Waterford Chef
Martin Dwyer
presents "Food Matters"
for Waterford Today.
Martin, who has been cooking for 35 years , having initially trained in Dublin, France, and then England, has been cooking here in Waterford for the past 25 years.
Until he sold it he had spent 15 years running his own much acclaimed restaurant "Dwyers" on Mary Street. During this time he has also been doing a weekly slot with Billy McCarthy on Deise AM on WLR. He has also made various appearances on RTE television and TV3.
Martin can be contacted at:
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Food Matters
Wednesday, 16th May 2012
Rhubarb and Almond Tart
Irish Rhubarb is delicious and should be enjoyed. This is a tart with a little difference but very easy to make.
Ingredients
- 175g (6 oz.) Flour
- 75g (3 oz.) Butter
- 25g (1oz.) Caster Sugar
- 1 Egg
- 2 tbs. Water
- 2 bunches Rhubarb
- 100g (4 oz.) Caster Sugar
- Grated rind and juice of 1 Orange
- 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
- 1 Tablespoon ground Almonds
- 50g (2 oz.) slivered Almonds
Method
Make the pastry in a food processor. Put the flour and butter in the bowl and add the sugar. Whizz these together until they are like crumbs. Now add the egg yolk (keep the white) and the water and whizz until it has formed a dough. Take it out, wrap in cling film and leave to rest for an hour then roll out and use it to line a 12 inch tart tin.
Now bake this in a hot oven (gas 6/ 200C/ 400F
Food Matters
Wednesday, 9th May 2012
Asparagus Roasted with Olive Oil and Parmesan
The Asparagus season is short so we should take full advantage of it. This Italian way of cooking it really intensifies the flavour.
Ingredients
(for 4 as a starter)
- 450g (1lb.) Of Asparagus
- 4 tbs. Olive Oil
- 60g (2 oz) Parmesan (in the piece)
- 60g (2 oz.) Pine Nuts
Method
First toast the pine nuts. Scatter them on a non-stick pan and put on a high heat. Now let them toast quickly but watch very carefully and remove from the heat as soon as they start to brown and then put them aside.
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to the boil. Take a spear of Asparagus in your hand and, holding the bottom of the spear in one hand and with the other hand somewhere below the middle, snap it in two. You can now discard the coarse base stem,
Food Matters
Wednesday, 2nd May 2012
Pork Ardennes
This is a great favourite of mine which I have been cooking since the seventies. The sauce is particulary good with the pork and so it makes a great dish for entertaining.
Ingredients (for 2)
- 1 Pork steak
- 90g (3 oz.) streaky rashers
- 1/2 Glass (125ml.) white wine
- 6 Juniper berries crushed
- 30g (1 oz) butter
- 110g (4 oz.) Mushrooms
- 90ml. (3 fl.oz.) Cream
Method
First cut the rashers into fine dice and marinade these in the white wine with the crushed juniper for at least 3 hours before you cook the pork. Don't try and shortcut this as it is the flavour of the marinated bacon that defines this dish.
Trim the pork and cut into medallions. I usually give each of these a thump with my fist to flatten and tenderize them. Melt the butter in the pan and brown these medallions on both sides. Put these to
Hake in a Parcel with Stie fried Vegetables
Wednesday, 25th April 2012
This is a very good way to cook any fish as the vegetable give the fish flavour and the parcel keeps all the moisture in.
Ingredients (for 4)
- 4 X 225g (8 oz.) Fillets of Hake
- 3 Carrots
- 3 Scallions
- 2 tbsp Sesame Oil (or Olive Oil)
- 1 Thumb of root Ginger
- 2 Plump Cloves Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
Method
Set the oven to Gas 6, 200C, 400F.
Bone and skin the hake and if they are long thin fillets cut in two and put on top of each other to make a thicker piece.
Peel the carrots, cut as thinly as you can and again cut down until they are matchstick sized pieces. Cut the scallions into similar sized pieces and peel and similarly slice the ginger and garlic.
Put the oil into a pan and stir fry vegetables, the ginger, and the garlic together for a few minutes until the
Hake in a Parcel with Stie fried Vegetables
Wednesday, 25th April 2012
This is a very good way to cook any fish as the vegetable give the fish flavour and the parcel keeps all the moisture in.
Ingredients (for 4)
- 4 X 225g (8 oz.) Fillets of Hake
- 3 Carrots
- 3 Scallions
- 2 tbsp Sesame Oil (or Olive Oil)
- 1 Thumb of root Ginger
- 2 Plump Cloves Garlic
- 2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
Method
Set the oven to Gas 6, 200C, 400F.
Bone and skin the hake and if they are long thin fillets cut in two and put on top of each other to make a thicker piece.
Peel the carrots, cut as thinly as you can and again cut down until they are matchstick sized pieces. Cut the scallions into similar sized pieces and peel and similarly slice the ginger and garlic.
Put the oil into a pan and stir fry vegetables, the ginger, and the garlic together for a few minutes until the
Food Matters
Wednesday, 18th April 2012
Chocolate Pecan Brownies
This is a recipe I got from an American friend. They are very indulgent but very delicious.
Ingredients
- 450g Dark Chocolate
- 225g unsalted butter
- 225g Caster Sugar
- 3 Eggs
- 2 tbs. Strong Coffee
- 75g Plain flour
- 1 tsp. Baking Powder
- pinch salt
- 150g Pecan Nuts sliced
- 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Method
Butter a 10 inch square tin and line the base with baking parchment.
Take half the chocolate, roughly chop it and melt it with the butter over hot water. Allow this to cool a little.
Chop the rest of the chocolate into small pieces.
Beat together briefly the sugar, eggs and coffee then add the melted chocolate and butter and beat again.
Combine the remaining ingredients, including the chocolate pieces and fold them into the sugar egg mix. Pour this into the prepared tin and bake it at 375F 180C Gas5 for 30 to 40 mts. Leave to cool in the tin for at
Food Matters
Wednesday, 11th April 2012
Chicken Thighs with Basil and Tomatoes
My favourite part of the chicken is the thigh. These have more flavour and are more moist than the more expensive breast.
Ingredients
- 8 Chicken Thighs
- 2 tbs. Olive Oil
- 2 Scallions (chopped)
- 1 red pepper (deseeded & chopped)
- I small bunch Basil (chopped)
- 225g (8oz.)Vine Cherry Tomatoes
- 4 tbs. Aioli (garlic flavoured mayonnaise)
Method
Take the chicken off the bone and remove the skin. Cover the skin and bones with water and simmer together while you make the rest of the meal.
Cut the thigh meat into chunks. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the meat on all sides in this. Toss in the scallions, pepper, tomatoes and basil with the chicken and reduce the heat. Let these fry gently together until the tomatoes collapse and form a sauce. Add a cup of the hot stock and simmer the chicken in this
Food Matters
Wednesday, 4th April 2012
Fish a la belle Meuniere
This is the classic and very best way to cook a delicious fresh fillet of fish. The wonderful fresh flavour is enhanced by the simple cooking.
Given a good fresh piece of fish this is the very best way to cook it. It is not a dish to cook in advance so wait until everyone is at the table before you start. They will only have to wait a few minutes.
Suitable for fillets of any flat fish: Plaice, Lemon Sole, John Dory or even Back Sole.
Ingredients
- 4x 175g (6 oz.) Fillets of Fish
- Olive oil
- 2 tbs. Flour
- 110g (3.oz.) Butter
- 1 Tbs. chopped Fresh Parsley
- Juice 1 Lemon
- Salt and Black Pepper
Method
Put the flour on a flat plate and season with salt and pepper. Dip the fillets in flour and then shake off the surplus. Heat the olive oil in a large (preferably
Food Maters
Wednesday, 28th March 2012
Char Grilled Salmon with Roast Pepper Vinaigrette
This is a real twist on the way we normally serve salmon and makes a change.
ingredients
- 4x 225g (8oz.) Salmon Fillets
- 1 tsp. Honey
- 3 tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
- 2 Scallions
- Pinch Chilli Powder
- 12 tbs. Olive Oil
- 1 Red Pepper
- 1 Yellow Pepper
Method
First peel the peppers. If you have a gas cooker put each one on the gas directly on the flame and move it around until the skin is all blackened and charred. With an electric oven halve each pepper and put under a hot grill until the same effect is achieved. Now put the peppers into a sieve under running water and rub off all the blackened skin.This process sweetens the flavour of the peppers and gives them a delicious smoky flavour. Now chop the flesh of the peppers into small dice and put to one side.
Put the honey
Food Matters
Wednesday, 21st March 2012
Bread and Butter Pudding
I got a request to print this again - just like Mammy used to make but with a little dash of Baileys.
ingredients
- 175g (6 oz.) unsalted butter (melted)
- 12 slices white bread (crusts removed)
- 2250ml (10 oz.) Milk
- 250ml (10 oz.) Cream (or 1 pt. milk)
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 6 eggs
- 75g (3 oz.) Caster Sugar
- 75g (3 oz.) Sultanas
- Small Glass Baileys (Optional)
Method
You will need ovenproof dish 3 pts. Capacity.
Pre heat the oven to Gas 1, 140C, 275F.
Paint the inside of the dish with a little of the butter.
Whisk the eggs, the sugar and the vanilla together and then beat in the milk and the cream (and the Baileys if you are using it).
Dip the bread in the butter and line the bottom of the dish with this.
Sprinkle over some of the sultanas and pour in some of the egg mixture to cover.
Repeat with
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