Our end-of-season barbecue and pizza night for our dedicated staff is always a highlight at this time of year, and this week’s event followed in that happy tradition. We had more than 50 people in all on the night, and a fantastic mobile pizza van came from Enniskillen to Blacklion to look after us all, allowing staff to have some downtime enjoying the good weather and good company in the outdoor courtyard area.
A talented local musician, Aaron Wilson, came to entertain us with his guitar and songs, and by the time Amelda and I headed for home, there was a great buzz. Marion Fee, who has been with us for 50 years and is the heart and soul of MacNean House and Restaurant, was an integral part of the occasion. However, there was one bit of sadness as Charley Greene, a much-loved staff member, was saying goodbye as she is off to Australia on her travels. We wish her well, and if she ever wants to come back, the door will always be open. We will miss her.
Before Amelda and I left, there was an opportunity for a few words because I really do appreciate the hard work, loyalty and support of our fabulous staff who make MacNean what it is every day. Restaurant life is great fun, but it is also very demanding, with lots of early mornings and late nights. It is a way of life, and we are so fortunate to have so many great people working with us.
I am still basking in the afterglow of the Electric Picnic, words I never would have envisaged saying. I don’t think there has been a single customer since who hasn’t mentioned my memorable session on the decks after seeing the coverage on social media. For me, it was certainly great fun, and hopefully, not a once-in-a-lifetime experience. That said, anyone coming to eat with us should know the restaurant is a vinyl-free area, and that will not be changing!
My new RTÉ show, Neven’s Ulster Food Tour, started on 3 September, and I’m delighted with the positive feedback from the first show. People love to see parts of the country that they do not know all that well, featured on the small screen.
Amazingly, the series was filmed this time last year. There is always a long lead-in time between filming and actually seeing the programmes, so this week I am off again for another series airing next year.
My first stop will be Newcastle upon Tyne in the north of England, a new destination for me, and I am excited to see what culinary delights await. There are always surprises in every show, and I never come back from a filming trip without new experiences and ideas that inspire future developments. It is always fun to film abroad, and I’m excited to see the finished product on television months later.
Today, I have two quick and easy chicken recipes with an Italian theme. That is, they use typical Italian ingredients – olive oil, Parma ham, Parmigiano and pesto. The crispy garlic chicken is a handy one-tray dinner. Heating the sliced onion rings in the honey makes a lovely garnish, which also goes well with steaks and burgers.
In terms of the apple cider vinegar, I am a great fan of Highbank Orchards, a fifth-generation family farm run by Rod and Julie Calder-Potts in Cuffesgrange, outside Kilkenny. Check out their website for lots of excellent products and for tours if you are in the area.
The second recipe, pesto chicken saltimbocca, can be prepared ahead of time. In Italy, saltimbocca is usually made with veal wrapped in prosciutto and marinated to taste. Here, I use chicken, and the key to this meal is to get really good Parma ham. 24-month matured would be ideal.
Balsamic vinegar is one of my cupboard essentials, and any 3-year-old is delicious in salad dressings or roasted vegetables.
You will still get tomatoes in season. And for honey, I love Mileeven, another Kilkenny business run by the Gough family.
Crispy garlic
chicken and baby roast potatoes
Ingredients: serves 4
2 packs of Irish corn-fed chicken thighs
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus a little extra
1 pack baby potatoes
4 tbsp Irish organic apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 red onion, sliced into rings
1 carton Greek yoghurt (10% fat)
1 carton Italian basil pesto
A handful of wild rocket leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (450°F/Gas Mark 7). Wipe the chicken thighs with kitchen paper and trim off any excess pieces of skin with scissors. Put the oil in a bowl and mix with the garlic and Parmigiano, then season generously. Slash the skin of each chicken thigh three times.
2. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and put them in a medium-sized baking tray. Drizzle over half of the oil mixture, tossing to combine. Set a cooling rack on top and arrange the chicken thighs on top, then brush over the rest of the oil mixture. Bake for 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown and the potatoes are tender.
3. Meanwhile, heat the vinegar and honey in a small pan over a low heat. Stir in the onion with a good pinch of salt and simmer gently until softened and transparent.
4. When ready to serve, stir the yoghurt until smooth, then spread over the bases of the plates and swirl in some of the pesto. Top with the roast potatoes and chicken. Then drizzle over the rest of the pesto and scatter over the pickled red onions. Finish each plate with some rocket to serve.
Pesto chicken saltimbocca with charred tomatoes
Pesto chicken saltimbocca with charred tomatoes.
Ingredients: serves 4
4 Irish corn-fed chicken breast fillets
1 carton basil pesto
1 pack Italian Parma ham
50g sourdough breadcrumbs
4 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 packs Irish Tomistar Tomatoes
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp fresh soft thyme leaves
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp hot honey
2 Italian mozzarella, drained
A good handful of fresh basil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Cut each chicken fillet into two even-sized escalopes. Spread them thickly with the pesto (reserving 2 tbsp to garnish) and then wrap in the Parma ham. Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmigiano in a shallow dish. Then season generously. Use to cover the chicken pieces. The oil from the pesto helps them to stick.
2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add 2 tbsp of the oil to the heated frying pan. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook half the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden brown. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Then wipe out the pan and use another 2 tbsp of the oil to cook the remaining pieces of chicken.
3. Meanwhile, heat another large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add one pack of the tomatoes and begin to char. Then tip in the shallots, and sauté for 2-3 minutes to soften. Sprinkle over the garlic and thyme and season to taste. Continue to toss until the tomatoes have broken down. Cut the other pack of tomatoes in half, then remove the sauce from the heat, and add them with the balsamic and hot honey, tossing to combine.
4. Arrange the pesto chicken saltimbocca on plates. Tear the mozzarella into large chunks and add to the plates, then spoon over the charred tomatoes. Drizzle each one with the remaining pesto and scatter over fresh basil leaves to serve.
Our end-of-season barbecue and pizza night for our dedicated staff is always a highlight at this time of year, and this week’s event followed in that happy tradition. We had more than 50 people in all on the night, and a fantastic mobile pizza van came from Enniskillen to Blacklion to look after us all, allowing staff to have some downtime enjoying the good weather and good company in the outdoor courtyard area.
A talented local musician, Aaron Wilson, came to entertain us with his guitar and songs, and by the time Amelda and I headed for home, there was a great buzz. Marion Fee, who has been with us for 50 years and is the heart and soul of MacNean House and Restaurant, was an integral part of the occasion. However, there was one bit of sadness as Charley Greene, a much-loved staff member, was saying goodbye as she is off to Australia on her travels. We wish her well, and if she ever wants to come back, the door will always be open. We will miss her.
Before Amelda and I left, there was an opportunity for a few words because I really do appreciate the hard work, loyalty and support of our fabulous staff who make MacNean what it is every day. Restaurant life is great fun, but it is also very demanding, with lots of early mornings and late nights. It is a way of life, and we are so fortunate to have so many great people working with us.
I am still basking in the afterglow of the Electric Picnic, words I never would have envisaged saying. I don’t think there has been a single customer since who hasn’t mentioned my memorable session on the decks after seeing the coverage on social media. For me, it was certainly great fun, and hopefully, not a once-in-a-lifetime experience. That said, anyone coming to eat with us should know the restaurant is a vinyl-free area, and that will not be changing!
My new RTÉ show, Neven’s Ulster Food Tour, started on 3 September, and I’m delighted with the positive feedback from the first show. People love to see parts of the country that they do not know all that well, featured on the small screen.
Amazingly, the series was filmed this time last year. There is always a long lead-in time between filming and actually seeing the programmes, so this week I am off again for another series airing next year.
My first stop will be Newcastle upon Tyne in the north of England, a new destination for me, and I am excited to see what culinary delights await. There are always surprises in every show, and I never come back from a filming trip without new experiences and ideas that inspire future developments. It is always fun to film abroad, and I’m excited to see the finished product on television months later.
Today, I have two quick and easy chicken recipes with an Italian theme. That is, they use typical Italian ingredients – olive oil, Parma ham, Parmigiano and pesto. The crispy garlic chicken is a handy one-tray dinner. Heating the sliced onion rings in the honey makes a lovely garnish, which also goes well with steaks and burgers.
In terms of the apple cider vinegar, I am a great fan of Highbank Orchards, a fifth-generation family farm run by Rod and Julie Calder-Potts in Cuffesgrange, outside Kilkenny. Check out their website for lots of excellent products and for tours if you are in the area.
The second recipe, pesto chicken saltimbocca, can be prepared ahead of time. In Italy, saltimbocca is usually made with veal wrapped in prosciutto and marinated to taste. Here, I use chicken, and the key to this meal is to get really good Parma ham. 24-month matured would be ideal.
Balsamic vinegar is one of my cupboard essentials, and any 3-year-old is delicious in salad dressings or roasted vegetables.
You will still get tomatoes in season. And for honey, I love Mileeven, another Kilkenny business run by the Gough family.
Crispy garlic
chicken and baby roast potatoes
Ingredients: serves 4
2 packs of Irish corn-fed chicken thighs
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tbsp freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, plus a little extra
1 pack baby potatoes
4 tbsp Irish organic apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 red onion, sliced into rings
1 carton Greek yoghurt (10% fat)
1 carton Italian basil pesto
A handful of wild rocket leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 220°C (450°F/Gas Mark 7). Wipe the chicken thighs with kitchen paper and trim off any excess pieces of skin with scissors. Put the oil in a bowl and mix with the garlic and Parmigiano, then season generously. Slash the skin of each chicken thigh three times.
2. Cut the potatoes into bite-sized pieces and put them in a medium-sized baking tray. Drizzle over half of the oil mixture, tossing to combine. Set a cooling rack on top and arrange the chicken thighs on top, then brush over the rest of the oil mixture. Bake for 40 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown and the potatoes are tender.
3. Meanwhile, heat the vinegar and honey in a small pan over a low heat. Stir in the onion with a good pinch of salt and simmer gently until softened and transparent.
4. When ready to serve, stir the yoghurt until smooth, then spread over the bases of the plates and swirl in some of the pesto. Top with the roast potatoes and chicken. Then drizzle over the rest of the pesto and scatter over the pickled red onions. Finish each plate with some rocket to serve.
Pesto chicken saltimbocca with charred tomatoes
Pesto chicken saltimbocca with charred tomatoes.
Ingredients: serves 4
4 Irish corn-fed chicken breast fillets
1 carton basil pesto
1 pack Italian Parma ham
50g sourdough breadcrumbs
4 tbsp Parmigiano Reggiano, finely grated
6 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 packs Irish Tomistar Tomatoes
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp fresh soft thyme leaves
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tsp hot honey
2 Italian mozzarella, drained
A good handful of fresh basil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Cut each chicken fillet into two even-sized escalopes. Spread them thickly with the pesto (reserving 2 tbsp to garnish) and then wrap in the Parma ham. Mix the breadcrumbs and Parmigiano in a shallow dish. Then season generously. Use to cover the chicken pieces. The oil from the pesto helps them to stick.
2. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium to high heat. Add 2 tbsp of the oil to the heated frying pan. Then reduce the heat to medium and cook half the chicken for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden brown. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Then wipe out the pan and use another 2 tbsp of the oil to cook the remaining pieces of chicken.
3. Meanwhile, heat another large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add one pack of the tomatoes and begin to char. Then tip in the shallots, and sauté for 2-3 minutes to soften. Sprinkle over the garlic and thyme and season to taste. Continue to toss until the tomatoes have broken down. Cut the other pack of tomatoes in half, then remove the sauce from the heat, and add them with the balsamic and hot honey, tossing to combine.
4. Arrange the pesto chicken saltimbocca on plates. Tear the mozzarella into large chunks and add to the plates, then spoon over the charred tomatoes. Drizzle each one with the remaining pesto and scatter over fresh basil leaves to serve.
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