Scones for St Patricks day

If you already have a scone recipe you use, all you have to do here is change from your regular fruit and use green glace cherries instead. Good Luck!

Recipe makes 12
500gm self raising flour
50gmbutter
50gmcaster sugar
480ml buttermilk
100gms green glace cherries
1 egg -beaten for egg wash
25gms flour for the work surface
Method
preheat oven to 180°c
sift the flour into a large bowl, rub in the butter and sugar, make a well in the centre pour the butter milk and cut in the flour once well mixed add the cherries and turn out onto a floured work surface.
press or roll until 2.5cm deep. cut into shape brush with  egg wash and bake for 25-30mins or until golden brown.
remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack.

Organic Irish Salmon, home-grown Beetroot and wild stuff.

'Glenarm' Atlantic Salmon, ‘Portavogie Prawns’, garden beetroot, horseradish, wild leaves and ‘Dulse’ seaweed salad, crunchy brown bread crumbs

 Famous for the quality of salmon Glenarm is a village on the spectacular scenic coastal drive that links the Nine Glens of Antrim connecting land and sea with pretty villages, waterfalls, tiny harbours and the glamour of castles in a natural beauty, little wonder the Giants Causeway is also situated on this stretch of coast. We used to spend a lot of summers on this with my aunt Kathleen who lived in Carnlough another one of the picturesque villages, time was spent swimming in its wonderful bay,digging bait for fishing from the habour walls-though we never did manage to catch one of the glistening salmon you see landed by the day boats for sale to the local hotels, and gathering 'dulse' on the rocky stretch towards Garron point, we'd dry it on a small outhouse roof, some for selling to local shops and some for eating on the go.Food always tastes good here, home baked and fresh local produce cooked with soul and a twist of 'dulse' that's pure  'umami'.

Portavogie on the Ards peninsula a fishing port famous for its prawns is situated on the north Down coast. I’m going combine the salmon and prawns with taste from land and sea, from the garden and wild, sweet earthy and spicy flavours that present a balance of flavour texture and colours.   

For four persons.                                                                                                    

1lb organic atlantic salmon fillet

8  portavogie prawns- langoustines, shelled and deveined

 2oz cooked beetroot, diced

 4oz  fresh raw beetroot juice

1/4oz fresh horseradish

Handful of wild leaves.ie wood sorrel washed and dried, 'ramps' wild garlic

Twist of dulse, or pepper-seaweed

 2oz brown sodabread, roughly crumbed and fried in a little butter until crunchy.

2oz heavy cream, lightly beaten

1/2 stick butter

2fl oz dry cider

2fl oz birch sap or fish stock

1 tspn cider vinegar

Salt and pepper.

Method

Place the beetroot juice in a tall narrow beaker and process with a stick blender until it foams, this foam will hold naturally 10-15 mins

Divide the salmon into four portions, season lightly with salt and pepper,

Pour the cider, vinegar and birch sap into a pot [just large enough to fit the salmon pieces] bring to the boil remove from the heat and place the salmon pieces into it flesh side down, put the lid on  the pot and return to a low heat for 2mins, remove from the heat take out the salmon and keep it warm.

Put the pot back onto the heat turn it up when the liquids boiling again add the horse radish and cream reduce the heat and leave to simmer

To cook the prawns wrap each in a little piece of seaweed and add to the sauce to and cook  for 1-2mins depending on size, or fry in the butter from the bread crumbs, crunchy seaweeds good too. Remove the prawns and keep warm with the salmon.

To warm the beetroot just set the pieces into the pot, don’t shake or stir and you keep a contrast of colour.

To present this dish set a piece of salmon skin side up just off centre on a warm plate set on the prawn’s spoon on the beetroot and horseradish cream. Then spoon a little beetroot foam unto each. Finally sprinkle on a few crumbs and wood sorrel. 

Irish Soda Breads, for the yeast free diet.

Soda bread quick and easy to make, traditionally made plain or with dried fruit, lends itself to well to the addition of savoury ingredients.
At work we'll divide a batch add a variety of tasty ingredients common in most store cupboards and fridges, grated cheddar cheese, tomato puree and fennel seeds, a mix of seeds like sunflower, pumpkin, linseed and flax seeds.
Curry powder and sultanas are good for taste and texture.
All of them taste great toasted too!
Basic Recipe.
650 gmsSelf raisng flour
650Buttermilk
75Butter or olive oil
1 tspnSalt
50 gms sugar
Extra flour for shaping.
Method
Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl add the sugar rub in the butter or oil, make a well in the centre cut in the buttermilk with a pallete or broad bladed knife until the  mix comes together remember not to overwork a soda bread mix.
The decision is yours either shape into two plain breads and bake or choose to add some extras.
For a 1/2 batch add 1oz freshly grated cheddar knead in lightly shape and bake, this ones a big favourite of mine.
For the other half add a 2oz mix of seeds a 1/2 oz of dried cranberries goes nicely here as do chopped walnuts.
Whichever combinations you decide, stick with the suggested before going too wild with the ideas.
Shape and bake in a preheated oven @190°c/380°F for 35-40 mins, golden on top, sounds hollow when tapped on the base.
Nb.Trial and error time can be reduced when you cross reference recipes and methods, when attempting to cook something new I like to check out 3 different opinions on the subject in matter, then settle on a happy medium, then its down to practice, repetition and building working knowledge.