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To Amelda, who shares my passion for food – a wonderful travelling companion, colleague, friend and wife. Thank you foryour love and support. Where to next?
Table of Contents
Cover Page
Title Page
Dedication
Introduction
Small Bites: Appetisers, Mezze and Tapas
Oven-Roasted Dublin Bay Prawns (Langoustines) with Tomato and Chilli
Roasted Red Pepper and Chilli Hummus with Crispy Tortilla Chips
Halloumi with Griddled Pitta and Red Onion, Bean and Tomato Salad
Bruschetta Platter
Roasted Aubergine and Cumin Soup
Crispy Fried Squid with Harissa and Crème Fraîche
Chicken and Wild Mushroom Wontons with Chinese Black Bean Sauce
Vietnamese Spring Rolls with Plum Sauce
Aubergine and Mozzarella Parcels with Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Cracked Patatas Bravas
Chicken Satay with Pickled Cucumber Salad
Poached Oysters with Spinach and Lemongrass
Marinated Olives
Spiced Glazed Almonds
Poultry
Turkey Moussaka
Spicy Chicken and Mango Noodles
Blackened Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper and Avocado Salsa
Chicken and Broad Bean Paella with Clams
Tea-Smoked Barbary Duck
Creamy Chicken Korma
Butterflied Poussin
Vietnamese-Style Grilled Five-Spice Chicken Thigh Salad
Thai Yellow Chicken Curry
Crispy Shredded Chinese Duck Salad
Turkey Enchiladas with Chilli Sauce
Harissa Roast Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Meat
Inverted Cashel Blue Burger with Roasted Tomatoes and Red Onion Salad
Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Smoked Paprika and Red Pepper Butter
Moroccan Lamb Tagine with Herb Couscous
Chilli Cornbread Pie
Lamb Shanks Osso Bucco
Barbecued Brine Pork Chops with Balsamic Glaze
Caramelised Pork Belly with Mustard Potato Purée
Parma-Wrapped Pork Fillet stuffed with Pesto
Butterflied Lamb with Spiced Mint and Yoghurt Rub
Lamb Rogan Josh
Rack of Lamb with Tapenade Toasts and Wilted Spinach
Porchetta with Sautéed Potatoes
Vietnamese Beef Noodle Soup (Pho Bo)
Fish and Shellfish
Black Cod with a Sweet Basil Crust and Roasted Vine Tomatoes
Mackerel with Puy Lentils and Sherry Vinaigrette
Seared Scallops with Date Jam and Curried Cauliflower Purée
Baked Sea Bass with Tomatoes and Olives
Grilled Salmon with Avocado and Sun-Dried Tomato Dressing
Fried Butterflied Sardines with Aubergine Chutney
Seared Tuna with Sweetcorn, Red Pepper and Lime Salsa
Smoked Fish Platter with Smoked Salmon Brandade
Roasted Haddock with Smoked Bacon, Haricot Bean Purée and Wilted Spinach
Hake with Clams, Fennel and Cherry Tomatoes in Parchment Paper
Seared Swordfish with Salsa Verde
Monkfish in Thai Yellow Curry Broth
Crispy Lemon Sole with Chilli Jam and Curried Mayonnaise
Vegetables and Salads
Gorgonzola, Pear and Rocket Salad
Chunky Greek Salad with Feta Cheese
Salade Niçoise
Pomegranate, Orange and Mint Salad
Chargrilled Thai Beef Salad
Italian Bean Salad with Griddled Red Onion
Piedmont Roasted Peppers with Feta Cheese
Chargrilled Vegetable Layered Sandwich with Tapenade
Shallot Tarte Tatin
Pumpkin, Spinach and Chickpea Curry with Flatbread
Roasted Stuffed Aubergines with Goat’s Cheese and Cherry Tomatoes
Stir-Fried Baby Pak Choi with Mushrooms
Oven-Baked Tomatoes with Ratatouille and a Basil Crust
Griddled Asparagus with Roasted Red Peppers and Parmesan
Beetroot Carpaccio with Creamed Goat’s Cheese
Baked Mediterranean Vegetables with Tomato, Cooleeney Cheese and Parmesan
Dairy and Eggs
Huevos Rancheros
Garlic Yoghurt Cheese with Crudités and Pitta Bread Fingers
Goat’s Cheese Pâté with Apricot Relish
Quick Quesadillas with Chilli Salsa and Soured Cream
Pizza Brie Tart
Baked Eggs with Tomatoes, Chorizo and Manchego Cheese
Twice-Baked Cheese Soufflé
Mozzarella Fritters with Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Sauce
Warm Crab and Spinach Tart
Pancetta Frittata
Pulses, Grains and Pasta
Smoked Salmon and Saffron Orzo
Tabbouleh Salad
Porcini and Artichoke Pasta with Thyme and Lemon
Puy Lentil, Red Onion and Sun-Dried Tomato Salad
Swiss Chard and Ricotta Ravioli with Parmesan Shavings and Toasted Pine Nuts
Singapore Noodles
Lemon and Herb Couscous with Roasted Spicy Root Vegetables
Seafood Lasagne with Salmon Mousse and Prawn Foam
Oven-roasted Cannellini Beans with Sage and Tomato
Roasted Butternut Squash, Crispy Pancetta and Pine Nut Pasta
Mussel and Saffron Risotto with Leek and Courgette
Crispy Wild Mushroom Risotto Balls with Leek and Smoked Bacon
Baked Macaroni Pie with Dublin Bay Prawns (Langoustines)
Chicken and Chorizo Rice Bake
Sweet Things
Pineapple Tarte Tatin
Peach Open Tartlets with Fromage Frais Sorbet
Churros with Hot Chocolate
Orange Polenta Cake with Rosemary Syrup
Passionfruit Tart
Summer Fruit Crumble with Citrus Mascarpone Cream
Coconut Toasted Meringue with Lemon Curd Cream and Tropical Fruit
Buttermilk Pannacotta with Poached Rhubarb
Catalan Crème Pots
Almond and Apricot Tart with Amaretto Custard
Coconut Pearls in Coconut Milk with Caramelised Bananas
Coconut Crème Caramel with Malibu and Pineapple
Pear Belle-Hélène
Lemon and Mango Cheesecake
Larder
Beef Stock
Vegetable Stock
Chicken Stock
Five-Spice Balsamic Cream
Infused Oils
Acknowledgements
Index
About the Author
Copyright
About the Publisher
Introduction
I love travelling. Every January my wife, Amelda, and I head away to far flung places. In recent years we have been to Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, Australia, Bali and the USA. And wherever we go I love to sample the local food –tasty Thai noodles, rich Moroccan tagines, spicy Mexican food, delicious Italian pasta, fresh Greek salads and so much more. There are many wonderful new tastes, flavours and ingredients out there to discover.
I also enjoy visiting the local markets, such as the amazing Sineu village in Palma, Mallorca. There is a lot of pleasure to be had in finding exotic vegetables, rifling through enormous sacks of spices and sampling local cheeses and meats. And I love to get down to the ports to see the boats coming in and the freshest fish on offer. In this book I wanted to draw on some of these holiday moments with recipes based on dishes I enjoyed abroad –for you to cook at home.
The food we eat is constantly changing and developing. People are becoming more adventurous. Supermarkets are stocking ever increasing ranges of exotic ingredients and excellent fresh food, and great specialist stores are popping up everywhere. You should have no difficulty finding all the ingredients in my recipes. Those holiday flavours no longer have to be just a distant memory.
No matter how much cooking experience you have, the food you serve is only as good as the ingredients you use and I like to buy local, seasonal produce and to support my
local suppliers who provide fresh, top quality goods. Your butcher and fishmonger will offer better value than anything pre-packed and they are experts when it comes to preparing meat and fish exactly how you want it. They are worth a visit.
Each of the nine chapters in the book is themed around a different type of ingredient. There are ideas for whatever is in your fridge whether you’re preparing breakfast, a quick supper, a barbecue or a special occasion family feast. I have also included a larder chapter; a good basic stock is essential as the body and soul of so many soups and sauces.
Holiday dining is always pleasurable–you get to enjoy the sun while someone else cooks your lunch! I enjoy the change for a while but honestly I am never happier than when I am cooking. To help you to revive those memories I have tried to keep the recipes in this book as straightforward as possible. A few require that extra bit of effort, but I think they are definitely worth it. Join me in these new tastes, flavours and combinations, all with the memory of holidays and that hint of the sun.
Happy Cooking!
Small bites: appetisers, mezze and tapas
Oven-roasted Dublin Bay Prawns (Langoustines) with Tomato and Chilli
Serves 4
900g (2lb) ripe tomatoes, peeled (see page 119), halved and seeded
1 small red chilli, halved and seeded
1 small onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 red pepper, halved, seeded and roughly chopped
1 large garlic clove, peeled small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley and basil leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
100g (4oz) Serrano ham slices, finely shredded
25g (1oz) plain flour large pinch of sweet paprika
12 raw large Dublin Bay prawns (langoustines), shelled and left whole
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
1 lemon, cut into wedges crusty bread, to serve
This dish is a great example of Spanish cuisine – the unique flavours of the ingredients enhance but do not smother each other. I was inspired to make this by Gillian Bowler, when she was a contestant on RTE’s The Restaurant. King prawns would also work well instead of Dublin Bay prawns.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4. Place the tomatoes, chilli, onion, red pepper, garlic clove and herbs in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a frying pan set over a medium heat, add the tomato mixture and season with salt and pepper to taste. Gently fry for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened. Transfer to an ovenproof dish, then stir in the Serrano ham.
Mix the flour and paprika in a shallow bowl and lightly coat the prawns in the mixture. Heat the remaining oil in a very hot frying pan and quickly sear the prawns on both sides until golden brown. Place them in the ovenproof dish on top of the sauce and drizzle over any oil left in the frying pan. Roast for 6–8 minutes or until the prawns are just cooked through and slightly firm. Garnish with parsley and serve at once with lemon wedges and a separate basket of crusty bread to mop up all the delicious juices.
Roasted Red Pepper and Chilli Hummus with Crispy Tortilla Chips
Serves 4-6 | VEGETARIAN
1 large red pepper olive oil, for cooking
1 red chilli (mild)
400g can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
good pinch of ground cumin
100ml (312fl oz) tahini (sesame seed paste), optional
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil pinch of sweet or smoked paprika
Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, to garnish
For the tortilla chips
4-6 soft flour tortillas olive oil, for brushing
This variation on traditional hummus has a fantastic, vibrant colour. Here it is served with home-cooked crispy tortilla chips, which are much lower in fat than the ones you buy. It’s also great spread on crackers or chunks of warm bread, or scooped up with toasted garlic bread.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F), gas mark 6. To prepare the tortilla chips, place two baking trays in the oven for about 5 minutes until well heated. Meanwhile, brush both sides of the soft flour tortillas with olive oil, then cut in half. Cut each half into four triangles and arrange on the heated baking sheets. Place in the oven for 3–4 minutes until crisped up.
Place the whole red pepper in a roasting tin and drizzle with a little olive oil. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then add the whole chilli and drizzle over a little more olive oil. Continue to cook for another 15–20 minutes until both vegetables are completely tender and nicely charred. Transfer to a plastic food bag and leave to cool completely. This will help to steam the skins off. When cool enough to handle, peel both, cut in half and remove the cores and seeds. Roughly chop the flesh.
Place the red pepper and chilli flesh in a food processor with the chickpeas, lemon juice, garlic, cumin, tahini (if using) and 4 tablespoons of water. Blend to a creamy purée. Taste, then add more lemon juice, garlic, cumin or some salt if needed. Turn out into a wide serving bowl, and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle over a little paprika and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with the parsley. To serve, arrange the crispy tortilla chips on a platter next to the bowl of roasted red pepper and chilli hummus.
VARIATION
Avocado Hummus
Instead of the red pepper and chilli, you will need one ripe avocado. Hass avocados are available all year round and have a lovely creamy texture, but other varieties are also fine to use. Cut the avocado in half, remove the stone and scoop out the flesh into the food processor with the rest of the ingredients. Proceed with the final stage of the recipe as described opposite.
Halloumi with Griddled Pitta and Red Onion, Bean and Tomato Salad
Serves 4 | VEGETARIAN
250g (9oz) halloumi cheese
1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
1 tbsp olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
4 white pitta bread
For the salad
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
finely grated rind and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
400g can of haricot beans, drained and rinsed
12 vine cherry tomatoes, halved
1 small red onion, peeled and diced
12 pitted black olives
1 tsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp chopped fresh mint Maldon sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
I first enjoyed halloumi while on holiday in Cyprus, where it has been produced for centuries. It is a semi-hard cheese prepared from the milk of sheep, cows or goats and then sometimes rolled in wild mint. It has a distinct and pleasant flavour and is versatile to cook with, as its soft springy texture always retains its shape even when fried or grilled.
To prepare the salad, place the garlic, lemon rind and juice and olive oil in a large pan set over a low heat, stirring to combine. Stir in the haricot beans with the tomatoes, red onion, olives and herbs, add salt and pepper to taste, then leave to warm gently for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and place in a bowl to marinate for 1 hour, which will allow the flavours to develop.
When ready to cook the halloumi, heat a griddle pan and a frying pan, until both are very hot. Cut the halloumi cheese into four thick slices and dip them in cold water, then dust all over with the paprika. Add the olive oil to the heated frying pan, then add the halloumi slices. Fry for 4 minutes, turning once, until golden. Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze the lemon juice over the cheese.
Meanwhile, arrange the pitta bread on the griddle pan or under a preheated grill and cook for 1 minute, turning once until puffed up and lightly charred. Alternatively, put the pitta in a toaster for a minute or two. Cut into slices on the diagonal.
Spoon the red onion, bean and tomato salad into the centre of four plates and arrange a piece of grilled halloumi on top, spooning over the lemon-flavoured pan juices. Arrange the griddled pitta slices on the side to serve.
Bruschetta Platter
Serves 4-6
12 thick slices of rustic bread, preferably sourdough
1 garlic clove, peeled and halved
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Warm grilled breads with various toppings appear all over the Mediterranean, and make the perfect nibble at a drinks party. The key to success with this dish is to use the finest-quality ingredients. Splash out on the best extra-virgin olive oil and get some lovely rustic bread, or if you’re really lucky you might be able to find wood-fired sourdough.
To prepare your bruschetta, preheat the grill to medium or heat a griddle pan and use to toast the slices of bread on both sides. Remove the toast from the heat and immediately rub one side with a piece of garlic.
Drizzle over the olive oil and cut any very large slices of toast in half. Use immediately with a selection of the delicious toppings that follow. Arrange on large serving platters or trays to serve.
Goat’s cheese with fig and onion marmalade
VEGETARIAN
2 tbsp olive oil
3 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced
225g (8oz) ready-to-eat dried figs, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 small glass red wine
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
good pinch of chopped fresh thyme
salt and freshly ground black pepper
450g (1lb) goat’s cheese with rind
Heat the olive oil in a large pan and sauté the sliced red onions until softened. Stir in the chopped figs, crushed garlic, red wine and the balsamic vinegar. Simmer for about 10 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated, then stir in the teaspoon of caster sugar and the thyme. Season to taste and leave to cool completely, then spread onto the prepared bruschetta. Thinly slice the goat’s cheese and arrange on top. Place briefly under the grill until the cheese is lightly melting and brown on top.
Artichoke and Parmesan purée
VEG ETARIAN
300g jar of artichoke hearts in olive oil (or 400g can of artichoke hearts in water)
handful of flat-leaf parsley
50g (2 oz) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
juice of 12 lemon
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil salt and freshly ground black pepper
Drain the artichoke hearts and place in a food processor with the flat-leaf parsley, Parmesan cheese and the lemon juice. Blitz to form a smooth paste, then with the motor still running, slowly add the olive oil until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste, then spread thickly over the prepared bruschetta.
Parma ham-wrapped asparagus with tapenade
12 slices Parma ham
12 asparagus spears, blanched (plunged into boiling water for 1 minute, then rinsed)
For the tapenade
250g (9oz) pitted black olives
juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp chopped capers
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
To make a rough-textured tapenade, chop the black olives and mix in a bowl with the lemon juice, capers, anchovy fillets, crushed garlic and the chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper and add enough olive oil to form a fairly thick paste. Spread each slice of Parma ham with some of the tapenade and then wrap the slices around the blanched asparagus spears. Spread the rest of the tapenade over the prepared bruschetta and put the Parma ham-wrapped asparagus spears on top.
Roasted Aubergine and Cumin Soup
Serves 4-6 | VEGETARIAN
3 large aubergines
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 red peppers
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
Vitsp cumin seeds
900ml (112 pints) vegetable stock (see page 213)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
The silky texture of aubergine makes this a particularly rich and creamy soup. At only 150 calories per serving, it’s also the perfect low-fat option.