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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Calling All Waterford Small Food Producers!!
Wednesday, 20th March 2013
FETAC 5 Management of Food Safety and HACCP
Mary Daly & Associates will run FETAC 5 Management of Food Safety & HACCP in Ardkeen Quality Food Store, Waterford on March 25th, 26th and April 2nd and 3rd. Run over 3.5 days this exciting and interactive training session is ideal for small business producers, food business owners and head chefs.
Never has Food Safety been so important! The recent horsemeat crisis has sent shock waves through the Irish food industry & highlighted the importance of proper management of food safety standards to ensure the future economic viability of food businesses. This incident and other food safety alerts have resulted to increased consumer awareness of food safety amongst suppliers & consumers alike.
With over 25 years' experience, Mary Daly & Associates are acknowledged as a leading experts in food safety and are the preferred professionals
Poached Tarragon and Lemon Chicken
Tuesday, 12th March 2013
We don't often poach chicken now. This gives a lovely moistness to the meat and the sauce is delicious.
Ingredients
- 4 Chicken Breasts (with the wing) free range if possible.
- 1 tbs chopped Fresh Tarragon
- Juice of half a Lemon
- 30g (1 oz.) soft butter
- 30g (1 oz.) flour
- 2 tbs. Crème Fraiche(optional)
- 2 tbs breadcrumbs.
Method
Put the 4 chicken breasts into a small frying pan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes until cooked through. Remove the breasts and put to one side. Continue boiling the stock hard until it is reduced to about 300ml (10 oz.).
Make a beurre manie by kneading together the butter and flour with your fingers. Whisk this into the simmering stock a little at a time Put in the chopped tarragon and the lemon juice and taste and season with salt and black pepper. Add the crème
Carrot and Ginger Cake
Wednesday, 6th March 2013
A great choice with a cuppa, or as a dessert with ice cream or yoghurt.
Ingredients
(You will need a jar of Chinese Stem Ginger in Syrup)
-125g (4 oz.) Unsalted Butter -softened
-90g (3oz.) Dark Brown Sugar
-125g (4 oz.) Self Raising Flour
-1 level Teaspoon Baking Powder
-2 Eggs
-2 Tablespoons Syrup from the Ginger Jar
-3 Knobs of Ginger Chopped
-125g (4 oz.) Carrot - coarsly grated
-2 Tablespoons Ground Almonds
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas 4, 175C, 350F.
Using a food processor or a beater (or even by hand) mix together the butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, eggs and syrup.
Mix together with a spoon the carrot, ginger and almonds and fold them into the other ingredients.
Line a 500g (1lb.) loaf tin with non-stick paper and pour in the batter.
Bake at the set temperature for 45mts. Test with a skewer before removing.
This is very good served warm with yoghurt on
Monkfish with Red Pepper Sauce
Monday, 4th March 2013
This has a nice spring feel to it and the sauce, if you follow the instructions is very easy.
Ingredients
(for 4 )
-1 Kg . Monkfish
-2 Red Peppers
-1 Tbs. Tomato Puree
-1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
-1 Dessertspoon White Wine Vinegar
-I teaspoon flour
-1 teaspoon melted butter
-1 Pinch Chilli
-Salt and Black Pepper
Method
First skin the peppers; if you have a gas cooker put them directly on the flame, moving them about until the skin blackens all over. Or halve them and put under a very hot grill until they blacken. Either way, run them under some cold water to remove all the burnt skin. Cut them in half and discard the stems and all the seeds inside.
Now put the peppers, the tomato puree, the flour and butter, sugar, vinegar and seasonings into a processor and liquidize.
To skin the monkfish, slit the skin around the base of the tail
Ruschetta Of Tomato And Bacon
Tuesday, 19th February 2013
Lovely simple Tasty Italian twist on the sandwich.
Ingredients
(serves 4 for supper or lunch)
- 4 thick slices of ciabatta or good French bread
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 450g (1 lb.) good Irish tomatoes
- Dressing
- Salt and Ground Black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon wine vinegar
- 4 tablespoons best olive oil
- 6 streaky rashers.
Method
As with all very simple dishes the quality of the basic ingredients is paramount in this dish. The best bread to use is a large Italian or French round country loaf which you cut into slices about one inch thick.
It is best if put together at the last minute. While everyone is waiting for you. If the tomatoes are put on the toast too early the toast gets soggy and the dish is spoiled You can grill the rashers in advance until they are crisp and brittle and then break them up with your fingers. If you are having
Courgette and Cheese SoufflE
Friday, 15th February 2013
Great even for non-vegetarians
Ingredients
- 250g (1lb.) Courgettes
- 5 Eggs
- 175g (6 oz.) Mature Irish Cheddar
- 60g (2 oz.) Butter
- 60g (2 oz.) Flour
- 280ml (10 oz.) Milk
- Salt and Pepper.
Method
You will need a 1 Ltr. (2pt.) oven proof bowl or souffle dish.
Make a white sauce by melting the butter in a pot, then stir in the flour. Add the milk a little at a time, whisking in each addition as you go, then let it come up to a gentle simmer. Grate the cheese and add to the sauce. Then simmer for 5 to 6 minutes to cook in the flour.
Meanwhile slice the courgettes and put them in a bowl with 1 tbs. water. Cover with clingfilm and cook in the microwave for 5 minutes at full or until soft. Then either liquidise these or push through a sieve. Add
Celery and CeLeriac Soup
Wednesday, 6th February 2013
Double Celery Soup, hot warming and tasty.
Ingredients
-1 (small or half large) head Celeriac
-1 Head Celery
-2 Leeks
-1 Potato
-60g (2 oz). Butter
-1 Ltr (2 pints) Stock
-60g (2 oz). Sliced Almonds
Method
Open up head of celery and rinse to remove any grit. Take off the outer stalks and their leaves (about half of the head) and chop roughly. Dice the heart finely with the inner stalks and leaves and put aside. Peel and roughly chop the potato and celeriac.
Remove any coarse green leaves from the leeks and slice down into rings. Rinse these thoroughly in a collander in cold water (make sure you get rid of all the grit).
Put the celeriac, potato, leek with the outer celery stalks into a heavy pan which has a lid and cook them with the butter until they are soft. This will take 20 mts or so. Add
Dublin Bay Prawn Risotto
Wednesday, 30th January 2013
A great way to stretch out a few delicious prawns. The 1.5kg of whole Prawns will give you a little over 225g (8oz.) of Prawn meat.
The idea is to stretch out this as economically as possible.
Ingredients
- 1.5kg (3 lbs.) whole raw Dublin Bay Prawns
- 400g (14 oz.) Risotto Rice
- 4 Med Onions
- 4 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Sticks Celery
- 2 Carrots
- 450g (1 lb.) Vine Tomatoes
- 1 glass white wine
- 1 knob Butter (30g roughly)
Method
First shell the prawns. Bend backwards and snap apart first to separate the head from the tail. Keep the heads, you will want them for the stock. Get a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil and plunge in the tails. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes only to cook. Take these out with a slotted spoon (keep the cooking liquour). Now you have to shell the prawns. Pinch the tails between your
Bouillabaisse of Mussels with Garlic Mayonnaise
Tuesday, 22nd January 2013
A classic French dish made simply with fish available in Ireland. Serve 6/8 as a starter, 4 as main course.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 2 Med Onions
- 2 heads Fennel
- 1 kg Ripe Vine Tomatoes (blanched and skinned)
- 2 glasses white wine.
- 1 kg Mussels
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 3 Egg Yolks
- 225g (8oz.) Butter
- Juice half Lemon.
Method
Peel and chop the onions finely. Chop the fennel finely (include any green fronds). Put these on to sweat in the olive oil and sweat gently for 10 minutes until soft. Add the tomatoes and continue cooking until all are soft.
Go through the mussels, discard any that are open and beard the rest. (Beards are the little whiskery hairs with which the mussel clings to the rocks). Put these with the glass of wine into the pot with the vegetables. Put on a good
Baklava (Greek & honey nut dessert
Tuesday, 15th January 2013
This sweet and crunchy Greek dessert is a real comfort dessert for the winter.
Ingredients
-350g (12 oz.) Filo Pastry
-175g (6 oz.) Melted Butter
-150g (5 oz.) Chopped Walnuts
-150g (5 oz.) Chopped Almonds
-1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
-110g (4 oz.) Caster Sugar
-110ml (4 oz.) Honey
-110ml (4 oz.) Water
-1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Method
Set the oven to 175 C, 350F, Gas 4
Have ready a shallow roasting tray, a swiss roll tin is perfect. You will also need a pastry brush to butter the pastry.
Mix the nuts with the cinnamon. Cut the sheets of pastry to fit the pan. (Left over pieces can be patched together to make a layer.)
Butter the bottom of the tin. Lay a sheet of pastry on this. Butter this sheet lightly and lay another on top Scatter over some of the nuts Repeat with the pastry and the nuts, buttering between each layer and
Letters to the Editor
- A Government Successread more »
Once in a blue moon. As rare as hen's teeth. A Government success. Each of those three sentences are as unusual and as rare as each other. But the last one seems to be about to take place. The Government has announced that it plans to give each child in the State a second year of free pre-school. It might not sound like earth shattering news but if it does happen then it could be one of the most significant things that this Government has done since it took office. Any money that is given over to education is a …
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