2013 Recipes


Recipes created for the Irish Food Writers’ Guild Food Awards 2013 by chef Derry Clarke of l’Ecrivain Restaurant, Baggot Street, Dublin 2, showcasing the 2013 award winners.

Toons Bridge Buffalo Mozzarella Bavarois, Pressed Ratatouille, Basil Aioli

Serves 4

For the Basil Aioli

  • 3 large egg yolks
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 large bunch basil
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 5ml white wine vinegar
  • 150ml olive oil
  • salt and pepper, to taste

1. Place the yolks, lemon juice, basil, mustard and vinegar in a food processor and blend until the basil is puréed and the mix is of a creamy consistency.

2. While still blending, slowly pour in the olive oil until the mixture emulsifies and holds a figure of eight. Season to taste and set aside or refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the Pressed Ratatouille Terrine

  • 10ml olive oil
  • 1 red onion, diced
  • 1 red pepper diced
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • ½ courgette, diced
  • ½ aubergine, diced
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 10ml balsamic vinegar
  • 30ml red wine
  • 20g sugar
  • 200g chopped tomatoes, puréed
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 leaves of gelatine, soaked
  • 1 courgette, cut into wafer-thin discs

1. Pour the olive oil into a pre-heated medium-sized pot and when hot, add the onion, red pepper, garlic and thyme and sweat until soft but not coloured. Add the courgette and aubergine and sweat for another few minutes.

2. Add the tomato paste and cook for two minutes before pouring in the vinegar, wine and sugar. Reduce to a glaze, add the tomatoes and reduce by half. Remove the sprig of thyme. Dissolve the pre-soaked gelatine in the hot ratatouille mix and season to taste.

3. Line an oiled terrine mould or bread tin with cling film and carefully place the discs of courgette on the bottom so they resemble fish scales. Pour in the ratatouille mix, tapping the mould to remove air bubbles and leveling with a palette knife. Finish with another layer of courgette discs and refrigerate to set.

4. Once set, cut the terrine to required size and set aside for plating.

For the Toons Bridge Buffalo Mozzarella Bavarois

  • 100ml milk
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 50ml semi-whipped cream
  • 1 ball Toons Bridge buffalo mozzarella
  • salt and pepper

1. Combine the milk, the thyme and the cheese in a pot, bring to a simmer, remove from the heat and leave to infuse.

2. Place in a blender and pulse until smooth. Pass the liquid through a fine sieve and leave to cool.

3. Fold in the semi-whipped cream, season to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.

To serve

Place a slice of terrine off-centre on each plate. Put two quenelles of bavarois to the side of the terrine and surround with a few dots of aioli. Serve at room temperature.

Tasting of Connemara Hill Lamb

Serves 4

For the Braised Lamb Pastilla

  • 1kg piece of lamb shoulder, trimmed
  • 2 sticks celery, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 onion, peeled and chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • 1 sprig thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 200ml chicken stock
  • 100ml red wine
  • 1 teaspoon tomato paste
  • 4 squares of feuilles de brick pastry or filo pastry

1. Season the lamb shoulder with salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a large saucepan over a high heat, heat a little vegetable oil and seal the lamb brown on all sides.

2. Add the celery, carrot, onion and garlic, stir and reduce heat to low. Add the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, stock, red wine and tomato past. Simmer gently for 1½ hours until meat is tender. Remove from heat and leave the meat to cool in its liquid.

3. Once cold, remove lamb and shred the meat into a bowl. Puree the carrot, celery, onion and a little of the cooking liquid and add to the shredded lamb. Mix and press into a terrine mould lined with cling film, put weight on top and leave to set overnight in the fridge.

4. The following day, turn out the terrine and cut into rectangles. Brush the sheets of pastry with butter and roll the lamb in them. In a medium pan with a little vegetable oil, brown the pastry-wrapped parcels on all sides.

For the Rack of lamb

  • 1 rack of lamb, French-trimmed
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 200ºC. Season the rack with salt and pepper and seal on both sides in a hot pan with a little oil.

2. Transfer to preheated oven for five to six minutes for pink or up to 12–15 minutes for well done.

3. Remove from oven, rest for 10 minutes and slice cutlets just before serving.

For the Buttery Greens

  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 75g butter
  • 150g fresh or frozen peas, blanched and refreshed
  • 150g broad beans, blanched and refreshed
  • 150g diced cured bacon, blanched in boiling water and sautéed in a hot pan
  • 4 heads baby gem lettuce leaves, washed
  • 1 bunch chopped mint

1. Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan, add the butter and when melted, add peas, broad beans, bacon and baby gem.

2. Season to taste, add the chopped mint and set aside somewhere warm until ready to serve.

For the Kidney and Sweetbreads Tortellini

  • 30g butter
  • 100g lamb kidneys, trimmed and diced
  • 100g lamb sweetbreads, blanched in boiling water and refreshed
  • 100g mushrooms, finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 4 sheets of fresh pasta dough (see below), rolled out thinly

1. Heat a frying pan with butter and a little vegetable oil, add kidneys and sweetbreads and cook for 20 seconds. Add mushrooms, onion and garlic and cook for another minute before adding lemon juice. Season to taste, remove from pan and set aside to cool.

2. Once cool, place a dessertspoon of mixture into the centre of each sheet of pasta, brush edges with egg wash and seal into tortellini or ravioli shapes. Set aside until ready to serve.

3. Just before serving, poach in simmering seasoned water for one minute.

For the Pasta Dough

  • 500g flour, sifted
  • 3 eggs
  • 6 egg yolks
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Place the flour in a food processor. Add the eggs and egg yolks and process until the dough just starts to form a ball. Add the salt and olive oil and combine.

2. On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough by hand for five minutes until smooth, adding more flour if it sticks. Wrap the dough in cling film and rest in a cool place for 1–2 hours.

3. When ready to use, roll out the dough with a pasta machine into thin sheets.

To serve

Divide the buttered greens between four plates. Carve the rack of lamb into eight cutlets, place two on each plate, add the pastilla and tortellini and serve.

Highbank Orchard Apple & Elderflower Trifle, Apple Syrup

Serves 8–10

For the Apple Sponge Jelly

  • 1200ml Highbank Orchard Apple Syrup
  • 300ml water
  • 13 leaves of gelatine, pre-soaked
  • 400g cake sponge

1. Bring the apple syrup and water to the boil. Remove from the heat, add the pre-soaked gelatine to the hot apple syrup along with the sponge. Mix well, pour onto a lined tray and leave to set in the fridge.

2. Cut into cubes and set aside for plating.

For the Elderflower Jelly

  • 5 tablespoons dried elderflowers
  • 375ml elderflower cordial
  • 1125ml water
  • 14 leaves of pre-soaked gelatine

1. Combine the dried elderflowers, cordial and water in a pot and bring to simmer. Leave to infuse for 20 minutes.

2. While warm dissolve the pre-soaked gelatine in the liquid. Pour through a fine sieve onto a lined tray or container and transfer to set in the fridge.

3. Once set, cut into cubes the same size as the apple sponge jelly and set aside.

For the Pickled Apples

  • 200ml Highbank Orchard Apple Syrup
  • 4 apples, Parisian-scooped into balls
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 1 lemon, juiced

Bring the apple syrup, vanilla and lemon juice to the boil. Pour over the apple balls and set aside to cool.

For the Custard

  • 2 vanilla pods, split and de-seeded
  • 1 litre cream
  • 180g caster sugar
  • 12 egg yolks
  • 1 tablespoon cornflour

1. Combine the vanilla seeds and cream in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.

2. Meanwhile, mix the sugar, yolks and cornflour in a large mixing bowl. Pour the boiling cream and vanilla onto the egg mix and whisk until combined.

3. Pour the raw custard mix back into a clean pot and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon until the custard coats the back of the spoon. Transfer to a bowl and leave to cool.

For the Panna Cotta

  • 300ml Highbank Orchard Apple Syrup
  • 150ml elderflower cordial
  • 750ml cream
  • 7 leaves of gelatine, pre-soaked
  • 600ml cream

1. Bring the apple syrup, cordial and 150ml of the cream to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the pre-soaked gelatine and remaining cream.

2. Pour into glasses an inch deep and refrigerate until set.

For the Vanilla Cream

  • 100ml cream
  • 10ml icing sugar, sieved
  • 1 vanilla pod, split and de-seeded

Whip the cream to soft peaks. Mix in the icing sugar and vanilla seeds and set aside.

To serve

Place the cubes of apple sponge jelly and elderflower jelly on top of the panna cotta, followed by the pickled apple balls. Pour over the custard, top with a quenelle of the vanilla cream and garnish with a sprig of mint.