Tasty recipes from Michelin-starred chef JP McMahon
He is culinary director of the EatGalway Restaurant Group, made up of Aniar, Cava Boedga, and Eat Gastropub, plus he runs the Aniar Boutique Cookery School.
He is totally committed to local producers and engages directly with small farmers. He is also the founding chair and director of the Galway Food Festival and is an ambassador for Irish food.
In his spare time JP also lectures in Art History in UCC and is currently finishing his PhD and can you imagine on top of all that JP is organising an international chef symposium entitled ‘Food on the Edge’ which will take place in Galway in October 2015.
Most recently, he has self-published a book Tapas, A Taste of Spain in Ireland. The recipes are from Cava Bodega, the much loved tapa restaurant he and his wife Drigín opened in Dominick Street in Galway in 2008.
JP and Drigín love Spain. There’s always been a strong link between Ireland and Spain, and Galway in particular, dating back to 500BC.
The trading ships would come into Galway Bay and sail right up to what is now called the Spanish Arch, home of another of my favourite Galway eatery Ard Bia.
JP has a deep a love for Spanish food and culture. The recipes for the para picar (nibbles) tapas (small bites) and pinchos (a larger version) in the book reflect his interpretation of the Hiberno–Spanish version of many classic and contemporary dishes.
JP is also an ambassador for the “Cook It Raw” movement started by Alessandro Porcelli in 2009. It’s not just raw food but going back to basics, re-learning the skills of producing some of our own food, fishing, shooting and foraging.
Here are a small selection of recipes to whet your appetite.
Meanwhile if you would like to see JP in action, he will be at The Kerrygold Ballymaloe Literary Festival of Food and Wine from May 15-17 , you can book on-line www.litfest.ie
Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the chorizo and fry lightly until the oil begins to seep from the sausage.
Add the onion and the bay leaf and fry until the onions have softened and have turned red.
Add the sherry and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and cook for a further 3 to 5 minutes.
Finally, add the clams and butter. Cook for a further 5 minutes or until the clams have opened. Discard any that don’t open.
Fold the parsley into the clams and chorizo. Serve into four warm bowls, ideally with some crusty bread to mop up the lovely juices.
Serves 4
Blend the parsley and the oil in a food processor until smooth. Add the mayonnaise and continue to blend until you achieve a smooth green paste.
Heat a deep fat fryer to 175C. Season the monkfish and coat in the flour. With the aid of a tongs, dip each piece of monkfish into the egg white and then into the fryer. You will need to do this quickly as you don’t want the cooking time on the fish to be too different between the first and the last piece. Fry the monkfish until golden brown. Remove from the oil and strain on to some kitchen paper.
Place a dollop of the parsley mayonnaise on the plate and rest the monkfish beside it. Garnish with the lemon and the dill tops. Season again with a little rock salt if desired.
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 200C. Score the fat side of each duck breast and cut in half. Season with salt.
Warm a frying pan and place the breast into it skin side down.
Cook until the fat is rendered and the skin is a crisp brown colour.
Turn the duck over and fry on the other side for 2 minutes.
Place duck in the oven on an oven tray for 5 minutes.
In another pan, caramelise the plums in the honey on a medium heat.
After a few minutes, add the sherry and reduce by half on a medium heat.
Remove the duck from the oven (it will be medium rare: if you want to cook it more leave it in for longer) and allow it to rest for a few minutes.
Carve the duck into thin slices and season with some salt.
Divide the plum sauce onto four plates and place the sliced duck on top. Garnish with some sprigs of chervil.
in Durrus is closed for the winter season but the new Cookery School schedule has just been published.
Lots of tempting courses to choose from – how about , , or If you hurry you may still be able to book a place on the Seaweed Day with Carmel Somers, Sally McKenna and April Dannan on March 21. www.thegoodthingscafe.com, phone 027-61426.
, in Dublin’s hip Drury Street, is the place to pop into for a beautiful glass of fresh orange juice. The best €3’s worth I’ve had for quite a while.
While you are in the area don’t miss (41 A/B Drury Street, www.industryandco.com) – just down the street packed with irresistible chic up-cycled stuff for your home and kitchen.
Pop into Kaph just across the road a coffee.
