Today’s two recipes would make for a very nice dinner party option, maybe with some nibbles like olives or charcuterie to start. A good main course and dessert is plenty, and you don’t put yourself under too much pressure.
Surf and turf makes a lovely combination. I like striploin, but you could use fillet steak or ribeye. I have used tiger tail prawns here which have a nice meaty texture. You don’t need Dublin Bay prawns.
This grilled pepper butter is a great sauce to know. You could use it with baked potatoes or with pasta. Instead of peppers, it also works well with sun-dried tomatoes. Once you have tried it, you will come back to it again and again.
I like these chocolate fondants cooked in the oven but they can be made ahead – then simply use short bursts in the microwave (10-20 seconds) or the air fryer at 170°C (325°F) works well as you can keep them in the dariole moulds. Cook for about three minutes, and this gives a crisp texture, which, in my opinion, is much nicer. Or you can cook straight from the freezer.
Good chocolate is the key and you can use whatever darioles or ramekins you have. The butterscotch sauce is optional but there is a very good one made in Kilmessan, Co Meath, by What’s for Pudding, an award-winning company run by Catriona Flaherty and her son Rory. They make decadent Irish desserts and I am all for treating yourself now and again.
The ice cream finishes off this dessert beautifully.
Ingredients: Serves 2
1 pack of Irish Angus striploin steaks
1 pack of tiger prawns
Extra virgin olive oil
Knob of butter
Fresh thyme sprigs
3-4 garlic cloves
For the grilled pepper butter:
½ jar of Italian grilled peppers
100g salted butter, softened
1 tsp smoked paprika
Small bunch of fresh basil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
Steamed greens and mashed potatoes
Method
1. To make the grilled pepper butter, add 3 sliced grilled peppers from the jar to a food processor along with the butter, basil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and blitz to combine. Spread onto a sheet of cling film and roll tightly to create a cylinder shape. Place in the fridge to chill until needed.
2. Remove the packaging from your steaks and allow them to breathe at room temperature for a minimum of 10-15 minutes before cooking.
3. Drizzle a little olive oil over the steaks and season with sea salt and black pepper just before cooking.
4. Preheat a heavy-based pan over a high heat. Sear the steaks on both sides, reduce the heat to medium and cook for the time indicated below depending on your preference:
Rare: 2-4 minutes each side.
Medium: 4-5 minutes each side.
Well done: 5-6 minutes each side.
Add the garlic, thyme and a knob of butter to the pan close to the end of the cooking time and allow to foam a little. Use this to baste the steaks.
5. Transfer the steaks to a plate and leave to rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.
To cook the prawns, preheat a tablespoon of the roast garlic oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Place the prawns and a knob of butter in the pan and season well. Cook gently for 4-5 minutes until cooked through.
6. To serve, top the steaks with the grilled pepper butter and serve on warmed plates with the prawns, mash potatoes and steamed greens.
Chocolate fondant with rum and butterscotch sauce
Chocolate fondant with rum butterscotch sauce. \ Philip Doyle
Ingredients: Serves 2
100g butter, plus a little extra
50g plain flour, sieved, plus a little extra for dusting
2 Irish free-range corn-fed large eggs,
plus 2 yolks
125g caster sugar
100g dark chocolate
1 pack milk chocolate buttons
1 carton rum butterscotch sauce
Vanilla bean ice cream, to serve
Grease 6 round dariole moulds with butter and then dust with plain flour. Place in freezer to set for at least 10 minutes.
Method
1. Put 100g of butter in a heatproof bowl and break the dark chocolate into squares and add. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water until the chocolate has melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
2. Beat the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then gently fold in the flour.
3. Pipe or spoon the chocolate mixture into the prepared dariole moulds until each one is no more than about a third full, gently tapping to remove any air bubbles. Add 3 chocolate buttons into the centre of each dariole mould and then add the remaining chocolate mixture until the chocolate pieces are completely covered but the dariole moulds are no more than half the way full. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes until they are firm but still a little sticky to the touch.
4. To cook the chocolate cakes, preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas Mark 5). Arrange the prepared fondants on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes until just cooked but still soft in centre. Leave to rest for a minute or two, then put one in each wide rimmed bowl.
5. Heat the rum and butterscotch sauce in a small pan or in the microwave and pour over the chocolate fondants. Add a scoop of ice cream to each one to serve, and enjoy.
Today’s two recipes would make for a very nice dinner party option, maybe with some nibbles like olives or charcuterie to start. A good main course and dessert is plenty, and you don’t put yourself under too much pressure.
Surf and turf makes a lovely combination. I like striploin, but you could use fillet steak or ribeye. I have used tiger tail prawns here which have a nice meaty texture. You don’t need Dublin Bay prawns.
This grilled pepper butter is a great sauce to know. You could use it with baked potatoes or with pasta. Instead of peppers, it also works well with sun-dried tomatoes. Once you have tried it, you will come back to it again and again.
I like these chocolate fondants cooked in the oven but they can be made ahead – then simply use short bursts in the microwave (10-20 seconds) or the air fryer at 170°C (325°F) works well as you can keep them in the dariole moulds. Cook for about three minutes, and this gives a crisp texture, which, in my opinion, is much nicer. Or you can cook straight from the freezer.
Good chocolate is the key and you can use whatever darioles or ramekins you have. The butterscotch sauce is optional but there is a very good one made in Kilmessan, Co Meath, by What’s for Pudding, an award-winning company run by Catriona Flaherty and her son Rory. They make decadent Irish desserts and I am all for treating yourself now and again.
The ice cream finishes off this dessert beautifully.
Ingredients: Serves 2
1 pack of Irish Angus striploin steaks
1 pack of tiger prawns
Extra virgin olive oil
Knob of butter
Fresh thyme sprigs
3-4 garlic cloves
For the grilled pepper butter:
½ jar of Italian grilled peppers
100g salted butter, softened
1 tsp smoked paprika
Small bunch of fresh basil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve:
Steamed greens and mashed potatoes
Method
1. To make the grilled pepper butter, add 3 sliced grilled peppers from the jar to a food processor along with the butter, basil, smoked paprika, salt and pepper and blitz to combine. Spread onto a sheet of cling film and roll tightly to create a cylinder shape. Place in the fridge to chill until needed.
2. Remove the packaging from your steaks and allow them to breathe at room temperature for a minimum of 10-15 minutes before cooking.
3. Drizzle a little olive oil over the steaks and season with sea salt and black pepper just before cooking.
4. Preheat a heavy-based pan over a high heat. Sear the steaks on both sides, reduce the heat to medium and cook for the time indicated below depending on your preference:
Rare: 2-4 minutes each side.
Medium: 4-5 minutes each side.
Well done: 5-6 minutes each side.
Add the garlic, thyme and a knob of butter to the pan close to the end of the cooking time and allow to foam a little. Use this to baste the steaks.
5. Transfer the steaks to a plate and leave to rest for 2-3 minutes before serving.
To cook the prawns, preheat a tablespoon of the roast garlic oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Place the prawns and a knob of butter in the pan and season well. Cook gently for 4-5 minutes until cooked through.
6. To serve, top the steaks with the grilled pepper butter and serve on warmed plates with the prawns, mash potatoes and steamed greens.
Chocolate fondant with rum and butterscotch sauce
Chocolate fondant with rum butterscotch sauce. \ Philip Doyle
Ingredients: Serves 2
100g butter, plus a little extra
50g plain flour, sieved, plus a little extra for dusting
2 Irish free-range corn-fed large eggs,
plus 2 yolks
125g caster sugar
100g dark chocolate
1 pack milk chocolate buttons
1 carton rum butterscotch sauce
Vanilla bean ice cream, to serve
Grease 6 round dariole moulds with butter and then dust with plain flour. Place in freezer to set for at least 10 minutes.
Method
1. Put 100g of butter in a heatproof bowl and break the dark chocolate into squares and add. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water until the chocolate has melted. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a little. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy.
2. Beat the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then gently fold in the flour.
3. Pipe or spoon the chocolate mixture into the prepared dariole moulds until each one is no more than about a third full, gently tapping to remove any air bubbles. Add 3 chocolate buttons into the centre of each dariole mould and then add the remaining chocolate mixture until the chocolate pieces are completely covered but the dariole moulds are no more than half the way full. Place in the freezer for about 15 minutes until they are firm but still a little sticky to the touch.
4. To cook the chocolate cakes, preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas Mark 5). Arrange the prepared fondants on a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes until just cooked but still soft in centre. Leave to rest for a minute or two, then put one in each wide rimmed bowl.
5. Heat the rum and butterscotch sauce in a small pan or in the microwave and pour over the chocolate fondants. Add a scoop of ice cream to each one to serve, and enjoy.
SHARING OPTIONS