A St Patrick's Day supper

It’s a tribute to the sheer joie-de-vivre of the Irish that we regard St Patrick’s Day with much more enthusiasm than St George’s, St Andrew’s or St David’s Days (the patron saints for England, Scotland and Wales for those of you who aren’t into your saints). So your friends are going to be more than pleased to be invited to celebrate it with you.

This is another of my low maintenance menus with only the main course - an adaptation of the famous American Ham and Coke - needing last minute attention. If anyone in the party doesn’t like oysters (check beforehand) you can serve them some Irish smoked salmon instead. (Ummera and Frank Hederman are top smokers.)

Freshly shucked oysters and soda bread

Don't open the oysters too far in advance of eating them. In fact you could wait until your guests arrive - it'll give the men something to do!

Serves 6

36 oysters
Lemons, shallot vinegar and Tabasco to taste.

To open the oysters, protect your hand with a teatowel. Hold each oyster with the pointed end towards you and the flatter side uppermost. Find a point where the two sides of the shell join where you can insert the point of the knife and wiggle the blade around till you’ve got it firmly in. Work the blade round the edge of the oyster until the two sides come apart. Carefully holding the lower part of the shell so the juices don’t spill out, work away the flesh from the sides leaving the oyster meat in the base of the shell. Place the shell carefully on a bed of crushed ice or rock salt so that it can’t rock about. Repeat until all the oysters are open. Personally I would eat them without anything but soda bread and a cool glass of Guinness but you can lay on lemon wedges, shallot vinegar (mix 100ml red wine vinegar with 2-3 very finely chopped shallots) and Tabasco for those that want them

Irish soda bread

If you’ve never made bread in your life you could make Irish soda bread. It requires no kneading or rising time - you can make it from start to finish inside an hour. Everyone’s version differs slightly. This is based on the recipe the marvellous

Dan Lepard gives in Baking with Passion.

284 ml carton buttermilk or very low fat bio yoghurt
1 level tbsp black treacle
225g (8 oz) self raising flour
225g (8 oz) plain wholemeal flour (not bread flour) + extra for dusting
1 tbsp wheatgerm
1/2 level tsp cream of tartar
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 rounded tsp fine seasalt

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.
Warm the buttermilk very gently in a pan with the treacle until the treacle melts, stir well then take it off the heat. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the milk and treacle mixture and mix with a wooden spoon then pull the mixture together with your hands, trickling in a little water as needed. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
Shape the dough into a ball about 18 cm (7 in) wide and place on a floured baking tray. Cut a deep cross in the centre of the loaf, dust with a little more flour and bake for about 35-40 minutes until the bread is well browned and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it. Transfer onto a wire rack, cover with a clean teatowel to stop the crust getting too hard and cool for about 20-30 minutes. Serve while still warm with unsalted butter.

Coke and Guinness-glazed ham with Colcannon

It occurred to me that if you could cook ham in Coca Cola it might be even (itals) better cooked in Coke and stout. And it is!

Serves 4

About 1.5kg (3lb 5 oz) smoked gammon or bacon joint
2 x 330ml cans Guinness or Murphy’s stout
2 x 330ml cans Coca Cola
1 onion, peeled and halved
3 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
1 1/2 tsp mustard powder
6-8 cloves

Soak the gammon in cold water for several hours or overnight. Put the joint in a deep saucepan that fits it snugly and pour in the Guinness and Coke which should just about cover the ham. Add a little water if it doesn’t. Add the onion and bring the liquid gradually to the boil. Turn the heat down to a slow simmer and cook for about 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours, turning the joint once during the cooking period and topping up with boiling water as necessary. (The timing will depend how slowly you manage to keep the liquid simmering. If it barely trembles - as it should - go for the longer cooking time.) Remove the joint from the pan and reserve the stock (it makes a fantastic base for a black bean soup!). When the joint is cool enough to handle cut away any rind and score the fat with a diamond pattern. Preheat the oven to 225°C/425°F/Gas 8. Mix the sugar and mustard powder together, breaking down any lumps and rub into the fat. Stud the intersections between the diamonds with the cloves. Put the gammon joint on a sheet of foil and wrap the foil around the meat leaving the fat exposed. Put the joint in a roasting dish or tin and add a cup of the cooking liquid to the dish to stop the glaze burning. Roast the joint for 15 minutes until the fat is nicely caramelised. Carve the meat into thick slices and spoon a spoonful of the juices in the roasting tin over each portion. Serve with colcannon (below)

Colcannon

The classic Irish mix of cabbage and mashed potato.

Serves 6

900g (2lb) King Edwards or other good boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into even sized pieces
250g (9oz) of sliced cabbage
50g (2 oz) butter at room temperature
75ml (3 fl oz) warm milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Skim off any froth, season with salt then cook for 20-25 minutes until done. Drain the potatoes thoroughly then return to the pan. Meanwhile toss the greens for 2-3 minutes in a little boiling, salted water until just cooked. Drain, return to the pan and season with salt, pepper and 10g of the butter. Mash
the potatoes thoroughly till smooth then beat in the remaining butter and warm milk. Season with salt and pepper then mix in the greens.

Bailey’s pannacotta

This has to be one of the easiest desserts in the world. You’re simply making a Bailey’s-flavoured milk - or, rather, cream jelly. You can serve it with almost any kind of fruit. Stewed or baked rhubarb or a plum compote would be the most seasonal or, for a slightly more spring-like but arguably less Irish accompaniment, you could serve it with fresh berries such as strawberries or raspberries (slightly sweetened at this time of year) or fresh mango. Or, forget the fruit, and simply serve it on its own with an espresso and a dash of Irish whiskey as a sort of deconstructed Irish coffee. (A few biscotti would be nice too) I’ve given quantities for up to 8 as someone is bound to want seconds.

A Greek-inspired summer supper

With this unseasonably hot weather why not look to Greece for inspiration when you're entertaining. Here's a simple meal for 4 that was inspired by a trip to Greece a few years ago.

Watermelon, feta and toasted pumpkin seed salad

One of my favourite summer salads - so fresh and simple
Serves 4

40g pumpkin seeds
1/2 a ripe watermelon (about 800g)
200g feta cheese
Greek or other olive oil for drizzling
Freshly ground black pepper

Heat a frying pan over a moderate heat. Add the pumpkin seeds and toast for 3-4 minutes shaking the pan occasionally until they start to change colour. Tip onto a plate to cool. Cut the watermelon flesh away from the rind, discard the seeds and cut into generously sized chunks. Divide between 4 plates. Drain any liquid surrounding the cheese, divide into 4 and crumble it roughly over the watermelon. Sprinkle over the toasted pumpkin seeds and drizzle over a little olive oil. Season with freshly ground black pepper and serve with Greek bread or warm sesame or wholewheat pitta bread, cut into quarters

Grilled lamb steaks with lemon, honey and mint

Serves 4

1 heaped tsp Greek or other strongly flavoured clear honey
3 tbsp Greek or other olive oil
3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, crushed
2 tbsp chopped fresh mint
4 lamb steaks, about 150g each

Spoon the honey into a shallow dish, add the oil and mix together with a wooden spoon. Add the lemon juice garlic and mint and mix well. Trim any excess fat off the lamb steaks and place in the marinade, turning them so both sides are coated. Leave in the marinade for 30 minutes, turning them a couple of times.

Heat a ridged grill pan for about 3 minutes until almost smoking. Remove the lamb steaks, shaking off any excess marinade and lay in the pan. Cook for 2-3 minutes depending on the thickness of the steaks then turn them over and cook for another 2-3 minutes depending how rare you like your lamb. Remove the lamb steaks and set aside on a plate to rest for 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat. Carve each steak on a slant into 3 thick slices and arrange on each plate. Pour any accumulated juices back into the pan along with the marinade and a splash of water, let it bubble up in the residual heat and pour the juices over the steaks. Serve with the orange and rocket salad below and sea-salt potatoes.

* You can obviously cook the steaks on a barbecue if you prefer

Wild rocket, orange and dill salad

I tasted a salad similar to this in a restaurant in Athens last year and found it refreshingly different
Serves 4

2 oranges
4 tbsp Greek or other olive oil
2 tbsp finely snipped fresh dill
A small pack of wild rocket
50g small black olives, marinated in herbs (optional)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel one of the oranges by scoring it in quarters round the outside and plunging it in boiling water for 3-4 minutes. Drain off the water, and peel away the rind removing as much pith as possible. Cut the orange across into thick slices and then into small triangular segments, again removing any excess pith. Squeeze the juice from the other orange and whisk with the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the dill. When ready to serve divide the rocket between 4 plates, scatter over the orange pieces and a few olives, if using, and spoon over the dressing

Sea-salt potatoes

Cooking potatoes with hardly any oil or water gives them the lovely mealy texture of a baked potato. You could also cook them on a barbecue if you’re barbecuing the lamb.
Serves 4

500g baby new potatoes, washed and dried
1 tbsp Greek or other olive oil
Maldon sea salt

Take a casserole or large, lidded frying pan big enough to hold the potatoes in a single layer. Heat the casserole over a moderate heat, add the oil then tip in the potatoes. Give the pan a good shake and cover. Cook for about 25-40 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes and the thickness of the pan, shaking the pan regularly to ensure the potatoes brown evenly. Add a tablespoon of water now and then if they seem to be catching. When the potatoes are tender sprinkle over some Maldon sea salt, rubbed between your fingers.

Roast figs with walnuts and honey, Greek yoghurt

The Greeks are very keen on walnuts which are always served incredibly fresh. Make sure you use a freshly opened packet.
Serves 4

75g walnuts, roughly chopped
2 tbsp clear Greek or other strongly flavoured clear honey + extra to serve
8 small to medium or 4 large fresh figs
Greek yoghurt to serve
A little oil for greasing the baking dish

Pre-heat the oven to 225°C/425°F/Gas 7. Trim any stalk off the top of the fig and
cut into quarters two thirds of the way down the fruit. Stack the figs upright side by side in a lightly greased baking dish. Mix the chopped walnuts with the honey. Take small spoonfuls of the walnut mixture and press it gently into the centre of each fruit. Roast the figs for 10 minutes. Stir the yoghurt until smooth. Serve the figs with a generous dollop of yoghurt with some extra honey drizzled over the top.

What to drink:
Unusually this is a meal where you could take the same wine through the first and second courses. A zesty white like a Greek Assyrtiko or a citrussy Sauvignon Blanc (from, say, California, Chile or the Adelaide Hills in Australia) would suit both the feta salad and the lamb. Alternatively you could switch to a ripe soft red for the main course such as a Merlot, Syrah or southern French red such as Faugères or, if you want to stick to Greek wines, an Agiorgitiko.

With the dessert don't miss the opportunity to try an exotic Muscat from the Greek island of Samos, one of the best bargains in the wine world.

A perfect vineyard lunch

As I mentioned in my last post our last lunch of the Oregon trip was at Cristom where sales director (no less!) John D'Anna cooked us a great meal. Here's how he did it and - where I have a link to them - the recipes he used. Try it!

Panzanella
The perfect recipe to make at this time of year, especially if you have access - as John did - to heirloom tomatoes. I don't think any of Cristom's wines were perfectly suited to it - the Pinot Gris fared best - but I'd have gone for a Sauvignon Blanc, dry Italian white or a rosé. John got his recipe from the Saveur Italian cookbook. I would guess it's probably this one. The toasting of the bread definitely added to the texture.

Hot smoked salmon salad with corncakes
A star recipe originally from Alfred Portale's Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook. Basically an assembly of warm hot smoked salmon, spring (green onion), finely sliced peppers, chives and sour cream on a corncake made with fresh wine corn I would guess. Just delicious and the perfect foil for both the 2008 Cristom Pinot Gris and ’08 Germaine Vineyard Chardonnay. (Chardonnay loves corn!)

Spoon lamb with pomegranate and white beans
At first sight this looks like more of a winter dish but lamb is lighter than beef, especially when sauced this exotic way. (The recipe comes from Anna Sorton of Oleana restaurant in Boston) The touch of pomegranate provided the ideal bridging ingredient to winemaker Steve Doerner’s glorious 2007 Sommers Reserve Pinot Noir and white beans are always a great textural foil for a medium or full-bodied red.

Oregon - and British - cheeseboard
I love the presentation of this cheeseboard with its casually scattered cherries. The local cheeses were Adelle (bottom left) a rich bloomy rinded cow and sheeps' cheese from Ancient Heritage Dairy, Sunset Bay (bottom right) a goats cheese with a line of smoked pimenton from Rivers Edge Farm, Boerenkaas, a hard Dutch-style cheese from the Willamette Valley dairy (top left) and - rather improbably - Cornish Yarg (top right). A well chosen selection to show off the older Pinot Noirs.

Raspberry buttermilk cake
I have to confess I didn't get round to tasting this as we had to shoot off for our next appointment but it looked lovely and was perfectly in balance with the rest of this delectably summery meal. It would be a good foil for a light lemony dessert wine too. Here's the recipe which comes from the late lamented Gourmet magazine.

How to create a dish to match a wine

Signe Johansen recently competed in - and won - a food bloggers challenge to come up with the perfect dish for a Casillero del Diablo Chilean Cabernet. Here’s how she went about it. (You can find the recipe for the winning dish, Pigeon breast and chocolate mole with redcurrants and parmesan mash here.)

Matching a wine to food is not uncommon these days but matching food to wine?

I'd argue any cook worth their salt embraces the task of tasting and deconstructing a wine, then inventing a dish to match its distinctive characteristics however daunting that challenge might be. I relished the opportunity to do so when asked along with two other bloggers, Linda Williams of With Knife and Fork and Louis Villard of Spiltwine to take part in a recent wine and food matching challenge as part of a tripartite social media experimentorganised by Casillero del Diablo, Robert McIntosh of Wine Conversation and Chris Mitchell of Cube PR.

The idea was to test the boundaries of new social media using digital technology such as live video streaming and engaging our respective followers for food and wine pairing ideas on Twitter.With Casillero winemaker Marcelo Papa over from Chile, and live recording of the experiment, the two other bloggers and I were set the task of creating a bombshell of a dish, whilst admittedly running the risk of bombing out altogether

Thankfully all the dishes created met with the approval of the judges Marcelo Papa, Thierry Laborde of The Kitchen and Carol Emmas of Harpers Wine & Spirit Trades Review. A fun day was had by all and I'd do it again - in fact given that I won the competition I've now been instructed by my mates to recreate the winning dish for them, the recipe for which you can find here.

Tasting the wine and creating the dish:
The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon with its ripe, yet mellow hit of red berries, hint of spice and rounded structure is a bold but not bombastic wine so I decided to channel all my autumnal yearnings for game, umami-rich jus reductions and a comforting carb to match this wine. The obvious solution might have been to go for a juicy steak or roast lamb but I set off with pigeon in mind and Elizabeth King on Parsons Green provided glorious, crimson pigeon breasts which formed the backbone of the dish.

But what else would work with Cabernet Sauvignon? During a live radio tasting of the wine Joe Wadsack suggested crystalline cheese such as parmesan and that set me thinking. If I could somehow harness the umami hit of parmesan without crudely plonking a big block of the stuff on a plate then parmesan was definitely going to feature.

I was tempted to leave the dish at meat and cheese but knew there had to be some acidity to balance the richness of the pigeon and off-set the parmesan's pungency which I was planning to incorporate in a pomme mousseline, or luscious creamy mashed potato. Voila! Another umami-rich component in the form of a red wine reduction, given extra zing from crisp crab apple jelly and added depth from grated 100% cocoa. To add a bit of Scandinavian flair I garnished the dish with fresh redcurrants, one of my favourite late summer berries.

As Marcelo Papa said in his judgement of the dish, it was the combination of all these constituent ingredients that made my pigeon breast and chocolate mole with red currants and parmesan mash a perfect partner for his wine. And who’s to argue with the winemaker ;-)

For more on how the experiment unfolded have a look at http://casillero.posterous.com/

Signe Johansen is a food anthropologist and cook and blogs as Scandilicious