Praline

Praline is great in ice cream, parfaits even chocolates or to garnish a dessert. It is quite simple to make and you can just store in in an airtight box in a dry area.

200g Caster Sugar

60g Glucose

100ml Water

60g Almonds –Toasted

60g Pistachios – Toasted

60g Hazelnuts – Toasted

Method:

1. Boil the sugar, water and glucose to a caramel stage
2. Add all of the toasted nuts
3. Pour out onto a silicone matt and allow to cool
4. You can then either blitz the praline or break it up into pieces.

You could make popcorn praline by adding cooked popcorn to the praline as it is cooling down 

Guacamole

Seeing as today is St Patrick's Day, the recipe had to have some green in it, so here you go!

Guacamole is a great accompaniment to chili con carne it is also great with some tortilla chips and dip or even in a chicken wrap.

 Guacamole

2 Avocado

Fresh Coriander

3 Tomatoes

1 Chili

Juice of 4 Limes

Lime Zest

Seasoning

Method:

Chop the tomatoes and dice the chilies and chop the avocado I half and mash with a fork and add the tomatoes and the chilies with the remainder of the ingredients (for a quicker way remove the avocado from the skin and remove the seed and quarter the tomatoes and roughly chop the chili and place in a food mixer with the remainder if the ingredients.

Confit of duck, Lentils A La Crème with a Port Sauce

This recipe is FANTASTIC!, succulent duck with a rich sauce and creamy lentils, its definitely something different and i would recommend that you try it, its not that hard to make and would make ti appear as thought you have Gordon Ramsay-esque skills in the kitchen. This recipe serves 2.

Confit of Duck, Creamy lentils and a port sauce

2 Duck Legs 

Sliced Orange              

½ Tsp Of Nutmeg

3-4 Juniper Berries              

½ Tsp Of Clove

Piece Of Cinnamon            

2 Tsp Of Salt

Piece Of Star Anise             

1tsp Of White Pepper

Course Sea Salt   

Duck Or Goose Fat             

Small Mirepoix   

Piece Of Fresh Ginger

Method:

1. Trim duck legs (fat and knuckle bones).
2. If liked the thighbone may be completely removed.
3. Sprinkle with course sea and allow to sit, Prepare all other ingredients
4. Mix seasoning together and wash the salt from the duck legs and dry thoroughly.
5. Rub on seasoning and place mirepoix in braising pan and other ingredients.
6. Place duck on top and cover with melted duck fat.
7. Gently bring to the boil and place in a low oven for 2-2 ½ hours.
8. When cooked remove duck from the fat and crisp under hot grill or in hot oven.

Chocolate Beetroot Macaroons

Beetroot is great in salads, in risotto, soup, borscht it can be boiled, roasted, caramelized....it can do almost anything, I love doing sweet savoury, and beetroot has this sweetness to it. This is a classic sweet savoury combination, if you are looking to try something a little different. The only thing is when you are dealing with beetroot you must wear gloves or your hands will be purple for a day or 2.

150g Egg Whites
100g Caster Sugar
180g Ground Almonds
270g Icing Sugar
30g Cocoa Powder

200g Dark Chocolate
180g Whipping Cream
2 Drops of Ginger Extract
400g Unsalted Butter
100g Cooked Beetroot, Finely Grated/Pureed

Beetroot:

1. I would roast it, so preheat the oven to 200/ gas mark 5/6 depending on your oven, wrap the unpeeled beetroot in tin-foil and bake for 45 minutes, if you have a pair of rubber gloves - wear them, having pink/purple hands for the day or two is not fun at all. 
2. Take them out of the oven and when they are still warm, unwrap the tin-foil and peel the skin of the beetroot, then you can grate it and set it aside, if you want you could puree it to get a smoother texture. Then allow to cool.

Method:

1. Whip the egg whites to meringue and add the caster sugar.
2. Fold in the dry ingredients
3. For the filling: whipe the cream and fold in the beetroot puree - check for sweetness, add a pinch of suagr if you think it is necessary.
4. Bake at 120 degrees/gas mark 2-3 for 12 minutes

Marshmallows

I love marshmallows, perfect when there is a BBQ going but seeing as this is Ireland it is usually one day during the three months of Summer. Marshmallows are not just perfect for BBQ they complete a hot chocolate for those really cold nights, especially this time for the year.

250g Sugar

250g Glucose

85g Water

12g Leaf Gelatin – soaked in cold water

60g Egg Whites

Method:

1. Make an Italian meringue by bring the first three ingredients to 127’ and cool slightly before adding to the stiffly beaten egg whites.
2. Add the dissolved gelatin until the mix begins to set
3. Spread onto parchment paper lined tray with icing sugar on the bottom and the top and allow to set overnight, and then cut into squares, alternatively you could fill a piping bag and pipe into individual shapes. 

Sweet Chili Sauce

This isn't your typical sweet chili sauce this one has a kick so be warned!

100ml White Wine Vinegar
70g Castor Sugar
1 Birds Eye Chili
2 Red Chilies

Method:

1. Add the vinegar and sugar to a pot and bring to the boil
2. Allow to reduce to a caramel stage
3. Chop/ blitz the chilies and add to the caramel
4. Bring to the boil again
5. Take off the heat and allow to cool

Duck a L'orange

With this dish you could serve either rice or mustard and spinach mash to give a mix of flavours. In the picture is sauteed baby potatoes and stuffed cabbage

Duck A L'Orange (Serves 4)

4 Duck Breasts    

50g Butter

4 Oranges             

200ml Soy Sauce

1 Tsp Ground Cinnamon  

1 Tbs Honey

Method:

1. Zest two of the oranges. Juice three of them, and take the peeled segments from one. When segmenting that last orange, don’t just break it apart by hand - try to cut between the membranes.
2. Slash the fatty side of the duck breasts in a criss-cross pattern, through the skin and fat so the flesh shows through - best to do this while they’re still chilled as the firm flesh makes it easier to slice neatly.
3. Mix the orange juice with the zest, cinnamon, honey and soy sauce.
4. Place the duck breasts in a dish, skin side up, pour over the sauce.
5. Chill for 24 hours.
6. Pan-fry the duck, skin-side down, for 10 minutes on a gentle heat (the fat needs to melt and brown).
7. Drain off the fat and return the meat to the pan, other side down.
8. Add the orange segments, half of the marinade, and allow to reduce for five minutes.
9. Remove the meat and whisk in the butter to make a sauce.
10. Slice breasts attractively - don’t just serve them whole.
11. Best not to keep the leftover marinade - it’s had raw meat sitting in it for 24 hours. Though you could probably get away with marinating something else in it if used straight away.

Double Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies

Let’s see cookies… check! Mint….check! Most important loads of chocolate…. Check! Okay let’s start.

300g Dark Chocolate

114g Soft Butter

100g Sugar

90g Light Brown Sugar

4 Eggs, Lightly Beaten

½ Teaspoon Mint Extract

235g Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

½ Tsp Salt

200g Mint Chocolate

Method:

1. Melt the dark chocolate
2. Cream the butter and sugar
3. Add the eggs and the mint extract
4. Stir in the melted chocolate
5. Add all of the dry ingredients
6. Stir in the mint chocolate
7. Let the mix rest for 1 hour in the fridge
8. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 / 180 degrees
9. Bake for 12 -15 minutes, and enjoy!

Mince Pies

This is a great Christmas treat, as a gift idea or if you wanted to make them instead of buying them this mix will make over 36 mini minced pies and the cost will minimal as most of the ingredients would be what you have at home already: flour, eggs, sugar, butter all you need to have in stock is a jar of minced meat.

                                              Ingredients;

1kg Sweet Pastry

1 Jar of Mince Meat

Frangipane: equal quantities of ground almonds, whole eggs, sugar, butter. 

I used 200g of each which made the 36 minced pies.

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees/gas mark 6.
2. Make the sweet pastry as described in the recipe below, leave for 30 minutes before using.
3. Grease the tray and then line, I used a tian ring to cut out the bases, its lines the try and leaves a small rim in which to in-case the pie. 
4. Then I put a small teaspoon amount of the mincemeat on each of the cases and then top with some frangipane, you only need a teaspoon as this will expand. 
5. Then you pop the whole tray in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and then set aside to cool, arrange on a plate and dust with icing sugar, there you have it mini homemade mince pies. 

Pommes Fondant (Stock potatoes)

This recipe is great is you want a change for your Sunday dinner, The prep time isn't that much but the flavours are great!, I have decided to use these in the Christmas dinner this year, they never disappoint  This recipe is for about 8-10 People 

Pommes Fondant (Stock potatoes)

1.5kg Potatoes, Turned

250ml Clarified Butter

500ml Chicken Stock

Salt

Cracked peppercorns

Chopped Parsley

Method:

1. Toss the potatoes in the butter until coloured
2. Cover 2/3 with chicken stock and place in the preheated oven 220/ gas mark 7 for 45 minutes
3. Brush with melted butter halfway through cooking
4. Arrange on vegetable dishes and brush with melted butter and garnish with chopped parsley