2007 Recipes

Recipes created for the Irish Food Writers’ Guild Food Awards 2007 by chef Derry Clarke of l’Ecrivain Restaurant, Baggot Street, Dublin 2, showcasing the 2007 award winners.

Roast Lamb, Beetroot Chutney, Liver Brochette, Shallot Purèe, Lamb Jus, Herb Crust

Herb Crust:

  • 20g pine nuts
  • 100g parsley
  • 20g bread crumbs
  • 10g Parmesan cheese

Shallot Purée:

  • 25g butter
  • 2 shallots (peeled & sliced)
  • 1 clove of garlic (peeled & crushed)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 150ml cream
  • Salt & freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 medium potato (cooked & mashed)

Lamb:

  • 2 X 400g rack of lamb (french trimmed)
  • Salt & freshly ground pepper

Liver Kebab:

  • 100g lambs liver (diced in 1cm cubes)
  • Rosemary sprigs

Beetroot Glaze:

  • Jar of Meadowsweet Beetroot Chutney

Lamb Jus:

  • 15g butter
  • 1 shallot, peeled & diced
  • 1 clove of garlic, peeled & sliced
  • 3 sprigs of thyme
  • 1 tablespoon white wine
  • 200ml lamb jus
  • Salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the herb crust:

Blend all herb crust ingredients in a food processor until a fine consistency is achieved.

To cook the Lamb:

Seal the Lamb on all sides for 1 minute.

Brush with Dijon mustard, and press into herb crust.

Coat with the beetroot glaze (made by heating the beetroot chutney with 100ml white wine vinegar & reducing over a medium heat to glaze consistency).

Place in a preheated oven at 190˚C/375˚F for 15 minutes.

Pan fry the liver kebab for 30 seconds on each side

Lamb Jus:

Melt the butter in the small saucepan & gently cook the shallot, garlic & thyme until soft.

Add the lemon juice & wine & reduce by half.

Next, pour in the wine & reduce to sauce consistency.

Pass through a sieve, retaining the sauce & season.

Keep warm.

Shallot Purée:

Heat the butter in a saucepan.

Cook the shallot & garlic over a low heat until they are translucent.

Turn up the heat & add the bay leaf, thyme & chicken stock.

Reduce until the liquid has almost evaporated.

Add the cream & continue to cook until the cream has reduced by half & the shallot is cooked.

Remove the bay leaf & thyme & pulverise in a blender.

Add the salt, pepper & warm mashed potato.

To serve:

Place the shallot purée in the centre of the plate. Cut the lamb into cutlets, and arrange on the purée, spoon the beetroot chutney on the side of the plate & garnish with lamb kebab.

Apple Tarte Tatin with Lemon & Meadowsweet Honey Ice Cream

For Tarte Tatin:

  • 2 Granny smith Apples (slice apple with 3inch thick diameter, core removed & outer skin removed)
  • 110g granulated sugar
  • 110g butter

300g puff pastry: (frozen may be used if preferred)

  • 150g strong white flour
  • 150g unsalted butter
  • Squeeze lemon juice
  • 90ml cold water
  • Pinch of salt

For the Lemon & Meadowsweet Honey Ice Cream:

  • 275 ml milk
  • 6 egg yolks
  • 75g castor sugar
  • 150ml cream, lightly whipped
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 100g Meadowsweet Honey

For the puff pastry:

Place the flour in a large bowl.

Add the salt.

Rub 15g of the butter into the flour, then add the lemon juice & enough water to make a soft dough that does not stick to the bowl.

Knead to a smooth dough.

Roll the dough into a ball & wrap in cling film.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Cut a cross in the ball of the dough.

Pull out the four corners in the shape of a star leaving the centre about 15mm thick.

Roll out each corner to a quarter of the thickness of the centre.

Knead the remaining butter & place it in the centre in a paste.

Fold over the corners & enclose the butter completely, excluding any air.

Fold the pastry in three & roll it out in the opposite direction to the way it was rolled previously, then wrap in three again.

Wrap the dough in clingfilm & refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Repeat the rolling & folding procedure twice more.

Rest the pastry for 1 hour before using. 

For the lemon & Meadowsweet Honey ice cream:

Put the milk in a sauce pan & bring to the boil.

Whisk the egg yolks & sugar together.

Remove the milk from the heat & pour onto the egg mixture, whisking continuously.

Pour the mixture back into the saucepan & return to the heat, stirring continuously until the mixture thickens & coats the back of a spoon.

Do not boil.

Remove the custard from the heat & cool.

Strain. Fold in the cream, the lemon zest, and the honey.

Pass , then pour into an ice cream maker & churn.

Alternatively transfer the mixture to a shallow container, place in the freezer & stir every hour until it has set.

For the apple tarte tatin:

Preheat the oven to 200˚C/400˚F/Gas Mark 6.

Melt the sugar in a large, oven proof frying pan, with 2 tablespoons of honey until caramelised.

Add the butter & combine, arrange the apples on top of the carmel.

Roll out the puff pastry to 1cm thickness & shape to fit the pan and place over the apples.

Bake in a pre heated oven for 15-20 minutes, until pastry is golden brown and apples are cooked through.

Place serving plate on top of tart while it is still warm, and reverse.

Remove the pan and allow tart to cool.