The Currabinny Cooks: Get your day off to the perfect start
We are both dreadful in the mornings. In a rush because one of us has taken far too long in the shower, grumpily feeding the cat before we’ve even started to think about feeding ourselves.
If we are honest, of all of the meals of the day, breakfast is the one most often skipped. Possibly because we eat dinner so late and possibly because we are always in such a terrible rush, breakfast too often falls to the way side.
It is a huge tragedy of course, we are forever jealous of those morning types who jump out of bed, amble down to the kitchen to have a morning coffee and then go about making something stunning and healthy.
If, on top of this you find time to go to the gym before work then that’s just annoying and you need to sort your priorities out.
There is so much possibility when it comes to breakfast. Every culture’s early eating offerings are always so gorgeous and particular, often steeped in tradition and unique peculiarities.
When we were in Japan, breakfast consisted of steamed rice, miso soup, grilled fish and pickled veg, which is a difficult thing to get one’s head around as a westerner but delicious when embraced, it all makes sense when you think about what you need to give you a good start to the day.
It also isn’t so far from home, traditionally in Ireland, grilled kippers were a breakfast staple.
When we have the time on our days off, we often start our mornings (somewhere around midday to be perfectly honest) with a plate of smoked kippers on cider bread which we make throughout the year.
The cider gives it a depth and sweetness perfect for mornings or anytime of day. Paired with this, try a seaweed butter, usually made with black, smokey kombu.
In the usual way of things with us, time is never on our side. Having something quick to grab and go is essential if we are indeed to eat before lunch.
Porridge made with Macroom pinhead oatmeal is our favourite, made simply with water and a pinch of salt, served with a drizzle of honey and some fresh fruit. It is quick to make and doesn’t require overnight soaking or any such nonsense.
We are, in fact, Irish porridge making champions 2018, something we were surprised and delighted to be honoured with and give all credit to the wonderful stoneground pinhead oatmeal we used given that actually eating breakfast is something of a novelty for us.
Macroom Oatmeal
We use Macroom oatmeal, it is made in Walton Mills which is Ireland’s last surviving stone mill.
It is wonderful on its own with a pinch of salt or with some fruit and honey.
- 1 teacup of water
- 1.5 teacups of milk
- A good pinch of seasalt
- Half teacup of Macroom oatmeal
This recipe should serve two people using a standard teacup to measure.
Heat all the ingredients in a pot over a medium heat, stirring continuously. The oats will absorb the liquid very fast so be careful not to let it stick to the bottom. After about five or six
minutes when the oatmeal has softened and is at the consistency of porridge then transfer into a bowl and sprinkle with a little bit of soft brown sugar if desired.
Use the same recipe as above just using less salt. When you have transferred the oatmeal into your bowl, arrange slices of good ripe peaches in the middle, sprinkle a few pomegranate seeds over and drizzle
generously with good quality raw honey.
Orange blossom or wildflower varieties work great.
Kippers with kombu butter and toast
William’s grandmother used to make smoked kippers, panfried with a little bit of butter most mornings for his granddad. He wouldn’t have anything except for butter with his. We, however, love them with a nice bit of homemade cider loaf toasted and spread generously with some salty, smoky kombu butter.
Don’t worry if you can’t find kombu, you could also use dillisk. Sometimes seaweed comes in sprinkle form which would be ideal for this recipe.
- 2 good quality smoked kippers
- 3 tbsp of parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon
- Good quality bread of your choice, cider loaf works perfectly
- Salt and pepper
- 100g kombu butter
- 125g butter
- Salt and pepper
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- Juice of half a lemon
- 10g of dried kombu broken into small pieces
Break the kombu into as small pieces as you can manage (we find a scissors is best). Place in a cup of water for a few moments to soften.
Remove from the water and dry on paper towels. Place the butter (softened) in a bowl and mix together with the salt, pepper, lemon juice, garlic and kombu until well combined.
Chill in the fridge to set.
In a large frying pan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil or rapeseed oil over a medium low heat. Add the kippers, cooking two to five minutes per side.
Cut bread into a few thick slices and toast until golden and crunchy. Smother the slice with the kombu butter and arrange on plate, placing the kippers on top.
Squeeze lemon juice over the kippers, season with salt, pepper and parsley.
Ashura cereal
This cereal recipe is originally from Honey&Co. It was served to us in the home of our mentor Blathnaid Bergin, who runs the wonderful Business of Food programme for anyone thinking of setting up a food business.
She had tweaked the original recipe a little and served it with delicious straw-berry oatmeal, perfectly-cut mango and some very good natural yoghurt.
Ever since she passed the recipe on to us, we have been making this cereal which lasts the two of us roughly two weeks before we have to make more.
We are always playing around with it, adding different kinds of nuts like pecans or hazelnuts, oats, puffed rice or using a little maple syrup.
The puffed millet and spelt are our favourites but use whatever puffed grain or rice you can get in your health food shop.
- 100ml of rapeseed oil
- 110g of honey
- 110g of soft dark brown sugar
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1.5 tsp of cinnamon
- Half tsp of ground cardamom
- 100g of puffed spelt
- 100g of puffed millet
- 40g of sunflower seeds
- 50g of pumpkin seeds
- 30g of sesame seeds
- 85g of almonds, very roughly chopped
Heat the oven to 190C.
Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and leave to the side.
Combine the puffed grains, seeds, nuts, spices and salt in a large mixing bowl.
In a small saucepan, combine the oil, honey and sugar on a high heat and bring to the boil. When the contents are bubbling, pour over the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until everything is well covered.
Transfer the contents to the prepared tray and flatten out in a single layer.
Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place somewhere to cool down before breaking into large clusters.
Once the cereal is cold, transfer to an airtight container.
