23 February 2023 - Flipbook - Page 37
FARMFAMILY
FARMWEEK
FEBRUARY 07 2019
ARTISAN FOOD HEROES
STARTER: Cathy Chauhan, Lough
Neagh Fishermen’s Co-operative,
Toome
C
ATHY Chauhan is marketing
manager of Lough Neagh Eels
Fishermen’s
Co-operative
in Toome. The
co-operative is
responsible for
the sustainable
development of
eels and pollan
fish, both of
which have
EU product
designation, in
Lough Neagh.
The eels and pollan are prized by
chefs and food writers for their
quality and taste. It’s particularly
appropriate as the pollan season
opened on February 1.
Beer battered pollan
with spicy tomato dip
INGREDIENTS:
For beer battered pollan:
n 230g plain flour;
n 2 teaspoon baking powder;
n 2 teaspoon salt;
n 300ml beer;
n 500g Pollan (small fillets or halve
larger fillets);
n Vegetable oil for deep frying.
For spicy tomato dip:
n 50g butter;
n 1 small onion;
n ¼ teaspoon chilli powder;
n ¼ teaspoon paprika;
n 1 clove garlic;
n 200g chopped tomatoes;
n 10g fresh basil, finely chopped.
METHOD:
1. To make the dip: chop the onion
finely and fry in the butter for 3-4
minutes, until tender. Add the chilli
and paprika and fry for a further 1-2
minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes
and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the
chopped basil and keep warm until
the pollan is prepared
2. For the batter: sift the flour
and baking powder into a bowl and
Valentine’s Day Special
F
LEFT: Beef
Stroganoff from
Carol’s Stock
Market.
ANCY making a special meal for St Valentine’s
Day? Northern Ireland artisan food companies
offer everything you need for an outstandingly
tasty and memorable meal.
stir in the salt. Gradually whisk in
the beer to make a smooth thick
batter (consistency similar to double
cream).
3. Dip the pollan fillets into the
batter and deep fry for 4-5 minutes
at 180oC for small fillets and longer
as required for larger fillets, until
thoroughly cooked.
4. Serve with tomato dip and
garnish.
MAIN: Carol Banahan, Carol’s Stock
Market, Derry
C
AROL Banahan owns Carol’s
Stock Market in Derry which
produces
natural beef,
chicken and
vegetable
stocks and
a unique
Beef Bone
Broth using
premium
ingredients
from local
farms. The
products are
available from delis, farm shops and
independent stores here and in the
Republic of Ireland.
This is a delicious warming dish
that is perfect for these cold winter
nights. This dish is also great as
leftovers (if you have leftovers) and
I think the taste improves by the
next day. It can also be frozen for
another day.
Beef Stroganoff
(serves four)
INGREDIENTS:
n Olive oil, for cooking;
n 2 tbsp butter, divided;
n 1 tbsp flour;
n 500g sirloin or rump steak,
sliced;
n 250g chestnut mushrooms,
sliced;
n 3 shallots, chopped;
n 1 clove garlic, minced;
n 100ml beef stock;
n 1 tbsp tomato purée;
n 1 tsp Dijon mustard;
n 150g crème fraîche;
n 3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves
removed;
n Salt & pepper.
37
To serve:
4 portions cooked rice, potatoes,
pasta or cauliflower rice;
Small bunch flat leaf parsley,
roughly chopped.
Method:
Heat a large frying pan over
medium high heat, then add a
drizzle of olive oil and 1 tbsp of
the butter. Season the flour with
salt and pepper then sprinkle over
the meat and toss lightly to coat.
Increase heat to high then add the
beef to the pan to sear on all sides,
do this in 2 or 3 batches so that the
pan is not over-crowded. Set the
cooked beef aside on a plate.
Add another drizzle of olive oil to
the pan along with the rest of the
butter and lower heat to medium
high, add the mushrooms and cook
just until they soften, 3-5 minutes.
Lower heat to medium then add the
shallot and garlic, cook until onions
are tender, about 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the beef stock, tomato
purée and mustard. Bring to a
gentle simmer and simmer for 5-8
minutes until thickened, stirring
occasionally.
Stir in the crème fraîche and fresh
thyme along with the cooked beef,
taste for seasoning and add more
if needed, then cook for a final 2-3
minutes.
Serve with your choice of rice,
potatoes, pasta or cauliflower rice.
Garnish with a generous sprinkling
of roughly chopped flat leaf parsley.
DESSERT: Emily McCorkell, lo&Slo
Sauces in Derry
E
MILY McCorkell came to
Derry in 2005 from her home
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
She runs Lo&Slo in Derry, a small
business specialising in healthy
BBQ sauces. Her
passion for cooking
also extends to
delicious desserts.
Her children, aged
six and eight, love
cooking with her
and are always
eager to learn and
to eat what they’ve
just made. And,
while most of their ideas of flavour
combinations are interesting, they
recently helped Emily come up with
a giant raspberry truffle recipe idea
for Valentine’s Day.
Healthy Chocolate
Truffles
Chocolate:
In a saucepan, bring 2 inches of
water to boil. Place a glass bowl
over the saucepan, careful to not let
the glass bowl touch the bottom of
the pot. In the glass bowl, melt 1 cup
cacao butter, whisking occasionally
until completely melted.
Add in 1 cup cocoa powder and
stir until smooth.
Stir in the honey to taste. I prefer
it sweeter, so I like ¼ cup. My
husband prefers the taste quite
bitter and dark, so he only takes
two tablespoons. Be careful not to
add any more than ¼ cup of honey
– the consistency of the chocolate
will change, making it harder to set.
After you’ve made the chocolate,
spoon the chocolate into a mould,
using just enough to coat the
moulds. Flip the mould upside
down onto a cooling rack with a pan
underneath, allowing the excess
chocolate to drip out. Let it harden
completely, then coat it a second
time and flip the moulds.
I used a flower-shaped FlexiPan
mould, but if you don’t have a
mould, just leave the chocolate to
cool slightly. We’ll make truffles and
come back to it later in the recipe.
Ganache:
Mix equal parts dark chocolate
with equal parts warmed heavy
cream. I heated 10 ounces heavy
cream in a saucepan, careful not to
scald. Take off the heat, break up
10 ounces dark chocolate, and stir
until blended. Set aside to cool.
Raspberry Cheesecake filling:
Place 1 cup of cream cheese into a
bowl and set aside.
In a blender, mix 8 ounces heavy
cream, ¼ cup honey, and ½ cup
fresh raspberries. Blend for a few
seconds, until the ingredients are
mostly combined and the cream
has thickened. Fold into the cream
cheese.
Making the truffles:
Once the second layer of chocolate
is set, spoon a little raspberry
cream into the mould and seal
it to the edges of the chocolate.
Leave enough room to add a layer
of ganache and melted chocolate in
the mould. Chill to harden slightly.
Then, layer the ganache on top
of the raspberry cream. Chill, then
top with a final layer of the cooled
dark chocolate, making the base
as smooth as possible. Chill in the
fridge until the chocolate has set.
The chocolates should pop out of
the moulds carefully. If you have any
trouble, place your hands on the top
of the moulds to warm and loosen
from the mould. The chocolate has
a very low melt point, so it will melt
very easily.
If you don’t have a FlexiPan or a
mould, You can make truffles!
Chill the ganache and the
raspberry cream for a few hours.
Once chilled, use a tablespoon
measure and roll into balls. If
you’re feeling really fancy, roll the
raspberry into balls and freeze
them only until solid. Roll the
ganache into a thin round and wrap
it around the raspberry cream ball.
Then, using a fork or a toothpick,
dip the ball into the cooled, melted
chocolate and set aside to harden.
Decorate as you like: Roll in
desiccated coconut, finely chopped
nuts, or dust with cinnamon and
cocoa powder.
Cocktails for Valentine’s Night from Shortcross Gin
B
ASED near Crossgar, Shortcross Gin was the
first gin to be distilled in Northern Ireland in
over a century. The gin is a family-owned and
managed business based on the Rademon Estate. It
is run by husband and wife team Fiona and David Boyd
Armstrong.
FOR HIM:
35ml
Bartender
Series Gin
n 15ml Lychee Liqueur;
n 15ml Crème de
Violette;
n 2 dash Orange Bitters;
n Egg White;
n 10ml Sugar Syrup.
To Garnish: Create the
cross effect by lightly
dropping Bitters to
the foam top, add rose
petal.
FOR HER:
40ml Cask
Finished Gin
n 10ml Lanique;
n 20ml Strawberry
Compote;
n 10ml Rosewater;
n 10ml Elderflower;
n Egg White.
To Garnish:
Set a single
Rose Petal
on top of the
cocktail and
fill lightly with
Elderflowers.