Recipes

Makes a 450g loaf

4 rashers streaky bacon
275g plain flour
1 level tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
pinch of English mustard powder
50g mature Cheddar, cut into 1 cm cubes
1 large egg
225ml milk, plus 1 tbsp
2 - 3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C / fan 180°C / Gas 6

1. Grease the base and sides of a 450g loaf tin and line the base with baking paper.
2. Snip the bacon into strips and dry-fry in a pan until crisp, then cool.
3. Meanwhile, sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and mustard powder together into a bowl.  Add the cheese, bacon, egg, 225ml milk and parsley.  Stir well with a wooden spoon until it has a soft dropping consistency - add more milk if needed.
4. Spread in the tin and bake for 25 minutes, until risen, golden brown and just firm to the touch. 

This is best eaten within 24 hours.  Serve warm or cold, with butter if you dare!!

Labels: Bread And Cakes

Dungarvan brewing companies Black Rock Stout is perfect for slow cooking, I love this stew, its wholesome healthy, and rich. The stout is made from roasted barley which gives a rich, chocolate-y flavour and best of all it's brewed in Dungarvan

1kg of diced beef
2 onions peeled and chopped
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
1 heaped table spoon of plain flour
1 Bottle of Blackrock stout
A bay leaf and a sprig of thyme
4 carrots, peeled and diced
1 dessert spoon of redcurrant jelly
Olive oil

1. Start off by browning the meat in batches in a large frying pan, be careful not to overcrowd the pan, as the beef will begin to stew and you won't get a good deep colour in your stew.
2. Heat some olive oil in a casserole, and add the onions and garlic and sweat for 7/8 minutes over a gentle heat, add the beef to the casserole, and stir in the flour, cook, stirring for a minute. Next add the Black Rock stout along with the herbs.
3. Bring to simmering point and transfer to a preheated oven at 150C and cook for 1.5 hours, add in the diced carrots and cook for a further hour.
4. Stir in the redcurrant jelly, season with salt and pepper to taste.

Labels: Main Course