Downtown Radio: Recent Episodes
Downtown Radio
Drake White and his band The Big Fire opened day two of Country to Country 2019 in Ireland.
Nashville's Jonathan Jackson backstage at SSE Arena, Belfast - talks Avery, his own band & his best Belfast accent
Dominic Kirwin's son Barry chats with Rachael Anderson ahead of his Sunday World stage performance
Stuart Banford catches up with Marty Stuart before his C2C set to talk about his first thoughts on Nashville, playing with Johnny Cash and much more
Reba McEntire tells us about her amazing 41 year career and talks C2C in Dublin next month
Ingredients 4 meringue nests 2 punnets blackberries 300mls double cream 1 vanilla pod (split & scraped) 6 tsp icing sugar 400g brioche or white loaf ½ lemon juiced
Method 1. Sprinkle half the icing sugar and the lemon juice over the berries 2. Leave to macerate for 5/10 minutes 3. Whip the cream, remaining icing sugar and vanilla until forms stiff peaks 4. Crush the meringues 5. Layer the glass with berries, cream & meringues – repeat until glass is filled 6. Leave to chill for 1 hour in fridge before serving
Pork Rub: 1 tbsp paprika 2 tbsp brown sugar 1 tbsp garlic powder 1 tbsp celery salt 1 tbsp dry mustard 1 tbsp onion powder 1 tbsp cumin 1 tbsp coriander seeds
Tomato salsa: 500g diced onions 300g diced chorizo 2 large peppers 100g garlic chopped 100g tomato paste 500g tin of chopped tomatoes 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 tsp smoked paprika 2 tsp cholula hot sauce
Cooking pork shoulder 220 degrees for 30 mins 160 degrees for 4-5 hours Tin foil off 220 degrees for 15mins
The Base of the chowder is a garlic and white wine cream with fish stock and lemon pepper. Once heated we add chopped comber potatoes, mussels, salmon, smoked haddock, cod, and prawns. Bring to the boil and simmered for 2 minutes until the fish is cooked. To finish we add chopped spring onions, garden peas and spinach, seasoned with sea salt. Serve with some Guinness wheaten bread.
To make this dish for yourself, you’ll need: 1 kg Fresh washed mussels One thumb size peeled long sliced fresh ginger 3 crushed cloves of garlic 1 split red chilli I/2 glass white wine I/2 tin. Coconut milk Bunch coriander / basil or both / chopped spring onion
Method: Ensure mussels are fresh if open. Tap them and if they don't close, don't use them. Do not submerge in water just run under tap. Remove beards. Place in a large pot and add other Ingredients / reserving coco nut milk for later Cover with lid and steam open about 3-4 minutes from boil, toss to move the hot ones to the top Once just opened, remove and rest, draining most of the liquid / keep them covered with a cloth, reduce 1/2 the mussel stock and add the coconut milk Reduce by half, add the mussels toss in hot sauce Put 1/2 herbs in pot and toss Serve In bowl to share and sprinkle with rest of herbs
1/2 litre of cream 75ml apple juice 75gs sugar 1/2 vanilla pod 3 leaves of gelatine
Soften the gelatine in cold water, bring the cream, apple juice and vanilla pod up to boil and switch off. Add the sugar and then whisk in the gelatine. Pour into moulds and set for 6 hours. To unmould run the mould under warm water.
For the Apple salsa 2 bramley apples (finely diced) 1/2 vanilla pod 1 spoon of honey A pinch of cinnamon
Cook all the above ingredients in a pan until slightly caramelised and take of the heat. Serve with the panna cotta.
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Pot Roast Venison Haunch, crushed Parsnip, raw kale, blackberries
Serves 2
500g Venison From the leg (Sliver side or Top side)
Crushed Parsnip 2 Parsnips (peeled, quartered, core removed and chopped) 2 tbsp Honey 1 tbsp Oil 1 tsp chopped Thyme
Kale Garnish 2 Cups Kale (picked from the stalk) 1/2 tsp lemon juice 2 tblp extra virgin olive oil
Blackberry sauce 10 blackberries 1 glass red wine 50ml chicken stock 2 tblp cold butter 1 tsp sugar
Preheat your oven to 180c Season your Venison with salt and pepper and sear in a hot pot. Colour all sides until nicely browned and place in the oven for 8 minutes.
Crushed Parsnip Preheat a small pot and add the oil and the chopped Parsnip. Add 2 tblp of water and cover. Lower the heat so it's just simmering. After 4 minutes the Parsnip should be tender and water evaporated so add the chopped Thyme and Honey and season with salt. Remove from the heat until ready to serve.
kale Garnish In a bowl add kale, lemon juice, oil, salt and squeeze wit you hands for 20 seconds making sure all that lemon oil is being pressed into the kale. Leave this to one side until Venison is ready.
Blackberry sauce After about 8 minutes remove the Venison from the oven and leave to rest on a plate. Return your pot to the stove and deglaze with the red wine. Reduce by half and add chicken stock, blackberries butter and sugar. Reduce again until your you have a sauce like consistency.
Serving Place the crushed Parsnip in the centre of the plate. Slice the Venison into 6 pieces (making sure to cut across the grain) and lay this on top of your Parsnip. Spoon the blackberries and sauce over Venison and garnish with the kale.
Notes Ask your butcher to trim and prep your Venison.
When searing your Venison, use a pot that is suitable to be placed in your oven.
Brazilian San - Pablo Tacos Spicy minced pork balls Or shredded beef strips / rump or fillet tail ends ( 200gr / per potion approx Chorizo lardons
To spice add this mix black ground pepper level (tsp) , chilli seeds or jalapeños chopped Smoked sea salt Crushed toasted fennel seed 1 tsp
Heat a heavy skillet and sear the small formed meat balls and cook through or sear beef strips and rest Add a little chopped chorizo near the end and allow to crisp this coats the meat with rich flavours
Mix some fresh thinly sliced veg ie: Cabbage , red onion , fennel or carrot Marinate in pickle
The pickle is two parts vinegar I use rice wine and one part sugar leave in fridge for one hour , you can add all sorts of flavours to your pickle , spices herbs etc and a hint of fresh Citrus juice ie lemon
Xo sauce : this is a Asian shrimp paste like no other , you often get Asian influence in South American cooking , take a small tub of creme Fraiche add lime juice x 1 lime and whisk in one teaspoon of Xo sauce Leave to infuse
Taco garnish baby pearl peppers Coriander sprigs red onion thinly sliced and slice raw jalapeño peppers ( pickled if stuck)
Now toast tortilla taco until crisp Place meat on taco , put slaw on top Taco herb and chilli garnish and drizzle with xo sauce
Perfection 👍
This is our new fish dish at the Schoolhouse which celebrates the best of local produce. Braised Fennel is served with local Hake and forgaed herbs from the shores closeby. Bon Appétit
To start, make the braised fennel • Braised Fennal • 1 fennel • 2 tbsp of unsalted butter • 1 shallot, finely sliced • vegetable stock • 1 sprig of thyme • 1 bay leaf • 1 tsp white peppercorns • 2 star anise • 1 tsp fennel seeds • 1 tsp coriander seeds • 1 knob of butter • borage, finely chopped, cress reserved for garnish • salt • lemon juice
To prepare the fennel, remove the tips and cut into 8 small wedges, leaving the root of each wedge intact. Place a pan over a low-medium heat and melt the unsalted butter. Once foaming, add the shallots and sweat until completely soft. Add the fennel, sweat for a further 3-5 minutes, then add the salt and vegetable stock to cover • 1 fennel • 2 tbsp of unsalted butter • 1 shallot, finely sliced • salt • vegetable stock
Place all of the herbs (except the borage) and spices into a piece of muslin cloth and tie to form a spice bag, add this to the fennel mix. Cook for 5-10 minutes on a slow simmer • 1 sprig of thyme • 1 bay leaf • 1 tsp white peppercorns • 2 star anise • 1 tsp fennel seeds • 1 tsp coriander seeds
Once the fennel is completely soft, set aside and leave to infuse in the braising liquid for 30 minutes. Add some fresh prawns and mussels to fennel stock. In a hot pan, cook hake 2 minutes on one side, 2 minutes on the other. Season with salt and lemon juice.
200g Boneless Pork Belly, Skin Removed and Trimmed 100ml Cider 1 Star Anise 1 Onion, Quartered 1 Clove of Garlic 10g Salt
Burnt Butter Mash 2 Large Maris Pipers, Peeled and chopped into 3 CM cubes 1 Tbsp salt + to Taste 200g Butter, cut into Cubes Warm Milk to Taste
Cider Jus 1 Bottle (500ml) Dry Apple Cider 500ml Chicken Stock 2 Star Anise 3 Large Thyme Sprigs 1 Teaspoon Cider Vinegar 1 Teaspoon Honey
Toffee Apple Butter 3 Granny Smith Apples, Peeled & Diced 110g Caster Sugar 250g Block Unsalted Butter, Softened Smoked Bacon & Creamed Cabbage 75g Smoked Bacon, Diced 100g Sliced Savoy Cabbage 50 ml Double Cream Salt & Black Pepper
• To prepare the Porkbelly, first bring your Cider, star anise, quartered onion and garlic to the boil in a large Sauce pan and immediately turn off. Allow to cool, then place your Pork belly and cider into a slow cooker, set to low and allow to cook for 6-8 hours. • For the Toffee apple butter, place your sugar into a heavy based saucepan and heat over a high heat. You should see the sugar start to melt & caramelize, be careful as it will begin to become very hot! Once you have achieved a nice amber colored caramel, add the apples and stir. Keep stirring until the caramel has melted into the apples, remove from heat and completely cool. • Take your softened butter and fold the diced toffee apple through it. You can either roll the butter with a sheet of greaseproof paper or spoon it into ramekins days ahead. • For the cider jus, add all the ingredients bar the cider vinegar and honey to a pot. Bring to a boil then reduce to a low heat, reduce this mixture by a quarter. Then stir the honey and cider vinegar to the jus. • Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, once boiling add your sliced Savoy cabbage to the pot, set a timer for 2 minutes. Once the two minuets have passed, run the cabbage through a large sieve or colander and place under running cold water until cold. • Put a saucepan onto low heat and add your Diced smoked bacon, stirring to ensure it will not catch at the bottom. Keep cooking until your bacon has achieved a golden brown color. Add the cabbage and cream, and cook gently until all the ingredients have bound together, season with cracked black pepper and a little salt. • For the burnt butter mash, add your cubed butter to a warm pan and bring to a boil, it is very important you use real butter, as substitutes will not caramelize. Watch the butter as it will start to boil, bring the butter to a nice golden brown color, immediately pour into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking process. Place the diced potatoes into a pot of salted water, cook until tender. Once cooked, drain the water and mash, season the mash up with first the butter, then milk and salt to taste. • Once your other components are prepared, remove your porkbelly from the slow cooker, maintaining care as it will be very tender. Heat a pan under a medium heat, add the porkbelly fat side down, color the meat until golden.
The Shires chat with Stuart Banford on Downtown Country Drive ahead of the release of new album 'My Universe'
This week we're checking in with Brian McMonagle at The Brewers House. Here's how to make this simple dish:
Ingredients: 10oz of beef fillet 1 large white onion 4 cloves of garlic 6 gherkins 12 button mushrooms 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper 1 heaped dessertspoon of sweet paprika 1 Knorr chicken stock cube 1 large shot vodka 2 cups of single cream 1 tablespoon of French Dijon mustard
Method: Sofen onions, garlic and mushrooms Add stripped beef fillet Add paprika Add chicken stock cube and a splash of water Cook at low heat for 5 mins Add gherkins Add vodka shot Stir slowly for 3 minutes Add mustard Follow by adding cream and cook until cream has reduced to sauce consistently Season to taste Serve with fluffy basmati rice
This week we're checking in with Derek Patterson at The Plough. Here's how to make this simple dish:
5oz Dark Chocolate (Melted) Egg Yolks x3 (Mix Into Chocolate) Egg Whites x3 3 Tablespoons of Caster Sugar Whisk together until stiff, then fold into the chocolate mixture