Today, I write to you from the historic city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, or Newcastle, as most of you will know it, in northeastern England, filming for my next series. Again, it will be partly food and partly me being a tourist.
I have loved meeting the locals, or Geordies, as people from Newcastle are generally known, with their distinctive accent and great wit. They are so friendly, and those we met are very hard-working.
Every day we try to film three items, and yesterday was a productive day. We began in Kiln, which is unique, to say the least. The clue is in the name of the restaurant because it is a pottery studio and a restaurant. They make all their own crockery, and you can watch them as you have your meal. The pottery and restaurant are both successful in their own right.
I had the privilege of watching Richard Cullen making bowls, and it was wonderful to see a master craftsman at work. The restaurant has a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern menu, and I thoroughly enjoyed a quick snack.
Our next stop, The Small Canteen, has been getting rave reviews in the national press. The eatery serves modern European food with organic wine and craft beer, which is made on the premises. All of this is done by one spectacular chef, Sam Betts. The key is a somewhat limited menu, and he only serves 15 guests at a time.
Sam was enjoyable to meet in this unique building, where you eat with a backdrop of the giant stainless steel vats used in brewing. You won’t find another restaurant like this one.
My next stop was to meet a man who has been one of my food heroes for as long as I can remember, but I had never met him in person. Terry Laybourne is widely regarded as the top chef in the northeast of England. He was awarded his first Michelin Star in Newcastle back in 1990 and now has five restaurants and a pub.
He cooked for me in The Broad Chare, and I loved watching him. All of this will be on TV next year. I was delighted to hear that Terry was awarded the Freedom of Newcastle earlier this year. He was deeply touched by this recognition and was astonished that it happened. They say never meet your heroes, but I was thrilled to meet Terry. So far so good. I am off now to meet a man in his castle.
Today, I begin with a flavoursome lamb recipe. Recently, I have put lamb on the menu in the restaurant – rump and braised shoulder. The feedback has been great. This Connemara lamb is as good as any I have ever tasted, and it is definitely the star in this recipe. The harissa gives a nice kick.
I like Folláin, a west Cork family producer. Folláin means wholesome as Gaeilge. They have been in business in Cuil Aodha since 1983, when Peader and Mairín Ó Lionaird were joined by Eithne Uí Shiadhail, and in no time the business was winning awards. The second Ó’Lionaird generation, Mícheál and Mairéad, are now working in the company.
This salad is also delicious with grilled chicken or steak. If you don’t have cider vinegar, you could use balsamic or sherry vinegar. Pitta bread would be good too.
Beef ragu is a meal that is best cooked low and slow. You could do it in a slow cooker. It is an ideal meal as we are making our way into autumn, and these ribs are one of my favourite cuts. The garlic and herb seasoning works well with the bacon.
The wine gives a lovely richness, and you will cook out the alcohol. An Italian white wine such as Pinot Grigio will give a more delicately flavoured ragu, or if you prefer to avoid alcohol altogether, you could use chicken stock. Serve with any pasta, or with rice, or buttery mashed potatoes if you prefer.
By the way, thank you for all the nice feedback about my latest RTÉ 1 show Neven’s Ulster Food Tour, which continues to air on Wednesday evenings at 8.30pm.
Harissa lamb with hummus and chopped Greek salad
Ingredients: Serves 4
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
plus extra to drizzle
1 pack Connemara Hill minced lamb
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp Irish-made harissa sauce
½ cucumber, quartered, seeded and diced
1 pack Irish Tomkin tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, diced
4 tbsp chopped fresh herbs
(dill, mint and flat-leaf parsley)
1 tbsp Irish organic apple cider vinegar
1 pack Italian piadina flatbread
2 cartons hummus
1 carton fresh pomegranate seeds
Achill sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add 1 tbsp of the oil and then add small clumps of the lamb. Season generously and cook without moving for 3-4 minutes until the lamb has a nice golden-brown colour. Then turn it over with tongs and do the same on the other side.
2. Once the lamb is crispy and golden-brown, break it up with a cooking spoon and sprinkle it over the garlic, and then stir in the harissa. Toss until nicely glazed and remove from the heat.
3. Meanwhile, mix the cucumber in a bowl with the tomatoes, red onion and herbs. Add the vinegar and the rest of the olive oil. Season generously and stir to combine. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and warm the flatbreads for 30 seconds on each side.
4. Spread the hummus onto plates and pile the crispy harissa lamb on top. Spoon over the cucumber and tomato mixture and scatter with the pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with a little more oil and serve with the
flatbreads.
Neven Maguire's beef rib ragu. / Philip Doyle
Ingredients: Serves 4
1 pack Irish Angus boneless beef short ribs
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 packet smoked bacon lardons
1 large onion, very finely chopped
1 large carrot, very finely chopped
1 celery stick, very finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic and herb seasoning
250ml Chianti Classico wine
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tin chopped tomatoes
100ml milk
1 packet Italian egg pappardelle pasta
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano, to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 140°C (275°F/Gas Mark 1). Remove the ribs from the packaging and leave to come back to room temperature. Heat a casserole dish until smoking hot over a high heat. Season the ribs generously. Add the oil and then add the ribs. Cook them until golden brown, turning them regularly with tongs. Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce the casserole to medium, then fry the bacon lardons until crisp and the fat has rendered. Reduce the heat and add the onion, carrot and celery with the garlic and herb seasoning and freshly ground pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes to soften.
3. Increase the heat back up to high and pour in the wine and allow it to bubble down, scraping the bottom of the casserole with a wooden spatula to remove any sediment. Stir in the tomato puree and tomatoes. Then tuck in the beef ribs, ensuring they are completely covered in the liquid. Bring to a simmer. Then cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 2 ½ hours.
4. Remove from the oven and take off the lid, stir in the milk. Cook for another 30 minutes until the ribs are tender. Leave to relax for 15 minutes with the lid on. Use two forks to shred the meat.
5. When ready to serve, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for 4 minutes. Drain the pasta, then fold in the beef ragu. Divide into shallow bowls. Finally, season and scatter over the Parmigiano to serve.
Today, I write to you from the historic city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, or Newcastle, as most of you will know it, in northeastern England, filming for my next series. Again, it will be partly food and partly me being a tourist.
I have loved meeting the locals, or Geordies, as people from Newcastle are generally known, with their distinctive accent and great wit. They are so friendly, and those we met are very hard-working.
Every day we try to film three items, and yesterday was a productive day. We began in Kiln, which is unique, to say the least. The clue is in the name of the restaurant because it is a pottery studio and a restaurant. They make all their own crockery, and you can watch them as you have your meal. The pottery and restaurant are both successful in their own right.
I had the privilege of watching Richard Cullen making bowls, and it was wonderful to see a master craftsman at work. The restaurant has a Mediterranean and Middle Eastern menu, and I thoroughly enjoyed a quick snack.
Our next stop, The Small Canteen, has been getting rave reviews in the national press. The eatery serves modern European food with organic wine and craft beer, which is made on the premises. All of this is done by one spectacular chef, Sam Betts. The key is a somewhat limited menu, and he only serves 15 guests at a time.
Sam was enjoyable to meet in this unique building, where you eat with a backdrop of the giant stainless steel vats used in brewing. You won’t find another restaurant like this one.
My next stop was to meet a man who has been one of my food heroes for as long as I can remember, but I had never met him in person. Terry Laybourne is widely regarded as the top chef in the northeast of England. He was awarded his first Michelin Star in Newcastle back in 1990 and now has five restaurants and a pub.
He cooked for me in The Broad Chare, and I loved watching him. All of this will be on TV next year. I was delighted to hear that Terry was awarded the Freedom of Newcastle earlier this year. He was deeply touched by this recognition and was astonished that it happened. They say never meet your heroes, but I was thrilled to meet Terry. So far so good. I am off now to meet a man in his castle.
Today, I begin with a flavoursome lamb recipe. Recently, I have put lamb on the menu in the restaurant – rump and braised shoulder. The feedback has been great. This Connemara lamb is as good as any I have ever tasted, and it is definitely the star in this recipe. The harissa gives a nice kick.
I like Folláin, a west Cork family producer. Folláin means wholesome as Gaeilge. They have been in business in Cuil Aodha since 1983, when Peader and Mairín Ó Lionaird were joined by Eithne Uí Shiadhail, and in no time the business was winning awards. The second Ó’Lionaird generation, Mícheál and Mairéad, are now working in the company.
This salad is also delicious with grilled chicken or steak. If you don’t have cider vinegar, you could use balsamic or sherry vinegar. Pitta bread would be good too.
Beef ragu is a meal that is best cooked low and slow. You could do it in a slow cooker. It is an ideal meal as we are making our way into autumn, and these ribs are one of my favourite cuts. The garlic and herb seasoning works well with the bacon.
The wine gives a lovely richness, and you will cook out the alcohol. An Italian white wine such as Pinot Grigio will give a more delicately flavoured ragu, or if you prefer to avoid alcohol altogether, you could use chicken stock. Serve with any pasta, or with rice, or buttery mashed potatoes if you prefer.
By the way, thank you for all the nice feedback about my latest RTÉ 1 show Neven’s Ulster Food Tour, which continues to air on Wednesday evenings at 8.30pm.
Harissa lamb with hummus and chopped Greek salad
Ingredients: Serves 4
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil,
plus extra to drizzle
1 pack Connemara Hill minced lamb
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp Irish-made harissa sauce
½ cucumber, quartered, seeded and diced
1 pack Irish Tomkin tomatoes, diced
1 small red onion, diced
4 tbsp chopped fresh herbs
(dill, mint and flat-leaf parsley)
1 tbsp Irish organic apple cider vinegar
1 pack Italian piadina flatbread
2 cartons hummus
1 carton fresh pomegranate seeds
Achill sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add 1 tbsp of the oil and then add small clumps of the lamb. Season generously and cook without moving for 3-4 minutes until the lamb has a nice golden-brown colour. Then turn it over with tongs and do the same on the other side.
2. Once the lamb is crispy and golden-brown, break it up with a cooking spoon and sprinkle it over the garlic, and then stir in the harissa. Toss until nicely glazed and remove from the heat.
3. Meanwhile, mix the cucumber in a bowl with the tomatoes, red onion and herbs. Add the vinegar and the rest of the olive oil. Season generously and stir to combine. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat and warm the flatbreads for 30 seconds on each side.
4. Spread the hummus onto plates and pile the crispy harissa lamb on top. Spoon over the cucumber and tomato mixture and scatter with the pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with a little more oil and serve with the
flatbreads.
Neven Maguire's beef rib ragu. / Philip Doyle
Ingredients: Serves 4
1 pack Irish Angus boneless beef short ribs
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 packet smoked bacon lardons
1 large onion, very finely chopped
1 large carrot, very finely chopped
1 celery stick, very finely chopped
1 tbsp garlic and herb seasoning
250ml Chianti Classico wine
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 tin chopped tomatoes
100ml milk
1 packet Italian egg pappardelle pasta
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmigiano, to serve
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 140°C (275°F/Gas Mark 1). Remove the ribs from the packaging and leave to come back to room temperature. Heat a casserole dish until smoking hot over a high heat. Season the ribs generously. Add the oil and then add the ribs. Cook them until golden brown, turning them regularly with tongs. Transfer to a plate.
2. Reduce the casserole to medium, then fry the bacon lardons until crisp and the fat has rendered. Reduce the heat and add the onion, carrot and celery with the garlic and herb seasoning and freshly ground pepper. Sauté for 10 minutes to soften.
3. Increase the heat back up to high and pour in the wine and allow it to bubble down, scraping the bottom of the casserole with a wooden spatula to remove any sediment. Stir in the tomato puree and tomatoes. Then tuck in the beef ribs, ensuring they are completely covered in the liquid. Bring to a simmer. Then cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 2 ½ hours.
4. Remove from the oven and take off the lid, stir in the milk. Cook for another 30 minutes until the ribs are tender. Leave to relax for 15 minutes with the lid on. Use two forks to shred the meat.
5. When ready to serve, cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for 4 minutes. Drain the pasta, then fold in the beef ragu. Divide into shallow bowls. Finally, season and scatter over the Parmigiano to serve.
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