Beef and Guinness Casserole

For 4 persons

Ingredients

• 1kg (2 lb) of beef
• 2 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 tbsp of flour
• Good pinch of salt and pepper
• 3 onions cut into large pieces
• 4 cloves of garlic- finely chopped
• 2 celery sticks cut into ½ inch pieces
• 2 carrots cut into ½ inch pieces
• 1 tbsp of fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 425ml (¾ pint) of stout
• 500ml of beef stock
• 3 tbsp of fresh parsley
• 6 prunes cut into quarters

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan.
2. Cover the meat in flour, season and sieve.
3. Gradually cook the meat until brown then remove from frying pan and leave to the side on a plate.
4. Add the onions, garlic, carrots and celery and cook until golden brown.
5. Add the thyme and tomato puree and cook for 1 minute.
6. Pour in the stout and leave to reduce, add the stock and cook until simmering.
7. Add the meat and prunes to the mixture, place a lid on the pan and cook in a hot oven on 180°C for 1 hour.
8. Before serving, add fresh parsley.

Chicken supreme stuffed with plums and mozzarella cheese, wrapped in Gubeen smoked bacon and served on a garlic and herb stuffed field mushroom with a light jus.

Chicken

Ingredients

• 4 chicken supreme
• 250g mozzarella cheese
• 1 ripe plum
• 4 slices of gubbeen smoked bacon
• 4 large field mushrooms
• 50g pine nuts toasted
• 50g thyme
• 200g breadcrumbs
• 25g butter
• 20ml of white wine
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• Salt & pepper

Potato Crisps

• 1 large potato
• Oil - for frying

Ingredients for jus

• 1 diced onion
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 50ml red wine
• 2tbs Worchester sauce
• 1tbs redcurrant jelly
• 250ml beef stock
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Trim the meat from bone of chicken and remove the skin.
2. Make incision in side of the supreme do not cut completely through.
3. Slice the mozzarella into 4 large slices and do the same with the plum.
4. Place a piece each of the mozzarella and plum into each chicken supreme and close over the supreme.
5. Lay out a piece of bacon and place chicken on top and wrap around the supreme.
6. Repeat process with other 3 supreme.
7. Peel the skin from the field mushrooms.
8. Dice the onions and garlic and fry in the butter with the herbs and pine nuts when soft add the white wine and reduce.
9. Add breadcrumbs and remove from heat season.
10. Place some olive oil in frying pan when hot add the chicken supreme smooth side down.
11. When golden on one side, turn over.
Place in the oven at 175°C for 12 minutes.
12. To make the sauce, fry onion and garlic until soft add the red wine and bay leaf.
13. Reduce then add the beef stock.
14. Simmer for 15 minutes and season.
15. If you prefer a thicker sauce add a little corn flour mixed with water.
16. To make the potato crisps, grate one large potato squeeze out excess water and deep-fry until golden brown.
17. Seven minutes before the chicken is ready place the stuffed mushroom on a baking tray put in oven and cook for the last 7 minutes with the chicken.
18. Put mushroom on hot plate, slice chicken in two and place on top.
19. Drizzle with the gravy and sprinkle with potato chips.

Spicy Duck breasts

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 duck breasts
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
• Pinch of chilli flakes
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground black pepper- not too fine
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 200ml fresh squeezed orange juice
• 150ml red wine
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1inch piece of ginger - peeled and grated
• 12 star anise
• 2 peaches- segmented- 8 from each peach

Method

1. Score the skin both ways to create a diamond pattern - don't cut into the meat.
2. Mix the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, cumin, ground black pepper and salt together then rub into the duck breasts.
3. Place on a plate and cover with cling film, leave to stand in refrigerator for 3-4 hours.
4. Cut the peaches in half and remove the stone.
5. Cut each half into four equal wedges - you will now have 16 wedges.
6. Heat a thick bottomed frying pan.
7. Place the duck breasts skin side down and sear the skin until golden brown - this should take about 3-4 minutes.
8. Turn the duck breasts and cook for a further 3 minutes on the other side.
9. Remove the duck breasts and leave to rest on a warm plate.
10. There will be plenty of fat in the frying pan by now so drain off the excess fat into a bowl.
11. Pour the wine, vinegar, fresh orange juice, star anise and ginger into the pan and bring to the boil.
12. Simmer to reduce the sauce by 1/3 in volume.
13. Add the peach wedges to the sauce, return the duck skin side up and simmer for 3 minutes.
14. Remove the duck, leave to rest for a further 3-4 minutes before slicing into 6 slices.
15. Arrange on the plate with the sauce, peach wedges and star anis.