Is it over? Is it really over? Is the entire month of January now in the past? Thank God for that as I’m not sure I could have taken much more of those on the New Year abstinence kick. Somehow there seemed to be more of them this year than ever before. Everyone I met was either on a diet (abstaining from food), having a drink free January (abstaining from alcohol) or saving money (abstaining from spending), one or two were practically abstaining from life! Naturally in the wake of an over indulgent December it’s probably right to rein it all in come January and try and get a little balance back. January deprivation isn’t the problem, it’s a good thing to be as healthy as possible in all areas of our lives but doing it so joylessly is what makes me want to run and hide. The evangelising is a thin disguise for their utter misery. By the start of February though, most of them have fallen off the wagon, the gloss of the New Year has well and truly waned and we can return to a little normal living. Go on, it’s February, you can buy the full fat cream cheese rather than the tasteless and therefore pointless fat free version.
I was thinking that as I was driving the other day when the Imelda May song ‘Kentish Town’ came on the radio. It’s a great little tune about her early days in London when she and her husband were struggling, unknown musicians. There’s a line in the song that says “and those stews that lasted three days into four”. I have a very good association with stew. The image that word triggers always tends to be luscious, rich beef stew mind you, not that strange, pale abomination that the Americans affectionately call ‘Irish Stew’. I’m talking about slow cooked chunks of beef dotted with thick sweet rounds of carrot and other root vegetables, all releasing a wonderful marriage of flavours in a great big pot of gravy. As a child it was always accompanied by creamy mashed potato and when it’s done right, it is possibly the king of comfort food dishes. Without a doubt stew is also a healthy choice and it’s a very economical dish which can often taste better the second day when the flavours have really come together and relaxed.
On these cold and wet February days everyone should have a good stew recipe to hand. I can’t think of anything nicer than returning from work or school and being welcomed by the gentle, wafting aromas of a beef stew. I do think however we are sometimes programmed to only make stew as our mothers made it and only serve it with mash. Nothing wrong with that but stew is great on its own just served with great big hunks of fresh, fluffy buttered bread. Or you could use a celeriac mash for a little flavour change. Someone recently told me about cauliflower mash. Just cook the cauliflower until it is soft and mash it. For flavour add some mustard. If I’m honest it’s a little too healthy and lightweight for me, but it’s certainly a healthy alternative to buttery mash.
Unlike some who are quite rigid in their approach to this dish and insist on taking the Julia Child way as gospel, they might be quite surprised to know that it was essentially a French Mammy’s dish rather than anything fancy.
Our beef stew isn’t a million miles away from the popular French Boeuf Bourguignon. In my most recent book, The Irish Beef Book, there is a great Boeuf Bourguignon recipe. Unlike some who are quite rigid in their approach to this dish and insist on taking the Julia Child way as gospel, they might be quite surprised to know that it was essentially a French Mammy’s dish rather than anything fancy. Just like our own beef stews, people interpreted the recipe depending on what they had to hand or personal preferences. Again I think one of the main ingredients in any stew from any nation is time. That’s the key, plenty of long, slow cooking to release the flavours and let them sing together like a fine choir that has been a long time in rehearsal.
I’m not at all rigid in my stew making. I like to take influences and mix them together. Red wine, if I have it to hand, will often find its way in to my stews and sometimes I do take that French influence by adding just a little chopped streaky bacon at the initial stages. The bacon fat definitely adds a unique flavour dimension. I’m very easy about the vegetables I use, working with what’s there, but if I plan it, thick chunks of carrot and decent shards of celery would definitely be in there. And I would often replace the beef with an oxtail. Now this does take time but Braised Oxtail is the ultimate ‘stew’ as it must be left to stew for about 4 hours on the hob. Before you roll your eyes at the time, this dish takes very little time to prepare and the work is all done in the long, low, slow cooking.
It’s the perfect time of year for a good healthy stew and whether you are trying to save money, calories or both, a stew is the perfect answer.
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
Speedy and very tasty, this is one of those dishes that makes you realise that cooking at home is so much better (and better for you) than ordering takeout.
Cut the cabbage into quarters, remove the core and slice as thinly as possible. Melt half the butter in a pan and add the onions and cook until soft.
Add the remaining butter, the cabbage and the apples and stir well.
Add the wine and sugar and wine and cover, simmer for about 45 minutes and serve hot. You can always prepare red cabbage in advance as it is a dish that reheats quite well.
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
These sausage rolls are legendary and as popular in Ireland as they are in Australia where the recipe originated. Make double or even triple the quantity because the crowd will keep coming back for more.
Defrost the pastry and cut each square in half. De-skin the sausages by soaking in cold water for 10 minutes and then slipping off the casings.
Combine all the ingredients, except the eggs, in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Place a ‘tunnel’ of sausage mix in the centre of the pastry strip. Brush the edges with the egg wash and roll up so that the edges just overlap.
Place the long rolls onto an oiled baking tray, nudging each other so that there is no space between. Brush the tops with egg and then with a sharp knife, cut across the roll to the length desired.
Bake for about an hour or until the sausage rolls are golden and cooked through.
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
Beans can be a great addition to any meat dish when cooked simply. Trouble is, they are often cooked to death, losing colour, taste and most importantly texture. Beans should be cooked for just a few minutes in boiling water until tender, not soft, and then drained immediately and run under cold water to stop the cooking process.
Prepare beans by topping and tailing. Leave whole and cook in salted water until just tender. Melt the butter in a large pan, add the spring onion and garlic and cook until tender.
Add the almonds and cook until they are golden brown. Add the beans, season according to taste and add lemon juice and heat through.
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the vegetables. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the vegetables from the pan and add a little more oil if required. Add the meat to the pan in batches, browning well before removing. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and stir in a little of the red wine to make a paste. Add the remaining wine and the stock, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Return the meat and vegetables to the sauce, add seasonings and parsley and simmer for 20 minutes or so until well cooked through.
Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. Spoon the mixture into a pie dish. Roll out the pastry and cover the mixture well, making sure that the ‘lid’ of pastry is bigger than the dish. Press down edges and trim off overhanging pastry. Press the pastry well around the rim of the dish, and brush with beaten egg. Make a small hole in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape.
Bake for 25 minutes or until pastry is risen and golden.
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
Last Thursday, I had the pleasure of being on Pat Kenny’s new radio show on Newstalk. On the show we discussed my new book, co-written by Katy McGuinness, the Irish Beef Book which is full of tips, advice and recipes to help you get the best from your beef. We also talked about the art of butchery covering the complete process from raising and slaughtering the animals, the complex process of maturing the meat to develop flavour, the skills needed to butcher the whole carcass and the importance of communicating your message to the customer.
You can listen to the show in full on the Newstalk Player or by clicking on the ‘Podcast’ link below.
Publication Date: 5th December, 2013
Listen to the show: Podcast – Interview starts with Pat at 53mins and continues in part 3 of the show (6mins 30secs)
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
Last weekend I was delighted to appear on Marian Finucane’s RTE Radio 1 show to discuss the best way of coping with the stress of Christmas. We discussed the stress people put themselves under when deciding what to cook for Christmas dinner. I talked about the differences between the two main breeds of turkey – the white and bronze, the tradition of buying a turkey from your butcher and the alternatives for Christmas dinner including the traditional free range goose.
You can listen to the show on the RTE Radio Player or by clicking on the ‘Podcast‘ link below.
Publication Date: 7th December, 2013
Listen to the show: Podcast – Interview starts with Pat at 10mins
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
Chicken soup made with a whole chicken and enjoyed as a meal is perfect food for a busy lifestyle. Any vegetables can be added to this dinner in a bowl.
Put the chicken into a large saucepan and add water, one of the chopped onions and half of the celery. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 ½ hours, or until the chicken is cooked. Now remove the chicken from the stock and save the stock.
In a separate pan, melt the butter and add the remaining chopped onion, celery and parsnip. Cook gently until the onion is tender. Add the flour and stir until combined. Cook for one minute or so. Now add the chicken stock gradually. Return to heat and continue to stir until the soup boils and thickens. More water may be needed depending on consistency of liquid.
Season with salt and pepper and crumbled stock cube if using. Cover pan and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or so.
Remove meat from bones of chicken and add to the soup. Add cream and heat through.
Scatter parsley over the soup when dished up in bowls.
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
Leeks are possibly the dirtiest of vegetables as they push through the earth bringing lots of grit between the leaves. The root should be cut off along with the tough green leaves.
Wash the leeks and cut into thin rings. Fry the bacon until crisp and remove. Melt the butter in the pan and add the leeks, and cook until softened. Add the salt and pepper and the paprika and stir through. Add the sour cream and lemon juice, and continue over heat until heated through. Add the bacon and parsley and serve.
We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
Posted on Friday, December 6th, 2013 by Pat Whelan in Press | No Comments »
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We hope you enjoyed reading this post by Pat Whelan of James Whelan Butchers. Pat is a 5th generation butcher, cook book author and the director of James Whelan Butchers with shops in Clonmel, the Avoca Handweavers Rathcoole and Kilmacanogue, Dunnes Stores Cornelscourt, Rathmines and Swords in Dublin. Sign up to our newsletter for more updates from James Whelan Butchers
