Barbecued Pork Ribs with Homemade Sweet and Sour Sauce

Doing a little Chinese cooking today with pork belly ribs marinated in soy sauce with honey and a little garlic,ginger. The soup is one of the quickest soups that you can prepared. If belly ribs are not available you can use back ribs instead. If you haven't a barbecue, increase the heat of the oven to 220c for the last 15 mins or until the ribs become brown and crispy

 

Method
Place the ribs in a bowl
Add in all the other ingredients
Mix them through the ribs
Cover with cling film
Marinate in fridge for 1 hour

Method for sauce
Pour the vinegar into a sauce pot
Add in the sugar, tomato ketchup,soy and sugar
Bring to the boil
Blend the corn flour and water together
Slowly pour into the boiling liquid while stirring
At this stage you can add chopped peppers and pineapple
Keep warm.

Method for ribs
Place the ribs evenly on to a roasting tray
Place into a preheated oven 175c for 45 mins
Remove from oven
Place on hot barbecue and cook to the required taste
Serve coated with sauce

Soup
Ingredients
1 Lt Chicken stock using cube
100g Frozen Sweetcorn
100g Finely chopped chicken
1 egg beaten in a cup
1 Tablespoon cornflour mixed 1 tablespoon of water

Method
Bring the chicken stock to the boil
Add in the Sweetcorn and chicken
Blend the cornflour and water together
Slowly pour into the boiling liquid while whisking
Reduce the heat to simmering
Whisk the beaten Egg into the simmering liquid
Simmer for a further 2 mins
Serve bread rolls or prawn crackers

Ingredients
1Kg pork belly ribs trimmed and cut to size
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
3 Tablespoons honey
Crushed garlic to taste
Chopped ginger to taste
Pepper
Sauce ingredients
1/2 Tea cup white vinegar or rice wine
4 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons tomato ketchup
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
4 tea spoons corn flour mixed with 4 teaspoons water

Plaited Meatloaf

I am doing one of my own dishes today it is a meatloaf plaited in puff pastry, (Poor mans Beef Wellington) you can use your own recipe for the meat loaf and can mix the meats I.e. pork and beef or chicken and pork. The puff pastry adds value to the minced beef and serve without potatoes. Again I am using Texco Angus mince with 5% fat only and the frozen puff pastry, very few people make their own fresh puff pastry, it takes a long time to make and is difficult.
This dish can be prepared in advance and frozen, thawed and cooked at a later date.

Ingredients
500g Minced beef
1 Medium sized diced onion
150g Lardons of bacon (bacon strips)
150g diced mushrooms
100g breadcrumbs
1 Egg
1 Tablespoon tomato ketchup
100g Grated carrot
1 Sheet to Jus Roll puff pastry
1 beaten egg
Salt / Pepper

Method
Sweat off the onion, mushroom and bacon
Add to the minced beef
Add in the carrot,tomato ketchup, carrot, breadcrumbs and egg
Season, mix all the ingredients together to a paste
Place the sheet of pastry on a table
Place the meat down the centre of the pastry
With a sharp knife cut strips at a slant at the side of the pastry
Fold the strips of pastry over the meat, to a form plait
Place on to a oven tray
Brush with egg wash
Place into a preheated oven 175c
Cook for 45 mins
Remove from oven and allow to set 5 mins
Slice to the required size
Serve with gravy or a sauce of your choice

Hake en Papillote with Spring Onion Lemon and Butter

En Papillote is a French term for cooking in parchment, I am using tinfoil because it holds better with the same result. There are several advantages of cooking En Papillote, easy to prepare, hold in all the flavours, and it takes the smell of fish from the kitchen. You can use all kinds of fish and chicken fillets with different types of garnishes in this type of cooking. I am simply using lemon, spring onion and butter. I was looking for whole sea bass they were not available, I got whole hake. If you have not tried this method of cooking fish before, you will find very easy. Today I am leaving the head on the fish foe effect, it can be removed before cooking if you wish.

Ingredients,
4 x 750g Whole hake or any fish of your choice
500 Ml Fish stock(using a cube)
12 Washed and trimmed spring onions
Juice of 2 lemons
100g butter
Rock Sea Salt/Pepper
Rind of lemon cut into strips
Chilli oil
Tinfoil
Method,
Wash and trim the hake
Place a square shape of tinfoil on the table
Place 3 spring onions across the centre of the foil
Place the whole fish across the onions
Score the skin of the fish about 4 times
Season with pepper and sea salt
Pour the lemon juice over the fish
Rub the butter onto the fish
Pour a little fish stock on to the fish
Fold the foil over to form a triangle
Where the sides of foil meet fold over to seal
This very important to not let the steam escape
Place on oven tray 2 on each tray
Place in a pre heated oven 200c for 12 mins
Tin foil will expand with the steam
Remove from oven
Carefully place tinfoil on plate
Cut foil with sharp knife ( careful of the steam )
Slide the fish from the tin foil onto plate
Sprinkle with strips of rind of lemon
Drizzle with chilli oil
Serve with boiled potatoes or chins

Bacon,Leek,Cheese,Onion and Mushroom Quiche

Today's daily dish is bacon,leek,onion and mushroom quiche. The best thing about preparing quiche is that you can fill with meat, fish and veg. The pastry can be spiced up with chilli flakes with a pinch in the egg mixture also. Quiche can be served hot or cold and with salads of your choice(see photograph for salad ideas)
Quiche can be made in advance cooled down wrapped in cling film and frozen to used at a later date.

Ingredients,
                        200g Lardons of smoked bacon
                         1/2 leek
                         100g Grated Cheddar Cheese
                         1 Med.sized diced onion
                         100g Sliced mushrooms
                         3Eggs
                         500ml Milk
                         100Ml Cream(Optional)

Pastry
                         500g Plain Flour
                         250g Margarine
                         S alt/Pepper to taste
                          1/2 Tea cup cold water
Method
                         Place all dry ingredients into mixing bowl
                         Mix in margarine with fingers to reach breadcrumb consistency
                         Form a well and pour in water
                         Mix to a smooth dough and allow to rest 30mins approx.
                         Grease a 10 inch flan dish
                         Roll out the pastry the shape of the flan dish
                         Cover the dish with the pastry
                         fry off the bacon in a pan
                         Add in the diced onion and mushrooms
                          Cook for 5 mins
                          Allow the mixture to cool
                          Place into the lined flan dish
                          Mix the eggs,milk and cream if using together
                          Pour into the flan dish
                          Slice the washed leek and place on the flan
                          Sprinkle with the grated cheese
                          Place into a pre heated oven 170c
                          Cook for 55 mins
                          Remove from oven and allow to rest for 10 mins before slicing
                          Serve with salad

Barbecued Seafood on Skewer with Veg Rice and White Butter Sauce

This was a very popular dish in a restaurant where I once worked.
It had quality seafood i.e prawns scallops and sole, it was served with a beurre blanc sauce on a bed of rice.
In today's dish I will be using a cheaper selection of fish. I purchased it in Dunnes Stores at e 9.99 a Kilo there is salmon,hake and smoked cod, you can use any fish that is available on the day. I added squares of bacon and button mushrooms. I will be making my version of beurre blanc sauce.
A little tip steep the wooden skewers in cold water for about 1 hour before using, this hardens them and prevents them burning on the grill or barbecue.

Ingredients
1 Kg seafood of your choice
250 g Button mushrooms
4 rashers of bacon cut into squares
400g Long grain rice
100g Frozen peas
100g Finely diced red,green peppers
100g Finely diced onion
100g Butter
400Ml Pouring cream
3 Tablespoon of wine vinegar or white malt vinegar
Pinch of chopped parsley
Rock sea salt / Pepper
8 Bamboo Skewers (2 per portion)

Method.
Arrange the seafood, bacon and mushrooms onto the skewer
1 piece of fish, bacon and mushroom until skewer is full
Dry with kitchen paper
Season and dust with flour
Roll on cooking oil and place on hot grill or barbecue for 1 minute
Turn over and grill for another minute
Remove from grill and place on to a greased tray
Place into a pre heated oven at 175c
Cook for a further 5 mins
Cook the rice as directed on pack
Just before removing from heat add peas and peppers
Wash off with hot water
Drain very well and keep warm
Sauce.
Sweat off the finely diced onion and parsley in a little butter
Add in vinegar bring to the boil
Reduce the vinegar until nearly dry
Whisk in the butter
Pour in the cream
Bring to the boil and reduce to the required consistency
Make a bed of rice on a plate
Place the cooked fish on top
Coat with the sauce and serve

Lamb Shank braised with vegetables

Lamb Shank braised with Vegetables
Another slow cooked dish today, it is lamb shank cooked in the oven for up 3 hours. When I am braising lamb the only herbs I use are mint, rosemary and flavour with garlic. I find that I have to pre order the lamb shanks from the butcher as they have become popular in restaurants. Today's preparation includes lots of veg and a beef stock, I only use red wine If I were having it for special occasion. Braised lamb shank is another dish that can be prepared the day before, cooled down and reheated the next day. I am serving it today with champ, that is mashed potatoes with butter,milk and chopped spring onions

Ingredients
4 Shanks of lamb
200g Carrots cut into batons
200g Parsnips cut into batons
4 medium sized peeled onions
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Teaspoon chopped mint
1 Lt Beef stock
Salt /Pepper


Method;
Rub the garlic into the shanks of lamb
Brush with a little oil and season with salt and pepper
Place into a hot oven 200c to seal
Remove from oven ,drain off excess oil
Add in the prepared veg
Pour in the stock
Cover dish with tinfoil
Cook in the oven 175c for 2hours
During the cooking remove foil an stir
Remove from oven
Serve with veg and cooking liquid
Note
If you wish to thicken the liquid use a little roux or corn flour

Roasted Long Ray with Capers in Browned Butter and Balsamic Vinegar

Roasted Long Ray with Capers in Browned Butter and Balsamic Vinegar

Today I visited Howth, again they had a huge selection of fresh fish. Ray is plentiful this time of year. I purchased 4 thick pieces of long ray. I am going to roast the ray because of its thickness in the oven. By sealing it on a hot pan first and roasting in a hot oven, it will hold in all the juices and flavour. I will toss some capers in butter and allow the butter go brown before pouring over the ray just before serving. Instead of chips I will serve pan fried sliced potatoes with it. Enjoy.

Ingredients;
4 x 250g Pieces of long ray
200g Capers
100g Butter
Balsamic vinegar
Pepper/Rock Sea Salt
500g Sliced cooked potatoes
Method;
Dry the long in kitchen paper
Season with pepper, rock salt and dust with flour
Place on a hot pan until brown on one side about 2 mins
Turn over and cook for another 2 mins
Remove from pan and place on a oven tray
Roast in a hot oven 200c for 15 mins
Drain the capers very well
Melt the butter on a pan
Add in the capers and toss until the butter goes brown
Pour over the ray and drizzle with balsamic vinegar
Fry the potatoes on a pan
Serve with the ray