Letters
of 2004
Letter Archive
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Every year I swear I’ll never ever again be wrapping and delivering
presents on Christmas Eve, yet despite my endless resolutions I
somehow end up doing just that the following year.
On one occasion I was so tired I managed to scrape the side of the car
on the gate post on my way home, I was so blind with exhaustion.
This year I’m determined to start earlier. I make endless lists, get
some inspired ideas but then there are a few special people for whom I
can’t seem to find something appropriate.
So for this column I’ll focus on pressies for foodie friends.
The number of escapees from the city looking for the good life in the
country is really gathering momentum. It’s now at last becoming hip to
grow one’s own vegetables, have a few hens and a growing number – wait
for it – are even keeping a pig. These are the acolytes of Monty Don,
Antony Worrall Thompson, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and James Martin.
Virtually every magazine lifestyle supplement and Sunday supplement
has evocative photos of new age farmers in green or even spotty
wellies and Barbour jackets feeding the pigs or collecting the eggs –
I’m all for it. Sting was one of the originals, but more recently Zac
and Sheherazade Goldsmith and Roger Saul of Mulberry were the subject
of colour spreads.
For these born again rural dwellers a pair of rare poultry, Ancona,
Buff Orpington, Hebden Black, Speckledys - Will generate some terrific
excitement on Christmas Day – a practical present which will provide a
few eggs and maybe a clutch of chickens later in the year.
For the aspiring gardener a little hamper of vegetable seeds – say a
few early potatoes, a mixture of lettuces and salad leaves, a packet
of carrot seed, a few radishes, some beetroot and my favourite broad
beans. You may want to add a beginners guide to vegetable gardening to
get the whole project kick-started. A selection of little pots of
fresh herbs and maybe a window box will also delight a green-fingered
cook. You may even want to offer to plant them close to the kitchen
door – parsley, thyme, chives, mint, marjoram and tarragon would make
a good starter pack.
A cook will always welcome a rosemary bush, plant it for remembrance
and remember it will only thrive in the house where the woman wears
the pants! The aromatic spears can be plucked in every season to
flavour lamb, chicken, pork, roast vegetables and jellies and sorbets.
Choose a favourite farmhouse cheese and arrange for one to be sent by
mail or courier once every 2-3 months. Alternatively choose a little
hamper of Irish Farmhouse Cheese from Iago or On the Pig’s Back in the
English Market in Cork, Sheridans in Galway or Dublin, or Peter Ward
from Country Choice in Nenagh.
A gift token for the Midleton Farmers Market or tempting food and wine
shops like Urru in Bandon or The Butlers Pantry in Dublin, or one of
the Avoca Shops is bound to be a hit.
Look out for Richard Graham-Leigh’s delicious buttery cakes and
pastries in Urru in Bandon or at Clonakilty and Fermoy Farmers’
Markets, they are quite simply the best ‘bought’ confectionery you are
ever likely to find.
A side of smoked wild Irish salmon from Ummera, Belvelly, Dunn’s or
Woodcock Smokery will remind your friends of how smoked salmon used to
taste. We also love Bill Casey’s smoked salmon from Shanagarry. Native
Irish oysters are in their prime at present, only in season when there
is an R in the month. A couple of dozen oysters packed in a split
timber box are a really special present for shellfish lovers. Its
always good to include an oyster knife in case its been lost or
mislaid – it’s a nightmare to open oysters without a special knife.
If you want to taste ham like it used to – try Fingal Ferguson’s ham
from The Gubbeen Smokehouse – might be too late for Christmas but
worth seeking out anytime.
A brace of pheasant, well hung with a little pot of bread sauce and
some red currant jelly would be a treat, but imagine how gorgeous it
would be to receive a really large joint of beef , a wing rib – dry
aged and well hung – wrapped in greaseproof and brown paper and tied
with butchers string, instead of a nasty sweaty plastic bag. As an
extra treat, why not include some homemade horseradish sauce or some
garlic mayo.
An exciting new cookbook is always a bonus for a foodie friend and a
food guide eg. Georgina Campbell’s Ireland – The Guide – tried and
tested recommendations of the best places to eat, drink and stay
throughout Ireland or John and Sally McKenna’s Bridgestone Guides –
100 Best Restaurants in Ireland, 100 Best Places to Stay in Ireland,
Bridgestone Dublin Food Guide, Food Lovers Guide to Northern Ireland
www.bridgestoneguides.com
These guides should be in the glove compartment of every car, they
make terrific stocking fillers. These are just a few suggestions to
add to the more predictable, but nonetheless welcome plum pud, mince
pies and Christmas cake.
The following sauces as well as making great presents will be a
wonderful standby in your own Christmas supplies.
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Red Currant Jelly
Red currant jelly is a very delicious and versatile product to have in
your larder. It has a myriad of uses. It can be used like a jam on
bread or scones, or served as an accompaniment to roast lamb, bacon or
ham. It is also good with some rough pâtés and game, and is invaluable
as a glaze for red fruit tarts.
This recipe is a particular favourite of mine, not only because it's
fast to make and results in delicious intensely flavoured jelly, but
because one can use the left over pulp to make a fruit tart, so one
gets double value from the red currants. Unlike most other fruit
jelly, no water is needed in this recipe.
We’ve used frozen fruits for this recipe also, stir over the heat
until the sugar dissolves, proceeds as below.
Makes 3 x 1 lb (450g) jars
2 lbs (900g/8 cups) red currants
2 lbs (900g/8 cups) granulated sugar
Remove the strings from the red currants either by hand or with a
fork. Put the red currants and sugar into a wide stainless steel
saucepan and stir continuously until they come to the boil. Boil for
exactly 8 minutes, stirring only if they appear to be sticking to the
bottom. Skim carefully.
Turn into a nylon sieve and allow to drip through, do not push the
pulp through or the jelly will be cloudy. You can stir in gently once
or twice just to free the bottom of the sieve of pulp.
Pour the jelly into sterilised pots immediately. Red currants are very
high in pectin so the jelly will begin to set just as soon as it
begins to cool.
Cumberland Sauce
Serve with cold ham, turkey, chicken, guinea fowl, game or rough
pâtés.
Serves 8-12 approx.
1 orange
1 lemon
225g (8oz) red currant jelly
3-4 tablespoons port
a pinch of cayenne pepper
a pinch of ground ginger
With a swivel-top peeler, remove the peel very thinly from the orange
and half of the lemon (make sure there is no white pith). Shred into
thin julienne strips, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and
simmer for 4-5 minutes. Strain off the water and discard it, then
refresh the peel under cold water. Strain and keep it aside.
Squeeze the juice from the fruit and put it into a stainless steel
saucepan with the jelly and spices; allow it to melt down. Then add
the peel and port to the sauce. Boil it rapidly for 5-10 minutes.
Test like jam by putting a little blob on a cold saucer. When it cools
it should wrinkle slightly.
Cumberland Sauce may be served in a bowl right away or it may be
potted up and kept until needed, like jam.
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Horseradish Sauce
Horseradish grows wild in many parts of Ireland and looks like giant
dock leaves. If you can=t find it near you , plant some in your
garden. It is very prolific and the root which you grate can be dug up
at any time of the year.
Serve with roast beef, smoked venison or smoked mackerel.
Serves 8 - 10
12-3 tablesp. grated horseradish
2 teaspoons wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 teaspoon mustard
3 teaspoon salt
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
8 fl ozs (250 ml) softly whipped cream
Scrub the horseradish root well, peel and grate on a ‘slivery grater’.
Put the grated horseradish into a bowl with the vinegar, lemon juice,
mustard, salt, freshly ground pepper and sugar. Fold in the softly
whipped cream but do not overmix or the sauce will curdle. It keeps
for 2-3 days: cover so that it doesn=t pick up flavours in the fridge.
This is a fairly mild horseradish sauce. If you want to really Aclear
the sinuses@, increase the amount of horseradish!
Emmilines Peanut Brittle
Emmiline Weeks is a student on our current 12 week Certificate Course.
She demonstrated this delicious peanut brittle for us. At home in
Maryland she packs it into little cellophane bags tied with raffia as
presents for her friends.
675g (1½lb) castor sugar
350g (12oz) golden syrup or light corn syrup
495g (18oz) peanuts (fresh roasted and salted)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking soda
vegetable oil
Equipment
2 large baking sheets
candy thermometer
large pot
metal spoon
Oil 2 baking sheets (if they are small you will need 3). In a heavy
bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar, golden syrup and 125ml
(4floz/½cup) of water. Dissolve the sugar over a high heat. Once the
sugar is dissolved reduce the heat to medium, insert the candy
thermometer and bring to 120°C/230°F. At this stage, add the peanuts.
You must stir constantly with a metal spoon, stir until it reaches
150°C/300°F – this will take around 30 minutes. Once it reaches
150°C/300°F, remove immediately from the heat and add the vanilla,
baking soda and butter. Pour into prepared baking sheets and smooth
out. Allow to cool for at least an hour. The brittle should lift
easily from the pan, break into desired size.
Store in an airtight container in a cool place. Will keep for at least
a week if not two.
Ballymaloe Chocolates
¼ lb (110g) chocolate
24-30 sweet paper cases
Chocolate Ganache
¼ lb (110g) best quality dark chocolate
¼ pint (150ml) cream
¼ - ½ tablesp. rum or orange liqueur
Garnish
Crushed praline or crystallized violets or unsweetened cocoa powder.
First make the chocolate cases. Melt the chocolate until smooth in a
very low oven or in a bowl over simmering water. Put 2 paper cases
together and spread melted chocolate evenly over the inside of the
paper case with the back of a teaspoon. Check that there are no 'see
through' patches when you hold them up to the light, if there are,
spread a little more chocolate in that area, stand the paper cases in
deep bun tins to keep the sides upright. Chill until they set hard,
carefully peel the paper off the cases (it is a good idea to do a few
extra cases to allow for accidents!).
Put the cream in a heavy-bottomed, preferably stainless steel saucepan
and bring it almost to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the
chopped chocolate. With a wooden spoon, stir the chocolate into the
cream until it is completely melted. Transfer the chocolate cream to
the bowl of a food mixer and allow it to cool to room temperature. Add
the liqueur and whisk until it is just stiff enough to pipe.
To Assemble: Using a piping bag and a three-eights inch star nozzle
pipe a rosette of the mixture into peeled chocolate cases. Decorate
each one with a little crushed praline or a crystallized violet leaf
or a dusting of unsweetened coca powder.
Sue’s Hazelnut Whirls
Place one toasted hazelnut in each of the chocolate cases. Pipe a
rosette of ganache on top. Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder.
Lemon Curd
110g (4 oz) castor sugar
50g (2oz) butter
finely grated rind and juice of 2 good lemons
2 eggs and 1 egg yolk (keep white aside for meringue)
On a very low heat melt the butter, add castor sugar, lemon juice and
rind and then stir in well beaten eggs. Stir carefully over a gentle
heat until the mixture coats the back of a spoon. Draw off the heat
and pour into a bowl (it will thicken as it cools.)
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Foolproof Food
Homemade Cheese Biscuits
They keep for several weeks in an airtight tin and also freeze well.
These biscuits can be cut into squares, diamonds, or even star shapes
for Christmas. You could give them with a present of some Irish
farmhouse cheese.
Makes 25-30 biscuits
4 ozs (110g) brown wholemeal flour
4 ozs (110g) white flour, preferably unbleached
½ teasp. baking powder
½ teasp. salt
1 oz (30g) butter
1 tablesp. cream
Water as needed, 5 tablesp. approx.
Mix the brown and white flour together and add the salt and baking
powder. Rub in the butter and moisten with cream and enough water to
make a firm dough.
Roll out very thinly to one-sixteenth inch thick approx. Prick with a
fork. Cut with 2½-3 inch (6.5-7.5cm) round cutter. Bake at 150C/300F/regulo
2 for 45 minutes approx. or until lightly browned and quite crisp.
Cool on a wire rack.
White Cheese Biscuits
Use 8 ozs (225g) plain white flour instead of the brown and white:
adjust liquid as needed.
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Top Tips
Good Things in Durrus –
will hold an Open Weekend on 11/12 December from 2-6 with stalls
selling cakes and other goodies, and some local art. Tel Carmel Somers
at 027-62896.
Smoked Salmon –
Woodcock Smokery, (Sally Barnes) Castletownsend Tel 028-36232
Shanagarry Smokehouse, Tel 021-4646955
Ummera Smoked Products, Timoleague, Tel 023-46644
Dunns of Dublin, 01-8643100
Kinvara Smoked Salmon, 091-637489
Belvelly Smokehouse – 021-4811089
Gubbeen Smokehouse– 028-28231
Irish Society of
Poultry Fanciers – tel 045 432325 – the preservation and
survival of pure breeds including duck, geese and all fowl.
Hidden Ireland Guide 2005
now available –
A unique collection of historic private houses throughout Ireland
which combine stylish accommodation with great hospitality. Ideal for
weekend breaks, house parties, workshops or corporate retreats. Full
details of locations and rates from brochure or
www.hiddenireland.com
or Tel 01-6627166
Course
Schedule
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