This recipe was the first dish on his menu as Head Chef in 1997 at Deanes Restaurant and it started a fashion in Belfast for comfort food in winter.1 Roll up the Pork Belly which has been seasoned using the Five Spice and tie with string. My tip is to get your local butcher to do this for you.
The Nuremore Hotel, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan.
Tel. 042 966 1438
This recipe of tortellini au gratin is one of the most tasty dishes in Emilia. It is so filling it can be used as a one-course meal. The cooking of the Emilia does tend to use butter and cream fairly liberally, a habit that has led to Bologna being known in Italy as The Fat'. Roberto lives in Ireland now, cooking during the day at Janet's Coffee House in Dun Laoghaire.
Janet's Coffee House and Deli, Upper Georges Street, Dun Laoghaire.
Tel. 01 663 6871
This recipe is a good example of his work seemingly simple, but using the best ingredients.
Peploes, 16, St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2.
Tel. 01 676 3144
I asked him what he most wants to accomplish in One Pico. My specific goal is to continue to raise the quality and consistency of the food, which is heavily based on seasonality and the freshness of ingredients. The kitchen staff are diligent, focused and professional and I hope this will show through in our food. More importantly I hope that the genuine love and respect for the produce is visible, as that is what we are truly trying to showcase.'
I thought this dish was a winner, it's not too hard to do and its tastes terrific.
Jean-Michels signature dish is his medallions of matured Irish beef on white truffle mash with buttered swede & red wine jus, but we've chosen this recipe as the ingredients are more readily available.
This recipe reflects the maritime influence of Brittany, Erics roots.
This recipe is a good example of what her kitchen produces, it's unfussy, tasty and uses organic beef.
Ely Winebar, 22 Ely Place, Dublin 2.
In this recipe Simon takes us through one of Eatzen's signature dishes, the Mango Duck. Not difficult, but very tasty
Eatzen, Town Centre, Ashbourne, Co. Meath.
Tel: 01 835 2110
Radisson SAS St. Helen's Hotel,
Stillorgan,
Co. Dublin
Tel: 01-2186000
Druid's Glen occassionally run an Italian evening called A taste of Venice', which I enjoyed recently. Johnathan is committed to finding high quality and fresh ingredients, leading to his dictum If the food does not have flavour raw it will not taste any better cooked.' I particularly liked the antipasti that night, which included some unusual dishes, so here are Johnathan's suggestions to get your Italian night started with flair.
I've picked just three of her Meze recipes to fit this page, but these should give you an idea of what was on offer.
I asked Rory for his signature dish, and this one is his favourite, because he says, it's simple to make and always a winner.'
I think his recipe for zander is terrific, it has a great mix of flavours and makes a fine dish.
Alex, The Conrad Hotel, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2.
Tel. 01 602 8900
My meal in Number Ten got off to a great start with an amuse bouche, a little taster dish that got the gastric juices flowing and the appetite stimulated. This is the recipe for that amuse bouche, but you can use this buttery brioche dough as a base for savarins and savoury dishes as well.
Stephen McAllister's Number Ten, 9-10 Lower Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2
Tel. 01 6761367
This is one of Stefania's dishes that reflects the strong flavours and earthy wholesomeness of Southern Italian food.
I loved this dish, you can serve it in a demi-tasse, but you could easily eat a big bowlful.
I ate in Fish' a few weeks ago and I really enjoyed his starter, tartar of bluefin tuna, which was presented encased in chicory leaves. It looked beautiful and had a crispness of flavour that I liked.
coquelet is a smaller breed of chicken, very subtle in flavour and texture
This recipe is a good example of his use of flavours and spices.
Jaipur, 41-46 Sth. Great Georges Street, Dublin 2.
Tel. 01 677 0999
This dish of duck foie gras is very much one of Pearl's signature dishes.
Pearl Brasserie, 20 Merrion Street Upper, Dublin 2.
Telephone: 01 661 3572
I liked this unusual recipe, which well repays the effort of preparation.
Irish fillet of beef gateaux with flavoured aubergine, beef tomato and mushroom duxelle, served with a red wine and coriander reduction.
On the night we went to Clipper', Walter Zoppi had a special of seafood ravioli, which he encouraged us to eat. I'm glad he did, because the ravioli were not only delicious, but they looked wonderful on the plate; a mix of black and white squares covered with the seafood sauce. If you want to do this properly, you'll need to make the ravioli yourself, which isn't hard, just time consuming.
This seared tuna, a super starter, is a recipe in one of Derry's many cookbooks, called Not Just a Cookbook' which is available from l'Ecrivain Restaurant, 109A Lower Baggot Street, Dublin 2, (01) 6611919
Eric Theze has a light touch with fish, and this is one of the fish dishes that you can find on the menu in Faithlegg.
Faithlegg House, Co Waterford.
Tel. 1850 750 100
