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4 Next cook the fish. Heat a deep fat fryer with sunflower oil or a large sauté pan with about 2cm (¾in) oil. Take the fish out of the milk and drop it into the sesame flour. Toss it in the flour to completely cover each piece of fish and carefully place the fish into the pan of hot oil. Turn them after a minute and cook for 1 minute more – when the flour coating is golden, the fish should be cooked.
5 To serve, place the crispy goujons of fish on plates with the oven roast chips and mushy peas.
Irish Stew
The definitive recipe for Irish stew simply doesn’t exist as in the past each household would have had its own family recipe. It is said, however, that people in the south of Ireland always add carrots, but people north of County Tipperary do not. Many people make their stew by placing alternate layers of meat, onions, carrots and potatoes in a pot, seasoned with salt and pepper, covered with water and stewed gently for a couple of hours. If you sear the meat and vegetables before stewing, as we do at Ballymaloe, it seals in the delicious sweet flavour.
SERVES 4–6
1.5kg (3lb 5oz) mutton chops from the neck or shoulder, still on the bone, cut about 1.5cm (¾in) thick
3 tbsp olive oil
3 carrots, peeled and cut into thick slices at an angle, or 12 small baby carrots, scrubbed and left whole
12 baby onions, peeled, or 3–4 medium onions, cut into quarters through the root, which should keep the wedges intact
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
400ml (14fl oz) lamb or chicken stock or water
8–12 potatoes, peeled and halved if very large
Sprig of thyme
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp snipped fresh chives
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F), Gas mark 3.
2 Cut the chops in half, but keep the bones intact as they will give great flavour. Heat a medium-large ovenproof casserole pot or large saucepan with the olive oil until hot, then toss in the meat and cook for a minute on either side until it is nice and brown. Remove the meat and set aside and then cook the carrots and onions in the hot oil for a couple of minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Return the meat to the pot.
3 Add the stock and bring to the boil. Put the potatoes and sprig of thyme on top and transfer to the oven for 1½–2 hours or until the meat is very tender. When it is cooked, pour off the cooking liquid and allow it to sit for a minute until the fat floats to the top – adding a cube of ice will help speed this up. Spoon off the fat and pour the juices back over the stew. Add the chopped herbs and serve.
Rachel’s handy tip
If the potatoes are quite small, add them 20–30 minutes after the stew starts cooking to avoid them breaking up.
Pork Chops with Apple Sauce and Mustard Mash
This is just such a wonderful, old-fashioned family favourite and is destined to be so forever. I remember it well from our own family dinners. My mum used to serve the mustard and the mash separately on the plate and I would mix the mustard into the mash, even though this wasn’t her intent! It’s now evolved and I serve it as ‘mustard mash’, demonstrating that family recipes often change over time.
SERVES 4–6
FOR THE MUSTARD MASH
Follow the Perfect Mash recipe on page 27
2–3 tbsp grainy mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE APPLE SAUCE
1 large cooking apple (350g/12oz), peeled, cored and roughly chopped
1 tbsp water
Tiny pinch cinnamon (optional)
25–50g (1–2oz) caster sugar
FOR THE PORK CHOPS
1–2 pork chops per person
Olive oil
1 First prepare the mash on page 27, then stir in the grainy mustard to taste and add some salt and pepper.
2 Next make the apple sauce. Place the apple in a small saucepan with the water. Put the lid on and cook over a gentle heat (stir every now and then) until the apple has broken down to a mush. Add the cinnamon, if using, and sugar to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
3 To cook the chops, remove excess fat from the chops and then drizzle with olive oil and freshly ground black pepper. Place a large frying pan on a high heat. When it’s good and hot, add the pork chops and sprinkle with a little sea salt. Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate, cover and rest in a warm oven for 5 minutes.
4 To assemble, remove excess fat from the chops if you wish and place the chops on a serving plate with some mustard mash and a little apple sauce on the side.
Flapjacks
These flapjacks really remind me of when I was little, cooking with my sister and mum. The flapjacks were never safe from us – we used to eat most of them before they had even cooled! Perfect with a glass of cold milk.
MAKES 25–30 FLAPJACKS VEGETARIAN
350g (12oz) butter
2 generous tbsp golden syrup
175g (6oz) light muscovado or soft light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
75g (3oz) plain flour
375g (13oz) oats
1 Preheat the oven to 180oC (350oF), Gas mark 4.
2 Place the butter, golden syrup, sugar and vanilla extract in a large saucepan. Bring up to a simmer and stir, allowing the butter to melt. When the mixture is smooth, take off the heat and add in the flour and the oats. Stir to mix and spread into a Swiss roll tin measuring 25 x 38cm (10 x 15in).
3 Bake in the oven (not too close to the top or it will burn) for 20–25 minutes or until golden. Cut into squares or fingers while still warm. Remove from the tin carefully while they are still slightly warm and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Variations
This is a great basic recipe to which you can add the following for a change:
Fruity flapjacks: 100g (4oz) of raisins, sultanas or chopped dates – or even chocolate chips!
Banana flapjacks: 1 mashed banana added into the wet ingredients (also good with chocolate chips!).
Flapjacks with seeds: 75g (3oz) seeds, such as pumpkin or sesame.
Ginger flapjacks: 75g (3oz) finely chopped crystallised ginger.
Banana and Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding
This is a variation of classic basic bread and butter pudding that my mum used to make for me as a special treat, particularly if I was feeling under the weather. The banana flavour isn’t overpowering, it just adds a delicious sweetness.
SERVES 4–6
VEGETARIAN
2 tbsp chocolate spread
12 slices of white bread, crusts removed
350ml (12fl oz) single cream
350ml (12fl oz) milk
4 eggs
Pinch of salt
100g (4oz) caster sugar
2 bananas
2 tbsp granulated sugar, for topping
TO SERVE
Cocoa powder
Softly whipped cream (optional)
1 Spread a very thin layer of chocolate spread on the slices of bread. Arrange four slices, chocolate-side down in a 25cm (10in) square or similar rectangular gratin dish, or a similar-sized dish. Top with another four slices of bread, chocolate-side down, and finish with the last four slices, also chocolate-side down.
2 Place the cream and milk in a saucepan and bring to just under the boil.
3 While they are heating up, whisk the eggs, salt and sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Mash the bananas on a plate with a fork and add them to the eggs, then whisk in the hot cream and milk. Pour this custard over the bread and leave to soak for 10 minutes. When you are ready to cook, sprinkle the sugar over the top.
4 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4.
5 Place the gratin dish in a bain-marie (a larger ovenproof dish that has enough water in it to go 2.5cm [1in] up the sides of the gratin dish) and cook in the oven for 45–50 minutes or until it feels just set in the centre. Remove from the oven and serve warm with a light dusting of cocoa powder and some softly whipped cream, if you wish.
Rachel’s handy tip
If you want to prepare this pudding a day ahead of serving, don’t heat up the cream and milk – just pour it cold over the bread and store in the fridge until ready to cook.
Ballymaloe Balloons
‘Balloons’ are like doughnuts and are one of my husband, Isaac’s, very favourite childhood treats. This is a recipe from Isaac’s grandmother, Myrtle Allen, who used to make these with her own mother when she was a child. She made them regularly for all the Allen grandchildren, and she still quite often makes these for the little guests staying at Ballymaloe for children’s tea (and occasionally still for Isaac!). They’re very simple and quick to make.
MAKES ABOUT 12 BALLOONS VEGETARIAN
140g (scant 5oz) plain flour
2–4 tsp caster sugar, plus 25g (1oz) for tossing the balloons
Pinch of salt
1 level tsp baking powder
200ml (7fl oz) milk
1 Heat a deep fat fryer to 190oC (375oF). Place the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk to mix. Add the milk gradually, whisking all the time until you have a thick batter.
2 When the oil is hot in the deep fat fryer, take a dessertspoonful of the mixture and push it off gently using another spoon, so that it drops in a round ball into the oil. Repeat with the remaining batter to make about 12 balloons. Fry until deep golden, about 4–5 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking. Remove, drain on kitchen paper and toss in caster sugar (I sometimes add some ground cinnamon to the sugar), and serve warm.
Rachel’s handy tip
If you don’t have a deep fat fryer, you can fry the balloons in a wide sauté pan in the same way as the Sesame Goujons of Fish on page 42.
Rhubarb and Custard Tart
Rhubarb and custard make such a great old-fashioned combination, and I love making them into a tart. As a child, we always made this with our own rhubarb, fresh from the garden. We always knew summer was approaching when the first rhubarb appeared.
SERVES 4–6 VEGETARIAN
FOR THE PASTRY
150g (5oz) plain flour
25g (1oz) icing sugar
100g (4oz) butter
1 egg, whisked
FOR THE FILLING
4 egg yolks
4 generous tbsp honey (about 100g/4oz)
300ml (1/2 pint) double cream
225g (8oz) rhubarb, trimmed and sliced into 2cm (3/4in) lengths (if the stalks are very wide, cut them in half lengthways first)
1 First, make the pastry. Place the flour and icing sugar in a medium-sized bowl. Rub in the butter, then add most of the egg (you probably won’t need it all) to make the dough come together. Add a tablespoon of water to the remaining egg to make egg wash, and reserve. Slightly flatten the pastry, cover and place in the fridge for about 30 minutes (or 10 minutes in the freezer), until chilled.
2 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4. Grease a 23cm (9in) shallow tart tin with a removable base with a little butter.
3 When you are ready to roll out the pastry, remove it from the fridge and place between two sheets of cling film that are larger than your tart tin. Using a rolling pin, roll out the pastry until it’s about 5mm (1/4in) thick and large enough to line the base and sides of the prepared tin. Remove the top layer of cling film and place the pastry upside down (cling film side facing up) in the tart tin. Press into the edges, cling film still attached, and, using your thumb, ‘cut’ the pastry on the edge of the tin to give a neat finish. Remove the cling film and pop the pastry in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.
4 Next, ‘blind bake’ the pastry case to partially cook it before adding its filling. Line the pastry with greaseproof paper (leaving plenty to come up the sides), fill with baking beans or dried pulses (you can use these over and over), and bake for about 10 minutes in the oven, until the pastry feels dry. Remove the paper and beans, brush with a little egg white and return to the oven for 4–5 minutes. Take out of the oven and put to one side while you prepare the filling.
5 In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the yolks with the honey, add the cream and mix. Pour the custard into the case almost to the top, then arrange the rhubarb on top. It can be easier to do all this while the case is sitting on a rack in the oven to avoid spilling the mixture. Bake for 30 minutes or until just set. Let cool to room temperature.
Making Memories
So many of our own memories of childhood often centre around the kitchen. One of the joys of being an adult is sharing those experiences with our own children and teaching them new skills that they will hopefully pass on to their own children. Even simple tasks, such as mashing potatoes, can plant the seeds for future memories. It’s more about spending time together and helping children gain confidence which will carry over into so many other parts of their lives. It helps to choose recipes in which they can take an active part or get creative so they can be proud of their work. Have fun and enjoy!
Cheesy Sodabread
All children love playing with dough, and with this Irish soda bread dough you can be as creative as you like. I often leave out the herbs; sometimes I leave out the cheese and replace the herbs with a handful of chopped milk or dark chocolate, or even raisins or dried cranberries. These scones can be cut into any shapes that your little ones like, though if handled and kneaded too much they will get slightly tough.
MAKES ABOUT 16 SCONES VEGETARIAN
450g (1lb) plain white flour
1 level tsp salt
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tbsp chopped fresh herbs, such as rosemary, thyme, sage, parsley or chives
400ml (14fl oz) buttermilk or sour milk (to sour milk, add 3 generous tbsp natural yoghurt or juice from 1/2 lemon to 400ml/14fl oz fresh milk)
About 75g (3oz) Cheddar or Gruyère cheese, grated
1 Preheat the oven to 250°C (475°F), Gas mark 9.
2 Sieve the dry ingredients into a bowl, then mix in the chopped herbs. Make a well in the centre. Pour in all the milk at once. Using one hand, with your fingers outstretched like a claw, stir in a full circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl. The dough should be softish, though not too wet and sticky.
3 When the dough comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Pat the dough until it is about 2cm (3/4in) thick. Cut into round or square shapes about the size of a scone, then place on a floured baking tray. Generously sprinkle each sodabread scone with the grated cheese.
4 Place the tray in the oven. Cook for 10-20 minutes (depending on size) until golden and sounding hollow when tapped on the bottom. Turn the oven down to 200°C (400°F), Gas mark 6 after 10 minutes if they are already golden.
Variations
To make chocolate chip sodabread, omit the cheese and replace the herbs with 75-100g (3-4oz) of chopped dark or milk chocolate or chocolate chips. You could also add an egg to the buttermilk and 1 tablespoon of caster sugar to increase the richness. It’s also delicious with 100g (4oz) of raisins or dried cranberries.
Wholemeal Honey Bread
Making yeast bread from scratch is becoming a lost art, but it is the perfect thing both for teaching new skills and for having fun with your children. Even if you’ve never made bread before, why not spend the time together as a family learning to get it right? Children always have such fun watching and waiting for the dough to rise and then punching it down. Although you should put aside a whole morning or afternoon for this, you’ll be able to get on with plenty of other things while the bread is rising. This is a simple and tasty bread, and once you have mastered it you’ll want to move on to other flavours and combinations (see variations, opposite).
MAKES 2 X 900G (2LB)
LOAVES
VEGETARIAN
450ml (16fl oz) warm water
3 tbsp honey
3 tsp dried or fast-acting yeast or 40g (13/4oz) fresh yeast
600g (1lb 7oz) strong white flour
300g (11oz) wholemeal flour
2 tsp salt
100g (4oz) butter, cut
into cubes
1 In a small bowl, mix the warm water with the honey, add the yeast and leave to stand for 5 minutes until slightly frothy.
2 Place the flours in a big mixing bowl (or the bowl of an electric food mixer) and mix in the salt and then rub in the butter. Pour most of the frothy liquid into the flour and mix to a dough – it should not be too wet and sticky; if it’s too dry, add more warm water and if it’s too wet, add more flour.
3 Knead by hand on a floured surface or in the mixer for about 10 minutes (it may only take 5 minutes in the mixer) until the dough is smooth and springy. Place in a lage oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave somewhere warm (like a warm spot in your kitchen) for 2–3 hours until it’s doubled in size. It has risen enough when it does not spring back when you push your finger onto the dough.
4 When it’s risen, knock it back by punching it down in the bowl (my children love this bit!) and kneading on the floured surface for 1 minute. Allow to rest on the work surface, covered with a tea towel for 5 minutes before shaping it. I usually shape this into two round or oval loaves but, of course, you can make individual rolls if you wish (you would get about 20 rolls). Slash the loaves four or five times over the top with a sharp knife (I don’t do this with rolls). Do make sure you flatten the loaves and rolls to about 4cm (11/2in) high because they will rise.
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