THIS week’s recipes are all about the small supplier. It's great for a restaurant or chef to meet and support small suppliers who are trying to raise awareness of their product. We have always worked with the Taste of Ulster group and Food NI, which offer valuable networking opportunities for producers to meet with restaurants and provide a wider stage to showcase their wares.
With autumn well and truly here, we are getting some amazing end-of-season fruit and veg from The Walled Garden in Helen’s Bay which we hope to pickle and brine to enjoy over the next couple of months.
The cherry season is about to hit with gusto. Cherries are a favourite fruit of mine for a whole host of desserts – I even use them in many savoury dishes. This week is an easy take on a favourite fool recipe and now is the time to make full use of their fantastic flavour.
Another local supplier we love is Kearney Blue cheese – amazingly creamy with an unrivalled depth of flavour.
We will be supporting Belfast Restaurant Week in October with a string of events which will be on our cookinbelfast.co.uk website this week. We are delighted to have Ian Orr bring some of his team from Derry for a Browns Pop Up at James St South. Places are limited so booking is required.
CHERRY FOOL
(Serves 6)
500g cherries
30g sugar
250ml double cream
250ml natural yoghurt
In a pot on a low heat put a splash of water with the sugar and add the rinsed and destoned cherries (keep a handful to dress the plate). Allow to stew for about 15 minutes. Once stewed, remove from the heat and leave to cool.
Place your serving glassed in the fridge to chill. Whip the cream; once whipped, fold in the yoghurt until it is mixed thoroughly. Fold in a little of the stewed cherries. With the remaining stewed cherries, place in the serving dishes, dividing equally; spoon over the cream mixture and top off with a spoonful of the stewed cherries and one or two whole (and destoned) cherries.
Serve immediately or place back in fridge until ready to serve.
PORK CHOP WITH KEARNEY BLUE CHEESE BUTTER
For the Kearney blue butter
150g butter, room temperature
100g Kearney blue cheese
1 tsp thyme leaves, removed from stalk
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 squeeze lemon juice
To make the butter, place the butter in a mixing bowl and beat with a fork until very smooth. Chop up the cheese roughly and add to the butter with all other ingredients and mix until a smooth paste.
Tip the mix on to a sheet of cling film and roll into a sausage shape so that it is a smooth cylinder shape. Twist and tie the ends and ensure that the mixture is completely enclosed in the cling film and place in the freezer or fridge – you want this to set hard so the freezer will be quickest, for approximately 30 minutes. If you have placed in the freezer, remove and place in the fridge.
For the pork chops
½ tsp olive oil
½ tsp butter
2 large, thick pork chops
salt and freshly ground pepper
For the chops, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat for a couple of minutes; add the oil and the butter and wait until the butter melts. Season the chops with salt and pepper and then place in the pan and cook for three minutes each side until they are golden brown.
If you have a nice rind of fat on your chops place the fat side down on the heat using a set of tongues to crispen up. Remove from the pan and place on warmed plates in the oven to rest. When ready to serve, using a hot knife cut off a good slice of your butter; place on top of your chop and serve.
