Tea Poached Pears with Stem Ginger Ice-Cream

This dish is a re-working of the dish that I recently cooked on MasterChef Ireland on RTE1, the Irish national broadcaster, The great thing, but also the daunting thing about doing my cooking on the programme was that for the first time it was being independently judged and I was being given feedback; feedback that I could then take away and use to improve the food that I created. You have to understand that I have only ever cooked for friends and family before this, so it was quite intimidating having to cook in such a pressurised situation.

The essential elements of the dish have not changed, but I have played around with proportions and also with the way that I originally presented it. I’ll be honest; I cringe when I look at my original dish. It just looks so heavy! The taste was there but it needed developing and refinement. I think that here, I have produced a far more elegant looking dessert but one that still retains the fundamental characteristics of the original dish.

I love how poaching the pears in the tea really brings out the fruitiness of the pears , whilst the toasted tea brack echoes the flavours already used but adds a welcome textural contrast to the yielding softness of the pears. The reduced tea syrup has a slightly bitter edge to it courtesy of the tannins in the tea, but this is mitigated by the sweetness of the pears. If anything was to be my signature dish, this is it!

 

Ingredients:

Stem ginger ice-cream:
4 egg yolks
25g caster sugar

1 tsp cornflour

300ml single cream

1 tsp vanilla paste/extract

½ tsp ground ginger

4 balls of stem ginger in syrup chopped finely

2tblsp ginger syrup from the jar of stem ginger

Pears:

1 litre of strong tea made with 5 Barry’s Gold Blend tea bags

75g caster sugar

4 slightly under-ripe Conference pears

1 vanilla pod

Peeled rind of half a lemon (in large strips)

Peeled rind of 1 orange (in large strips)

Toasted brack:

4 slices of tea brack

2 eggs

25ml cream

A large knob of butter
 

Method:

Stem ginger ice-cream:
1. Place the egg yolks, caster sugar and cornflour into a medium-sized mixing bowl and beat together until light and creamy using a hand-held electric mixer.
2. Separately, heat the cream and vanilla paste in a medium-sized saucepan over a low heat until it almost reached boiling point (don’t let it boil).

3. Pour this mixture, in a steady stream onto the egg yolk mixture, beating gently all the time. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over a gentle heat for 5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and is smooth. Don’t be tempted to increase the heat, of the egg yolks will scramble.

4. Pour the mixture into a clean bowl, mix in the ground ginger and cover the surface of the custard with cling-film to prevent a skin forming. Allow to cool completely.

5. Whip the cream in a mixing bowl until it holds its shape in soft billowy peaks. Stir in the cooled custard mixture along with chopped stem ginger and the ginger syrup.

6. Churn in an ice-cream maker following the manufacturer’s instructions.

Poached pears:

7. Peel pears, leaving stalk intact. Using a melon baller or a small teaspoon, hollow out the centre from the bottom of the pear to remove the woody core.

8. Put warm tea mixture into a saucepan – choose a saucepan that the pears fit snugly in and which allows the tea to cover them. Put pan over a medium-high heat. Add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Split the vanilla pod and add to the syrup. Add the peeled rind of the orange and lemon.

9. Stand the pears in the mixture and bring the tea mixture to a gentle simmer.
10. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes until the pear is tender. Remove the pears with a slotted spoon to a dish to cool.
11. Meanwhile, turn up the heat under the tea mixture and reduce (by about two-thirds until a light syrup consistency has been reached. Discard the vanilla pods and peels. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

Toasted tea brack:

12. Using a 7-8cm round cookie cutter stamp out rounds from the slice of tea brack. Whisk the eggs together with the cream in a small bowl. Heat the butter in a small frying pan over a moderate heat until just beginning to sizzle. Soak the rounds of tea brack briefly in the egg mixture making sure each side gets soaked and then fry for two minutes on each side. When golden brown on each side remove from eat.

To serve:

13. Place a round of the tea-brack in each serving bowl. Then place a poached pear sitting on top, spoon over some of the reduced tea-syrup and serve immediately with a scoop of the stem ginger ice-cream.

Serves 4     

Tea Brack

This is the tea brack that I have been making for years, tweaking it along the way in an attempt to create the perfect cake and it is one that I am incredibly proud of. It is moist, but not damp, keeps incredibly well and tastes so delicious, liberally spread with good Irish butter.

 

Many tea brack recipes include ground spices, but I specifically choose not to do so because I like the subtle background taste of the tea to really come through. I may have mentioned before, but I love tea!

 

To clarify – I REALLY love tea!

 

I know that I may be sounding a bit Mrs. Doyle about this but in my opinion it is the most wonderful drink – refreshing yet comforting at the same time.

Nothing beats tea.

With each of my pregnancies, my sense of taste became distorted and foods and beverages that I had previously liked, tasted awful to me. I would have coped better if I could at least have still enjoyed my cups of tea, but even they tasted terrible to me. Little wonder that within minutes of each of my three gorgeous children being born, I was demanding a cup of strong tea! Ah... go on, go on, go on!
 

Ingredients:

200ml strong black tea, made with three Barry’s Gold Blend tea bags

150g sultanas

100g golden sultanas

150g raisins

50g currants

175g soft brown (Muscovado) sugar

1 large egg, lightly beaten

25g butter, melted

275g plain flour

½ tsp bread soda
 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/ Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Butter and line 900g loaf tin.
2. Put the tea and dried fruit into a saucepan and bring up to the boil. Boil for one minute and then set aside to cool slightly. When slightly cooled add soft brown sugar and set aside.
3. Stir the egg and melted butter into the cooled fruit mixture.

4. Sieve the plain flour and bread soda together and fold into the egg and fruit mixture.

5. Place the mixture in the prepared loaf tin and bake for approximately 45 minutes. Allow cool in tin for 10 minutes before turning out. Cool on a wire rack.

  

Serves 8-10.
 

    

 

MasterChef Ireland 2014

So... I applied for MasterChef Ireland...
 

I still can't quite believe that I did it... But I did. With only two hours to go until the deadline for submission of applications, I quickly filled out the form... Paused for a second, thought "should I do this?"... and pressed SEND. My application was in.

I have been a fan of the programme since it was first broadcast by the BBC in the UK, but I had always thought it looked so pressurized and stressful! I felt so sorry for contestants who had disasters in the kitchen because, in the main, you could see that they were all passionate about food and cooking. I often wondered how I would feel in the same situation if my cooking were to be criticized. When MasterChef Ireland started in 2011 I became an avid viewer. It was every bit as tough as the UK version and I thought that Nick Munier and Dylan McGrath, the two judges were great!
 

I have always loved cooking. I enjoy the processes involved, the different things you can produce with a range of ingredients. Most importantly I enjoy eating! At a very fundamental level, I think that to be good at cooking, you have to enjoy eating!

The thing is... Friends and family tell you that your cooking is great but they ARE going to say that aren't they?? Granted, my nearest and dearest have always appeared to enjoy eating what I cook and cooking for them gives me great pleasure. I have always thought that I was a better than average home cook, but to expose yourself publicly to being assessed and possibly criticized?...AND... ON... THE... TELLY...??? Oh Jaysis!

But you know what - sometimes you have to take risks in life. Sometimes you have to do something that you never thought you'd do in a million years... Sometimes you have to do things that take you out of your comfort zone.

Because by doing so, you never know what great adventures and experiences lie ahead... And what interesting, funny and unique people you'll meet.

First aired on RTE1; 8.30pm, 4th March 2014.

Maple Syrup & Pecan Biscuits

Maple syrup and pecan nuts is one of those classic flavour combinations and is justifiably very popular. The somewhat smoky character of the maple syrup complements and accentuates the sweetly nutty flavour of the pecans. Some nuts, such as walnuts can have a slightly bitter edge to them but this is not the case with pecans and this makes them perfect for using in a range of dishes particularly sweet cakes and pastries.

I love maple syrup and pecan pastries and have always loved pecan pie, but for this recipe, I was keen to create a biscuit that highlighted how wonderful the maple syrup and pecan flavour combination is. I think that this biscuit does this very successfully.

The finished biscuits are lovely and crunchy around the edge and slightly chewy in the middle which I think is particularly pleasing.

 

The biscuits keep well for 3 or 4 days if stored in an air-tight tin, but do remember that once you have made the biscuit dough logs they can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days and you can bake a few biscuits to eat freshly baked rather than bake them all in one go. Just slice the dough, pop on a whole pecan and bake in the oven!

 

Ingredients:

185g butter, at room temperature
185g sift brown sugar

60ml maple syrup

1tsp vanilla paste/extract

1 large egg

280g plain flour

½tsp baking powder

100g pecans, chopped fairly finely

30 whole pecans to decorate

 

Method:

1. Cream the butter and sugar together, in a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer, until pale and creamy. Add the maple syrup, vanilla paste and the egg and beat together until well combined.
2. Sieve the flour and baking powder together and add to the butter mixture. Use a wooden spoon to work the flour into the butter mixture to form a soft dough.

3. Divide the dough into two. Place one portion of dough onto a sheet on non-stick baking parchment and roll into a log shape approximately 30cms long and 5cms thick. Gently roll the log in half of the chopped pecans so that they become embedded in the outside of the log. Wrap the log in some cling-film. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Place the two cling-filmed logs in the fridge for chill for at least an hour.

4. Preheat the oven to 180C/Fan Oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Line two baking trays with non-stick baking parchment.

5. Remove the logs from the fridge and cut into slices about 1cm thick. Press a whole pecan into the top of each biscuit and place on the lined baking trays, making sure to leave a generous amount of space between each biscuit as they do spread quite a lot when they are baking.

6. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a rich golden brown colour. Leave to cool for 5 minutes on the trays and then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Makes approximately 30 biscuits.
 

    

Kedgeree

Those who know me well, will recognise the fact that I am most definitely not a morning person; but rather, that I prefer to stay up late at night, reading, baking or watching films when everyone else is getting ready for bed or already in the land of nod. In this sense I am a true night owl – it’s the way that I have always been and I don’t imagine that I am going to change now.

 

The ironic thing is that, on balance, I think breakfast would probably be my favourite meal. By breakfast I don’t mean a quick bowl of cereal as you’re dashing out the door to try and get into the office or work on time. No! I mean the type of leisurely breakfasts that sustain and nourish but are blissful to eat; meals that include a selection of cereals, fruit, toast, breads, eggs etc. This to me is breakfast as it is meant to be. Granted, this type of meal is not something that you have that often, but when you do, it is something that is so enjoyable and…well… pleasurable!

 

We are constantly told by nutritionists and dieticians that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that we are more productive in our everyday lives if we have something nourishing to eat before launching into the day’s activities.

 

Most of us can’t face huge quantities of food first thing in the morning, but as a special treat, every once in a while, it is lovely to have a ‘proper’ breakfast; a meal that leaves you feeling ready to face whatever the day may bring. The whole concept of brunch appeals to me as it seems more acceptable to indulge in a little feasting. Brunch is essentially a meal to be enjoyed as a late breakfast/early lunch and is one that really my predilection for staying up late and subsequently easing myself into the day when I awake the following morning.

 

I love period dramas such as the hugely popular Downton Abbey, where Lord Grantham and his

family arrive down to their grand and substantial breakfasts. At these meals, kedgeree invariably appears on the beautifully laid out breakfast table.

 

I have always been fascinated by the idea of kedgeree. Firstly, I love the sound of the word but I also love the exotic images eating it conjures up of the colonial lifestyle of yesteryear. Without a doubt these are my romanticised interpretation of what that life was really like.

 

Kedgeree makes quite a hearty breakfast or brunch dish, consisting of curried rice, poached smoked haddock and softly boiled eggs. I think that it is really delicious and it is one that when I make it, I wonder why I don’t do so more often. It also appeals to me because it is so simple to make and satisfies my theory for cooking good food… Simple + Delicious = Yum!

Ingredients:

For the rice:
1-2 tblsp vegetable oil
1 large onion finely chopped
½tsp ground coriander

1tsp ground turmeric

A pinch of ginger

2tsp curry powder (mild or hot whichever you prefer)

300g basmati rice rinsed with running water

500ml water

For the poached haddock:

250g-300g undyed smoked haddock

300ml milk

3-4 bay leaves

To finish:

4 large eggs

A handful of curly parsley, finely chopped

A handful of coriander, finely chopped

Lemon wedges
 

Method:

For the rice:
1. Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan and fry the chopped onion over a moderate heat until softened, but do not allow to colour. Add the spices and curry powder and fry for 2-3 minutes over a gentle heat so that they have a chance to release their oil.

2. Add the rice and stir in well so that each grain gets a chance to be coated in the spicy oil. Add the water and as soon as it comes to the boil, reduce to a simmer and cover the saucepan with a lid. Allow to gently simmer on the heat for 8 minutes and then remove. Allow to stand for at least ten minutes while you poach the haddock and boil the eggs. Do not lift the lid, as the key to obtaining perfectly cooked fluffy rice for this dish is to let it finish cooking off the heat in its own steam.

To poach the fish:

3. Put the smoked haddock, bay leaves and milk in a small, shallow pan and bring up to a simmer. Gently poach for about ten minutes and then remove the fish from the milk. Flake the fish into small chunks, removing and discarding and bones or skin that you come across.

To boil the eggs:

4. Place the eggs in a small saucepan and barely cover with cold water. Place the saucepan over a moderate heat and bring up to the boil. Once the water begins gently bubbling start timing. Allow to bubble for 5 minutes and then immediately remove from the heat. Drain off the hot water and cover with the eggs with cold water to arrest the cooking.

To assemble:

5. Gently mix the cooked rice, poached fish and the chopped herbs together. Taste and season with a little salt and freshly ground pepper as required. Peel the eggs and cut in half or in quarters. Place the softly boiled eggs atop the rice and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

 Serves 4.