I AM frantically whisking my sabayon (egg yolks, sugar, wine) over a hot bain marie but it absolutely refuses to thicken. “Come on, guys, you need to finish this now!” barks Ann!. Sebastian, my cooking partner, isn’t happy. “Did you prick the bottom of the tarts before putting them in the oven?” I have easily baked a thousand tarts in my life up to that point. It’s straightforward, I know the drill. I flush. “Christ, I forgot!” Ann comes over to investigate. “My sabayon won’t thicken,” I wail. “That’s because the pot isn’t properly over the induction ring,” says Ann.

Soap matriarch Biddy White Lennon has revealed how she believes television farming dramas, The Riordans and Glenroe, played a role in educating Catholic Ireland on contraception and divorce.