Nothing can compare with my mother’s steak and kidney pie. I still use the same recipe with just a small tweak; where she would have used lard or dripping to cook the meat, I use olive oil. As an all-round favourite, steak and kidney pie ticks all the boxes. It’s a verysatisfying dish that also freezes well for a delicious midweek treat without any fuss.

Roast Beef with Peppercorn Crust – Printer Friendly Download

Ingredients

• 2 sheep’s kidneys, washed, skinned, halved, core removed, cut into 1.25 cm/1⁄2 inch cubes
• 500 g/1 lb stewing steak (blade, flank, skirt or round), cut into 2.5 cm/1 inch cubes
• 3 tablespoons plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1⁄2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
• 1 quantity flaky pastry
• 1 egg, beaten

Serves 6

To Cook

Preheat the oven to 220°C/425°F/gas mark 7. Put the flour and seasonings into a plastic bag and add the steak and kidney pieces, shaking to cover well. Heat the oil in a heavy pan and brown the meat, stirring constantly for about 5 minutes. Add the water, cover tightly and simmer for at least one hour or until well cooked. Cool and stir in the parsley. Roll out the pastry until it is slightly larger than the lid of the pie dish. Cut a strip about 2.5 cm/1 inch wide and place it around the dampened rim of the dish. Brush with cold water and spoon the steak and kidney mixture into the dish, then cover with the remaining pastry, pressing into the pastry rim to seal. With thumb or knife end press a pattern around the edge of the pie and glaze with the egg, making a hole in the middle to allow the steam to escape. Bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes (220°C/425°F/gas mark 7), then lower the heat to moderate (180°C/350°F/gas mark 4) and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Of course the pie should be served with lashings of mashed potato or sometimes champ, where scallions are finely chopped and cooked in a little milk and then mixed through the creamy spuds.

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

Tipperary county was once known for its abundance of apple orchards. Canny Tipperary farmers always kept a few apple trees in order to supply the family with fruit and provide the necessary ingredients for a little apple liqueur.

Tipperary Chicken with Apples – Printer Friendly Download

Ingredients

• 3 cooking apples, peeled and cored
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium chicken, jointed into 6 pieces or 6 chicken legs
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon plain flour
• 80 ml/3 fl oz Calvados
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 30 g/1 oz butter
• 125 ml/4 fl oz crème fraîche

Serves 6

To Cook

Finely chop 1 apple into small dice, and the other 2 into wedges. Toss in the lemon juice. Heat the oil in a pan and add the chicken pieces. Cook until golden brown, adding a little more oil if necessary, then remove from the pan and keep warm. Add the onion, celery and diced apple and cook for 5 minutes or until wilting but not browned. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle in the flour, stirring to combine. Add the Calvados and return to the heat. Gradually stir in the chicken stock. Add the chicken to the pan and simmer for 30 minutes or so, until the chicken is well cooked. In another pan heat the butter and add the apple wedges. Cook until browned and tender.

Remove the chicken from the pan and add the crème fraîche to the liquid. Bring to the boil and cook for 5 minutes or so until the sauce is thickened. Season and spoon over the chicken. Garnish with apple wedges.

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

I have been generously given this recipe by a friend of mine who is a rabbit aficionado and a very good cook to boot.

Boozy Rabbit with Prunes – Printer Friendly Download

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 rabbit portions (2 for each person)
• 1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
• 4 tablespoons brandy
• 1.5 cups red wine
• 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
• 250 g/9 oz ready to eat prunes
• 200 ml/7 fl oz cream
• salt and pepper

Serves 4

To Cook

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan and fry the rabbit portions until golden brown on all sides. Remove the pieces and keep them warm. Add the onion and garlic and cook until softened. Return the rabbit to the pan, add the brandy and ignite it. When the flames have died down, pour in the wine. Stir in the sugar and prunes and cover, simmering for 30 minutes or so until meat is tender. Remove the rabbit and keep the pieces warm. Add the cream to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste. Return the rabbit to the pan, stir 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