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What a great week it has been. My highlight was most definitely the Sheep ’25 event in Athenry, which I attended and did some demos for Bord Bia. The Irish Farmers Journal also had a tent at this event and the atmosphere was positively buzzing.
I was so pleased to attend, largely because I really enjoy cooking with lamb. I often speak about the versatility of it as an ingredient; there are just so many ways to work with lamb, whether you are going for a traditional roast or adding in some exotic flavours. Lamb is enjoyed by so many cultures around the world; there are endless things you can do with it. At the Sheep ’25 event, I was able to share three different lamb recipes in my demos. As usual, I met so many attendees who are interested in cooking. Hopefully, they learn from my demos, but I also enjoy hearing their stories. Their enthusiasm for food is fabulous to see, and I also tend to walk away with some new knowledge.
As you probably know, I travel quite a bit for my television work. When you travel a lot, you get to know quite a bit about airports. With this in mind, and as we are just about to go on our family holiday to Portugal, I am so delighted we are able to fly into Faro from Ireland West Airport, Knock – which is only just a little over an hour away from Blacklion. It is the best thing – no huge queues; no hassle. It’s easy to get in and out. It is a great facility for people living in the north west.
I am excited to be getting back to Portugal – it is one of my favourite places to visit and I love the simple way they cook seafood; serving it with just some salad and rice without the need for any fancy sauces. The fish is always the star of the show and I’m looking forward to having some great meals. More on that next week.
There are a few different foods which, every time I indulge, always remind me of the first time I ate them. Squid is one of those foods. It always reminds me of a holiday I took to San Sebastián, which is located in the Basque region of Spain, many years ago.
The Irish palate has changed a lot over the years and now you can find squid, or calamari, in most local fishmongers. Your fishmonger can also prepare it for you so it’s ready to cook when you are. The best thing is, chances are, the squid you are buying was caught in Irish waters.
I remember on one of my early television programmes for RTÉ, I was on a fishing boat and we were travelling off St John’s Point in Co Donegal. The fisherman dropped a line and brought it back up with squid – and it was squirting out black ink! I had never seen anything like that before, and it is one of my strongest television memories. We weren’t far off-shore and I suspect many Irish don’t realise our squid is caught so close to home.
Both of the recipes I’m sharing today are quick, tasty and best served tapas-style; set up on big plates, allowing diners to help themselves. The mayonnaise served with this crispy squid is delicious. The addition of the smoked paprika is what makes it.
Sheridan’s Cheesemongers sell a smoked pimentón paprika in small tins and it is my favourite smoked paprika to use. The flavour really enhances the mayonnaise and it makes for the perfect dipping sauce for the squid. All that’s needed, then, is a squeeze of lemon and your guests will be asking for the recipe.
For our second recipe this week, these sourdough bruschettas are the perfect summer starter and are ideal, in particular, for grazing on before getting into a summer barbecue. Tomato and basil are such a classic combination, but you could get creative with your flavours and use different toppings. Try some tuna preserved in olive oil with lemon rind and capers, or fresh peas roughly mashed, or courgettes.
Ingredients: Serves 4–6
For the mayonnaise:
2 garlic cloves, crushed
200g mayonnaise
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
For the squid:
450g cleaned, medium-sized squid
Olive oil, for shallow-frying
Semolina, for dusting
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Lemon wedges, to serve
Method
1 To make the mayonnaise, beat the garlic into the mayonnaise with the paprika and the extra virgin olive oil.
2 Season to taste and let sit, so the flavours have time to develop.
3 Cut the squid pouches across into thin rings and separate the tentacles into pairs. Spread these out onto a tray and season with salt and pepper.
4 Pour the olive oil into a large deep-frying pan to a depth of 1cm, and heat to 190°C over a medium-high heat.
5 Toss the squid in enough of the semolina to lightly coat, shaking off any excess, and leave for 1–2 minutes so the semolina becomes slightly damp.
6 Shallow-fry in small batches for 1 minute until crisp and lightly golden.
7 Drain the fried squid on kitchen paper and place into a warm serving dish. Repeat with the rest of the squid.
8 Serve the crispy squid hot, with bowls of the smoked paprika mayonnaise and lemon wedges.
Ingredients: Serves 6-8
For the broad bean bruschetta:
500g frozen broad beans
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
3 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
1 fresh sprig of mint, leaves stripped and finely chopped
Pinch of dried chilli flakes
For the tomato and basil bruschetta:
300g vine-ripened Irish tomatoes
1 fresh sprig of basil
1 small sourdough loaf
1 garlic clove, halved
Olive oil, to drizzle
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1 To make the broad bean topping, cook the beans in a pan of boiling salted water for 4-5 minutes until tender.
2 Drain and refresh under cold water and slip the beans out of their skins.
3 Place in a bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil, then roughly mash and fold in the Parmesan, mint and chilli flakes. Season to taste (this can be done a few hours in advance and kept covered with cling film at room temperature).
4 For the tomato topping, cut the tomatoes into chunky pieces and season. Add the basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
5 Heat a griddle pan over a high heat until smoking.
6 Meanwhile, cut the sourdough loaf into slices approximately 1.5cm in thickness and discard the ends.
7 Add the slices of bread to the pan in batches and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly charred. As soon as they are done, rub with the garlic and drizzle lightly with olive oil.
8 Spoon the two different toppings on the bruschetta when ready to serve and arrange on a platter – the two different colours will look fantastic.
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