Kevin Dundon's Modern Irish FoodMore than 100 recipes for easy comfort food

One of Ireland’s best-loved chefs, Kevin Dundon can usually be found busy at work in the Dunbrody House kitchens and cookery school. A chef with a love of locally sourced produce, he has cooked for many well-known celebrities during his career, including Queen Elizabeth II, President Bush and Bono.

In 1994, Kevin was head-hunted to become Executive Head Chef of the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, widely recognized as one of the most prestigious chef appointments in Ireland. In 1997, Kevin and his wife founded the Dunbrody Country House Hotel, which has become synonymous with contemporary Irish country house cooking. The award-winning hotel also hosts Kevin’s cookery school.

In 2008 Kevin put his name to MGM Grand’s new restaurant venture Raglan Road in downtown Disney, Orlando, establishing a fan-base in the USA. The following year saw Great Family Food hit the bookshops, followed by Recipes That Work in 2010.

Over the past few years Kevin has appeared on numerous TV channels including ESPN Cable, CBC (Live) Canada, RTÉ (Live) Ireland and No Frontiers Travel Show. Kevin’s profile soared in 2011 with his role as Resident Chef of RTÉ’s hugely popular The Afternoon Show every week, and he is also a regular on Irish radio.

Kevin is the food ambassador for Ireland’s leading supermarket chain SuperValu.

 

 

“Irish chef Kevin is known for his fresh and rustic approach to eating and this beautiful book will fill you with enthusiasm for his way of working. — Great British Food – Praise for Recipes That Work

Pickled Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

Baby Leek Gratin with Smoked Gubbeen

Pulled Corned Beef

Croissant Bread and Butter Pudding

 

Pickled Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

This is a lovely crunchy and tangy accompaniment to cold meats and salads. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator and use within a few days.

Makes about 750g (1lb 10oz)

500g (1lb 2oz) red cabbage (or 1 small head), core removed  and leaves thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

50g (1⁄3 cup) sultanas  (golden raisins)

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

2 tbsp muscovado sugar  or light brown sugar

250g (9oz) cooking apples (or 2 cooking  apples), peeled, cored and sliced

15g (1 tbsp) butter 

½ tsp ground mixed spice (allspice)

1 tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Grated rind and juice of 1 orange 

Preheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF/gas mark 2.  

Layer the cabbage, onion, sultanas, vinegar, sugar, apples, butter and mixed spice into a baking dish and season with the salt and some black pepper. Add the orange rind and juice. 

Cover the dish with kitchen foil and bake for 2½ hours, removing the foil for the last 20 minutes of cooking. 

Serve hot or cold.

 

Baby Leek Gratin with Smoked Gubbeen 

Serves 4

I use some lovely smoked Gubbeen cheese in this dish, but a good quality blue cheese, such as Cashel Blue, can work just as well.

1kg (2lb 4oz) baby leeks
25g (2 tbsp) butter
2½ tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
300ml (1¼ cups) milk
100g (3½oz) smoked Gubbeen cheese (or use a semi-soft cows’ cheese)
Salt and black pepper 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400ºF/gas mark 6.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the leeks and blanch for3–6 minutes until tender. Remove them with a slotted spoon, drain thoroughly and place in an ovenproof dish. Reserve 200ml (1 cup) of the leek cooking water. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat and stir in the flour.

Cook for about 2 minutes until a light golden colour. Pour in the milk and reserved water and whisk vigorously until smooth.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the cheese, stirring until melted.

Pour the sauce over the leeks and season with salt and black pepper. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 5 minutes until caramelized.

Pulled Corned Beef

This comforting broth has the flavour of home at Easter to me. You’ll need brisket or silverside for this recipe, and the cooking process is long and slow, but it makes the meat tender and juicy. 

Serves 4–6 

1.5kg (3¼lb) corned beef silverside (bottom round), cut in half

250ml (1 cup) beer

2 oranges, halved

1 garlic bulb, crushed

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs of thyme 

4 tbsp honey 

4 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 tsp mustard seeds

3 star anise

2 tsp black peppercorns

500ml (2 cups) water 

1 onion, cut into wedges

500g (1lb 2oz) potatoes (or 4 potatoes), quartered

500g (1lb 2oz) baby carrots (or 4 carrots cut into batons about 6cm/2½ inches long)

200g (7oz) baby turnips (or ¼ large  turnip cut into small chunks)

1 small head of cabbage, about 300g (10½oz), cut into wedges 

Place the beef in a large saucepan with the beer, oranges, garlic, bay leaf, thyme sprigs, honey, vinegar, spices and peppercorns and cover with water. Put a lid on the pan and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 2½–3 hours, topping up the water during cooking if necessary, until a fork can be easily inserted into the centre of the meat. Carefully remove the beef and put it on a cutting board to rest for about for 10 minutes.

Add the 500ml (2 cups) of water to the pan and bring to the boil over a medium heat. Put in the vegetables and bring back up to the boil. Reduce the heat to a low simmer and cook for 15–20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Discard the orange pieces. 

Use 2 forks to pull the meat apart. Divide it between bowls and serve with the broth and vegetables. 

Croissant Bread and Butter Pudding

 

Instead of using the traditional slices of bread, I like to use croissants for this pudding as they create a light dish. Serve with jugs of Butterscotch Sauce (see page 210) and Crème Anglaise (see page 210) so that everyone can help themselves.

 Serves 4–6

70g (5 tbsp) softened butter, for
greasing 

6–8 croissants (crescent rolls), cut into
large pieces

50g (1⁄3 cup) raisins

300ml (1¼ cups) double (heavy)
cream 

300ml (1¼ cups) milk

4 eggs

½ tsp ground cinnamon

70g (1⁄3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar 

Generously butter an ovenproof dish that measures about 20 x 30cm (8 x 12 inches).

Arrange a single layer of croissant chunks, slightly overlapping, in the bottom of the dish. Scatter over some of the raisins, place another layer of croissant chunks on top and scatter over the remaining raisins. Press down gently with a fish slice or spatula.

To make the custard, heat the cream and milk in a saucepan until the mixture comes almost to the boil. Remove from the heat. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, ground cinnamon and sugar in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water until the mixture is thickened and the whisk or beaters leave a trail when lifted. Remove from the heat and beat in the cream mixture until well combined. 

Pour two-thirds of the custard over the croissants and leave to stand for about 30 minutes or until they have soaked up all the liquid. Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4.

Pour the remaining custard over the soaked croissants and press down firmly with a fish slice or spatula so that the custard reaches halfway up the croissants. Place the dish in a roasting pan and pour in enough water to come a third of the way up the side of the dish. Bake for 30–35 minutes until the custard is just set and the top is golden brown. Serve immediately.