (for cooking)
sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs rosemary
3 sprigs thyme
3 sprigs basil
3 sprigs sage
3 sprigs parsley
1 head garlic, halved horizontally, then broken into cloves (unpeeled)
2 -3 stalks lemongrass, split in half lenghtways and bruised with the back of a knife 
3 small lemons, thickly sliced 
5 -6 star anise
1 teaspoon mixed peppercorns (or black)

Directions

Trim a little of the tail and fins of the salmon with kitchen scissors and pat dry with kitchen paper. Pat the cavity dry as well. Score the skins of the salmon on both sides with a sharp knife at 1 - 2 intervals. Rub all over with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Tear two sheets of foil, large enough to envelope the salmon easily. Lay one on top of the other on the work surface and scatter the bay leaves, herb sprigs, garlic and lemongrass over the middle o the foil. Lay the fish on the bed of herbs and tuck some of the flavourings into the cavity.

Fry the lemon slices in a little olive oil for 2 - 3 minutes until caramelized around the edges, seasoning them with salt and pepper. Allow to cool slightly. Tuck the caramelized lemon slices around the fish, placing some in the cavity and some on top. Scatter the star anise and peppercorns over and around the fish, putting some inside the cavity. Drizzle the salmon with a little olive oil. Heat the oven to 190 degrees centigrade or 375 Fahrenheit.

Fold the edges of the foil tightly together over the salmon to seal, leaving some space in the parcel for steam to surround and cook the fish. Put the salmon parcel in the roasting tin and cook in the centre of the oven for 25 - 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon. Remove from the oven and without unwrapping the foil parcel, rest the fish for 5 - 10 minutes.

Unwrap the salmon and peel off the skin with a palette knife. Use the back of a spoon to slide the fish off the bone. Serve individual portions garnished with the caramelized lemons. Serves 4.

Pickled Red Onions

Pickled Red Onions

 Pickled red onions add a sweet & tangy pop of flavor to salads, sandwiches, burgers, and more! Once you make them, they'll keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Ingredients:
2 small red onions
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups water
1/3 cup cane sugar
2 tablespoons sea salt optional

2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon mixed peppercorns

Directions:

Thinly slice the onions (it's helpful to use a mandoline), and divide the onions between 2 (16-ounce) jars or 3 (10-ounce) jars. Place the garlic and peppercorns in each jar, if using

Heat the vinegar, water, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar and salt dissolve, about 1 minute. Let cool and pour over the onions. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then store the onions in the fridge.

Your pickled onions will be ready to eat once they're bright pink and tender - about 1 hour for very thinly sliced onions, or overnight for thicker sliced onions.

Three-Pepper Tenderloin Roast With Mushroom, Leek and Barley

Three-Pepper Tenderloin Roast

With Mushroom, Leek and Barley

Servings:6-8

Preparation Time:20 minutes

Cook Time:50 minutes

Crushed black, white, green and pink peppercorns are pressed into this luscious tenderloin roast that is served alongside roast vegetables and barley.

Ingredients

1 center-cut beef Tenderloin Roast (2 to 3 pounds)?

1 Tbs coarsely ground mixed peppercorns (black, white, green and pink)

1 lb. cremini or white button mushrooms, halved or quartered if large?

3 medium leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in half lengthwise then crosswise into 1/2-inch thick pieces

2 Tbs olive oil, divided

1 cup uncooked quick-cooking barley

2 1/2 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries or cherries

Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425°F. Press peppercorns evenly onto all surfaces of beef roast. Combine mushrooms, leek and 1-tablespoon oil; toss to coat. Arrange vegetables in single layer on rimmed baking sheet.

Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Insert ovenproof meat thermometer so tip is centered in thickest part of beef, not resting in fat. Do not add water or cover. Roast beef in 425°F oven 35 to 40 minutes for medium rare; 45 to 50 minutes for medium doneness. Roast vegetables 35 to 40 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring once.

Meanwhile, heat remaining 1-tablespoon oil in 3-quart saucepan until hot. Add barley and cook 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add broth and cherries; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer; covered, 10 to 12 minutes or until barley is tender. Keep warm.

Remove roast when meat thermometer registers 135°F for medium rare; 150°F for medium. Transfer roast to carving board; tent loosely with aluminum foil. Let stand 15 to 20 minutes. (Temperature will continue to rise about 10°F to reach 145°F for medium rare; 160°F for medium.)

Stir mushrooms and leeks into barley mixture. Carve roast into slices. Season barley and beef with salt, as desired. Serve with barley.

Beef Tenderloin With Shallots And Figs

BEEF TENDERLOIN WITH
SHALLOTS AND FIGS

I shared earlier that I had planted a Black Mission Fig Tree in my back yard in CA.  I was first introduced to fresh figs by our son-in-law on my first visit to Milano, Italy.  It has been a favorite fruit since.

The beef tenderloin is slow-roasted to ensure tenderness. To coarsely crack peppercorns, use a mortar and pestle or place peppercorns in a plastic bag and use a rolling pin.

Ingredients:
¼ cup olive oil
1 tbsp red peppercorns, coarsely cracked
1 tbsp green peppercorns, coarsely cracked
1 tsp sea salt
2 lbs premium beef tenderloin roast; tied, centre cut
6 whole ripe fresh figs, cut in half
18 small whole shallots, peeled (10 oz)
1 cup ruby port
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp fresh thyme, minced, about 8 sprigs
¼ cup unsalted butter, cold
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste


Directions:
Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Rub 1 tbsp olive oil, cracked pepper and salt over tenderloin.

Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in an ovenproof medium-size skillet on high heat. Sear tenderloin on all sides, about 1 minute per side.

Transfer tenderloin to plate and tent with foil.

In the same skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil and sear fig halves for 2 minutes per side, or until caramelized. Remove and reserve with tenderloin.

In the same skillet add 1 tbsp olive oil and shallots and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until soft.

Add port, balsamic vinegar and thyme and bring liquid to a boil.

Place tenderloin on top of the shallots and place figs around the tenderloin. Bake on middle rack in oven for 50 to 65 minutes or until desired doneness. For medium-rare, bring internal temperature to approximately 140ºF; or medium, 160ºF.

Remove tenderloin and figs and tent with foil. Reserve.

Bring remaining sauce to a boil and reduce to ½ cup.

Whisk in butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cut tenderloin into 6 pieces, plate with figs and shallots and spoon sauce over tenderloin. Serves 4 to 6