Almond Bostock with Roasted Greengages

Well folks, life is certainly rather busy these days… and guess what…? I LOVE IT. I am getting the opportunity to do the thing that I love most doing which is writing about food, food producers, Irish restaurants and all things food related.

 

Now, whilst all of this seems like great fun – and there is no denying that it is – I find that I seem to spend my life dashing from one place to the other or else holed up in front of my laptop trying to catch up on all the writing that I have to do! However, I have learnt one very important thing… when you are doing what you love, it never seems like hard work.

 

The great thing about eating in so many great restaurants and meeting people who are so passionate about producing good food is that I find it really inspiring in terms of the food that I want to cook at home in my own kitchen. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I am necessarily trying to replicate the dishes that I eat when I’m out and about eating in restaurants and chatting to food producers; it’s more that I borrow flavour/ingredient combinations and ideas that I am exposed to and try them out at home.

 

Quite often the lesson to be learnt is that ‘less is definitely more’ and that you don’t need to over-complicate matters. I think that key to this is buying the best and freshest ingredients that you can afford and use them in a way that celebrates the particular characteristics of that ingredient.

 

There’s no doubting that August is a bountiful month; there are so many fruits and vegetables in season and loads of different things for the enthusiastic and adventurous cook to use.

 

Greengages are in season at the moment and whilst they can be a little difficult to source, I would urge you to snap them up if you come across them. A variety of plum, they possess a honey like sweetness which is heavenly and which I find, is intensified by being treated simply. Here I have simple roasted them and served them as an accompaniment to the Almond Bostock.

 

Anyone who regularly reads my musings here will know that I have a little bit of a sweet tooth but that I also love dishes that are quick and easy to prepare. The following recipe is one that satisfies both those criteria and produces a dish that I promise you will find yourself returning to time after time.

 

Almond Bostock is essentially syrup soaked stale bread topped with frangipane which is then baked. I have carried out loads of research but have been unable to find and information on why it so-called but really it doesn’t matter because it tastes amazing and for anyone who loves anything containing almonds it is a sure-fire winner.

 

This would make a lovely brunch dish especially when you want something sweet to eat with a cup of strong coffee but really it’s a treat that could be enjoyed at any time of the day. The frangipane and syrup can be made the day before and stored in the fridge overnight and the dish can be quickly assembled and baked the following day. Absolutely DELICIOUS!
 

Ingredients:

Roasted greengages:
9 greengages halved and stoned

1tblsp of caster sugar

Almond Bostock:

6 slices of slightly stale brioche

50g flaked almonds

Syrup:

50g caster sugar

50ml water

1tsp orange flower water

Frangipane:

90g butter, softened

90g caster sugar

90g ground almonds

1 medium egg

To finish:

A little icing sugar for dusting
 

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180C/Fan oven 160C/Gas Mark 4. Lay the brioche slices out on a large baking tray lined with non-stick baking parchment and set aside.

Roasted greengages:

2. Place the halved greengages cut-side up in a roasting tray, placing them so that they sit side-by-side in one layer. Sprinkle the caster sugar over the greengages and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes until slightly softened and beginning to caramelise at the edges. Remove from oven and set aside to cool slightly.

Syrup:

3. Place the caster sugar and water in a small saucepan over a moderate heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Increase the heat and bring up to simmering point. Allow to bubble away for 3 minutes and the remove from the heat. Sir in the orange flower water. Set aside to cool a little while you make the frangipane.

Frangipane:

4. Place the butter and caster sugar in a medium sized mixing bowl and using a hand-held electric mixer beat together until light and fluffy. Add the ground almonds and mix again until they are fully incorporated. Finally mix in the egg to create a soft paste.

To finish:

5. Brush the top of each slice of brioche with some of the syrup (you can be quite generous with the amount you brush but don’t drench the bread totally).

6. Spread some of the frangipane over each slice of syrup soaked brioche so that it covers the entire top surface of the bread. Scatter the flaked almonds over the frangipane and bake in the pre-heated oven for approximately 20 minutes until the frangipane is golden brown and has set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving lightly dusted with icing sugar and accompanied by 2 or 3 of the roasted greengages. Some lightly whipped cream would not go astray.
 

Serves 6.

Potato & Rosemary Focaccia

I really love baking my own bread and the sense of satisfaction that I get from doing it is well worth the very minimal effort that goes in to doing it. I know that I have said this before but once you get ‘a feel’ for it and understand what it is that you are trying to achieve, you realise that it is actually quite easy.

There are a few basic rules and tricks that will help you ensure faultless results.

 

Firstly, ‘wetter is better’, by which I mean that the wetter the dough is the better the finished dough will be. When you start kneading, the dough may seem a little sticky but resist the urge to add more flour as this will result in a heavy and denser baked bread. All you need to do is keep working the dough and you will find that after 7-10 minutes of kneading it will no longer stick to your work surface. I prefer to work my dough by hand as, without sounding pompous, I feel that I have a greater ‘connection’ with the bread but feel to use a sturdy stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. In this regard, I will admit that there are some breads which are much easier to mix using a stand mixer because they are incredibly sticky! Brioche and the following recipe for focaccia are examples of dough that are incredibly sticky.

 

Salt is the enemy of yeast and if too much comes into contact with the yeast it will kill it and your bread will fail before you have even started. Make sure you distribute the salt through the flour before adding the yeast.

 

Some people dissolve the yeast in water before adding it to the dry ingredients but I tend to just crumble it in and have never had any failures by doing this.

 

If you can’t get your hands on fresh yeast, by all means use dried yeast but remember that you will only require half the stated amount. So, for example if the recipe states that 15g of fresh yeast is required, you will only need 7g or 8g of dried yeast. I prefer the results that I get with using fresh yeast but I would often use dried yeast as well and you can’t argue with the fact that it is so easy to store. Some people claim that fresh yeast can be frozen and then defrosted before using but it has never worked for me so I tend to buy small 50g blocks of it from my local Polish store and store any that I do not immediately use in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

 

These are just a few tips… There are many more but what I recommend is get your hands on a few basic recipes and have a go. There is nothing quite as appealing as the smell of freshly baked bread.

 

The following recipe for potato focaccia is fabulous and despite being a sticky dough this recipe is very achievable. I knead the dough by hand using a dough scraper to lift the dough from my work surface and would strongly recommend using one as they make life so much easier but, as I said above, use a stand mixer fitter with a dough hook if you prefer.

 

This bread keeps well because of the amount of olive oil that is included. I have topped my focaccia with thinly sliced new potatoes and some fresh rosemary but do experiment with different toppings. Focaccia made with just a sprinkling of flaky sea salt is particularly delicious.

Ingredients:

500g strong white flour10g fine sea salt
10g fresh yeast
300g water

100g olive oil plus a little extra to sprinkle on the baked bread

Topping:

2 medium sized potatoes, thinly sliced

Small sprigs of fresh rosemary

Flaky sea salt
 

Method:

1. Place the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and, using your hands, mix together so that the salt is well distributed. Crumble in the yeast and mix through. Make a well in the centre and add the water followed by the olive oil. Use your hands to mix everything together to create a slightly sticky dough.

2. Turn the dough out on to a clean work surface and knead for 10-12 minutes until it is smooth and velvety and is no longer sticking to the work surface. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling film. Set aside for an hour or until the dough has risen and doubled in size.

3. Line a large baking tray (roughly 35cms x 20cms) with some non-stick baking parchment sprinkled with a little flour or semolina.

4. Tip the proved dough out onto a clean work surface and knock back. Place it on to the lined baking and flatten it with your hands and fingertips until it almost reaches the edges of the baking tray. It will be quite thin and will retain some of the dimples you have created with your fingertips when rolling it out.

5. Place the sliced potatoes on top of the dough and press some sprigs of rosemary into the dough at regular intervals. Drizzle with a little olive oil and cover loosely with cling film and allow to rise again for 45 minutes.

6. Just before baking the bread, preheat the oven to 200C/Fan Oven 180C/Gas Mark 6. Sprinkle the focaccia with a little flaky sea salt and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown and Cooked through and the potatoes are beginning to turn crispy at the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before eating.
 

Make 1 large focaccia.
 

Ring Doughnuts

I can remember the very first time I ate a doughnut.

 

I must have been 6 or 7 at the time but I can still vividly recall the taste and texture of that doughnut even after all these years. It’s almost as if I had eaten it mere minutes ago. Every doughnut that I have eaten has been judged against that first one and unfortunately, too often they have not measured up.

 

I remember the way the fine sugar crystals clung to the moisture on my lips and how satisfying it was to lick them off in between taking bites of the pillowy soft doughnut. That doughnut was eaten in Bewley’s Café in Dundrum, the bustling Dublin suburb, where I grew up. On that particular day, I was accompanying my grandmother on her daily trip down to ‘the Village,’ as she called it, to get her ‘messages’. She had popped into Bewley’s to buy a bag of their coffee beans and in concession to my persistent begging for a treat, bought me a sugary ring doughnut. I was initially disappointed as what I had really wanted was one of the iced queen cakes, but those feeling were quickly forgotten on sinking my teeth into the doughnut. I absolutely loved it!

 

I have made quite a lot of doughnuts recently in an attempt to achieve what I consider THE perfect doughnut. I like slightly chewy crumb, but the doughnuts must be light. Despite being deep-fried they should not be greasy but rather, should possess a crisp exterior which gives way to a soft but perfectly cooked-through interior. After many false starts, I have finally produced a ring doughnut which satisfies all my exacting requirements … and here it is!

 

I find that using plain white flour rather than strong flour produces a fluffier result with just a slightly chewy texture. In addition, I have added the finely grated zest of a lemon which adds an extra flavour dimension; you can leave this out and leave them plain.
 

Ingredients:

450g plain flour
30g caster sugar plus extra for dusting the finished doughnuts

Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

½tsp salt

75g butter, cubed

15g fresh yeast

225ml water

Vegetable oil for deep-frying
 

Method:

1. Place the flour, caster sugar, lemon zest and salt in a large mixing bowl and stir everything with your hands to distribute evenly. Add the butter and run into the flour mixture using your fingertips. Add the water and mix with your hands to form a soft dough.

2. Turn the dough out on to a clean work-surface and knead for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and springs back when lightly poked with your finger. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and set aside to rise for about an hour or until doubled in size.

3. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knock back. Roll out until it is about 1cm thick. Using a 8-10cm plain pastry cutter, stamp out rounds from the dough. Use a smaller cutter, about 2cm in diameter to stamp out the centres. Place onto a large baking tray lined with some non-stick baking parchment. Cover loosely with a little oiled cling film and set aside to rise for approximately 45 minutes until doubled in size.4. Heat some vegetable oil in a deep-fat fryer. Once it has reached 180C, fry the doughnuts in batched for about 4 minutes, turning them over half way through so that both sides are a deep golden brown and the doughnuts have puffed up.

5. Remove with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on some absorbent kitchen paper. Roll the fried doughnuts in some extra caster sugar and serve still warm (although they are also delicious cooled).

 

Makes 12-14 doughnuts.

Review: Cooks Academy Sushi Workshop, Dublin

There’s no doubt it, people are far more educated about food in general these days. Foreign travel, television programmes and cookery books have resulted in our being exposed to different cultures and cuisines and we are keen to learn more about how to cook these  foods for ourselves in our own kitchens. Although historically the Irish are inextricably linked to the potato, the truth is that increasingly, rice and pasta are our main staples and we are drawn to recipes that include them.

Although I love the food of Italy, China and India, it is Japanese food that has long held a certain allure for me, so when I saw that Cooks Academy, located in South William Street was running an evening Sushi Workshop, I jumped at the chance of attending.

 

Cooks Academy offer a range of courses, including month-long certificate courses, one-week Essential Cookery courses and a host of day and evening workshops. The courses cover a range of topics from knife skills, to macaron making and cake decorating plus many others so there is definitely something to suit everyone.

 

I love eating sushi, have long wanted to make my own and recently even bought all the equipment that is required to do so. My one attempt at making it was an unmitigated disaster, so to be honest, despite signing up to the Sushi Workshop, I didn’t hold out much hope that my woeful skills could be improved.

 

As you enter the kitchens, you are immediately struck by how spacious and how well- equipped they are. There are a large number of workstations with plenty of room to work without crowding. Even though there were approximately 24 of us attending the course we never felt cramped or that we were getting in each other’s way. The demonstration area consists of a slightly elevated kitchen with a seating zone where students can easily observe what is going on. The cooking demonstration is projected onto large angled screens so that you can see the finer details involved.

 

Our tutor was the very affable, enthusiastic and knowledgeable Vinnie. He kicked off proceedings by giving us a detailed demonstration of how to cook sushi rice correctly, which is actually far more technical than you might think. Under Vinnie’s reassuring tutelage we all felt that it was something we could achieve and we were all eager to get stuck in. Before being let loose in the kitchen, Vinnie showed us how to make Nigiri (hand-formed sushi), and Nori and Sushi Rolls using a bamboo mat. We also learnt how to make Sushi Crepes and California Rolls. The demonstration took about an hour and then we donned our Cooks Academy Aprons and entered the kitchens to start re-creating the different types of sushi that we had been shown how to make.

 

The great thing about the Cooks Academy Sushi Workshop is that all you have to bring with you is yourself! All the ingredients and equipment are provided and you are also given a detailed booklet containing all the recipes. During the Workshop, we were also given loads of hints and tips from Vinnie on where to source the best and freshest fish and other ingredients we might need when making sushi at home. The great thing that I discovered is that most of them are readily available so there is no excuse not to give it a go!

 

In total we spent about an hour and a half making our own sushi and we had tremendous fun doing so. From my perspective, I found that quite unbelievably, it was far easier than I had thought and really the key thing to get right was the initial cooking of the rice. I was utterly thrilled with the sushi that I produced and it was with a deep sense of pride that I arrived home with package filled with the fruits of my evening’s labours. And yes, they did look (and taste) delicious!

 

The Sushi Workshop costs €70 which I think represents great value for money especially when you take into account the fact that everything is provided and the quality tuition you receive.

 

This is a course that I would highly recommend. It was fun, informative and I left with a renewed enthusiasm for making one of my favourite foods. Like many people, I work full-time, so trying to attend day- or week-long courses can be a little tricky to arrange. These evening workshops fit the bill perfectly and I’m now deciding which one I’ll do next.

 

Cooks Academy

19 South William Street

Dublin 2

 

Telephone: 016111666

Website: www.cooksacademy.com

 

This review first appeared in TheTaste.ie

 

Restaurant Review: Taste at Rustic, South Great George's Street, Dublin 2

Dining in Taste at Rustic is so much more than mere eating; it is an experience for all the senses which leaves a lasting impression. There is a sense of drama in how your meal is presented and served to you but this theatricality cleverly involves the diner so that it does not feel contrived or that it is being used as a vehicle to mask or distract from mediocre food… and believe me, the food is good… VERY good!

 

There is a masculine feel to the dining room in Taste at Rustic with its black leather seating, dark wooden floors, red brick walls and sombre muted tones. The overall look suits the restaurant perfectly especially when juxtaposed against the lively atmosphere and the incredibly friendly personalities of the energetic waiting staff.
 

Brick Temaki

The restaurant is housed on the top floor and is in the same building as Rustic Stone which along with the nearby Fade Street Social and Brasserie 66 form a quartet of highly popular restaurants owned by Dylan McGrath. Many people will recognise Dylan from his time as one of the judges on RTÉ’s MasterChef Ireland where his exacting standards reduced many a contestant to near tears. However, Dylan also has a real cooking pedigree and was Head Chef at the now defunct Mint in Ranelagh when it was awarded a Michelin star in 2008.

 

The menu in Taste at Rustic is the result of Dylan’s travels abroad, most notably in Asia and South America and is heavily influenced by Japanese cuisine. At first glance the menu is a little intimidating but the enthusiastic waiting staff take on board your preferences, offer guidance and make suggestions on which dishes to choose. Sipping on a Blackberry & Apple Crumble cocktail, a wonderful gin and gingerbread liqueur concoction, I felt emboldened to start ordering.

 

Nigiri

Tasting menus or Omakase are available with the three options costing €35, €50 or €70 respectively. Although we decided to go for the à la carte menu, it seems to me that the Omakase are competitively priced and ideal if you are feeling a little overwhelmed by some of the unfamiliar dishes and are not sure which to choose. They are specifically designed to give you the full experience of Taste at Rustic.

 

Each of the dishes on the menu is based on one of the five tastes – sweet, salt, bitter, umami and sour and whilst some of my choices were influenced by these categorisations, most were chosen because I was tempted by their description on the menu.

 

Starters/appetisers include a selection of warm (miso) broths, nigiri (hand-sculpted rice- based sushi) and maki (sushi rolls). These range in price from €2.50 to €4 for the broths and nigiri and diners are urged to select two or three each. The more substantial maki which consist of eight cut pieces are priced around the €12 mark.

 

Pork Belly

As a prelude to our meal, we were served the most beautiful Brick Temaki, a cone-shaped amuse bouche of types which teased the taste buds in all the right ways. The crispy cone provided the perfect receptacle for the thin slivers of fresh fish which were served with an avocado purée and a sprinkling of black sesame seeds. It was beautiful to look at with a freshness on the palate that gave way to an appealing roundness of flavour in the mouth.



Between us, my friend Eithne and I then chose three nigiri each. The nigiri surprised on a number of levels; firstly it was amazing how such complexity of flavour and range of textures could be packed into these mouthfuls and secondly how satisfying they were despite their diminutive proportions. Our choices were varied but were all singularly wonderful. Of special note was the John Dory with Lardo Crudo, Smoked Olive Oil and Smoked Salt which possessed an initial sweetness that gave way to a restrained saltiness. I loved the Sirloin of Wagyu with Black Olive Oil which was altogether different and satisfied in an almost comforting way. Also wonderful were Eithne’s Smoked Mackerel with Spring Onion and fresh chopped Ginger which was fully of zingy freshness and the perfectly cooked Native Prawn gently heated with Sweet Lobster Butter.
 

Beef

The next section of the menu entitled Warm Bites/Sashimi has portions similar in size to the conventional ‘starters’ we would all be more used to. Keen to try all aspects of the menu we both decided to order a dish; Grilled King Crab for me and Pork Belly for Eithne. The crab was presented almost sacrificially on a flat stone and was stunning to look at. It was prepared with the diner in mind and the crab meat was easy to pick out of the shell with the chopsticks provided. It was a joy to eat and I loved the addictive yuzu sauce which was like a Japanese inspired interpretation of a classic hollandaise.

 

The pork belly was melt-in-the-mouth fare. Initially braised, it was finished on the Robata Grill which gave the pork a caramelised and slightly smoky flavour. This was such a satisfying dish.


Stock

For my main course I chose Beef cooked in a Steaming Pot of rich Flavoured Stock. This dish is based on nabemono where ingredients are cooked together in a gently simmering stock. Seared beef arrived sliced and laid out for me to finish cooking to my own preference in the pot of stock which took pride of place in the centre of the table. One by one, using chopsticks I dipped my pieces of beef into the rich stock and let it poach before removing and eating. The beef was accompanied by a selection of baby vegetables which I also poached in the stock. When I had finished, my waiter took the pot of stock away but returned with it a short time later after it had been supplemented by carrot juice and reduced to make the most wonderful soup/broth that I have eaten in a long time. I still fall asleep dreaming about it.



Beignets

Whilst I was working my magic with the stock pot, Eithne was having loads of fun grilling her Dexter Sirloin on the Robata Grill provided. The meat which had been brushed in reduced onion stock was unbelievably tender and succulent to eat. The steak was topped with dried and fermented bonito flakes which somehow intensified the meaty flavour of the beef when they were eaten together. This was such a simple dish, but really clever.

 

To accompany our mains, we ordered Beignets of Short Ribs and Wasabi Potato. Both were outstanding and complemented our two different beef dishes perfectly.

 

I’m a bit of a dessert gal but I will admit that I normally struggle with desserts in Asian and Japanese restaurants as they often don’t appeal to me. In Taste of Rustic desserts, which are priced at around €7/€8 each, do not disappoint and must be tried. I ordered the Doughnut Sticks which were cooked in coconut oil and sprinkled with black salt. They came served with a most unusual but surprisingly light Sake Ice-Cream and a Miso Dipping Sauce. Oh yes! The plaited doughnuts were so soft and light and made me feel oh SO good!


Pineapple

Eithne went for the Roasted Pineapple which although it had been poached in caramel still retained all its distinctive fruity flavour. The quenelle of Parmesan Cream with which it came was a revelation, cutting through the sweetness of the pineapple to create a dish that was so well-balanced.

 

Taste at Rustic has a great wine list and also serves a well-chosen selection of sakes. We decided to go for the Junmai Ginjo Katsuyama ‘Lei’ sake which was beautifully smooth and quite astonishingly complemented both our beef mains and our sweet desserts.

 

My meal in Taste at Rustic was one of the most exciting and fun dining experiences that I have had in ages. This is knock-your-socks off sexy food that is seductive and exciting and leaves you wanting more!

 

Taste at Rustic

17 South Great George’s Street

Dublin 2

 

Telephone: 01 7079596

This review first appeared in Thetaste.ie