Darina Allen: Three great cookbooks to buy and a recipe for Mary Berry’s humble pie

Everyone’s favourite cooking Grandma, Mary Berry has published a new ultimate stress-free cookbook with 120 brand new foolproof recipes.

Mary Berry's humble pie is hearty, warming and a real treat!

Want a little advice on how to use your book tokens after the festive season? Before Christmas, I got lots and lots of newly published cookbooks through the post, but I was so crazily busy that I just about managed to flick through them but didn’t manage to test anything from them until now.

Today some thoughts on three different books. The first one comes from Mark Moriarty, who very sweetly sent me a present of his first cookbook, Flavour with personal dedication, and a thank you for being an inspiration. How sweet is that? I was delighted to read that I was even a teensy bit of an inspiration to this super talented and thoroughly nice young man ... and wait till you see the photo of him and his cute little dog on the inside cover!

The book is full of recipes I really want to dash into the kitchen to try. How about Barbecued Chicken Tikka Skewers, or Yuk Sung with a Peanut Slaw? There’s a fancy Beef Wellington in there too and a super clever Quick Pan Pizza that you and the kids will love. I was also tempted by the Beef Koftas with Tzatziki and Flatbreads and there’s lots, lots more.

Everyone’s favourite cooking Grandma, Mary Berry has published yet another book — can you imagine she has written over 75 cookbooks and pretty much all have been bestsellers — Mary Makes it Easy, the new ultimate stress-free cookbook has 120 brand new foolproof recipes.

As a home cook, Mary says she understands the pressures and challenges that come with preparing delicious meals day after day especially when you’re juggling a busy schedule in our frantic modern lives. She is determined that cooking and preparing food for friends and family shouldn’t be one of them, so she’s sharing lots of the tips and tricks that she’s learned over the years — what a woman!

I’ve chosen Humble Pie (don’t you love the name of the recipe?) to share with you from the book but I’m also looking forward to trying Friday Night Lamb Curry, Spinach Dahl, Meatball Toad in the Hole with Sage, and a one-tray dish called Chicken Tartiflette.

Last but certainly not least comes, These Delicious Things, by Pavilion Books, a compilation of recipes, published to raise vital funds for the charity, Magic Breakfast, which provides breakfast for thousands of hungry children every day. Can you imagine a more worthy cause? Over 100 cooks and chefs, including Jamie Oliver , Nigella Lawson and Nigel Slater, gladly provided a favourite recipe.

The entire team who worked on the book gave their services free and 100% of the publisher’s net profits go to Magic Breakfast to try and end children’s morning hunger which is a barrier to education in schools, and this book is full of great recipes.

Melissa Thompson’s Barbecued Pork Ribs

My secret ingredient is crispy onions, melted into the base before it’s painted onto the ribs. It has a deep sweetness that sings and gives the ribs a brilliant stickiness.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 30 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 8 skinless belly pork ribs, about 3cm thick

• For the baste

• 4 tbsp tomato ketchup

• 2 tbsp crispy onions

• 1 tbsp cider vinegar (white wine and rice vinegar also work)

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• For the rub

• 1 tbsp paprika (ideally sweet, but any will do)

• 1 tbsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder (optional)

• 1 tsp cumin, ground

• 1 tsp black pepper, ground

• 1 tsp salt

Method

1. Put all the baste ingredients in a saucepan and cook over a low-medium heat for 8 minutes. If it thickens too much, add a dash of water. Remove from the heat and blend using a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth.

2. Mix all the rub ingredients together, place the ribs on a tray and sprinkle the rub over them. Ensure they are totally covered, then leave to rest while you prepare the barbecue (for how to cook in an oven, see below).

3. Light your barbecue for indirect cooking. Pile between 10 and 15 medium-sized charcoal pieces to the side of the bottom grate. Once they’re ready – white and glowing – spread them out, but still just on one side of the grate.

4. Place the cooking grate over the coals and sear the ribs directly over the heat for a few minutes on each side until sealed. Then lay them on the opposite side of the grate to the heat. Close the lid and leave for 30 minutes. Aim for the barbecue to be about 140°C – if your barbecue doesn’t have a temperature gauge, you should be able to comfortably hold your hand 15cm about the coats for about 6-8 seconds. Adjust the temperature using the bottom vents – to increase the temperature, open them more to allow more air in. To reduce the heat, limit the airflow by partially closing the vents.

5. With a brush, baste the ribs with the sauce. Close the lid again and leave for 30 seconds. Repeat at least three times, always checking the coals are still putting out enough heat. If not, top them up, a couple of extra pieces at a time.

6. Once the ribs are dark and sticky – the total cooking time will be around 2 hours – remove from the heat and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Serve with a sharp fennel salad.

7. If cooking in an oven, preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan)/Gas Mark 6 and place the ribs in the oven on a tray. Cook for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 150°C (130°C fan)/Gas Mark 2 and cook for 30 minutes. Baste all over with the sauce and return to the oven for 30 minutes. Repeat at least three times. Once the ribs are dark and sticky, remove from the oven, rest and serve.
   Recipe taken from ‘These delicious things’ published by Pavilion

Mark Moriarty's Yuk Sung with Peanut Slaw

Yuk Sung is a great midweek recipe for keeping people happy and fed, without slaving for too long.

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 400g pork mince

• 4 tbsp vegetable oil

• 3 garlic cloves, grated

• 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger root, peeled and grated

• 1 tbsp dried chilli flakes, plus extra to garnish

• 1 ½ tbsp dark soy sauce

• 2 tbsp oyster sauce

• 3 spring onions, sliced

• zest of ½ lime

• 8 iceberg lettuce cups

• For the slaw

• 1 carrot

• 1 green apple

• 4 white cabbage leaves

• 1 tbsp peanut butter

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar

• 100ml olive oil

• 4 tbsp roasted peanuts

• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Heat a non-stick pan over a high heat, add the pork mince and break it up using a wooden spoon so that it browns all over. It’s very important to let the mince sit and caramelise, so don’t keep moving it.

2. Make a well in the middle of your pan and add the vegetable oil, garlic, ginger and chilli flakes. Cook for a few minutes until the garlic turns golden, then stir it into the mince.

3. Reduce the heat slightly, then add the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Mix to coat the pork and cook for a further minute until it becomes sticky.

4. Turn off the heat completely and garnish with the spring onions, some more chilli flakes and the lime zest.

5. To make the slaw, begin by grating the carrot and apple into a bowl, using a box grater, or else slice thinly with a knife.

6. Next, slice the cabbage as thinly as possible and add this into the bowl.

7. For the dressing, whisk together the peanut butter, mustard, vinegar and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Pour this into the slow mix and dress. Top with the toasted peanuts before serving up with the mince and the lettuce cups.
   Recipe taken from Flavour by Mark Moriarty published by Gill Books

Mary Berry’s Humble Pie

Hearty, warming and a real treat! This pie can be made, left unglazed and kept covered in the fridge for up to 24 hours ahead. Not suitable for freezing.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 15 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 1 large cauliflower

• 2 leeks, trimmed and cut into 2cm slices

• 115g frozen petits pois

• 1 x 375g packet ready-rolled puff pastry

• knob of butter

• 200g button mushrooms, halved

• 1 egg, beaten

• Cheese Sauce

• 55g butter

• 55g plain flour

• 450ml hot milk

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

• 115g mature Cheddar, coarsely grated

• 55g Parmesan, coarsely grated

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/Gas Mark 6.

2. You will need a fairly deep 28cm diameter dish or a 3-pint dish.

3. Break the cauliflower into fairly small, even-sized florets. Some of the smaller leaves can be chopped into pieces.

4. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the leeks and boil for 4 minutes. Add the cauliflower florets and leaves and bring back to a boil for 3 minutes until just tender. Drain and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well and set aside.

5. To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for 1 minute. Gradually add the hot milk, whisking until thickened. Stir in the mustard, Cheddar and Parmesan, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Leave to cool for 5 minutes.

6. Heat the butter over a high heat, pan fry the mushrooms for 3 minutes until golden and season with salt and pepper, set aside to cool. Add all the cold vegetables and frozen peas to the cheese sauce, stir and check the seasoning. Spoon into the pie dish.

7. Unroll the pastry and remove a 7cm strip from the short side and chill in the fridge. Roll out the remaining pastry to slightly bigger than the top of your pie dish. Brush beaten egg around the edge of the dish, then place the pastry on top and press down on the edges to seal. Trim any excess pastry with a sharp knife and make a small slit in the centre for the steam to escape. Brush the top with beaten egg.

8. Roll out the reserved strip of pastry to be a bit thinner, then roll it up tightly. Using a sharp knife, slice to make long thin strips. Unravel and dip them into the egg wash, then arrange on top of the pie, in a random pattern. Bake in the preheated oven for about 40-45 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the sauce is bubbling around the edges.
   Recipe taken from Mary Makes It Easy published by Penguin Random House UK

Seasonal Journal

Irish Seed Savers

Love the way the Irish Seed Savers catalogue arrives in the post in early January just when I’m beginning to think about what I’d like to grow this coming season.

It becomes ever more important to begin to produce some of our own food, start on your windowsill with microgreens to zhuzh up your salads and garnishes. irishseedsavers.ie

Urru Culinary Store, Bandon

Urru – short for ‘urban - rural’ in Bandon is a brilliant deli/kitchen shop cum ‘communal table’ café overlooking the Bandon River. It was launched in 2014 by Ruth Healy (BCS alumni) so celebrates 20 years in business in 2024 despite several challenges including flooding….Swing by next time you are in Bandon and peruse the brilliant ingredient, cookbook and kitchen utensil sections. urru.ie