There is huge demand around the world for good Irish crab and during my Seafood Trails series for RTÉ I visited Shellfish Ireland in Castletownbere. Set up in 1987 by Richard Murphy and Peter O’Sullivan they now have a world wide reputation for quality and about 50% of their shellfish are exported.
They have also become a valued supplier of several products including lobster, scallops and tiger prawns and crab claws to the Dunnes Simply Better range.
While making that series I was lost in admiration for how hard our fishermen work.
This crab claws recipe is a twist on the simple French classic moules marinière and you could use mussels instead of crab.
This recipe is so easy to prepare and will not take you more than 10 minutes to prepare. Make sure you have plenty of brown soda bread to mop up all the delicious sauce.
Irish lamb is just the best in the world. No doubt about it. The shank is a favourite cut of mine.
It is one of the lesser-used cuts, good value and full of flavour. Lots of people have a slow cooker and this would be great for this meal.
I like the dash of Worcestershire sauce. Always keep it in stock. It has so many uses.
Happy cooking,
Neven
Crab claws with lemon and chives
Serves six
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Four garlic cloves, crushed
Two shallots, finely diced
30 fresh crab claws (otherwise known as toes)
150ml (1/4 pint) dry white wine
100ml (3 1/2fl oz) cream
75g (3oz) butter, cut into cubes
juice of 2 lemons
20 fresh chives, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Brown soda bread, to serve
1 Heat a heavy-based, deep-sided pan and add in the oil. Sweat the garlic and shallots without colour and season well. Add in the crab claws and toss them for 20 seconds. Then add in the white wine and reduce by half.2 Add the cream to the crab mixture and reduce by half again, then fold in the butter and add the lemon juice and chives. Season to taste and arrange five crab claws on each serving plate and spoon over the lemon & chive sauce. 3 Cut the soda bread into slices and arrange alongside to serve.
Lamb shanks with champ
Serves six
For the lamb:
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Six lamb shanks, well trimmed and knuckles removed
200g (7oz) carrots, cut into 2.5 cm pieces
One onion, roughly chopped
Four garlic cloves, peeled
Two fresh thyme sprigs, extra to garnish
Two fresh rosemary sprigs
Two 400g (14oz) cans Italian whole peeled plum tomatoes
1 litre lamb or beef stock (from stock cubes is fine)
600ml (1 pint) red wine
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
12 baby pearl onions, peeled
One heaped tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
For the champ:
1kg (2 1/4lb) Rooster potatoes
Rock salt, for cooking
100ml (3 1/2fl oz) milk
75g (3oz) butter, diced
One bunch scallions, finely chopped
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (350°F/gas mark three). Heat oil in a large casserole with a lid over a high heat. Add the lamb shanks and fry until lightly browned on all sides, turning regularly with a tongs. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the carrots, onion and garlic to the pan and sauté for about five minutes until lightly golden. Tip into a bowl and set aside.2 Return the lamb shanks to the casserole with the herbs and add in the cans of tomatoes crushing them in with your hands. Pour over the stock and wine to cover. Season to taste and cover tightly with foil and then the lid. Bake for 1½ hours. Remove the casserole from the oven, add the reserved vegetables and pearl onions and cook for another hour until the lamb is very tender and almost falling off the bone. 3 Meanwhile, make the champ. Bake the potatoes on a bed of rock salt for about 1½ hours until tender, then cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh. Mash until smooth. Heat the milk and butter and beat into the mashed potatoes with the scallions until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm. 4 Once the lamb shanks are cooked, strain the cooking liquid into a separate pan and then put the lid back on the casserole to keep the lamb shanks and vegetables warm. Bring the cooking liquid back to a simmer, then cook until reduced to a sauce consistency. Season to taste and add the Worcestershire sauce and if you think that the sauce is too bitter add the sugar.5 To serve, place a quenelle of the champ on to each warmed plates and arrange a lamb shanks alongside. Put a piece of the carrot to the side and drizzle around the reduced sauce. Garnish with the thyme sprigs.
There is huge demand around the world for good Irish crab and during my Seafood Trails series for RTÉ I visited Shellfish Ireland in Castletownbere. Set up in 1987 by Richard Murphy and Peter O’Sullivan they now have a world wide reputation for quality and about 50% of their shellfish are exported.
They have also become a valued supplier of several products including lobster, scallops and tiger prawns and crab claws to the Dunnes Simply Better range.
While making that series I was lost in admiration for how hard our fishermen work.
This crab claws recipe is a twist on the simple French classic moules marinière and you could use mussels instead of crab.
This recipe is so easy to prepare and will not take you more than 10 minutes to prepare. Make sure you have plenty of brown soda bread to mop up all the delicious sauce.
Irish lamb is just the best in the world. No doubt about it. The shank is a favourite cut of mine.
It is one of the lesser-used cuts, good value and full of flavour. Lots of people have a slow cooker and this would be great for this meal.
I like the dash of Worcestershire sauce. Always keep it in stock. It has so many uses.
Happy cooking,
Neven
Crab claws with lemon and chives
Serves six
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Four garlic cloves, crushed
Two shallots, finely diced
30 fresh crab claws (otherwise known as toes)
150ml (1/4 pint) dry white wine
100ml (3 1/2fl oz) cream
75g (3oz) butter, cut into cubes
juice of 2 lemons
20 fresh chives, finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Brown soda bread, to serve
1 Heat a heavy-based, deep-sided pan and add in the oil. Sweat the garlic and shallots without colour and season well. Add in the crab claws and toss them for 20 seconds. Then add in the white wine and reduce by half.2 Add the cream to the crab mixture and reduce by half again, then fold in the butter and add the lemon juice and chives. Season to taste and arrange five crab claws on each serving plate and spoon over the lemon & chive sauce. 3 Cut the soda bread into slices and arrange alongside to serve.
Lamb shanks with champ
Serves six
For the lamb:
1 tbsp sunflower oil
Six lamb shanks, well trimmed and knuckles removed
200g (7oz) carrots, cut into 2.5 cm pieces
One onion, roughly chopped
Four garlic cloves, peeled
Two fresh thyme sprigs, extra to garnish
Two fresh rosemary sprigs
Two 400g (14oz) cans Italian whole peeled plum tomatoes
1 litre lamb or beef stock (from stock cubes is fine)
600ml (1 pint) red wine
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
12 baby pearl onions, peeled
One heaped tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
For the champ:
1kg (2 1/4lb) Rooster potatoes
Rock salt, for cooking
100ml (3 1/2fl oz) milk
75g (3oz) butter, diced
One bunch scallions, finely chopped
1 Preheat the oven to 160°C (350°F/gas mark three). Heat oil in a large casserole with a lid over a high heat. Add the lamb shanks and fry until lightly browned on all sides, turning regularly with a tongs. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the carrots, onion and garlic to the pan and sauté for about five minutes until lightly golden. Tip into a bowl and set aside.2 Return the lamb shanks to the casserole with the herbs and add in the cans of tomatoes crushing them in with your hands. Pour over the stock and wine to cover. Season to taste and cover tightly with foil and then the lid. Bake for 1½ hours. Remove the casserole from the oven, add the reserved vegetables and pearl onions and cook for another hour until the lamb is very tender and almost falling off the bone. 3 Meanwhile, make the champ. Bake the potatoes on a bed of rock salt for about 1½ hours until tender, then cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the flesh. Mash until smooth. Heat the milk and butter and beat into the mashed potatoes with the scallions until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm. 4 Once the lamb shanks are cooked, strain the cooking liquid into a separate pan and then put the lid back on the casserole to keep the lamb shanks and vegetables warm. Bring the cooking liquid back to a simmer, then cook until reduced to a sauce consistency. Season to taste and add the Worcestershire sauce and if you think that the sauce is too bitter add the sugar.5 To serve, place a quenelle of the champ on to each warmed plates and arrange a lamb shanks alongside. Put a piece of the carrot to the side and drizzle around the reduced sauce. Garnish with the thyme sprigs. 
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