Kilkenny Castle Cookery Demonstration
Well today was the first ever open day at Kilkenny Castle with lots of free activities arranged for anyone who wanted to stop by. It was a wonderful day and had a real ‘feel good’ feel to it.
I was asked to close the event with a cookery demonstration which went great.
The recipes I demonstrated I now attach herewith for your reference and trials!
Happy Cooking!
Edward
Edward’s Brown Bread
One of the most popular recipes in my first cookery book, ‘Edward Entertains’, was the walnut & treacle bread. Brown bread, of any variety, is so popular so i decided to slightly edit the walnut & treacle version and give you my wonderful recipe for truly magnificent brown bread. Besides from the wonderful taste this bread is super simple to make-which just adds to the appeal!!
12oz/350g coarse wholemeal flour
2oz/50g plain flour
2oz/50g porridge oats
Pinch salt
2 level teaspoon bread soda
2 large eggs
1 dessertspoon of sunflower oil
18floz/500ml buttermilk.
Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas Mark 3
Put the flours, sieved bread soda, salt and porridge oats into a large mixing bowl and well them well.
In a separate bowl beat the eggs together with the oil and add to the dry mixture.
Next mix in the buttermilk and get the mix to a “sloppy” consistency.
Pour into a well greased 2lb loaf tin and smooth the top of the bread with a wet spoon.
Sprinkle the top of the bread with some additional porridge oats.
After the hour has elapsed remove the bread from the tin and return to the oven to bake for a further 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and allow the bread to cool down.
Additional Notes:
2 tablespoons treacle in the wet mix makes darker & sweeter bread.
This bread stays fresh for about 4-5 days.
It can be successfully frozen.
The mixture can be spooned into muffin tins and baked (approx 25-30 minutes @ 180C)
If you are nervous of the bread not coming out of the loaf tin use a strip of parchment paper across the middle to ease it out if problems arise. Sometimes a sharp tap on a flat surface works a treat also!
Red Lentil & Vegetable Soup
This is a different style of soup than the others in that it is a chunky broth style of soup. The lentils add a depth of flavour but because they are a thickening agent we do not add them too early in the cooking process or in too plentiful a supply.
We are leaving it chunky in this incidence but you can blitz it just like the rest of them.
5oz/150g red lentils
1 large carrot (peeled)
1 large onion (peeled)
2 sticks of celery
1 leek
3 cloves of garlic
5 rashers of bacon
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 ½ pints/850ml vegetable stock
1 rounded teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
1 tin chopped tomatoes
½ teaspoon tomato puree
The first and perhaps hardest task is to prepare all of the vegetables.
Peel the relevant vegetables and dice them all into small dice and set aside.
Dice the bacon into small pieces also and set aside.
Peel and crush the garlic.
Heat a large saucepan with a drizzle of oil. Add in the crushed garlic, bacon and diced vegetables and sauté gently for 8-10 minutes. Add the red lentils and sweat them off with the vegetables for another minute of two. At this stage mix in the tomato puree, chopped tomatoes and thyme sprigs. The chilli flakes can be added at this stage also if you are using them.
Next mix in the vegetable stock and bring the mixture gently to the boil.
Season the soup at this stage.
Reduce the soup to a gentle simmer and cook until all of the vegetables are soft and tender.
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with a sprig of flat leaf parsley.
Serve with crispy breadsticks.
Rich Lamb Casserole With Gratin Topping
This is a real winter warmer, perfect for those fast approaching winter days. If you want to cook this in its entirety on the range without the gratin topping feel free to do this also. Sometimes I would use a creamy potato topping instead (much like a cottage pie effect) and this also works wonderfully well. As with all slow cooked dishes it is delicious on the next day as well. It takes a bit of time to prepare but it is definitely worth the effort.
1 tablespoon oil
2lb/900g stewing lamb-cut into cubes
2 medium onions-diced
3 cloves garlic-chopped
2 large carrots-cut into cubes
7oz/200g turnip-cut into cubes
8-10 button mushrooms-sliced or quartered
2 tablespoons plain flour
Tiny pinch cayenne pepper/smoked paprika
800ml/1 ½ pints well flavoured chicken/beef stock-approx
½ glass red wine
3-4 spring of fresh thyme
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Salt and ground black pepper
Topping:
4 large potatoes-peeled and thinly sliced
1oz/25g butter-melted
Heat a large saucepan with the oil over a gentle heat and add in the diced lamb and quickly seal the meat all over. Once the meat has browned off (approx 4-5 minutes) add in the button mushrooms, onions, garlic, carrot & turnip together with a little salt and pepper. Cook for a further moment or two.
Next mix the flour with a little cayenne pepper and add this to the lamb mixture in the saucepan and use it to coat all of the beef and vegetables with the flour -This will give a fluffy dry coating to the contents of the saucepan. Do not worry about the flour browning off as this will just give a good colour to the sauce later on.
Gradually pour in the stock (which you should have brought to the boil) and stir continuously until the sauce begins to thicken. Add in the red wine, tomato puree, thyme sprigs and Worcestershire sauce now and allow the entire mixture to come to the boil. Once the mixture comes to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 ½ -2 hours until the beef is tender.
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas Mark 5.
Transfer the entire mixture to a large casserole dish and allow to cool slightly.
Arrange the thinly sliced potatoes on top of the cooled mixture in a decorative fashion. Brush with the melted butter and pop into the oven for 25-30 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through. Sprinkle with some chopped parsley.
Baked Fillet of Pork, Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce
Fillet of pork is a really indulgent option and people often wonder what the best way to cook it actually is. Here we attempt to demystify a very delicious dinner party favourite.
1lb/450g Fillet of pork –cut into 4 pieces
2 sprigs thyme
100ml stock/white wine
Wild Mushroom Cream Sauce:
7oz/200g mixed wild mushrooms
2 shallots-thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic-crushed
7floz/200ml pouring cream
7floz/200ml chicken stock
½ measure of whiskey
1 tablespoon snipped chives
3oz/75g blue cheese
Heat a pan until smoking hot. Brush with a little oil.
Place the medallions of pork on the pan. Cook for about 2-3 minutes each side
Add some white wine/stock to the pan together with the thyme and transfer to a preheated oven (180C/350F/Gas Mark 4) for 15-20 minutes until pork is thoroughly cooked..
Meanwhile quickly make up the sauce.
Heat a deep based pan with a little butter and then add the crushed garlic, sliced shallots and mixed wild mushrooms. Cook gently until they are all softened down.
Next add in the whiskey and allow that to bubble up a little.
Next pour in the cream and the stock and allow the entire mixture to come to the boil. Crumble in the blue cheese and this will thicken the sauce for you.
Continue to simmer for approximately 5-10 minutes and then season as required.
Scatter in the snipped chives.
Serve immediately with the baked pork.
Suitable Accompaniments:
Sometimes I like to serve this dish with some creamy mashed potatoes and some sautéed spinach.
Wild Berry Crumble
A crumble is a very traditional dessert but one which is always very popular. This dessert can be frozen very successfully and retained until required at a later stage.
Sweet Pastry:
10oz/300g plain flour
5oz/150g caster sugar
5oz/150g butter
1 large egg
If making pastry in a food mixer:
Put all ingredients into mixer and mix until bound together.
Wrap in cling film and allow to rest.
Use as required.
If making pastry by the ‘rubbing in’ method:
Place the sifted flour in a large bowl with the caster sugar.
Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Beat the eggs together and add to the dry ingredients and bind it together.
Wrap in cling film and allow to rest.
Compote:
2 large cooking apples-peeled and diced
4 sticks rhubarb-diced
5oz/150g mixed berries
50g caster sugar
1 tablespoon water
Bring to the boil for 3-4 minutes. Allow to cool down.
Crumble:
200g porridge oats
110g butter-melted
125g brown sugar
Pinch cinnamon
2oz/50g flaked almonds
Rub all ingredients together.
Line a buttered tartlet mould with sweet pastry.
½ fill with apple and mixed berry compote
Scatter with some of the crumble topping
Bake in a hot oven for 25-30 minutes (190C/375F/Gas Mark 5)
