Cooking with Paula McIntyre

Recipe
Sobrasada buttered tomatoes
75g sobrassada
25g butter
1 red onion finely chopped
200g halved cherry tomatoes
Handful parsley chopped
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the sobrasada in a pan until it melts and add the butter and onions. Cook until the onions are soft and add the tomatoes. Cook for a minute then add the parsley and vinegar. Check seasoning.
Grilled corn
2 ears corn
Oil for brushing
Boil the corn in salted water for 2 minutes then drain and pat dry. Brush with oil and cook on the grill to scorch all over. Remove the niblets and season with salt.
Grilled monkfish
500g monkfish tail
1 tablespoon oil
Seasalt
Trim any skin from the monkfish.
Rub the oil over the monkfish and season with salt. Place on grill and cook for a couple of minutes each side – depending on thickness. Monkfish should feel firm but with a little give. Allow to rest and slice
Serve on the tomatoes with the corn mixed in.

Jerk spiced pork with grilled pineapple salsa
750g pork belly slices
2 cloves garlic
1 onion, chopped
25g root ginger, chopped
1 green chilli
1 teaspoon all spice
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 bay leaf shredded
2 teaspoons thyme leaves
65g dark brown sugar
Zest and juice 1 lime
Blend the garlic, onion, ginger, chilli, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, black pepper, bay and thyme to a smooth paste. Mix in the sugar and lime and then rub in all over the pork. Marinate for a few hours. Rub off the marinade and place the pork on a grill. Heat the marinade up in a pan and when the pork is cooked add to the marinade.
Grilled pineapple salsa
1 pineapple
1 red onion
1 teaspoon finely chopped red chilli
2 limes
25ml olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
Peel the pineapple and cut in quarters through the root. Remove stalk from middle and cut each quarter in half.
Place on a hot grill to mark and then chop into 1cm dice. Finely chop the chilli and add with the lime zest. Cut the limes in half and grill until black then squeeze into the mix. Add the oil, sugar, and season with salt.

Recipe
Meringues
3 egg whites
175g castor sugar
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cornflour
Set the oven to 120oc and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl to stiff peaks. Slowly add the sugar, whisking all the time. Whisk in the vinegar and cornflour.
Spoon into a piping bag preferably with a star nozzle. Pipe onto the baking tray.
Cook in the oven for about an hour or until firm to touch and allow the meringues to cool in the oven when you turn it off.
500ml double cream
500g strawberries
Half of the meringues above
Lightly oil a loaf tin and line with cling film.
Remove the green from the strawberries and set 8 aside. Finely chop the rest.
Whip the cream. Crush the meringues with your hand coarsely and add to the cream with the chopped strawberries. Spoon the mixture into the tin, cover with cling and freeze for a few hours. Remove from freezer half an hour before you want to serve. Remove from tin and take off cling. Half the remaining strawberries and top the parfait with them and some of the remaining meringues. Slice and serve.

Recipe:
3 egg yolks
160g castor sugar
190g soft butter
250g plain flour
1 heaped teaspoon baking powder
Beat the butter with half the sugar until pale and fluffy.
Whisk the egg yolks and remaining sugar for a minute.
Mix the egg yolk mixture, flour and baking powder into the butter mixture to a smooth dough.
Line 2 x 8 inch cake tins with parchment paper or 6 individual tins or ring moulds.
Divide the dough in 2 and roll each one into a ball. Place on parchment paper and place another sheet on top. Roll out to a circle to line the bottom of the tin and press up the side a bit. Repeat with other tin and then chill for an hour.
Set oven to 170oc and cook the sables from the fridge, for about 20 minutes or until golden. Cool.
Poached Rhubarb
8 stalks rhubarb, cut into 2cm pieces
1 litre local apple juice
500ml water
50g castor sugar
50g honey
2 tablespoons grenadine
Place the water, honey and sugar in a large saucepan and simmer until sugar has dissolved. Add the apple juice and bring to a simmer. Add the grenadine and then the rhubarb. Cover the surface with parchment paper and lower the heat to as little as possible. Cook for about 3 minutes then turn off and allow the rhubarb to cool in the liquor. Place in a sterilized kilner jar and seal. Store in the fridge and use as necessary. More than you’ll need for the recipe but will keep in the fridge for a few months.
Honey cream
250ml double cream whipped
1 tablespoon honey
Bee pollen
Mix the honey into the cream.
Spoon some rhubarb onto the shortcake. Pipe on the cream and sprinkle over the bee pollen.

Grilled picanha steak, hash browns, café de Paris butter
4 x 175g picanha steaks
Salt
Remove steaks from fridge half an hour before cooking and season with seasalt.
If cooking in a pan – place steaks fat side up over medium heat and cook until fat is rendered and golden. Flip and cook to your liking. Allow to rest. Keep the fat for the hash browns.
Café de Paris butter
250g soft butter
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon oil
1 shallot,finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 anchovies, chopped
1 teaspoon capers
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon English mustard
35ml Brandy
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Handful parsley
Cook the shallot and garlic in the oil until soft and golden. Cool and then blend with the butter and other ingredients to a smooth paste. Wrap in a sausage shape in cling and chill.
Slice and serve on the steak. Any excess can be frozen.
Hash browns
4 medium rooster potatoes
1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
1 egg
Good pinch salt
Oil for cooking
Boil the potatoes for 10 minutes then drain and cool.
Coarsely grate and mix in the flour, egg and salt.
Add a little oil to the beef fat. Press the mixture into moulds and then cook for 2-3 minutes each side until golden.