Rack of Lamb

There is no meat more quintessentially Irish than lamb. I am lucky enough to live just off The Curragh Plains so it's meat that is literally bred on my doorstep. This however, is no Curragh lamb. This is Bellewstown's best thanks to Ali's cousin Jo-Ann who runs Cairns Farm with her husband Brian.

I was never mad on the rack of lamb. I had always much preferred the leg, shanks or shoulder. I had only cooked the rack once before and was left disappointed with the results, which was probably down to my cooking to be fair. The key to the rack is simplicity. There are a million recipes with herb crusts and different flavourings but, to me, the real flavour only comes through when cooked simply. Salt, pepper and olive oil, you can't go wrong. Be generous with the portions, allow 3 cutlets per person.

Serves 2

1 Rack of Lamb, french trimmed (ask your butcher), with 6-7 cutlets.
1 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 stick of Celery (chopped)
1 Carrot (chopped)
1/2 glass of Red Wine
1 Tin of Cherry Tomatoes (400g)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Remove the skin from the lamb and score the fat with a knife to create a criss-cross pattern. Massage the oil into the lamb before seasoning well with salt and pepper.

2. Put the celery and carrot into a roasting pan and put the lamb on top. Put into a pre-heated 190 degree oven for 25-30 mins (rare) or longer if you prefer it well cooked.

3. When cooked to your liking remove the pan from the oven and set the lamb aside to rest. Put the pan onto the hob and add the wine, scraping up any stuck on bits off the bottom as it comes to the boil. Cook off the alcohol for 4-5 minutes before adding the tinned tomatoes. Simmer for 5-7 minutes to thicken and check for seasoning. You can strain if you like but I prefer to serve with the vegetables still in.

4. Cut the lamb into cutlets between the bones and serve with the sauce and some roasted potatoes and veg.

Spaghetti with Prosciutto and Mascarpone

Spaghetti with Prosciutto and Mascarpone

Pasta with Ham and Cheese? Surely I've lost my mind and mixed the contents of my lunchtime sandwich with some pasta and pretended to be a genius. Not quite. This is yet another example of the simplicity of Italian food. I like this dish as it reminds me of the Irish version of the classic carbonara. In Italy the carbonara is made with eggs, parmesan, pancetta and pepper while in Ireland we tend to destroy it with lashings of cream to create the blandest dish imaginable. If you kind of like the Irish version of the carbonara then give this one a try. The mascarpone and egg creates a luscious creamy sauce with lots of flavour while the prosciutto cuts through with it's perfect blend of sweet and salty.  

Serves 4

400g Spaghetti
250g Mascarpone Cheese
1 Egg Yolk
2 slices of Prosciutto di Parma (chopped)
pinch of Freshly Grated Nutmeg
Parmesan to serve
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Cook the Spaghetti in at least 4 litres of salted boiling water until al dente (usually about 1 minute less than packet instructions).

2. Meanwhile put the mascarpone and egg yolk into a large bowl and beat with a spoon or whisk for a couple of minutes. Grate in the nutmeg, season and add the prosciutto before mixing well.

3. When the spaghetti is almost cooked, add 4 tablespoons of the cooking water to the mascarpone sauce and mix well. Drain the Spaghetti, add to the bowl with the sauce and stir well to combine. Serve with a little grating of parmesan on top.

Roman Style Beef Rolls

Roman Style Beef Rolls

"Mof Mof" - Minimum of fuss, maximum of flavour. Antonio Carluccio's famous approach sums up Italian cuisine perfectly. I've always been a fan. My favourite childhood dish - Spaghetti Bolognese or Pizza (neither of which happened to be particularly Italian, as it turns out!). There was always something about the Italian approach to food that enthralled me. It's deceptively simple, it's delicious and most importantly it's humble. I have been going through the monstrous La Cucina - The Regional Cooking of Italy book for the past few months to discover dishes that I had yet to come across. This is my take on the Roman classic.

The beef doesn't have to be minute steaks, it can be almost any cut, just ensure it's quite thin. This dish can also be made with fresh tomatoes but I prefer a good Italian tinned tomato. It's best to remove the twine or toothpicks from the rolls before serving, it's a bit too fiddly to expect diners to do it at the table.

Serves 2

3 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely sliced)
1 Carrot (cut into matchsticks)
1 stick of Celery (cut into matchsticks)
4 Minute Steaks (as thin as you can find)
4 slices of Prosciutto di Parma
75ml Dry White Wine
1 Tin of Cherry Tomatoes (400g)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. First make the beef rolls: put the steaks between two pieces of cling film (or grease proof paper) and pound them with a rolling pin or meat tenderiser. Season both sides before laying flat. Put a slice of prosciutto ontop of each followed by 4-5 pieces each of the celery and carrot. Roll up tightly and tie with butchers string or hold together with tooth picks.

2. Heat the oil over a medium-high heat and add the onion. Season well and cook for 5-6 minutes until the onion starts to brown. Add the beef rolls and brown all over before adding the wine.

3. Cook the alcohol off for 3-4 minutes before adding the tinned tomatoes. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Turn the beef rolls over every 5 minutes. When the 15 minutes is up remove the lid and continue to cook for 5 more minutes to thicken the sauce a little. Check for seasoning and serve with some toasted sourdough to mop up the sauce.

Caragh Nurseries and The Thyme Coffee Shop

Caragh Nurseries and The Thyme Coffee Shop

Caragh, Co. Kildare

Yesterday Ali and I took a spin out the road to check out Caragh Nurseries (facebook) and the Thyme Coffee Shop (or the Train Carriage Café as it is more affectionately known). Caragh Nurseries is a plant and tree nursery with a large range of stock, enough to excite even the most ardent gardener. I'm not much of a gardener and so my focus was set on one of the quirkiest cafés around.

The Thyme Coffee and Garden Shop is housed in a disused train carriage in the middle of the nurseries and opens 11am - 4pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Apart from a colourful paint job on the outside, the carriage hasn't changed too much from it's time in service. The seats, tables and even emergency stop buttons remain in place and each table has a different gardening book to flick through while eating. The menu is small but well thought out and affordable. Ali had tea and a scone while I went for the green power sandwich and coffee. The sandwich consisted of hummus, avocado, rocket and cherry tomatoes on rye bread and was joined on the slate by a few crisps and a fresh salad. The sandwich was delicious with beautiful fresh ingredients while the coffee was also excellent.

After lunch we took a walk around the nurseries and admired the odd looking manglitsa pigs. Manglitsa are furry pigs and from a distance may actually be confused with sheep. They were friendly and inquisitive, happily coming over for a rub before continuing to root for bugs in the soil. Happy pigs, no greater sight.

Caragh Nurseries is the perfect spot for any gardeners looking for plants and trees but, as a non gardener I can say, it's worth the trip for the cafe alone.

Review: Jamie's Italian

Jamie's Italian

Dundrum, Dublin 16

Last Monday, Ali and I headed for Dundrum to see Asif Kapadia's brilliant new documentary "Amy" about the life and untimely death of troubled singer Amy Winehouse. We decided to try Jamie's Italian while there as we had been meaning to for the past couple of years.

Jamie's Italian is part of a chain of restaurants by TV's favourite celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. As expected it is quite rustic in appearance with wooden boards aplenty and large San Daniele hams and garlic hanging from the bar. We arrived around 4pm and were seated promptly. There weren't many dining while we were there but that is probably to be expected at 4 o'clock on a Monday. After a glance at the menu we decided to just go for mains and get the Italian Bread Selection instead of a starter. All of the bread was delicious but I would have preferred the olive oil and balsamic vinegar not to have been pre-mixed.

For mains I went for the Veal Flash Steak - Irish rose veal pounded with sage & prosciutto, served with a spicy tomato salsa. The veal was tender although there wasn't enough prosciutto or sage to add any real flavour. The salsa was delicious and the polenta chips I ordered as a side were magnificent. I found the main course to be overpriced for what I received. €18.95 for 2 thin slices of veal with salsa is exceptionally expensive for the quality on offer while adding €4.50 for the polenta chips makes €23.45 an expensive lunch. We decided against dessert and just had coffees instead.

Overall I found Jamie's Italian a bit of a let down. I had been looking forward to going but unfortunately the food just didn't live up to expectations or the prices charged. 

Lunch Ratings:

Food: 7/10
Service: 7/10
Ambiance: 7/10
Selection: 8/10
Value for Money: 6/10

Overall: 7/10

Jamie's Italian
Unit 1
Pembroke District
Dundrum Town Centre
Dublin 16 
01-2980600