Here are three meals from the Doolin Cottage.
This is a fantastic mid week meal for all the family. The key is to invest in the best pork sausages,
lunasa farm sell fantastic sausages in their butchers on Saturdays, I would highly recommend them.
Also it’s worth spending a little more on good quality pasta as this can make all the difference. This
recipe is great to freeze down if you fancy making a double batch and freezing. Enjoy.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
- ¼ tsp chilli flakes
- 2 rosemary sprigs, leaves finely chopped
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 6 pork sausages
- 150ml whole milk
- 1 lemon, zested
- 350g rigatoni pasta
- grated parmesan and ½ small bunch parsley, leaves roughly chopped, to serve
Method:
STEP 1
Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the onion with a
pinch of salt for 7 mins. Add the garlic, chilli and rosemary, and cook for 1 min
more. Tip in the tomatoes and sugar, and simmer for 20 mins.
STEP 2
Heat the remaining oil in a medium frying pan over a medium heat. Squeeze the
sausage meat from the skins and fry, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, for 5-7
mins until golden. Add to the sauce with the milk and lemon zest, then simmer
for a further 5 mins. To freeze, leave to cool completely and transfer to large
freezerproof bags.
STEP 3
Cook the pasta following pack instructions. Drain and toss with the sauce.
Scatter over the parmesan and parsley leaves to serve.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ras-el-hanout
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 600g lamb leg or shoulder diced into 2cm pieces, excess fat trimmed
- 200g butternut squash, diced
- 200g soft dried apricot
- 400g can chopped tomato
- 500ml lamb or beef stock
- zest 1 lemon
- small bunch coriander
- couscous and natural yogurt, to serve
Method:
STEP 1
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole dish, add the
onion and cook for 5 mins until softened. Add the garlic and spices and cook for a couple
mins more, stirring to prevent them catching and burning.
STEP 2
Add the lamb, squash and apricots to the casserole, pour over the tomatoes and stock,
season well and bring to the boil. Put the lid on and transfer to the oven. After 1 hr, stir the
tagine and return to the oven, uncovered, for a further 30 mins.
STEP 3
Check the seasoning. Sprinkle over the zest and coriander, and serve in warm bowls with
couscous and yogurt.
Ingredients:
- 290g Ground Almonds
- 290g Icing Sugar
- 40g Cocoa powder
- 220g egg whites
- 300g caster sugar
- 75g water
Blend in food processor the ground almonds, icing sugar and coca powder and sieve into a bowl.
Add in 110g Egg white with ground almonds, icing sugar and cocoa mix into mix into a stiff paste
Next you are going to make an Italian meringue, this is best if you have a stand mixer or an electric
mixer and a spare pair of hands. You will need either a sugar thermometer or probe thermometer
that goes above 100c
110g Egg white
300g Sugar
75g water
For the Italian meringue base, add the egg whites to a bowl and start whisking on a low speed. Add
the water and 280g of the the caster sugar to a pan and place over a medium-high heat. Allow the
mixture to come up to 118°C, or ‘soft ball’ stage
When the sugar mixture reaches 105°C, add the remaining 20g of caster sugar to the egg whites to
stabilise the meringue. Increase the speed of the mixer
When the sugar has reached 118°C, remove the pan from the heat, reduce the speed of the food
mixer, and drizzle the sugar down the side of the bowl into the egg whites
Increase the speed, whisk for 1 more minute, then stop the machine. Whisk on a medium speed
until the meringue has cooled to body temperature and is glossy and smooth in consistency
Mix 1/3 of the Italian meringue base into the ground almond base until smooth and incorporated.
Repeat this twice more until the two bases are combined and you have a smooth, shiny meringue
Transfer the meringue to a piping bag with a 1cm nozzle, then pipe 4.5cm bulbs onto a baking tray
lined with silicone paper, or directly onto a silicone baking mat. Set aside to allow a skin to form over
the macarons for 30 minutes
Preheat the oven to 130°C/gas mark 1
Cook the macarons for 17-18 minutes, until just peeling away from the baking mat. Set aside to cool
before pairing the halves according to size
To fill that macaroons make a simple chocolate ganache
150g dark chocolate
250g cream
Melt chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, heat the cream and fold into the chocolate
store in the fridge till needed
