Holidays aren't an option this summer - but you can still eat like you're abroad
“I have had the pleasure of visiting many parts of Spain to record my television shows for RTÉ. I have learned so much about the quality of Spanish food and produce and how with a few ingredients, you can create a meal that is full of flavour. This recipe reminds me of my travels and is a wonderful example of a one-pot dish that is packed with flavour. It is a dish that the whole family will adore, especially when eaten outdoors just like the Spanish do during the summer months.”
Serves 4
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
25g butter
8 chicken thighs
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
100g chorizo, sliced
350g long grain rice
2 tsp turmeric
150ml white wine
600ml chicken stock
100g frozen peas
Sea salt
2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Preheat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4. Add 1 tbsp rapeseed oil to a large casserole dish with a lid.
Add half the butter and place on the hot to heat.
Season the chicken thighs, add to the dish skin-side-down and cook for a minute or two until sealed. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil with the remaining butter, tip in the onion and garlic. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until soft but not browned.
Add the chorizo, rice and turmeric and cook for another two minutes, stirring until the chorizo has begun to release its oil and all of the rice grains are well coated. Pour in the wine, stirring to combine, then add the stock.
Arrange the chicken on top, pushing the thighs into the rice. Add in the frozen peas. Cover with the lid, place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the chicken and rice are cooked through and tender.
Scatter over the parsley and place directly on the table to serve.
"I have been lucky enough to spend some time cooking and travelling in Italy over the course of my career. I love spending time there and indulging in the great weather, food and produce. While I can't travel this summer, I have been making this pizza to transport me! No fancy equipment needed, I make the dough by hand as well. It is perfect enjoyed while sitting in the garden with a nice glass of wine in hand."
Serves 4
300g strong flour
7g fast-action dried yeast
150ml warm water
20g olive oil
30g Irish yoghurt
5g salt
8 tomatoes, halved
3 cloves garlic
1 tbsp tomato paste
Sprinkle dried herbs
Salt
80g sliced Chorizo or charcuterie
100g Irish cheese, sliced or grated (Mark uses unsmoked Gubbeen and Toonsbridge mozzarella)
Handful of rocket
Dried chilli flakes
To make the dough, add the flour, dried yeast and salt together in a bowl using your hand (or in a mixer if you have one).
Now add the olive oil, yoghurt and warm water together and mix heavily until a wet dough is achieved. Knead for 2mins by hand. Put the dough in an oiled bowl cover with a cloth and leave in a warm place for 1 hour to double in size.
Tip the dough onto a floured bench and knead lightly. Cut the dough into 4. Roll into balls and let rise for another 30 minutes. Roll into roughly circular shape approx ½ cm thick.
To make the tomato sauce, season the tomatoes with salt and dried herbs, place on a tray with the garlic cloves and some olive oil. Roast in a preheated oven at 200C for 30 minutes.
Place the tomatoes in a blender or use a potato masher, squeeze the pulp from the garlic. Add the tomato paste and blend to a sauce, pass through a sieve to remove seeds. Any extra will hold well in the freezer.
To cook, preheat your grill to its maximum setting. Now, heat a large wide heavy-based pan or shallow pot over a high flame/setting. Once smoking, dust some flour on the pan and add your dough, allow to sit for 30 seconds, Spread your tomato sauce on the dough and finish with whatever toppings you like, try not to overload the dough so you can achieve a crispy base.
Then fire the pan under the grill for 5-6mins or until golden and bubbling.
Remove from oven, top with fresh rocket and slice
“This year with travel restrictions in place we decided to take a break on the River Shannon and had a wonderful family staycation. We entertained a little onboard, we brought our portable barbecue and had some amazing meals, there’s plenty of space in the galley kitchen and on the upper deck for cooking and one of our favourite recipes from the trip was this beautiful barbecued salmon and lobster with a summer salad.”
Serves 4
4 salmon fillets, skin on
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp fresh chives
1 tbsp olive oil
4 halved lobster, precooked (optional)
1 lemon, juiced
100g mayonnaise
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1kg baby potatoes, boiled
200g cherry tomato
80g rocket leaves
½ onion, chopped
½ cucumber, sliced
50g butter
Salt and pepper
Preheat the barbecue to medium.
Drizzle the salmon darns with olive oil, and season salt and pepper.
Place the salmon on the barbecue. Add the lobster if using the grill for 4-5 minutes or until cook and uniformly pink in the centre. Add some butter over on the last minute to glaze the fish. Remove from the barbecue. Keep warm and set aside until ready to serve.
In the meantime, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper and Set aside.
In a second bowl, cut the baby potato into halves. Add the rocket leaves, cherry tomato and cucumber. Drizzle with olive oil and a second drizzle of lemon juice. Toss to combine and Season well.
Serve the salmon and lobster immediately with the vegetable salad and Marie-Rose sauce.
“I adore trying all types of sweet treats when I'm away on holidays. I call it research but If I'm being completely honest, It's a really good excuse to have dessert for breakfast! I was in Porto in Italy with my family last year and we stopped off at this unassuming Gelataria and I had one of the most stunning mixed berry soft serves. We all sat outside eating our ice-cream, soaking up the sun and watched the world go by. The ice-cream was so good there was a rare two minutes of silence and we were almost afraid to make eye contact, just in case we'd have to share. Perhaps it was the weather, It could have been that we were on holiday mode or maybe it was simply a cracking bowl of ice-cream but all I know is, it’s little moments like this you'll never forget. Here is my oh so simple 'no churn' mixed berry ice-cream. You don't need a machine so you've no excuse not to try this recipe out."
Serves 10
125g raspberries
125g halved blueberries
100g chopped strawberries
25g icing sugar
500ml single cream
1 tin condensed milk
dash vanilla essence
pinch salt
In a medium bowl, add the berries and icing sugar. Mix and allow to sit for 20 minutes. This will allow the natural juices to come out from the berries.
In another bowl, whisk the cream until stiff peaks form. To this add the condensed milk and salt and re-whisk.
Once the berries have sat for 20 minutes using the back of a kitchen fork, begin to mush and break down the berries.
Fold the berry mix into the cream and spoon this into a 2 lb loaf tin and place in the freezer overnight.
To serve, remove from the freezer 10 minutes before you wish to serve. Simply scoop into wafer cones and enjoy!
Top tip: If you line the 2 lb tin with a double layer of clingfilm, you can de-mould the frozen Ice-cream and serve it in slices as a mixed berry terrine for dessert.
