Recipes

Irish Farm House Cheese Parcel

Cashel Blue Cheese sandwiched between pieces of Durras and Mileens wrapped in fine pastry and baked in the oven for five to seven minutes until the cheese melts and the pastry parcel puffs up and turns a biscuit colour brown. The parcel is then placed on the root vegetable salads which are dressed with the tangy dressing.

Ingredients
3 ozs rectangular slice of Cashel Blue Cheese 6 in sq. leaf of Filo Pastry
3 oz same size slice of Durras Egg wash
3 oz same size slice of Milleens 2 ozs butter
1/2 a peeled Carrot 1/2 a peeled Parsnip
1/2 a Courgette Table spoon of Balsmic Vinegar.

Dressing for the root salad
Beat together in a bowl or liquidise:

Good pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper
Teaspoon of castor sugar
Tablespoon of white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons of olive oil
2 tablespoons of fresh chopped herbs
Yolk of an egg.

Method
Wrap the pieces of cheese with the Cashel Blue in the middle in the Filo Pastry and seal the parcel and brush with the egg wash . Place in a small heated pan that contains a little oil and is ok to put in an oven after the parcel has gained a little colour.The parcel should be cooked in about five to seven minutes. Meanwhile make a fine julienne of the root vegetables and toss in the dressing. Place on th. cold serving plate like a small hay stack. Dribble some of the dressing around the edge of the plate and then dribble the balsmatic vinegar in droplets around on top of the dressing at the edge of the plate. The cheese parcel will now be ready so arrange it in top of the vegetables and serve.

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Red Bank Brown Bread

The White River Mill at Dunleer in County Louth is rather special. The mill has a date stone 1698 just a few years following the Battle of the Boyne. The mill has been a source of much valued stone ground flour and has had many famous visitor over the 300 years of milling. We will leave all reference to Oliver Cromwell out just to say if he kept eating the porridge from the White River Mill his temperament would have been much improved. He was sorely in need of roughage much to the cost of all in Drogheda some years later.

The present miller Gerrard Connor continues the long tradition (just work out how many millers have controlled the wheel in 300 years). The mill in completely water powered with no electricity at all except for a long extension lead coming of the letterbox for his house across the courtyard. The mill has a head of water in a lake which is full of specimen trout. The water is funnelled in a trough by opening small sluice gates. Once the sluice gates are opened the water surges towards the giant wheel waiting expectantly. Everything is silent and slowly the wheel starts to move at first barely and then powerfully the whole mill starts to rumble and shake to life. One is left rather like a child considering "Willie Wonker's Toy Factory" Everywhere there are big cog wheels with wooden teeth feeding lesser wheels. Everything is moving and one is in awe of the power. You certainly would not feel like poking a leg out to see if the wheel was ok. The giant milling stones are made from Sandstone from the Seine near Paris and date back to the schooner days when they were used as a commercial ballast and extra revenue for the Captain. These special milling stones produce a rather course grind and on its own can it can be difficult to get it to bind so we have added some plain flower and this has overcome our earlier problems.

Ingredients
8 ozs "White River Mill" Dunleer Stone Ground Flower 1 Treaspoon bread soda
1 1/2 ozs Bran 10 Fl ozs Buttermilk
1 1/2 ozs Wheatgerm 2 Fl ozs Cream
Pinch of Salt Pinch sugar

1 x 1 lb Loaf Tin
Oven setting 375 F (preheated)
Cooking Time 45 Minutes

Method
Sieve the plain flower and bread soda into a bowl and then add all the other ingredients. Mix and then add the cream and buttermilk and continue to mix. Sprinkle the base of the tin with flower and fill in the mixture. Brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with pinhead oatmeal for an attractive finish and bake.

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Dublin Bay Prawn Bisque

Skerries is a small village with an active seafishing fleet on the outskirts of Dublin the capital of Ireland. We are lucky here as the farmers grow the vegetables for the Dublin Vegetable Markets and the area is known as Fingal. It was from this area that Brian Boru launched his attack on the Vikings at the battle of Clontarf. The fishing port is famous for its landings of the World renound DublinBay Prawns. In the 17 th Centuary larger trading vessels to Dublin then the principal city of the British Empire outside London used carry some of the crews wives with them. While these sailing vessels lay off Dublin Port the wives caught and sold the prawns in the streets of the city and so their name and fame spread all over the World.

Prawns differ all over the world and of course Dublin Bay Prawns are the best in the World. However this soup can be adapted using other varities of prawns no matter where you are in the World.This dish with the inclusion of boiled potatoes as a side dish could easily pass for lunch. Suggested Drink :- Good dry Chardonnay or a champagne type wine. However a Glass of Guiness is equally good.

Ingredients
4 Lbs Whole Prawns
1 Lb Fresh Tomatoes and tble spoon of Puree.
1/2 head of cellery and 2 Carrotts both chopped
4. Spriggs of both Tarogon and parsley
1/4 Lb Mushrooms Chopped and 1 Onion chopped.
3 leaves of bay leaf and 3 cloves with 3 garlic colves crushed.
1 cup of dry white wine and a cup of brandy
1/2 Pt fresh cream and 3 egg yoaks and one cup of olive oil and Tbl Spoon Flower.

Method
First we will make the stock to cook the prawns in. This stock once the prawns have been cooked in it is not discarded but used as the stock to make the bisque. In a pot large enough to fit the prawns depending on the their size put in the olive oil and heat.

Then add the chopped veg, herbs and wine.

Sweat these to get the flavour out then add 4 to six pts of cold water and let come almost to the point of boiling. Plung in the whole prawns and just bring to the boil . The prawns will now be cooked sufficiently. Do not over cook. Remove the prawns and let cool. Remove the heads and shell the prawns ... all the shells place on a baking tray and place the prawn shells in a hot oven to bake. This might seem odd but it is necessary to obtain the fullest flavour to the soup. Meanwhile in another pot melt the butter and add the flower and cook the flower and butter gently .Then add the tomatoe puree.Put in the baked prawn heads and finally add the cooking stock with the veg and bring back to the boil. simmer for one hour then add the brandy and stir. Cook for a further 10 minutes and strain.Beat the egg yokes and cream together and add to the bisque. Do not let boil or the egg will curdle .The bisque will now thicken. Arrange the peeled prawns in bowls or soup plates and pour the bisque over the prawns.

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Fillet of Hake "Kenure House"

Kenure House was a Paladin Mansion in the next parish of Rush. It was made famous during the filming of Ten Little Indians which starred Hugh O' Brien, Shirley Eaton, Dali Lavi etc. and was based on the Agatha Christy Book. In the grounds of the now demolished house was a fine kitchen garden and among the many plants gone wild was "Horseradish Root". It is usually served with roast beef. At one time I worked with a native Chinese cook and he explained how at home horseradish was used to bring out the flavour of fish and so this is how I came to develop this Hake Dish. Hake is a very fine fish indeed and grossly underrated in Ireland where plenty of it is caught and has to be mixed with cod to sell it.The Spanish Trawlers take great risks in our coastal waters to catch Hake were it is considered the Champagne of Fish in the Spanish Markets.

This will feed four people as a main course. If you cannot fillet it the fish monger will oblige.Ask also to skin it for you. Take the head ,skin and bones with you as you can make an excellent stock for Seafood Chowder and some stock we will need for the cooking process.

Ingredients
One 3 - 4 lbs Hake on the Bone.
Small 4 oz jar of Horseradish Relish
Cup of Whipped Cream
2 ozs of very cold butter for the sauce.
Salt and Peppe
Equipment:- One domestic steamer or a Chineese Bambo Steamer.

Method
Cut the two filleted sides in two even pieces each making now four pieces. Check for pin bones and remove them. They are quite large so easy to spot. Fold the horseradish relish and whipped cream together and past it in the inside side of the four pieces of fish. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Fold over the fillets squashing the cream mixture in the middle. Put three cups of fish stock in the bottom of the steamer. Place the fillets in the pressure steamer with what ever veg in season that will cook in less than five minutes. eg snow peas in the market now.. Place the lid on the steamer and place over the heat . When the pressure is up add the weight and steam for five minute .Depreasurize and open steamer lift out the fish and arrange on hot plates with the veg.Now the advantage of the steamer is that all the juices from the fish and veg has collected in the bottom of the vessel.This is what we now make the excellent sauce from.

Simply add an egg cup of cream and reduce over a high heat Do not loose your nerve reduce by 3/4 volume and add 2 ozs of butter shake around the pot until melted in and the pour around the fish. Serve with boiled potatoes.

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Carlingford Oysters Tain Bo
Queen Maibh from Connemara would have come East to have dinner with Ferdia or steal his cooks rather than steal his bull if the Thua De Dannan could cook like this.

Ingredients
6 Carlingford Oysters 1 1/2 pts Fish stock
2 Black Sole x 1 lb 3 Eggs
1 pt cream Salt and Pepper
4 Strands Carrageen Moss Seaweed 2 Measures Cooley Whiskey
10 broad leaves spinach (Wild Spinach if available) 1 measure of Guinness Stout
1 clove garlic crushed. 1/2 lb Wild Salmon Fillet.
1/4 Lb Unsalted Butter. Teaspoon Rich Soy Sauce
2 Carrots 4 Asparagus Spears
4 potatoes
Teaspoon Oyster Sauce for the Garnish

Method
Open the oysters and try to reserve the juices. Fillet the soles and in a food processor place the four smaller fillets with four of the raw oysters and the wild salmon fillet . Blend until roughly mixed. Add the crushed garlic clove and seasoning. Separate the whites and yokes of egg and add all the whites and one yoke to the blended mixture , further puree until smooth and then add 1/4 pt of cream slowly blending until the mixture is bound together in a smooth paste.

Place 1 pt of fish stock in a suitable pot and bring to simmer add the spinach leaves and blanch . Remove allow to cool and then place on the sole fillets. Spread some of the oyster and fish mousse on the four remaining fillets and role up from the tail end. Skewer with a cocktail stick or wrap in cling film to hold in place.

Using two buttered dariold moulds or an old tea cups place some of the oysterpaste in each mould. Then place the remaining oyster and then the last of the paste. Put the moulds and the oyster stuffed soles into the simmering fish stock with the strands of Carrageen moss and cook until firm to the touch.

Mould the garnish vegetables into attractive presentable shapes and place into the simmering stock until cooked.

Meanwhile in separate pan reduce the remaining fish stock to make a fish cream sauce using the remaining cream and unsalted butter. Heat a small pan and flame off the alcohol from the whiskey. Add some of the cooking stock from the pot with the fillets and veg cooking juices to the whiskey and reduce a little then add some of the fish cream and we have the Cooley Mountain Whiskey Sauce. In bowl blend the two remaining egg yokes with two egg cups of guinness and some rich soy sauce and oyster sauce and the reserved oyster juices mentioned at the start, whisk into the remaining fish cream and we have the Brown Bull of Cooley Guinness Sauce. Mave would have had her man fit to bull cows at this stage ! Place the Guinness Sauce in the centre of a plate and the whiskey sauce around the edge. Feather lightly. Place the oyster mould in the centre and then carve the sole fillets and arrange around the oyster mould. Arrange the green white and gold vegetable garnish and present.