Tag Archives: Mark Doe

DINING OUT, Entertainment, Lifestyle

The Chef’s Table: Mmmm…Chocolate!

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rsz_mark_doe_1Our food expert, Mark Doe of ‘Just Cooking’ in Firies, on the artistry involved in cooking with chocolate 

Working with chocolate is something that takes years of practice.

It takes a special kind of chef to work with chocolate. Like perfect chocolate masterpieces, they need to be cool and well tempered.

I have been lucky enough to have worked in five-star hotels, that have specialised temperature and humidity controlled chocolate rooms, where a chef will work with chocolate.

They are always very cool headed; surprisingly slim and they live and breathe chocolate, yet  they won’t give much away about their craft.

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Amazingly they always seem to have the cleanest chefs uniform in the kitchen!

I remember as a young chef, watching in awe as they produced amazing sculptures, perfect tortes and delicate petit fours.

Occasionally I would sneak into the chocolate room and help myself to a few petit fours and the smell is still one of my fondest memories of working in London.

The patience required to perfectly temper chocolate is a skill that very few chefs have or fully understand.

I have worked with chocolate over many years and the many uses of it and the skill required to produce it still amazes me.

So here’s a simple recipe for easy chocolate mousse.

Try adding some Baileys to the mousse and sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts before serving. Everyone loves this mousse and it takes no time to produce.

Serves 4-6

200g good quality milk chocolate

200 ml ready made custard

250ml  cream

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of Simmering water.

2. Once melted remove from the pan and allow to cool slightly.

3. Whip the cream until soft peaks are formed.

4. Place the custard in a bowl and whisk in the melted chocolate. Whisk until completely combined.

5.   Gently stir through the whipped cream and spoon into 6 ramekins or martini glasses.

7.   Place in the fridge for at least one hour to set.

DINING OUT, Entertainment, Lifestyle

The Chef’s Table: A Perfect Recipe For Autumn/Winter

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rsz_mark_doe_1Mark Doe of ‘Just Cooking’ In Firies, has a great recipe for braised red cabbage…

With the Autumn here and Winter just around the corner, I thought now is the perfect time to share my braised red cabbage recipe with you all.

I love to serve this cabbage with game, duck or pork. 
It is also great served cold with cold meats or cheese.

 Also, try adding some chopped apple and sultanas whilst cooking the cabbage.

Braised red cabbage

• ½  head of red cabbage
• 450ml fresh orange juice
• 25g  brown sugar
• ½  cinnamon stick
• 100ml red wine
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons of red currant jelly

1. Cut the red cabbage into 1/4s through the stalk.

2. Remove the first layer of tough outer leaves and then with a small knife remove the core from each ¼.

3.  Finely shred the cabbage as finely as possible.

4.  Place the cabbage in a large saucepan and add the orange juice, brown sugar,   balsamic vinegar and wine.

5. Cover with a disc of grease proof paper and bring to the boil.

6. Reduce to a slow simmer and cook until the cabbage is soft and has absorbed all the liquid. This will take 60-70 minutes.

7. Stir in the red currant jelly whilst the cabbage is hot, season with salt and pepper and serve.

 

DINING OUT, Entertainment

The Chef’s Table: Cooking Without Salt. A Chef’s Nightmare?

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rsz_mark_doe_1Our food writer, Mark Doe of ‘Just Cooking’ in Firies asks is cooking without salt really a nightmare for chefs?

OK, as I chef there is one thing I love in food, and it is the correct amount of salt.

Under-seasoned food can be bland and I often see people cringing when they see me season food here at Just Cooking!

I justify this by making the point that people very rarely add extra salt to the food once they taste it.

As taste is so personal, getting the seasoning correct to suit everybody can be a challenge for chefs.

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A few years back I was asked by TV Nutrition expert Paula Mee, to come up with a selection of dishes that were to contain no added salt. A big challenge to say the least!

And to add more pressure, a group of GPs were then brought out to the cookery school to see how the dishes were prepared and then tasted them.

That evening I had to lock the salt away just in case temptation got the better of me!

But once we heard some of the statistics on salt consumption in Ireland, the challenge was set. 
One of the most concerning statistics Paula gave us was on cheaper sausages!.

Many children are brought up on sausages, mash and gravy, my own daughter loves this!. But did you know two cheap, poor quality sausages can contain up to six grammes of salt?

Then they may be covered in instant gravy, which can also be high in salt.
 This means a kids dinner can contain up to seven grammes of salt!

The RDA for a child is three grams of salt. Scary stuff. 
I would always purchase sausages with at least 80% meat content, avoid the cheaper pale looking ones.

The best way to reduce salt content is to avoid convenience foods. These can have a high salt and sugar content and are generally high in MSG.

Avoid certain brands of stock cubes that can be very high in salt.
 Also processed meats are high in salt. Since meeting Paula we now always have steamed chicken fillets in our fridge, that we use for sandwiches!

When cooking, experiment with spices, lemon juice, herbs, black pepper, ginger, chilli and garlic.
 A simple breast of chicken, grilled with lemon juice, garlic and plenty of black pepper is far from tasteless!

So get rid of that salt habit, and start cooking healthier food. If I can do it, anyone can!

Happy cooking

 

 

DINING OUT, Entertainment

The Chef’s Table: A Great Thai Chicken Curry

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rsz_mark_doe_1THAI cookery has to be my favourite style of food.

I love the freshness and simplicity of the dishes.

 Thai food is unique in the fact that in many dishes you get spicy, sweet, citrusy and salty all in one dish.

During my time working in Australia, I worked with many Thai chefs and I was always amazed at how they managed to knock up quick dishes by using a few simple ingredients and spicing them up with chilli, ginger, sugar and lime.

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With a few Asian shops now in Kerry it has never been easier the get hold of the ingredients needed, having said that most supermarkets now have the basic ingredients available.

Thai green curry is a very popular home cooked meal in Ireland, and once you have tried cooking it, you can see why. It is quick, fresh and much tastier than any of the shop-brought versions.

Once you have the green curry paste made you can freeze it in batches.

Green chicken curry

Serves 4

For the curry paste:

1 stalk lemongrass (the white part only), chopped
1-2 green chillies, de-seeded 
 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
15g Fresh Basil
15g Fresh coriander
1 thumb-size piece of ginger, peeled and sliced
Grated zest of 1 lime

For the curry:

1tbsp vegetable oil
4 skinned chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 onion, finely sliced
2-3 tbsp of green curry paste (see above)
400 ml coconut milk
Chopped coriander to serve

• To make the curry paste, place the lemon grass, chillies and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely chopped.

• Add the remaining ingredients and blend to a fine paste.

• For the curry heat a wok or frying pan over a medium heat.

• Once hot add the chicken and fry until the chicken is browned all over. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan. Add a little more oil to the pan and tip in the onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the curry paste and cook for one minute.

• Pour in the coconut milk, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 minutes.

• Return the chicken to the casserole and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve and sprinkle with some fresh coriander.

DINING OUT, Entertainment

The Chef’s Table: Why Do We Overcook Our Food?

 

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Our food writer, Mark Doe of ‘Just Cooking’ in Firies, says people who overcook their food don’t know what their missing…

ONE thing that I have learnt over the years of teaching people to cook at our school is that the majority of home cooks cook their food to death.

Why is this?
 Well apart from lack of knowledge on understanding how long food takes to cook and the trend in a lot of Irish homes to eat everything well done, I also believe it is the fear of poisoning somebody!

My mother in law is a classic example of this, who, although she is a great cook, tends to cook lamb and beef to death. But this is how she was taught and comes from her past few generations.

Chefs hate well done beef, lamb, duck, game and fish. It is a no go area when training to become a chef. Everything must be cooked pink.

Fish is always over cooked, but in reality most fish can be eaten raw as the Japanese do with Sushi and Sashimi. 
Small fish fillets say from Mackerel, sea bass or sole take 2-3 minutes to cook in a hot fryingpan and the likes of salmon fillet portions take around 6-7 minutes.

You will notice a massive difference in the taste and texture of your fish if it isn’t overcooked. In fact, fresh tuna and salmon are fantastic slightly under cooked.

With prime cuts of red meat, I can understand why some people hate the sight of blood in their meat. But if you try and get over this mental block and think of the blood as juices rather than blood, I will guarantee that you will be hooked on meat that is cooked to medium rare or medium.

The difference is amazing; tender, moist and packed full of flavour. Something you do not get with overcooked red meats as in fillet steak.

Of course pork and poultry have to cooked well done due to the risk of salmonella poisoning, but once you reach a core temperature of 75c the meat is safe to consume with no pink juces.
You don’t have to cook the life out the meat.

Pork steak and chicken fillets tend to dry out a lot if over cooked as there is very little fat in the meat.

So instead of giving your meat or fish the usual five more minutes, try it without the extra time, I am sure you will be surprised.

Happy cooking!

DINING OUT, Entertainment, Lifestyle

The Chef’s Table: I’m Not Quick To Complain In A Restaurant, But…

 

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Our food columnist, Mark Doe, on complaining in a restaurant…

AS a chef, one of the questions I get asked frequently is “do you ever complain when in a restaurant?”

Because I am a chef, people seem to think that I am hard to please when it comes to food, and that when eating out I am very critical. This, to be honest, is a long way from the truth!

I have my favourite restaurants, some fine dining, some bistro and others for when you fancy a quick bite of lunch with the family.

I like food that is cooked with care and delivers what it says on the menu! Surely not too much to ask?

But the main thing I look for when I eat out is consistency. If I go out on a Saturday night and there is 100 people eating, or a on Monday night and there is four people eating, I expect the same standard of food.

Now I know this can be a tough task, but from working in some of the world’s top hotels and restaurants, I also know that it can be done.

I have worked on 5 star cruise ships where chefs are producing food for 2,800 people, 24 hours a day, in some very rough Atlantic seas and it has been consistent.

So why is it so hard for a small 60-cover restaurant?

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One of a few rare times that I have complained was I was in a restaurant a few years ago and ordered a medium-rare fillet steak.

It was a Thursday night and there was around 16 people in the restaurant. The chef was sitting at the bar, in his uniform with his buddies, leaving the kitchen in the hands of his team.

Now my steak came (at a price of €28.00) and was so well done it looked like a piece of charcoal (and tasted the same)!

I complained and the steak was taken back to the kitchen, whilst the chef still sat at the bar, unaware of what had happened.

Another steak was cooked and came back still over-cooked! At this stage I was so hungry I ate it!

What really got to me was the fact that the kitchen had no consistency whilst the chef wasn’t in the kitchen, and as a head chef he should ensure that the same standard of food goes out, even if he isn’t in the kitchen! Isn’t that what he is paid to do! Train the staff and manage the kitchen!

Now I don’t want to rant too much about this, but a head chef is paid a good wage to ensure the food goes out to a consistent standard always, however many customers are in the establishment.

The type of restaurants I tend to go back to do all the same thing well, food cooked well and food that represents the price paid for it.

So to answer the question of whether I complain, the answer is; very rarely unless I feel I am being ripped off.

Which luckily in Kerry is very rare as we are blessed with some amazing restaurants, bistros, cafes and bars.

Happy cooking!

 

DINING OUT, Entertainment, Lifestyle

The Chef’s Table: A Perfect Thai Dish

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rsz_mark_doe_1THAI food is one of my favourite cuisines in the world. 
Fresh, vibrant, flavorsome, quick and healthy makes it a great style of cooking.

What makes it so unique is the combination of spicy, salty, citrus and sweet flavours in most dishes.

 Ingredients are readily available from most supermarkets and Asian food shops.

Pad Thai (phat Thai) is the best I know of all Thai noodle dishes. Try using tiger prawns as well as the meat or keep it vegetarian.

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1 packet of straight to wok Thai ribbon noodles

2 tbsp of groundnut or sunflower oil

2 eggs beaten

2 chicken fillets, finely sliced

1-2 fresh red chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 small piece of ginger, finely grated

3 tbsp of fish sauce

Juice of 1 lime

2 tsp of soft light brown sugar

115g of bean sprouts

4 tbsp of chopped fresh coriander

115g of unsalted peanuts, chopped 
4 spring onions finely sliced

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• In a non stick pan, heat a little oil and make two thin pancakes with the beaten eggs.

• Allow the pancakes to cool and finely shred them.

• Heat the oil in a wok and stir fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes.

• Now add the garlic, chillies, and ginger and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.

• Add the noodles then cover with a lid or tin foil and cook for 1-2 minutes.

• Mix together the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar.

• Add the fish sauce mix to the wok.

• Stir in the bean sprouts, coriander, omelette and peanuts.

• Toss a few times in the wok and serve. Sprinkle with the spring onions.

 

DINING OUT, Entertainment

The Chef’s Table: Mark Doe Picks His Favourite Cookbooks

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Our food columnist, Mark Doe of Just Cooking in Firies looks at the cookbooks he has acquired down through the years…

I HAVE a lot of cook books, in fact I have been collecting them since I was 16.

I am not going 
to tell you how many years that is as I will then have to give away my age!

I have books from all the well known chefs and some from the not so well known. I have books from the Novelle cuisine era – where it was acceptable to serve three pools of fruit coulis on a plate as a dessert and sell it for a huge price – and books written in the 1950s from domestic science teachers.

One particular Irish cook book I have, written in the 1950’s has a chapter on how to make cough medicines!

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“Practical cookery” is the book that all trainee chefs learn from when they study at college and when you are learning it is the bible.

To this day I sometimes refer to it. 
The book is now on its 11th edition and has changed a lot since I owned a copy back in 1986. 
It sits proudly on my book case in the cookery school amongst some of the best cookery books ever written.

“White Heat” by Marco Pierre White was the book of my era! 
Sharp photos of amazing food alongside pictures of Marco and his team in the kitchen and the fantastic Marco quotes. I would guess that most chefs own a copy of this and if they don’t shame on them.

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“Larousse Gastronomique” is an encyclopedia of gastronomy. Mainly based on French cuisine. it was first pubished in 1938 and today is over 1,300 pages.

This is one book that I feel I have used more than any other in my career.
 Everything you ever need to know about classical cuisine is in this book. 

The Fat duck and El Buli cook books are amazing stuff but you have to be a genius with some pretty expensive kit to pull of the recipes.

The Naked Chef is a book I love, as I do all of Jamie Oliver’s books. 
Jamie brought home cooking to an amazing level as before that home cookbooks were so dated.
 Jamie’s books would be the ones I use most when I look to entertain at home.

So out of the few hundred books that I own, what is my favourite you ask?

Well my grandmother gave me a cookbook called The “Lots of thing have changed in the kitchen since you last brought a Cookbook” Cookbook!

Written in 1970, it has a collection of recipes that can only be called classics; Beef wellington, sherry trifle, baked alsaka, lamb chops reform. The list is endless.
 But what I love about the book is this lovely piece on microwave ovens.

“Since microwave ovens are more expensive than a colour TV set, it is highly unlikely they will ever find a place in the modern home!”

I saw a microwave for sale the other day for €39.

How times have changed…as have cook books.

Happy cooking!

 

DINING OUT, Entertainment, Lifestyle

The Chef’s Table: You Gotta Love Those Temperamental Chefs

 

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rsz_mark_doe_1Our food columnist, ‘Just Cooking’s’ Mark Doe, on how different chefs have their ways in the kitchen…

WE all know that some chefs have a reputation of being temperamental, and to a degree it is true.

I know when I ran kitchens I sometimes had my moments, so I have decided to try to explain why chefs can be like this, and to a degree defend them!

There is two types of chefs that I have worked with. The first being extremely passionate about what they do, extremely talented and at the top of their game.

These guys are what make the catering industry such a great industry. 
They develop young chefs into great chefs and any telling off you get from these guys is always justified and never personal! When you go into these chefs’ kitchens you know what to expect – they demand perfection and nothing but 100% is good enough!

If there are 80 covers (or more!) in the restaurant and the kitchen isn’t performing, they are going to turn up the pressure. There is no point going over to the chef preparing the starters and saying “now come on mate, you need to move a little bit tonight, people are waiting for ages now!”

What he is more likely to say is; “Table 2 have been waiting 20 minutes now. If you don’t move it you are going to have to reconsider your career and find another job!”

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What this will do is get the guy moving and if he is as passionate as the head chef, he will rise to it and become a better chef.

The other type of chef is the opposite!

They don’t have any passion, cannot cook and are not happy with their chosen career choice! In fact many of them hate it and would do anything to get out of it!

They often have a huge ego to mask their lack of talent and passion and when they kick off, they really kick off.
 This normally creates chaos in the kitchen and makes the situation worse!

These are the worst chefs to work with by far! And if you want a career in cooking, avoid them!

One guy I have the utmost respect for is David Nicholls, formerly the Executive Chef of The Ritz Hotel, London, now director of food and beverage at Mandarin Oriental.

I worked at The Ritz in London for three years, and loved it!
 He was a hard man to work for, a real perfectionist who didn’t suffer fools! But nothing was ever personal, and I learnt more from him than any other chef I have worked for.

I am not ashamed to say that he had me in tears on a couple of occasions, but I had messed up on busy nights and had put the whole kitchen in the, you know whats!

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Even after these bad days. I would still be in the kitchen at 7am the following day for another 12-14 hour day! I believe that a certain amount of discipline is required in a kitchen, particularly at the higher level and it certainly never did me any harm.

So I hope this has shed a little like on cranky chefs and has not put any young people off from considering becoming a chef, because I can honestly say it is the best industry in the world.

Happy cooking!