Thyme & brandy Chicken liver pate

There is no slaving over a hot cooker with this delicious Chicken liver paté that take less than 15 mins to cook, leaving you plenty of chill out time with friends.Whether served as a starter or as canapés, nothing beats the traditional Chicken liver paté served with crusty bread, Melba toasts and assorted pickles.

Thyme and Brandy Chicken liver pate

• 55o grms of Chicken livers, trimmed ,cleaned and soaked in milk
• 120 grms of unsalted butter
• 2 tsp of olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 2 tsp of fresh thyme 
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 50 ml of brandy / sherry/ Madeira
• 150 ml of cream
• sea salt & blk pepper
• pinch of chilli flakes
• bay leaf & juniper berries to garnish
• clarified butter to finish

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the some of the butter and the oil. Next add the shallots, garlic, chilli flakes and thyme. Cook until soft and aromatic.
Drain the chicken livers and add to the pan. Cook for a further couple of mins. Pour in the brandy and continue to cook until evaporated.
Blitz the mixture with the cream and the remaining butter until smooth. Season to taste and blitz again.
Push the mixture through a sieve and spoon into ramekins. Allow to cool slightly and coat with a thin layer of clarified butter. Garnish with a couple of juniper berries/ pink peppercorns and a small bay leaf . Refrigerate until firm.
Serve with crusty bread and pickles as a starter or turn into small quenelles over toasted bread for canapes.

Tagged:robert jacob- chicken liver pate- starter- canapes


 ©2012-2014;Robert Jacob;jacob'scrackers;jacobscrackers9; All rights reserved.

Carpaccio of Beetroot with soft goat's cheese and walnuts

I don't know about you but I just love beetroot and cannot resist when I see the heirloom variety at the market.I love their sweetness,the jewel colours and they look very stylish on a plate. With a minimum effort, you are sure to impress any guests and they will taste good too.
Beetroot is well known for boosting stamina and make muscles work harder as it contains a variety of goodness among others potassium, magnesium, iron, folic acid and vitamins A, B6, and C.
What's more, just 3 small beetroots equal one of your recommended five portions of fruit & veg a day. Steamed, boiled or baked , they can be eaten cold, diced or sliced into a salad; mixed with horseradish or pickled as a condiment, shredded raw into a salad,cooked with butter and dill or boiled into a rich borscht.
The leafy green portion of the plant is also edible and steamed, it has a similar texture and taste to spinach and the young shoots can be eaten raw into a salad.
Here is one of my favourite way to eat them.

Pan fried Scallops with Savoy cabbage & fennel. Food in a flash

Isn't it strange how we have amazing seafood in this island and yet we don't eat a lot of fish. Furthermore good fishmongers selling fresh fish are a rare breed and rather hard to find. Gone are the days when you could pop into Molloy's off Grafton street or Sawyer's on Baggot street and pick up some fresh catch. Recently on a trip to Howth , I purchased some mighty and very fresh Scallops and couldn't wait to get home and cook them. Scallops are highly regarded and expensive and should be eaten as soon as possible after buying. If they are still in their shells, open them by separating the shells with a knife or by putting in a hot oven. The edible part is the round white muscle and the orange roe, called coral.The frilly gills and mantle should be removed and can be used for soups and stock.
The best way to cook Scallops is on the pan, but they can also be steamed, grilled, poached or eaten raw in a Ceviche. Here I seared them  in a hot pan but cooking should always be brief so the Scallops stay sweet and juicy.
This delicious dish will be on the table in 15 mins and better still, it's all prepared in one pan, so there's hardly any washing up. And if you are not watching your intake of calories,this dish tastes delicious served with warm crusty bread.

Leek & Stilton tart .... Savoury for any time, from brunch to supper

With the holiday season upon us,when the kids are at home with their posse of friends all hanging around your kitchen,and without doubt working their way through your fridge,This is the time to draw boundaries and find some recipes that are just for your taste buds. Yes, time to be a little bit selfish, for let's face it, while we love them dearly, they tend to take over our lives. Hence, it is always nice to have something simple and light,at hand to fill that little peckish gap before moving on to yet another car ride to the cricket, football or rugby club or is it all three !!! more or less at the same time and in locations scattered across the city or God forbid , during this melee, unexpected guests or distant cousins & aunts turning up unannounced....with yet more Kids !!!!
Here is a quick ,easy yet delicious tart to prepare and it will take you from brunch to supper. As most kids don't like Stilton or blue cheese of any sort, you are perfectly safe that it will be all yours.
Ditch the apron, put your feet up, relax and enjoy.

Bon appetit... A Spring Dinner Party Menu ...

Easter;It's this time of the year once again and I cannot but wonder where does the time go !!! However, with the bank holiday weekend upon us, here is our chance to catch up with friends and family. And for those of us, who like to cook, there are few pleasures in life greater than having friends over for dinner.
Dinner parties these days can be as laid back as you like and involve nothing more formal than guests draping themselves over your furniture and enjoying the food that you have lovingly prepared and drinks that you have chosen yourself.
My only advice is, do try and prepare as much as possible in advance, to allow you more time to sit back , relax and enjoy the company of your guests. There is nothing worse and off putting than witnessing your host getting into a flap and literally having a panic attack in front of you.You cannot help but feel bad for them and I always secretly wish that my offer of help would be graciously declined but alas!!!.arrrrrghhh most often, I can hear the " Yes, please ". (joy of being a Chef)
So, my motto is Plan, plan, plan, plan..... Prep, prep, prep, prep.... In one word "Organise yourself". This is guaranteed to make the dining experience even more gratifying for all concerned and for you to enjoy the party too.

Here is a complete menu where most things can be prepared in advance and using seasonal ingredients.

Lobster Terrine with Beurre blanc ..... Cooking for the one you love

"Cooking for the one you love " is sensuous by its very nature. Never should it be seen as flippant as Cooking is about the art of balance, of feeding the mind and soul as well as the body.
For St Valentine, 14 th of February, a day associated with romantic love , your food should arouse passion and leave a lingering taste, a lasting impression.If normally your budget is restricted, it doesn't prevent you from going up- market for this special occasion. and of course you could always substitute the lobster for a cheaper alternative that will work just as well.
Lobster was my choice after reading Herman Koch's book " The Dinner ".
This is a delicious dish whose simplicity belies it's full flavour.

New Year's Eve Buffet.... Almost traditional, but with added bling

Celebrate the New Year with a relaxed and stylish buffet and treat your guests to a luxurious feast of simple yet sensational food. These no-fuss dishes will impress your guests and still leave you with plenty of time to, ditch the apron, slip into your little black dress, a touch of rouge, the crown jewels if they are handy and you are ready to party.
Whether with a contemporary reinvention of the Classics, a bit of drama in shape, form or colour, keep it simple. Not great heaped servings and an overload of luxury , but a spoonful or two of festive treats, with flavours intense and complimentary.
And don't forget, that the most basic recipe can be topped and dressed up to look fabulous and as long as you use quality ingredients, they will look fantastic too.
Here, Dinner is served on smart white china with crisp pressed napkins and Champagne , not mulled wine , is the drink of choice.

Wishing you a very Happy New Year. x

Menu :

• Cherry Gazpacho with prawns
• Tian of Castleberetown Crab & Goat's bridge trout caviar
• Winter pears, goat's cheese & hazelnut dressing
• Maple syrup and mustard ham
• Smoked haddock, leek & gruyere tart
• Leek & Stilton tart
• Remoulade of Celeriac & green apples
• Carrot & broccoli salad with mixed seeds
• Peach & Raspberry pots
• Chocolate & chestnut log

Tian of Castletownbere Crab & Goat's bridge trout caviar

This delicious sweet crab's meat "Starter " is easy to assemble and will sure add the wow factor to your Christmas lunch and leave you with plenty of time to enjoy the festivities.
As long as you use quality ingredients, it will taste fantastic too. Here , I am using Castletownbere Crab meat and Goat'sbridge award winning trout caviar.


Merry Christmas.xxx

Baked Winter Pear & Goat's cheese salad, For Belle xxx

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a feast. And this is for my friend Belle , who is always there tweeting on our behalf for @ IrishBlogs. Baked fruit is easy on the cook and easy on the waistline too... And utterly scrumptious. Whether you are a vegetarian or feel like a change this year, or just looking for something different to enjoy over the festive period, here is a dead simple starter for you to try.

Turkey, Ham & all the trimmings " Wellington style ". All three in one

Christmas Day doesn't have to be a stressful affair, here is a contemporary reinvention of the Classic, that is achievable at home, with a degree of minimum effort, that will still bring the wow factor to your table.

While keeping it simple , it is very tasty and easy to do. Not great heaped servings and an overload of luxury, but a spoonful or two of festive tastes, with flavours intense and complimentary. Lighter and done afresh, the most basic recipe can be topped and dressed, in shape or form, to look fabulous by the most inexperienced cook and as long as you use quality ingredients, they will taste fantastic too.

Here; Dinner is served on smart white china with crisp pressed napkins and champagne, not mulled wine is the drink of choice. Inexpensive too and most ingredients are from Lidl ... Ireland.

"FORAGING & WILD FOOD ". Braised field & wild mushrooms , thyme butter , parmesan & truffle oil .

" FORAGING " is far from being a recent fad . It is a practise known to mankind since day one . Seeking out . picking and gathering from the wild are indigenous ways to appreciate and love the wonderful larder of the country side . Whether your bounty be Fruits , Berries , Nuts , Seaweed , Herbs , Wild leaves , Or Wild mushrooms , it is an  "Enjoyment of Nature " and a quest for " Taste and Quality Of Wild foods " and the bonus is , It is Free .
However since 2012 , the Food Safety Authority has expressed concern in an increase in food poisoning from Wild Mushrooms . So , be careful , you need to be able to tell your Boletus / Cep  / Porcini from your Amanitas or you might end up very sick or even worse ...

"CHRISTMAS LUNCH " All wrapped up .... Venison Carbonade & Glazed Shallot Tarte Tatin

GLAZED SHALLOTS TARTE TATIN (makes 12)

This can be made well in advance and reheated.

800 gr of medium sized shallots (peeled) place in a pan with

125ml of chicken / veg stock

40gr unsalted butter

1tsp of salt and 1tsp of caster sugar.

Bring to a simmer than cover and cook over a low heat for 15min. Stir. Turn the heat up to medium and cook uncovered until all the stock evaporated and the shallots are coated in a thick buttery sauce. With a spoon drop in 2 shallots into your cup cake tray and some of the sauce. Cover with a round dish of frozen puff pastry and bake in a pre-heated oven at 2000C for 10min.

FOOD FOR FRIENDS...... Baillotine of Chicken , Black Pudding, Gnocchi , Pea & Tarragon velouté

THE LITTLE BLACK DRESS

A kitchen classic Pan Roasted Chicken with Black Pudding, Parmesan Gnocchi, Pancetta and Pea in Tarragon Velouté.

What with the Holiday Season upon us this is more or less our last chance to catch up with friends and for those of us, who love to cook, there are few pleasures in life greater than having friends over for dinner. Dinner parties these days can be as laid-back as you like and involve nothing more formal than guests draping themselves over your furniture and enjoying the food that you have cooked and drinks that you have chosen yourself. Here the dining experience becomes even more gratifying.