One thing that we’ve noticed over the years is that food plays such an important role our in lives and not just for fuel but for entertaining and providing us with fond memories too.
We’ve chatted to some of Ireland’s well-known faces and eateries to discover their favourite dishes and meals, be it from their childhood or simply something they like to rustle up at home.
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This week, we’re chatting to chef Graham Neville at Restaurant FortyOne, who was recently awarded Best Chef of the Year at the FOOD&WINE Magazine Restaurant of the Year Awards.
To celebrate, Graham has shared three of his favourite recipes to cook, that showcase the skill and passion that bagged him the prestigious food award this year. Restaurant FortyOne also won Best Restaurant in Dublin (and you’re about to see why!)
Modestly addressing this huge achievement, Graham said:
“I think of our walled organic kitchen garden in Killiney as my secret weapon, as it has given me the luxury of working with the very best and freshest ingredients, grown by myself and our gardener, to our own exact requirements. Being able to really indulge in the qualities, textures and flavours of true seasonal eating is a pleasure, and it’s a privilege to bring that to our guests at Restaurant FortyOne.”
Restaurant FortyOne is part of the building that also houses Residence, the members club, but despite it’s prime location on Stephen’s Green, it is however open to any member of the dining public for lunch from Tuesday – Saturday from 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm and for dinner from 5:30 pm – 10:30 pm.
In the final instalment of recipes from the award-winning chef, Graham shares his recipe for how to rustle up roast John Dory, bacon and cabbage and potato gnocchi.
Roast John Dory, Bacon and Cabbage, Potato Gnocchi & Celeriac John Dory Emulsion
Ingredients
- 2 fillets of John Dory 140g each
- John Dory bones
- 1 head of York cabbage
- 100 heritage carrots (yellow/red)
- 800g celeriac
- 100g smoked pork belly
- 200g button mushrooms
- 200g onions
- 200g butter
Gnocchi
- 500g baked potatoes
- 100g flour
- ½ egg yolk
- 10g salt
Celeriac John Dory Emulsion
Method:
- Juice 500g celeriac.
- Chop up John Dory bones, to an inch thick.
- Sweat off 200g button mushrooms, 200g onions, 200g celeriac.
- After 3 minutes add in fish bones and then add the celeriac juice and cook for 30 minutes.
- Add water if it looks a little dry.
- Strain off and set aside, add 50g butter and blend with hand blender.
Bacon & Cabbage
Method:
- Brunoise the heritage carrots and celeriac.
- Clean and take the stalk out of the cabbage then slice the cabbage as finely as possible.
- Take the smoked pork belly and cut into fine lardons.
- In a large pot, cook the bacon lardons till brown and crispy.
- Add in brunoise of vegetables and cook for 3 minutes.
- Then add in the sliced cabbage, 100g butter and cook until tender.
- Season at the beginning, middle and end. Set aside when cooked.
Gnocchi
Method:
- Bake potato and scoop out the centre when cooked.
- Pass the potato pulp through a drum sieve.
- Add flour and salt to potato and mix
- Add ½ egg yolk and combine. Knead for a couple of minutes until it resembles bread dough.
- Roll out in a cigar shape and cut into 1 inch long barrels
- Roll the barrel between your hands to make a ball. Then shape the gnocchi on the back of a fork. Blanch and set aside.
John Dory
Method:
- Take the fillets of John Dory and season them with Maldon sea salt and white pepper, front and back.
- Place into a hot pan, with some olive oil and after one minute put pan with fish inside into the oven and roast for 4 minutes approx, or until cooked.
- Place cabbage in the centre of the plate, arrange gnocchi around and spoon on frothy sauce.
- Arrange fish on top of the cabbage.
