COOKING WITH NORTHERN IRELAND
Northern Ireland. Bringing our world-class food and drink to your table.
Long renowned for the superb quality of its livestock grazing on its lush green fields, Northern Ireland is now becoming celebrated for the wonderful cured meats and charcuterie made from those livestock. Over the last decade a growing movement of talented artisan producers including Broughgammon Farm, Corndale Farm and Ispini Charcuterie have been perfecting their craft, creating award-winning charcuterie which is now in demand across Ireland and the UK.
Whether it’s rich Salami, Chorizo, Coppa, Pancetta, lomo, bresaola, bacon or nduja - an Italian style soft salami that is seasoned with sweet fire roasted red peppers, spicy chilli and lots of black pepper, the range is increasing all the time, generating yet another success story for Northern Ireland’s acclaimed food scene.
For more information on Northern Ireland’s wide range of quality andinnovative food and drink products, contact Jen Guiney,
For more information on Northern Ireland’s wide range of quality and innovative food and drink products, contact Michelle Charrington
T: +44 (0)79 8511 1024 E: jen.guiney@investni.com
T: +44 (0)78 1717 3514 E: michelle.charrington@investni.com
Northern Ireland. Altogether more.
We work with local producers to help identify new trends, bring forward innovative products and grow their business.
When you work in the food industry (especially with the access that we have at Fine Food Digest), it’s easy to forget that not everyone knows what you know. Now, I’m not going to say that Northern Irish food & drink is some kind of secret but I’m pretty sure that not everyone – even within our sector –knows just how good the country’s output is.
In over a decade of covering the small producer scene, I’ve witnessed Northern Irish businesses wow food judges, win big awards and surprise buyers with their innovation.
The awareness of this excellence, both among the general public and the trade, continues to grow – thanks in no small part to tireless work of this publication’s main sponsor InvestNI.
But you can always do more when it comes to promotion.
The products coming out of Northern Ireland aren’t just fantastic in their own right. They work in combination too.
I hope that these recipes demonstrate just how well they could do on your shelves, in your café kitchens or on your customers’ plates at home.
Michael Lane Editor, Fine Food DigestEDITORIAL editorial@gff.co.uk
Editor: Michael Lane
Deputy editor: Tanwen Dawn-Hiscox
Art director: Mark Windsor
Food styling: Jules Mercer
Photography: Sean Calitz
ADVERTISING advertise@gff.co.uk
Sales director: Sally Coley
Sales manager: Ruth Debnam
Sales executive: Becky Haskett
Published by Guild of Fine Food Ltd
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Guild of Fine Food, Guild House, 23b Kingsmead Business Park, Shaftesbury Rd, Gillingham, SP8 5FB UK
Fine Food Digest is published 11 times a year and is available on subscription for £50pa inclusive of post and packing. Printed by: Blackmore, UK
© The Guild of Fine Food Ltd 2023. Reproduction of whole or part of this magazine without the publisher’s prior permission is prohibited. The opinions expressed in articles and advertisements are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or illustrations.
Message from Invest Northern Ireland
We are proud to support NI food & drink companies contributing to our thriving £5bn industry.
Working alongside producers to build export capability and manufacturing expertise, together we are delivering growth and raising the profile of our Pure, Natural, Quality food and drink.
Home to the Institute of Global Food Security, Northern Ireland is a rich source of the greatest variety of delicious, wholesome, innovative, and accredited food and drink from an ambitious, progressive and responsive industry.
We hope you enjoy browsing these recipes, developed by local chef and culinary ambassador Paula McIntyre, and that you’ll be inspired to serve up a fresh take on some Northern Ireland classics using our award-winning local ingredients.
Cookie Jar Soda
Bread Pinwheel
Roll with Burren
Balsamics Onion
Jam, Thyme & Parmesan
INGREDIENTS:
1 pack Cookie Jar Soda Bread mix
4 chopped spring onions
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 jar Burren Balsamics onion jam
50g Parmesan
1 egg yolk
METHOD
• Mix the pack according to instructions and add the spring onions and thyme.
• Place the resulting dough on a floured board and roll into a rectangle approx. 30 x 20cm.
• Spread the jam all over the rectangle leaving a line at the top to seal. Brush edge with a little egg yolk and roll up from the other end to seal.
• Cut into 3cm slices and place on lightly oiled baking trays. Brush the top with the remaining egg yolk and sprinkle over the Parmesan.
• Bake in a 200°C preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Serve hot.
Irwin’s Fruit Loaf and Spiced Pear Bread & Butter
Pudding
INGREDIENTS
1 Irwin’s fruit loaf
4 pears
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp maple syrup
50g soft brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
50g butter
4 egg yolks
400ml double cream
100g caster sugar
METHOD
• Set oven to 190°C. Peel, quarter and core the pears.
• Take a large sheet of parchment paper and place the pear quarters on one side of it. Mix the syrup with the cinnamon, sugar and vanilla and spoon over the pears.
• Fold over the parchment and then crimp the edges to seal. Place on a baking tray and place in oven. Cook for 20 minutes or until pears are soft.
• Butter the bread and cut each slice in half diagonally. Place
half in the bottom of a buttered baking dish. Cut each of the pear quarters into three pieces and place onto the fruit loaf. Spoon over any juices.
• Arrange the remaining fruit loaf on top – overlapping the slices. Scald the cream. Whisk the egg yolks with the caster sugar and pour over the hot cream. Whisk and then pour over the fruit loaf.
• Place the dish in a roasting tin and pour boiling water halfway up the dish. Cook in a 170°C oven for 35-40 minutes or until custard is set.
Piadina with Corndale Fennel
Salami, Tom & Ollie Basil & Chilli Hummus, and Teardrop Peppers
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE BREAD
g lain flour
½ tsp salt tbs oli e oil
ts ba ing o der
TO GARNISH
orndale ennel ala i o llie basil chilli hu us eardro Pe ers
METHOD
• Place the ingredients in a bo l and add enough ater to a e a so t dough nead or inutes lace in a lightl oiled bo l and co er ea e or inutes
• i ide dough in our and roll out each into a circle about c in dia eter Place in a hot dr r ing an or griddle an and coo until bubbles a ear on the sur ace o the dough li and coo on the other side or a inute
Pile u bet een itchen a er a ter the re coo ed
• read a iadina ith so e o the hu us to ith seasonal lea es a e slices o sala i and so e teardro e ers oll u and slice
Free Range Eggs
Husband and wife team from County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, producing free range eggs since 2002 and launched the Cavanagh brand in 2012 to satisfy consumer demand for a quality artisan free range egg ethically produced. We grade and pack multi-award-winning free range eggs from 75,000 birds in 7 ocks across 4 separate sites. Our ocks and Packing Centre are all British Lion Accredited and are rotated to ensure a constant supply of the various sizes all year round for foodservice and retail. Awards include Great Taste, Blas na hEireann, Irish Quality Food Awards, Family Business of the Year 2018, Poultry Farmer of the Year 2017 and 2018, Delicious Produce Award Winner 2018 and Made in Northern Ireland Food and Drink Producer of the Year 2018.
Lamb Chops, Porcini Black
Garlic Salt, BBQ
Leeks & Wild Garlic Oil
INGREDIENTS:
4 Lamb chops
2 leeks, split through root and washed
Several pinches of Craic Foods Porcini Black
Garlic Salt
250ml vegetable stock
50g wild garlic leaves
100ml Broighter Gold rapeseed oil
METHOD
• Blanch the wild garlic leaves in boiling salted water for 10 seconds. Cool in iced water, drain and pat dry on kitchen paper. Blend with oil and ass through a ne sie e
• Poach the leek in stock with a bay leaf added until soft. Drain and pat dry. Brush with oil, season with the salt and cook until scorched on BBQ.
• Sprinkle lamb liberally with salt. Cook on the fat side for 2 minutes. Then cook each side of the chops for 2-4 minutes, depending on how rare you want them.
Sugar Pit Bacon
Chops with MapleBrined Apple, Spring Onions, & Tempted Elder ower Cider Mustard
INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE BRINED APPLES
12 small, sweet eating apples
1 litre water
75g sea salt
50ml maple syrup
50g golden caster sugar FOR THE MUSTARD
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp crushed juniper berries
2 tsp crushed black peppercorns
150g yellow mustard seeds
l e ted lderflo er ider
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp honey
80ml cider vinegar FOR THE MAIN DISH
8 spring onions, brushed with oil shallot nel cho ed
25g Abernethy smoked butter
1 tbsp cider mustard
l e ted lderflo er ider annan eats ugar Pit acon ho s
METHOD
• To prepare the apples, toast the spices in a pan. When they pop add the water, syrup, salt and sugar. Bring to boil and simmer until sugar and salt are dissolved. Pack apples into a Kilner jar, top with brine and seal until ready to use.
• To make the mustard, soak the mustard seeds in the cider overnight. Blend these with the other ingredients and adjust the seasoning. Then set aside until needed.
• Griddle or pan-fry the bacon chops for 10-15 minutes (turning halfway through) or until ell bro ned on both sides o er and then leave to rest.
• Brush the spring onions with oil and cook on a griddle pan for 1-2 minutes or until charred. Quarter and core two of the brined apples and slice.
• Heat the butter in a pan and cook the shallot and apples until golden. Add the mustard and cider and cook until it coats a spoon. Add the resting juices from the bacon chop.
You could upgrade this recipe and swap the mackerel for Smoked Lough Neagh Eel
Tostada with Smoked Mackerel, Crispy Guanciale, Pickled Gooseberries & Burren Balsamics Blackberry
Thyme Pearls
INGREDIENTS: FOR THE TOSTADA
g lain flour
g cold rendered guanciale at ts s o ed salt roighter old ic or oil FOR THE MACKEREL g s o ed ac erel
l e ted lderflo er cider tbs hone
g thinl sliced annan eats uanciale raic oods Pic led gooseberries urren alsa ics lac berr h e Pearls
METHOD
• irst a e our tostadas ub the flour and at together to ne cru b i in the salt and cold ater to bind ling and rest or inutes
• i ide the dough into si ieces and roll out into thin rounds oast on a dr an until bubbles a ear and fli to nish
• ut out rounds o guanciale and then r in roighter old ic or oil until cris
• o a e the gla e or the s o ed eel co bine the cider and hone in a an and boil until ou ha e a thic s ru rush o er s o ed eel and use a che s blo torch i ou ha e one on the gla e
• er e the eel on a tostada ith cris guanciale the earls and ic led gooseberr
Mourne Dew Irish Co ee
INGREDIENTS: FOR THE DEMERERA SUGAR SYRUP
150g Demerara sugar
150ml water
1 split cinnamon stick
1 clove
TO SERVE
50ml double cream
25ml Mourne Dew Hazelnut Poitin
200ml Root & Branch coffee
50ml Mourne Dew whiskey
METHOD
• To make the syrup, place everything in a pan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to infuse for a couple of hours then strain off the cinnamon stick and clove. Can be bottled and kept in the fridge for a month.
• When you’re ready to serve, brew 200ml of coffee in a cafetière. Rinse your serving glass with boiling water to warm it up.
• Pour the coffee into a glass and add a tbsp of the Demerara syrup. Add the whiskey and stir.
• Whisk the cream until it starts to thicken and fold in the Poitin. Take a spoon and invert it over the glass. Pour the cream over the back of the spoon onto the surface of the coffee.
“The Perfect Porridge”, with White’s Oats, Whiskey-Soaked Kestrel Foods Prunes, Live A Little Granola, Pear Compote & Maple Labneh
INGREDIENTS FOR THE PORRIDGE
750ml milk
100g White’s jumbo porridge oats
2 tbsp honey FOR THE PRUNES
4 Kestrel Foods prunes, chopped
4 tbsp Whiskey FOR THE COMPOTE
100g caster sugar
50g of sultanas soaked overnight in 200ml apple juice
1 cinnamon stick, split
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ tsp mixed spice
4 pears, peeled, quartered cored and chopped
2 tbsp dark brown sugar FOR THE LABNEH
250ml Clandeboye Yoghurt
2 tbsp maple syrup
TO GARNISH
Live A Little Granola
METHOD
• A good deal of this recipe can be prepared in advance.
• Start with the labneh, which can be done overnight. Place a sieve over a bowl and line with muslin. Add the yoghurt and place in the fridge. Allow to drain for a few hours. Place strained yoghurt (labneh) in a bowl and add the maple syrup. The residual liquid from the labneh can be used for scones and quick breads.
• Now is the time to soak the sultanas in the apple juice.
• Then turn your attention to the compote. Sprinkle caster sugar in a large pan over high heat. Caramelise and add the juice (retain the sultanas). When the mixture is syrupy add the cinnamon, vanilla, brown sugar,
spice, pears and sultanas. Cook until the pears are just done. Cool and remove cinnamon stick before serving.
• Mix together the prunes and whiskey and allow to macerate for an hour.
• When you’re ready to serve, place the milk in a saucepan and add the oats. Bring to a simmer and stir frequently for 5 minutes. Add the honey.
• Spoon the porridge into four bowls. Spoon over the prunes and compote. Place a dessert spoon in boiling water and then use the hot spoon to “quenelle” a scoop of the labneh and place on top. Scatter over the granola on top.
Mash Direct Rosti, Ewing’s Smoked Salmon, Cavanagh
Poached Egg & Warm Finnebrogue Bacon Dressing
INGREDIENTS
4 Mash Direct Rostis
4 slices Ewing’s smoked salmon
4 Cavanagh eggs
3 tbsp cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
4 slices Finnebrogue smoked streaky bacon nel cho ed scallions
1 tsp Dijon mustard
50ml Broighter Gold rapeseed oil
1 tsp honey
METHOD
• Cook the Rostis according to instructions.
• Heat a pan of water until boiling and season with salt and add 2 tbsp of the vinegar. Turn down to a simmer.
• Crack the eggs into a bowl one at a time and then gently add to the simmering water. Lightly poach for 3 minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
• Cook the bacon in a dry pan until crisp. rain on itchen a er and cho nel
• Whisk the mustard, remaining tbsp of vinegar, honey and oil in bowl and add the spring onions and bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• To assemble, place a rosti on a plate and drape over a slice of the smoked salmon. Top with an egg and spoon over the dressing.
Rhubarb Paloma
INGREDIENTS
50ml Paula McIntyre Gin
50ml pink grapefruit juice
15ml rhubarb syrup
10ml lime juice + extra for rim of glass
Soda water to top
Gorse salt and slice of pink grapefruit to garnish
METHOD
• Place ice in a cocktail shaker and add gin, grapefruit juice, rhubarb syrup and lime juice. Shake for 30 seconds.
• Rub the edge of the glass with lime juice and dip into gorse salt to coat.
• Strain cocktail into the glass and top with soda.
• Garnish with a thin slice of pink grapefruit twisted onto a cocktail stick.
Based in Northern Ireland near Lough Neagh shores we grow eco bio fruit and vegetables, we forage wild herbs and fruit from surrounding countryside.
We make raw unpasteurized fermented kimchi, 5 types of sauerkrauts, kombucha, water and coconut milk kefirs. We also make diabetic cordials, syrups and fruit confitures with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners- just natural fructose . Our 5 types of pestos and roasted pepper sauce-dips are dense, nutty and made with premium ingredients – no compromise.
All products are gluten free, dairy free, vegan friendly and low GI. Due to growing consumer demand we are currently looking for independent retail stores across the UK. All enquiries are welcome at alicia.amberline@yahoo.com or 07935915000
www.amberlinepreserves.com
Northern Ireland. Bringing our world-class food and drink to your table.
Long renowned for the superb quality of milk produced by cows grazing on its lush green fields, Northern Ireland is now becoming celebrated for the wonderful cheeses made from that milk.
Over the last decade a growing movement of talented artisan cheesemakers have been perfecting their craft, creating award-winning cheeses which are now in demand across Ireland and the UK and throughout the international market.
For more information on Northern Ireland’s wide range of quality and innovative food and drink products, contact Michelle Charrington
T: +44 (0)78 1717 3514 E: michelle.charrington@investni.com
Northern Ireland. Altogether more.
We work with local producers to help identify new trends, bring forward innovative products and grow their business.
Great Taste Taste
