Darina Allen: Comforting, wholesome food is what we all need right now
What a roller coaster of a week for so many parents and teachers. Those who don’t have children embarking on the new school experience can also feel the palpable national anxiety. My heart goes out even more to parents of children with special needs who understandably are even more anxious.
It feels like the whole country is on edge, holding its breath for fear of future Covid-19 surges and subsequent lockdown.
So what we all need when we arrive home are great big dishes of comforting, wholesome, delicious food bubbling away in the oven or on the stove top.
So this week, there are lots of suggestions for food the entire family will enjoy — a big pot of nourishing goodness to tuck into that will boost our mood and strengthen our immune systems.
Some of you will also be back at work for the first time in months so it is even more of a challenge to cover all the angles and get back into a new normal routine. For many, batch cooking will be part of the schedule. Most of these dishes can be made in double or triple quantities to be frozen for future meals and several come from my last book , which I know many of you are finding super useful. If you haven’t already got a copy you can call to our Garden shop here at Ballymaloe Cookery School and I can personalise it for you or you can order online but do try to support your local bookshop — one of the many businesses struggling to survive in the current climate.
How about lamb, butternut squash and orzo stew or a big pot of chilli con carne? Coconut chicken curry is another favourite or you could whip up a Danish family omelette in a couple of minutes that will easily feed six hungry people. You’ll also love the vegetable and tofu curry recipe. And who doesn’t enjoy a fish pie — how about trying the recipe for mermaid's fish pie?
In these particularly anxious times I really think it is worth having a little something delicious in a tin. Tunisian orange cake keeps well and you will get a great dose of vitamin C from the oranges and lemons it contains. It is also worth trying my recipe for chocolate bark with many good things which is always great to have hidden away in a tin somewhere to enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.
This delicious Greek-inspired lamb, squash and orzo stew is tender, rich and sweet — a perfect one-pot winter supper. You can increase the quantity of orzo to 225g (8oz) if you wish, but I like the proportion as it is.
Serves 4-6
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
200g (7oz) onions, sliced
1 x 5–7.5cm (2 – 3 inches) cinnamon stick
1 tbsp chopped marjoram
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1kg (2 1/4lb) organic boned shoulder of lamb, trimmed of fat and cut into roughly 4cm (1 1/2 inch) cubes
1 x 400g (14oz) tin of plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
600ml (1 pint) homemade lamb or chicken stock
400g (14oz) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes
200g (7oz) orzo
2 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Zest of 1/2 organic lemon
Flaky sea-salt and freshly-ground black pepper
225ml (8fl oz) Greek or thick natural yoghurt
2 tbsp chopped mint leaves
1 tsp freshly-squeezed organic lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 160C/320F/Gas Mark 3
Heat the olive oil in a large 24cm 4.2-litre casserole dish over a medium heat.
Add the onions, cinnamon stick, marjoram and thyme and cook for 4-5 minutes until the onions start to soften.
Fry the lamb in batches until lightly browned, and then season with plenty of salt and pepper.
Add the chopped tomatoes and their juice and pour in about 450ml (16fl oz) of the stock.
Bring to the boil, and then cover the pan with a lid and transfer to the oven for about one hour.
Remove the pan from the oven, stir in the squash and season again.
Replace the lid and return to the oven for a further 20 minutes. Stir in the orzo and cook on the hob or return to the oven for a further 20 minutes. De-grease if necessary with a spoon.
To make the minted yoghurt, mix together the yoghurt, mint and lemon juice in a small bowl.
Sprinkle the stew with the Parmesan, chopped parsley and lemon zest and serve immediately with the minted yoghurt.
Buy stewing meat for this dish, rather than the finest cuts, and try to avoid minced beef. Colorado sauce is a delicious sauce to use when making chilli con carne, rather than chilli powder. It is very versatile and can also be used as a marinade for grilled or barbecued meats.
Serves 6
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
500–725g (18oz – 1 1/2lbs) stewing meat (beef, veal, mutton or pork), cut into 1–2cm (1/2 – 3/4 inch) cubes
225g (8oz) onions, chopped
2–3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 green pepper, deseeded and sliced
300ml (10fl oz) homemade beef stock or water
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tsp ground cumin
250g (9oz) red kidney beans, cooked
Flaky sea salt and brown sugar
6–7 small dried chillies or 4–5 large fresh ones
1 large red pepper, de-seeded
1 large onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, peeled
Sea salt
1 tbsp chipotle chilli in adobo sauce (optional)
1 ripe avocado (Hass if available)
1–2 tbsp freshly-squeezed lime juice
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbspchopped coriander or flat-leaf parsley
Freshly-ground black pepper
4 very ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp chopped red or white onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
1/2–1 red or green chilli, such as Jalapeño or Serrano, de-seeded and finely chopped
1–2 tbsp chopped coriander
A squeeze of organic lime juice
Flaky sea salt,
Freshly-ground black pepper and sugar
125g (4 1/2oz) soured cream
125g (4 1/2oz) Cheddar cheese, grated
A generous handful of fresh coriander leaves
36–40 tortilla chips
Start with the Colorado sauce.
If the chillies are dried, soak them in a little water for an hour, then slit them and wash out the seeds. Discard the stalks and do the same with the red pepper.
Purée all the sauce ingredients in a food processor, adding a little of the chilli soaking water if necessary. If you are using fresh chillies, you might need to add a tablespoon or two of cold water. Season to taste with salt. Add the chilli in adobo sauce, if using.
Heat a splash of extra virgin olive oil in a large casserole over a high heat and brown the meat in batches. Remove to a plate. Add the onion, reduce the heat to medium and fry for 4-5 minutes until soft and just beginning to colour. Add the crushed garlic and continue to cook for a minute or two. Return the meat to the pan and add the green pepper and Colorado sauce. Pour in just enough stock or water to barely cover the ingredients. Cover the pan tightly with a lid and simmer gently over a low heat for about 30 minutes, or until the meat is cooked and the sauce has reduced to a thick, brownish-red sauce. Check the liquid occasionally and if it seems to be reducing too quickly reduce the heat further and top up with water.
Add the tomato purée, cumin and cooked kidney beans. Season with salt and brown sugar. Simmer for a further 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the guacamole.
Scoop out the flesh from the avocado and mash it with a fork. Add the lime juice, olive oil and chopped coriander or parsley, and season to taste with black pepper. If you are not serving immediately, cover the surface with a layer of greaseproof or a beeswax wrapper and chill until needed.
To make the tomato and coriander salsa, mix all of the ingredients together and season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar.
To serve, put a blob of soured cream on top of the chilli, sprinkle with the grated cheese and garnish with some fresh coriander. Accompany with the tortilla chips, guacamole and tomato salsa.
This was a favourite Allen family supper dish when I first came to Ballymaloe in the late 1960s. It was simply called 'flat omelette' — but after a Danish intern told us it was exactly like the omelette her family enjoyed on the Danish island of Funen, it was renamed Danish Omelette and so it has been ever since.
Serves 6-8
8 large organic, free-range eggs
25ml (1fl oz) water
25g (1oz) butter
4 tbsp diced cooked ham, bacon, chorizo or merguez
1 generous tbsp freshly-chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 tbsp freshly-chopped chives
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tomato salad and green salad leaves, to serve
Crack the eggs into a large bowl, add the water and season generously with salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously until the mixture fluffs up and increases in volume by three or four times.
Melt the butter in a 25cm (10cm) metal or non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. When it foams, swirl the butter around the sides of the pan. Pour in the egg mixture, reduce the heat and cook for 6–7 minutes until the bottom is set. Don’t stir.
Sprinkle the cooked ham, bacon, chorizo or merguez over the top. It will sink through the frothy surface. Scatter with the freshly-chopped herbs, but don’t fold them in.
Serve immediately from the pan while still warm. I bring the pan to the table and serve the omelette in segments alongside a tomato salad and some organic leaves.
Who doesn’t love a fish pie? This easy-peasy recipe can be used for almost any round fish, including cod, pollock, ling, haddock, salmon or grey mullet. I like to prepare a big batch to make several pies, which can be refrigerated or frozen and reheated another day. A chopped hard-boiled egg and 110g cooked peas add extra nourishment and flavour. Here I use a scrunchy filo topping, but I often make a crispy Cheddar crumb or mashed potato topping.
Serves 6-8
1.1kg (2 1/2lb) cod, hake, haddock or grey mullet fillets, or a mixture
15g (1/2oz) butter, for greasing
600ml (1 pint) whole milk
Approx 20g (3/4oz) Roux (made by blending 10g (1/3oz) softened butter with 10g (1/3oz) plain flour)
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
150–175g (5-6oz) grated Gruyère or Cheddar cheese or 75g (3oz) grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
110g (4oz) shelled cooked mussels
110g (4oz) peeled cooked shrimps
1/2 tin of chopped anchovies, approx. 4 fillets (optional)
4 sheets of filo pastry
Melted butter, for brushing
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
Skin the fish and cut into 6-8 portions. Season well with salt and pepper. Lay the pieces of fish in a lightly-buttered 26cm (10 1/2 inch) sauté pan and cover with cold milk. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 4–5 minutes until the fish has changed from translucent to opaque. Remove the fish to a plate with a slotted spoon.
Bring the milk back to the boil and whisk in enough of the roux to thicken the sauce to a light coating consistency. Stir in the mustard, grated cheese and chopped parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the cooked fish together with the mussels, shrimps and chopped anchovies, and stir gently to coat with the sauce.
Brush each filo sheet with melted butter and cut into four pieces. Scrunch up each piece of filo pastry and arrange side by side on top of the pie.
Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes until the pie is bubbling and the filo is crisp and crunchy.
Cream 110g (4oz) softened butter with 2 tablespoons of finely-chopped dulse and a few drops of lemon juice in a small bowl. Shape into a butter pat and form into a roll. Wrap in greaseproof paper or tin foil, screwing each end so that it looks like a Christmas cracker. Refrigerate to harden. Cut into 6–8 portions and serve with the fish pie.
110g (4oz) butter
110g (4oz) flour
Melt the butter and cook the flour in it for 2 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Use as required. Roux can be stored in a cool place and used as required or it can be made up on the spot if preferred. It will keep at least a fortnight in a refrigerator.
(Flavedo or 'zest' is the outer, coloured skin of citrus fruits)
Serves 8
2oz (50g) slightly stale breadcrumbs
6oz (175g) caster sugar
3 1/2oz (100g) ground almonds
7fl oz (200ml) oil
4 eggs
Finely-grated zest of 1 large orange finely grated
Zest 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 level tsp baking powder
Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2oz (50g) sugar
2 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Crème fraiche or Greek yoghurt
8 inch x 2 1/2 inch deep (20.5cm x 6.5cm deep) tin OR 3 small loaf tins 5.75 inches (14.6cm) x 3 inches (7.62cm) lined with greaseproof or silicone paper.
Mix the breadcrumbs with the sugar, almonds, and baking powder. Whisk the oil with the eggs, pour into the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the orange and lemon zest. Pour the mixture into a greased and lined tin.
Put into a cold oven, and set the heat to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4.
Bake for 45-50 minutes or until the cake looks a rich golden brown. A skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in the tin before turning out onto a plate.
Meanwhile, make the syrup.
Put all the ingredients into a stainless steel saucepan, bring gently to the boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved completely. Simmer for 3 minutes. While it is still warm, pierce holes in the cake with a skewer and pour the syrup over it. Leave to cool. Spoon excess syrup back over the cake every now and then until it is all soaked up.
One can remove the cinnamon sticks but I like to leave them on top of the cake.
Serve with crème fraiche or thick Greek yoghurt.
Note: This cake can also be baked in 4 small tins. They will take 35 – 40 minutes.
Substitute gluten-free white breadcrumbs and gluten-free baking powder in the master recipe and proceed as above.
Makes a delicious nibble to enjoy with a shot of espresso to round off a meal.
For an extra-swanky version, sprinkle with gold dust.
150g chocolate 62%
25g hazelnuts, roasted peeled and coarsely chopped
25g almonds, roasted and coarsely-chopped
50g sour cherries or cranberries, halved, or plump raisins, or candied orange peel or a mixture, or white dried mulberries.
25g pistachios
Put the chocolate into a Pyrex bowl and sit over a saucepan of cold water. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Turn on the heat under the saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn off the heat immediately and allow the chocolate to melt gently in the residual heat.
Pour the chocolate onto a tray lined with parchment or a dish and spread to 1/2cm in depth. You will have a 20cm square approx. Don’t worry if the edges are not even — it doesn’t matter.
Sprinkle the nuts and fruit evenly over the chocolate.
Allow to set. Cut coarsely into rectangles or break into uneven chunks.
Serve with coffee.
Why not come to Ballymaloe Cookery School on Saturday, October 10, for a full-day course on 'One Pot Wonders'. Check out our website cookingisfun.ie or call 021 4646785 for more information.
Need some occupational therapy during these challenging times? How about blackberry picking — the hedgerows are laden with ripe berries ready for gathering. Observe social distancing guidelines, bring them home, freeze what you can’t use immediately and watch out for next week’s Irish Examiner column where I will share some delicious blackberry recipes.
