EACH WEEK, WE ask a home cook about the dishes they’ve been whipping up of late – from simple suppers to lavish lunches
This week, Waterford native Emma Martin (@emmascottagekitchen) shared with us five of her most impressive dishes that are surprisingly easy to make.
Having grown up with a father who worked as a chef for some 30 years and a brother who’s also a chef, Emma says “the love for food is definitely in the blood.”
“I love making things from scratch and find a sense of well-being in that, but I definitely like a shortcut too. There’s no food snobbery here!” Emma tells TheJournal.ie.
“I don’t like waste in the kitchen either and like to minimise it by using up leftovers and being a bit creative with them. Tasty food doesn’t have to cost a lot or be complicated.”
From crowd-pleasing chicken wings to impressive homemade honeycomb, Emma shared with us five dishes that she’s been whipping up of late…
1. Burger on a Blaa: I don’t think I know anyone who doesn’t enjoy a burger. The secret for a good beef burger is to make sure it’s at least 18% fat and made of good quality mince. It gives it a gorgeous juiciness and the flavour is unbeatable! As a Déise girl I love to use a blaa as the bun and I am partial to some strong cheddar cheese melted on there too.
2. Spicy fried rice with a crispy egg: This is the perfect way to use up leftover meat and veg to make a tasty meal. I use prawns, leftover chicken, pork or whatever meat or vegetables I have in the fridge. Throw a little splash of oil on a hot pan, whatever meat, fish or veg you like, add some garlic, ginger, chilli, soy sauce and honey, top with a fried egg and you have something substantial and delicious done in 15 minutes. By topping with the egg you’re not trying to scrape eggy bits from the base of the pan when it’s time for the washing up!
3. Sticky boneless wings: These are my go-to party food. I buy a pack of chicken thighs, take the bone out and cut them into wing size portions. I then toss them in seasoned flour with some spices, fry them, and coat them in a gorgeous sauce made from honey, barbecue sauce, fresh ginger and soy sauce (I sometimes add Sriracha for heat). They’re cheap to make and go down so well. I make these for family gatherings and everyone raves about them.
4. Fish tacos: These are a great choice if you’re having a couple of friends over. Cut any fish you like cut into chunks, coat it in a crispy beer batter (flour and cold beer) and fry it. Sometimes I make little soft tacos myself or other times I’ll use a pack of mini tortillas. I also make a simple guacamole, some mango salsa and a quick pickled slaw, and top them with sour cream and coriander. The topping choices are endless.
5. Simple honeycomb: This is quite simple to make, although it might take a couple of goes to get the hang of it. It involves just three ingredients; golden syrup, caster sugar and baking soda (or four if you want to drizzle on some chocolate). My two biggest tips for making this are: baking soda and baking powder are not the same thing, so make sure to use actual baking soda; and do not be tempted to touch the mixture until it’s completely cool – although it requires a lot of self control!
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