Honeyed Walnuts

According to Pliny the Elder “Cattle that have eaten poisonous honey throw themselves to the ground, seeking to cool their bodies which are running with sweat.” Apart from the bizzare imagery the chances of poisoning anyone, let alone cattle with honey, seem remote. Maybe its an ancient human smear campaign against the phenomenon of bees and their complex and dilligent work ethic. The hardworking summer bee swoops from flower to flower gorging on liquid necter that results in a miraculous sticky and sweet ambrosia. Syrups are a useful way of combining flavours that like to mingle with honey including spices, orange blossom, rosewater and lemons. Nuts preserved in honey are a particular favourite of the South of France. Walnuts, which turn rancid fairly quickly, are best smoothered in a honey syrup. Add honeyed walnuts to yogurt, muesli and ice-cream. Use as a filling for tarts or for a sweet crunch with pecorino cheese.


Ingredients

350g clear honey.
450g walnuts.
1 lemon.
½ medium sized cinnamon stick.
Water.
Lightly toast the walnuts in a frying pan for a few minutes. Set aside and cool. Put 500mls of water in a pan with the honey, cinnamon stick, lemon juice and rind. Bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer to get a good syrupy consistency. Tip the walnuts into the syrup and mix. Immediately transfer everything to two 250g sterilized jars.

Ken Doherty is a chef and journalist

Crispy Pigs Cheek, Dandelion and Mustard. St. John, Bread and Wine, London.

Asparagus with Paprika Alioli

To miss the short Irish asparagus season would be to risk incuring the wrath of mother nature. A myth, if there was one, would show that if the current asparagus season was missed the following one would yield zero. These glorious green spears, are criminally undervalued here and with the season, if you are lucky, lasting from the end of April to the end of June any you can get hold of should be consumed with relish. Ideally eaten as soon as they are plucked from the ground before losing their natural sugars. Simply blanched and dipped into a fiery Catalan mayonnaise makes for a great shared starter. Ok, all together now, 'Im Asparagus!'

Ingredients

6 garlic cloves.
300ml olive oil.
1 tablespoons white wine vinegar.
1 egg yolk.
½ teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
Salt.
Crush the garlic and salt to a paste with the top of a knife, transfare to a bowl and add the egg yolk and vinegar. Slowly whisk in the olive oil till you get a thick consistency. Gently mix in the sweet paprika.
The asparagus does'nt need much cooking. Snap off the hard bottoms (they could be used later for a stockpot). If they are particularly large cut them into two and blanch in boiling water for about a minute or two. To stop the cooking process refresh under cold water, drain and serve with alioli on the side. Alternatively cook the asparagus on a griddle pan for about seven or eight minutes, turning occasionaly. Eat immediately sprinkled with flakes of Maldon sea salt.

Ken Doherty is a chef and journalist.

Sweet Aubergine Relish

Its almost as if cooking was invented for the likes of the aubergine. The most mysterious and misunderstood of the night shade family the aubergine becomes, in pickles and relishes, a great carrier of flavour. This preserve is somewhere between an Indian relish or pickle and an Italian caponata. Great as a side with curry's and stews or add to pasta for an eastern twist. The fruity and spicy element are a great accompaniment for sandwiches in need of a lift.

Ingredients

2 medium sized aubergines.
1 red onion.
10 grams of fresh ginger, chopped.
2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced.
½ teaspoon of mustard powder.
½ teaspoon of mustard seeds.
½ teaspoon of dried chillies.
1 teaspoon of cumin seeds.
1 teaspoon of coriander.
1 teaspoon of tumeric.
Olive oil.
2 tablespoons of tomato puree.
30g Sultanas.
30g pinenuts.
120ml red wine vinegar.
30ml port.
1 tablespoon of muscovado sugar.
Cut the aubergines into small chunks. Put them in an oven proof dish drissled with a little olive oil and some sea salt. Mix together so the aubergines are coated in the oil. Roast in the oven at about 170 degrees til browned and soft. Meanwhile fry the spices, in a medium sized pot, to release their aroma. Add the onion and a little more oil and fry till soft. For the last minute of frying add the chopped garlic and chilli flakes. If too dry add some more oil at this point. Drain the soaked sultanas and mix with the onions and spices. Pour the red wine vinegar and port into the pot with a little muscovado sugar and on a low heat and let it reduce and thicken. Add the aubergines and toasted pinenuts and cook for a further ten minutes. The relish should be sweet, sour and spicy. Transfer to sterlized jars and once opened keep in the fridge and use within a couple of weeks.

Ken Doherty is a chef and journalist

Labneh

You dont need a long white coat and a blue hair net to make cheese. Yoghurt, a muslin and a little time should be sufficient. By making your own cheese you become a producer of food with a sense of mystery and no less alchemy. By straining the whey from yogurt it becomes a lot thicker with a hint of sourness that places it somewhere between yogurt and cheese.
The Middle Eastern Labneh is great dappled among sweet roasted vegetables or placed like thick snowy peaks on bulgar and couscous salads. It can be formed into little balls, stored in strerilized jars and topped with olive oil. These cheese balls can be rolled with fresh herbs or spices. They make a great addition to slow roast lamb or beef. For a dip mix it with mashed smoked garlic. Add swirls of honey or fresh fruit for an early morning sweet kick or a refreshing after dinner soother.

Ingredients

500g Greek Yoghurt
½ teaspoon Sea Salt
In a bowl mix the salt with the yogurt. Scoop the yoghurt out and into a muslin cloth, tie up and hang over a bowl to catch the whey (which can be discarded later). Alternatively the yogurt can be strained through a fine sieve. Leave for at least 24 hours or longer if you want the cheese to have a firmer set.

Ken Doherty is a chef and journalist