PODCAST: Neven Maguire talks Bloom, Chicken Thighs & West Cavan in Belturbet

Neven Maguire of MacNean House in Blacklion kindly drove up to meet The Joe Finnegan Show in Belturbet on Tuesday where he told Joe all about the fantastic Bloom festival in the Phoenix Park, recipes for home made take aways and the beauty of West Cavan. Recipes he referred to are included below.

Neven's Ragu Alla Bolognese

Serves 8-12

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
1 celery stick, finely diced
350g lean minced beef
350g lean minced pork
300ml red wine
2 x 400g (14oz) can plum tomatoes
1 x Bouquet Garni (Bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, sage)
675g-1 kg spaghetti
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
freshly grated Parmesan, to serve

1. Heat a large, heavy-based pan. Add the oil and sauté the onion, carrot and celery.  Cook for 8-10 minutes until the vegetables have softened and taken on a little colour, stirring occasionally.
2. Add the minced beef and pork to the pan and mix until well combined, then sauté until well browned, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon.
3. Deglaze the pan with a little of the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to remove any sediment. Pour in the remaining wine with the plum tomatoes and break up using a wooden spoon. Bring to the boil, add in the bouquet garni, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer for at least two hours, or up to four hours is best until the beef and pork is meltingly tender and the sauce has slightly reduced.
4. When ready to serve, bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil. Add a good pinch of salt and swirl in the spaghetti. Stir once and then cook for 8-10 minutes or according to instructions on the packet until the pasta is al dente. Drain and quickly refresh under cold running water, then return to the pan and add the Bolognese sauce. Toss until well-combined and then divide among warmed wide-rimmed serving bowls. Scatter over some Parmesan to serve.

Neven's Vietnamese-Style Grilled Five Spice Chicken Thigh Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 1 large shallot, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp minced fresh root ginger
• 2 tsp sugar
• 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 4 tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
• 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 8 Quality Assured boneless chicken thighs

Salad:

• 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, core removed and shredded
• 1 firm ripe mango, peeled, stone removed and cut into julienne
• 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
• 50g (2oz) roasted cashew nuts, roughly chopped
• good handful fresh coriander leaves

Dressing:

• 4 tbsp Donegal Rapeseed oil
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp finely minced ginger root
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. To make the marinade, place the garlic in a mini food processor or blender with the shallot, ginger and sugar, then blend to form a paste. Transfer to a small bowl and whisk in the soy sauce, Thai fish sauce, five-spice powder and several grinds of pepper.
2. Arrange the chicken thighs in a shallow dish and pour over the marinade, turning until well coated. Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours is best, turning the chicken thighs several times in the marinade. Bring back to room temperature before cooking and wipe off any excess marinade with kitchen roll.
3. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the oil to the pan, then place the chicken thighs in it skin-side down. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the skin is nice and crispy.
4. When you can see that the chicken thighs are nicely browned and that the flesh is almost but not quite cooked through. Turn them over and cook for another 5-6 minutes until completely cooked through and tender. Remove from the heat and leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.
5. Place in a large bowl with the lettuce, mango, spring onions, cashew nuts and coriander.
6. To make the dressing, place the rapeseed oil in a small bowl with the vinegar. Whisk until blended, then stir in the soy, ginger, garlic and oil. Season to taste.
7. Use the dressing to lightly dress the salad, tossing gently until evenly combined. Arrange on plates and serve the remaining dressing in a small jug so that your guests can help themselves.