Shin of Irish Beef Stew

 Shin of Beef Stew, with a load of spuds just boiled, ‘Champ’ potatoes or with a fine potato purée  every one has their preference, Chips and stew can be good at times for some. The long slow cooking of the carrots in this dish leaves them beautifully sweet and I look forward to them as much as the morsels of meat.

Recipe for 4 people.
454g / 1lb Diced Irish beef shin meat  (with out the bone- if there’s bone in purchase about 760g)
360g / 3/4lb carrots, peeled and cut into large pieces
1 medium sized onion about 100g 1/4lb, diced finely
 2 sticks of celery, cut into four pieces
285ml / 1/2pt ‘Passata ‘sieved tomato (available to buy in most shops) if you don’t have it handy a tin of peeled plum tomatoes liquidised and sieved will do.
565ml /1pt water
Salt and white pepper to season
Vegetable or sunflower oil for browning the meat

Method
In a large pot add a couple of table spoons of oil and place on a high heat when hot add the diced meat and brown slightly this will take a couple of minutes, reduce the heat slightly then add the carrots onions and celery and season lightly with salt and pepper a pinch of each will do at this stage. Stir and place a lid on the pot for 2 mins this will help sweat the vegetables and release extra flavours into the stew.
Now add the Passata and bring the stew to the boil and cook for a further 2-3 minutes stirring occasionally this help sweeten out the tomato and take its sharp edge off. Then add the water bring to the boil again reduce the heat once this happens, place the lid back on and simmer for 2hrs approx, give it a stir now and again to be sure it doesn't stick or burn at the bottom, Taste liquid frequently to observe the development of flavours and adjust season towards the end of the cooking period.
Test a piece of the meat for tenderness; it should give easily to touch or bite.Check the consistency of the liquid if you think it is too thin increase the heat and reduce it to your desired state.

.nb. As with all stews this taste good the next day!

Serve with potato of your choice. to make a really nice potato purée use about 1.5kg or 3lbs of floury potato (suitable for mash or baking) peeled and placed in cold water to cover them in a pot with a good pinch of salt and little pinch of white pepper then  brought to the boil reducing the heat and simmering approx 20-25 mins depending on size. Once cooked drain the water and let them steam out for 4 to 5 mins, either put through a potato ricer or place in a food processor and purée them on low speed, to finish return to the pot and beat over a low heat adding a very generous amount of butter about 170g or 6oz (using a wooden spoon or heat resistant spatula) and a little milk roughly a 1/4pt or 100ml until you have a smooth purée, taste and adjust the seasoning. 

Dear Valentines , Wild Things.

' We proudly use goods from our ‘Wild Food Larder’ with Local Produce',
This year at work we are in the fortunate position to have a few goodies stored up for a special occasion and what could be a better time to break into the stores selecting some of our favourite wild things and  using them with  local produce than  St Valentines Day. It also happens to be 'Eat local and Irish Week' so we're on the ball with this one. Luckily there are a few greens out there to forage and we are glad to to be able to use those and able to pick some fresh garlic from our container garden to add a touch of Spring to the menu.


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Coddle, a Traditional Dublin supper Dish.

Coddle, a Traditional Dublin  supper Dish

 Coddle is by and large unappealing in sense; boiled streaky bacon, sausages, potatoes and onion with a sprinkle of parsley from the butchers counter thrown in is a brief description of a dish beloved by the Dubs, add comments from a recipe search and you'll find some add carrots others add a packet of Oxtail soup, you'll also hear distaste at the thought of eating a boiled sausage and recommendations of frying the sausage first to make them more appetising looking - don't try that at home it's disgusting.
My main problem with the recipe brief is the use of streaky bacon, I'd rather have a thick chunk of belly bacon used in mine that softens out with a slow cook out before the rest of the ingredients are added.
 My preferred recipe though uses Bacon Ribs allowing two per person, there's always something nice about eating meat off the bone and the bones add extra depth and richness to the broth.
The French have a a variation on this dish in their regional speciality ' Potée Savoyarde' slightly more complex and using a sausage with a ham base as opposed to the Dub's pure pork sausage version and with the addition of cabbage in the recipe and usually calling for smoked belly bacon, both hit the spot though on a cold winters eve and taste all the better the next day or late at night after a few sups'. The sausage used is of importance in the overall balance of the dish, I like to use one with a high meat content approx 70% that is well seasoned with white pepper so it's still tasty when cool.

'Just add Liffey water'.

Coddle, a Traditional Dublin supper Dish.
Ingredients.for 4 portions
1 1/2lb Bacon ribs (allow 2 rib bones per person).
3/4 lb 350g  Butcher Sausages (70% plus meat content).
4lb 2.2kg Potatoes- a floury potato is best, I've used Roosters.
1 medium sized onion- about 10oz 280g
Sprig of parsley, finely chopped.
white and black pepper for seasoning.
Method.
Portion the ribs this is easy to do and either pre-soak the bacon ribs over night in cold water to remove some of the salt or place them in a large pot cover with cold water and bring to the boil then discard the water and replace with fresh water. Place back onto the heat and bring to the boil again reducing the heat and simmer for approx 1. 5 hours.keep the water topped up,season lightly with some cracked black pepper and a pinch of ground white pepper.
Meanwhile prepare the rest of the ingredients;
Peel the potatoes and cut in halves or quarters depending on their size, wash and keep covered in cold water to stop them discolouring.
Twist the sausages in the middle so they are half their size (resembling cocktail sausages)  and cut them all separate, they are easier to manage on the spoon like this for eating.
Peel the onion and cut in half and slice very thinly.

Once the bacon has cooked add the prepared potatoes, onion and sausages cover with cold water,bring back to the boil check the seasoning then simmer approx 30 mins or until the potatoes are cooked and starting to break up around the edges and the starches soak up the flavours, thickening up the broth.

Divide into 4 bowls spuds and meats first, ladle broth into each sprinkle with parsley and serve piping hot.



Irish Produce.