Chef Gearoid Lynch has been preparing great food for around 25 years.
He and his wife Tara run the Olde Post Inn in Cloverhill County Cavan and we're delighted to say he will be joining us on the show every fortnight to share his insider tips on making great food.
Today, he gave us tips on making your own garlic oil to use on spring lamb or salads, challenged us to make a nettle soup and also gave us a recipe for brown bread *posted below*
Take a listen here
Brown Soda Bread
Ingredients
1lbs Wholemeal Flour
1lbs Plain Flour
85g Pinhead Oatmeal
70g Bran
92g Wheat germ
3 ½tsps Bread soda
20g Salt
70g Brown Sugar
1 ½ lts Buttermilk
Splash Vegetable oil
Makes 5 loaf tins (grease & flour tins)
Pre heat oven 175◦C
60 minutes cooking time
175◦C 50 minutes
10 minutes out of tin
Method
- Mix all dry ingredients together in a large bowl, when adding bread soda sieve into bowl.
- Make a well and add all buttermilk and oil.
- Stir from the centre working in the dry ingredients.
- This is quite a wet mixture. Do not over work as it will stiffen the mixture and once baked will not be light in texture.
- Fill into prepared tins, sprinkle each with some pinhead oatmeal & brown sugar.
- Put into middle shelf of a preheated oven.
- Once baked, leave to cool on a wire rack.
Nettle Soup
Half a carrier bagful of stinging nettle tops, or fresh-looking larger leaves
50g butter
1 large onion peeled and finely chopped
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
1 large potato, peeled and cut into cubes
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp crème fraîche
A few drops of extra-virgin olive oil
A few drops of Tabasco optional
- Wearing rubber gloves, sort through the nettles, discarding anything you don't like the look of and any thick stalks. Wash the nettles and drain in a colander.
- Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and cook gently for 5-7 minutes until softened.
- Add the stock, nettles, potato and carrot. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the potato is soft, about 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat. Using an electric hand-held stick blender, purée the soup and then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Ladle into warmed bowls and float a teaspoonful of creme fraiche on top. As this melts, swirl in a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and Tabasco.