Cooking with Paula McIntyre

Grilled bacon chop on toast with fermented red cabbage, beetroot and apple, mustard and dill, gherkin sourcreamFermented red cabbage with beetroot and apple 500g red cabbage, roots removed and finely shredded 1 large beetroot, peeled and coarsely grated 2 eating apples, coarsely grated 1 red onion, finely sliced 10g seasalt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 teaspoon chilli paste ( chipotle works well here) 1 teaspoon crushed coriander seeds Place the red cabbage, beetroot, apples and onions in a bowl and mix in the seasalt. Mix together for 5 minutes, rubbing in the salt – use gloves! Cover with a teatowel and leave for a few hours, mixing occasionally. Mix in the chilli, pepper and coriander and press into a sterilized jar or jars and press down to ensure the mixture is covered with liquid. If not make up a brine of 10g salt to 100ml of water, simmer until salt has dissolved and pour onto the vegetables. Press down and place a lid on top but don’t tighten it. Keep at room temperature for a week, pressing down frequently. Place lid on after a week and store in the fridge. 2 bacon chops 4 slices sourdough bread 200ml sour cream 1 tablespoon finely chopped gherkin or cornichon 2 tablespoons dill, chopped 2 teaspoons wholegrain mustard Place the chops fat side down on a pan over medium heat and cook until the fat is golden. Cook on both sides for about 3 minutes each side or until cooked through and rest for 5 minutes. Mix the sourcream with the gherkins, dill and mustard. Toast the bread. Spread some of the sourcream on to the toast, top with sliced bacon and then some of the fermented cabbage. Garnish with dill and serve.

Festive date and Irish coffee crispies 125g butter 100g soft brown sugar 225g finely chopped dates 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ teaspoon mixed spice 100g puffed rice Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Place the butter and sugar in a large pan and cook until the butter has melted. Add the dates and cook until foamy and starting to caramelize. Mix in the puffed rice and spices and press into the baking tray.Chocolate coffee layer 225ml double cream 50ml whiskey 75ml espresso coffee 50g soft brown sugar 250g chopped dark chocolate Place the cream, whisky, coffee and sugar in a pan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. Add the chocolate and stir over low heat until melted. Pour over the crispy base and chill for half an hour.250ml double cream 50ml Irish cream liqueur Cocoa to dust Whip the cream and fold in the liqueur. Cut the crispies into small squares or rectangles and pipe on the cream. Dust with cocoa.

Sausage pancakes with cranberry sauce, chipotle cream and chestnut crumb Sausage Pancakes 150g plain flour ½ teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 egg 175ml buttermilk ½ teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 shallots, finely chopped 1 tablespoon oil plus more for cooking pancakes 4 finely chopped scallions 150g cooked sausage chopped Cook the shallots in the oil until golden and cool. Whisk the flour, baking soda and powder together. Make a well in the centre and add the egg. Whisk in the buttermilk then add the salt, shallot mixture, scallions and sausage. Heat a pan and wipe with oil. Add dessertspoons of the batter and cook until bubbles appear, flip and cook on other side. Chestnut crumb 25g butter 50g cooked chestnuts finely chopped 50g breadcrumbs 2 teaspoons chopped rosemary 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Cranberry relish 1 red onion, finely chopped 1 tablespoon oil 100ml Port 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2cm dice 250g cranberries 75g castor sugar Cook the onion in the oil until soft then add the Port, sugar, cranberries and apple. Cook for about 10 minutes or until cranberries are soft. Chipotle Cream 50g mayonnaise 150ml sourcream 1 teaspoon chipotle paste Salt and pepper to taste Whisk together. Spoon some relish onto a pancake, followed by some sourcream and sprinkle over the crumb.

Recipe Pastry:150g butter 225g plain flour Pinch salt Cold water to bind Wrap the butter in parchment and freeze for 45 minutes. Place the flour into a bowl and mix in the salt. Coarsely grate the butter into the flour then rub until the mixture is fine and sandy. Add cold water to bind to a dough, wrap in cling and chill. Roast Celeriac:1 medium celeriac, scrubbed under cold water 1 tablespoon oil Salt Few sprigs fresh thyme Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Cut the wiry bottom from the celeriac and slice into 4 rounds. Place on parchment, brush with oil, season with salt and add the thyme. Cover with foil and roast in a 180oc oven for about 45 minutes or until soft. Mushroom Duxelle:350g mushrooms, sliced 2 tablespoons oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 25g butter 75ml Port or red wine 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Salt and pepper to tasteHeat a large pan until smoking hot and add the oil ( or use 2 pans so as not to crowd the mushrooms) and mushrooms. Cook for a minute then dot around the butter and add the onion and garlic. Cook until onions are golden and add the balsamic and Port. Season and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Blend to a smooth puree and cool. 8 stalks cavalo nero or outside leaves of savoy cabbageRemove the stalks and bring bring a big pan of salted water to the boil. Add the greens and cook for a minute. Cool under cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper.To assemble:1 egg yolk 100g crumbled feta 100g grated cheddar Roll the pastry out into a rectangle 40cm x 30cm Place half the greens into the middle, leaving a 4cm border around the edges. Trim the edges and roll out and cut out stars for the top. Add half the duxelle, top with the celeriac, add the feta, cheddar, more duxelle and top with the remaining greens. Brush the edges with egg yolk and fold the edges in and roll up. Place on a lightly oiled baking tray and set oven to 180oc. Brush the top with egg yolk, place on the stars and brush with more yolk. Bake for about 30 minutes and serve. Peppercorn Gravy1 shallot, finely chopped 25g butter 1 teaspoon brined green peppercorns, roughly chopped 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 50ml whiskey or brandy 200ml vegetable stock ½ teaspoon marmite 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Cook the shallots in the butter until soft and golden. Add the peppercorns and cracked black pepper and the whiskey. Add the marmite, stock and balsamic and boil to a spoon coating sauce. Check seasoning.

RecipeBiscuit base 250g gingersnap biscuits, crushed 150g melted butter Grease an 8 inch cake tin. Mix the biscuits with the melted butter and press into the cake tin. Chill.Filling 250g mascarpone cheese 400g full fat cream cheese 75g icing sugar 250ml double cream 1 teaspoon vanilla paste 35g crystallized ginger, finely chopped Whisk the cheeses, sugar and cream until thick. Fold in the ginger and vanilla and spoon onto the biscuit base. Smooth off the top and chill.Pedro Ximenez Sherry candied pears 4 pears 100g castor sugar 75ml Pedro Ximenez sherry 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrypQuarter the pears, remove the core and cut each quarter in half. Heat a large frying pan and sprinkle the sugar over the top. Cook to an amber liquid then add 100ml of boiling water and the sherry. Boil to a thick syrup and add the pears. Cook until the pears are soft and glazed – about 5 minutes. Add the honey and cook for another minute. Cool. Spoon the pears onto the chilled cheesecake.