Cook With Donal
Mongolian Chicken
Ingredients
Serves: 2
Time: 30 minutes
500g Dunnes Stores Chicken Thighs, skinless & boneless, cubed
3 tbsp +1 tsp Dunnes Stores Baking at Home Cornflour
250ml vegetable oil
Thumb sized piece of Dunnes Stores Fresh Root
ginger, sliced into matchsticks
4 cloves of Dunnes Stores Rustic Irish garlic, grated
100ml low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
50g soft dark brown sugar
80ml water
5 spring onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
Sesame seeds, to serve
Method
1. Place the cubed chicken and three tablespoons of cornflour in a large bowl and toss to coat evenly.
2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan over high heat.
3. Add the chicken to the pan in a single layer and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Pour off the majority of the oil and reserve for another time.
4. Place the pan back on the heat and add the garlic, ginger and spring onions cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, water and brown sugar to the pan and bring to a simmer.
5. Mix the remaining 1 teaspoon of cornflour with 1 tablespoon of cold water. Add the cornflour mix to the sauce and bring to a boil; boil for 30-60 seconds until just thickened.
6. Return the chicken to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Serve with rice and a
sprinkle of sesame seeds.
Ice Cream Profiteroles with Chocolate Sauce
Ingredients
Serves: 6
Cooking Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
For the choux pastry:
60g salted butter
130ml water
80g plain flour
3 Dunnes Stores Large Free Range Eggs
For the chocolate sauce:
60ml single cream
30g caster sugar
50g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids), finely chopped
Dunnes Stores French Style Vanilla Ice Cream
Method
1. Preheat the oven 220°C/425°F/Gas Mark 7 and line two large baking sheets with baking parchment.
2. Place the butter in a saucepan with 130ml water and bring to a steady boil until thebutter has melted.
3. Remove the pan from the heat and add the flour, beating with a wooden spoon until a dough comes together. Place the pan back over the heat and beat the dough in the saucepan for about 40 seconds. Remove from the heat once again and set aside. Beat one of the eggs in a small bowl.
4. Add the remaining two eggs to the warm dough, one at a time, beating thoroughly until completely incorporated after each addition. Add a little of the beaten egg at a time until you have a consistency that will hold its shape when piped. It should be smooth, shiny and just about falling from the spoon.
5. Using a spatula, scoop the dough into a large piping bag fitted with a large round piping nozzle and pipe small swirls of dough on the lined baking sheets, leaving about 4cm between each swirl to allow for spreading. Brush each one with the leftover beaten egg.
6. Place in the oven, reducing the heat to 190°C/375°F/Gas Mark 5, for about 15–20 minutes until the choux pastry balls have risen and are golden and crisp.
7. Transfer to a wire rack and use a sharp pointed knife to pierce holes on the underside of the buns. Allow to cool completely before filling.
8. To make the chocolate sauce, put the cream and sugar into a small saucepan and simmer gently until the sugar is dissolved. Take off the heat and stir through the chocolate until it has melted and the sauce is silky and smooth.
9. To assemble the profiteroles, cut each one in half and fill with one scoop of vanilla ice cream.
10. Pile the profiteroles onto a serving plate and drizzle over the chocolate sauce and decorate if you wish. Serve straight away.
Vietnamese Lemongrass & Chilli Chicken
Ingredients
Serves: 4
Time: 35 minutes
2 lemongrass stalks, finely chopped
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce (Nam Pla)
350g chicken thigh meat, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp curry powder
100ml chicken stock
1 tbsp caster sugar
Small handful of mint, basil and coriander leaves, to garnish
Method
1. In a bowl, combine the lemongrass, chilli, garlic and fish sauce. Place the chicken into another bowl and add half the lemongrass mix, reserving the rest. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 20 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add the reserved lemongrass mixture, then add the curry powder and stir-fry for about 1 minute until fragrant. Then add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for 4–5 minutes until the pieces have a nice colour on all sides.
3. Pour the chicken stock into the pan and stir in the sugar. Simmer for a few minutes until the stock has reduced and you are left with a thick sauce.
4. Serve with steamed rice and garnish with the herbs.
Traditional Butter Chicken
Ingredients
Serves: 3 -4
Time: 1 hour
Chicken Tikka Marinade
400g boneless chicken (thigh preferred)
Salt to taste
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
Second marinade:
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1½ tbsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 cup hung curd (thick yogurt)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp fenugreek powder
Salt to taste
Butter Chicken Sauce (Base)
1 kg diced tomatoes
10–12 green cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
2 black cardamom pods
100g cashew nuts or butternut squash
250g chopped onion
40g chopped ginger
80g chopped garlic
2 green chilies, diced
1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Final Curry
Cooked chicken tikka
2 tbsp butter
½ tbsp chopped ginger
1 small green chili
3 tsp honey
½ tbsp fenugreek powder (kasoori methi)
50 ml fresh cream
1 tsp green cardamom powder
Salt to taste
To Serve
Naan, roti and steamed basmati rice
Method
1. Marinate the Chicken, pat chicken dry and allow to marinade in a mix of salt, lemon juice, and ginger-garlic paste for approximately 20 minutes. In another bowl, whisk together oil and Kashmiri chili powder. Then add the yogurt, garam masala, fenugreek powder, salt and coat the chicken well and marinate at least 30 minutes or longer.
2. To cook the Chicken (Tikka), preheat a pan/grill to medium-high and cook the chicken until slightly charred and fully cooked. Set aside
3. Next, make the curry base with all the base ingredients in a deep pan and bring to a boil, then cover and cook for 20 minutes until soft and aromatic.
4. Remove the bay leaves, cinnamon stick and black cardamom pods. Allow to cool slightly, then blend until smooth.
5. Build the Butter Chicken, in a clean pan, melt butter. Add chopped ginger, green chili and sauté until fragrant.
6. Pour in the strained curry base. Adjust consistency with water if needed. Stir in fenugreek powder, honey, salt.
7. Finish the dish by adding in the cooked chicken tikka. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes.
8. Stir in the fresh cream, green cardamom powder & sSimmer one more minute.
9. Serve with naan, roti and steamed basmati rice
Triple Chocolate Chunk Muffins
Ingredients
Serves: 12
Time: 40 minutes
110g salted butter, melted
200g caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
200g buttermilk
250g self-raising flour
70g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
100g dark chocolate, cut into chunks
100g milk chocolate, cut into chunks
100g white chocolate, cut into chunks
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C(375°F). Line a muffin tin with 12 paper cases
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl for a few minutes until pale and fluffy
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined, then stir in the buttermilk.
4. Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder, then fold until there are no dry lumps of flour and cocoa powder left and the batter is smooth.
5. Set aside some of the milk and dark chocolate chunks, then mix all the white chocolate and the remaining milk and dark chocolate into the batter.
6. Scoop the batter into the paper cases, fling each one almost to the top of the case. This is what gives the muffins the lovely domed top. Sprinkle the reserved milk and dark chocolate chunks over the top of each filled case.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean.
8. Let the muffins cool in the tin for a few minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days.
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