Roasting is a great way to cook root vegetables. It draws out the most wonderful flavours. Try using any root vegetables you fancy. Just make sure that all your vegetables are roughly the same size, to ensure even cooking. Chicken and bacon stew is excellent for making a large batch of and freezing half for another day. You could use chicken thighs, drumsticks or breast with the wing bone. The smoked bacon gives good flavour. Gubeen Smokehouse is an excellent artisan producer. I am a great fan of celeriac and I would like to see it used a lot more as it’s delicious in soup. If you are thinking about growing some herbs, you will find bay leaf grows very well and it is always great to have in the garden.

Salmon steaks are great value and they cook very quickly. Do try to get organic. Or you could try monkfish, but you will need to cook it a little longer. I keep on hearing about pescetarians these days and this is for them. Pescetarians eat fish, but not meat and the word seems to have been invented about 20 years ago. The aniseed flavour of chervil is good in this recipe. And a tip from one who has forgotten now and then: always use gloves when you are chopping chilli.

Happy cooking.

Chicken and bacon stew with root vegetables

Serves eight

3 tbsp of Donegal rapeseed oil

16 chicken pieces on the bone (about 1.8kg (4lb in total)

150g (5oz) smoked bacon, chopped

4 carrots, thickly sliced

1 small celeriac, peeled and cut into similar sized pieces as the carrots

2 onions, roughly chopped

2 tbsp of plain flour

1 tbsp of tomato purée

5 tbsp of white wine vinegar

1 litre (1 ¾ pints) of chicken stock

2 bay leaves

4 tbsp of cream

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chopped fresh herbs to garnish

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark six). Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish with a lid. Fry the chicken pieces in batches, five minutes on each side until browned, then transfer onto a plate. Sizzle the bacon in the casserole dish for a few minutes, until it’s beginning to crisp. Stir in the carrots and celeriac with the onions, then cook for another five minutes until it starts to soften. Stir in the flour and tomato purée and cook for another minute. Add the vinegar and stir well to combine.
  • Pour the stock into the vegetable mixture and bring to a simmer. Add the bay leaves and the cream, then season to taste. Return the chicken pieces, turning everything over a few times until all the ingredients are immersed in the sauce. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 50 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender, but not completely falling off the bone. You can now turn off the heat and cool the dish completely if freezing. If eating straight away, cook for another 10 minutes and then scatter over the herbs to serve.

    • Scented salmon on roasted root vegetables

    Serves four

    3 small carrots, halved

    6 tbsp of rapeseed oil

    2 garlic cloves, crushed

    1 red chilli, seeded and chopped (optional)

    1 tsp of fresh thyme leaves

    3 small parsnips, halved

    12 large shallots, peeled and trimmed

    1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into quarters

    50g (2oz) of unsalted butter

    2 fresh bay leaves

    3 tbsp of chopped fresh chervil or tarragon

    2 pared long strips of lemon rind

    1 tsp of coarse ground black pepper

    4 x 175g (6oz) salmon steaks

    Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F, gas mark five). Place the carrots in a pan of boiling water and blanch for two to three minutes, then refresh under cold running water to retain their colour. Place four tablespoons of oil in a roasting tin and add the garlic, chilli, if using, and thyme. Add all of the vegetables, including the carrots and toss well to combine. Season generously and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely tender and lightly caramelised, tossing from time to time to ensure they cook evenly.
  • About five minutes before the vegetables are ready, heat the remaining oil and the butter in a large frying pan. Add the bay leaves, chervil or tarragon, lemon rind and pepper and cook for two minutes, stirring. Add the salmon and cook for two to three minutes on each side for medium done or longer if you prefer your salmon well done. Arrange the roasted vegetables on serving plates and top with the salmon steaks, then spoon over the pan juices before serving.