Kevin Dundon - Great Family Food

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp ground coriander

1 stick of cinnamon

good shake of Tabasco sauce

1 × 400g/14oz tin of red kidney beans, drained

1 large bunch of fresh coriander leaves, roughly chopped

lime wedges, to serve

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion and garlic until softened. Increase the heat and add the minced lamb or soya mince, red pepper and mushrooms, cooking quickly until browned and breaking down any chunks of soya with a wooden spoon. Pour in the red wine and boil for 2-3 minutes. While waiting, pour a glass for yourself!

2Stir in the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, fresh chilli and chilli flakes, cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon and Tabasco sauce. Season well with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook over a gentle heat for 50-60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is rich and thickened.

3Add the kidney beans and fresh coriander. Cook for a further 10 minutes, uncovered. Remove from the heat, add extra seasoning if necessary and serve with lots of lime wedges.

Risotto is a warming family favourite—nutritious and very filling. Use good-quality chicken stock to give the dish real depth and flavour. It’s such a versatile meal, be sure to try the delicious variations below.

25g/1oz/ 1/ 4stick butter

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

1/ 2tsp chopped fresh thyme,

3 garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped

350g/12oz/generous 2 1/ 2cups arborio rice

50ml/2fl oz/ 1/ 4cup dry white wine

1 litre/1 3/ 4pints/4 cups boiling chicken stock

100ml/3 1/ 2fl oz/scant 1/ 2cup double cream (optional)

75g/3oz/ 3/ 4cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving (optional)

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1On a low heat, slowly melt the butter in a wide saucepan with a thick base. Add the shallots, thyme and garlic and cook very gently until completely softened. Add the rice and mix in well to ensure that it does not stick to the base of the pan at this crucial time. Allow the rice to become glazed and cook without any liquid for 3-4 minutes while continuing to stir. Add the white wine and once again continue to stir the rice, as the wine will evaporate quite quickly.

2Do not change the heat. Add the stock little by little into the rice mixture—don’t add the next ladle until the previous one has evaporated. It is vitally important not to rush this process, but continue to add all the liquid until the rice is plump and tender.

3Season this mixture and if you wish to obtain a nice creamy risotto you can add both the cream and Parmesan cheese. Adding just Parmesan will also make a great risotto.

4Serve immediately with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.

Tip:

It is important that the chicken stock is hot before being added to the dish; otherwise it will cool the risotto down during cooking and make it very stodgy.

Variations:

All of the following are great added to your basic risotto mixture:

Roasted asparagus tips with Parmesan

Pan-fried wild mushrooms

Roasted pumpkin with chunks of goat’s cheese

Cooked chicken breast and chorizo

With its fragrant aroma of lemongrass and chilli, this is a lovely dish to serve as a starter at a dinner party or as a light lunch. Dublin Bay prawns (langoustines) are perfect in the spicy broth, which is also wonderful served chilled.

2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

olive oil, for frying

2 lemongrass stalks, chopped into small pieces

850ml/1 1/ 2pints/3 3/ 4cups light chicken stock, boiling

75g/3oz onoiki mushrooms

1 red chilli, very finely chopped

450g/1lb uncooked prawns, peeled

juice of 2 limes

2 tbsp dark soy sauce 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander salt and freshly ground black pepper

1Sauté the shallots in a large pan with the garlic and olive oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the chopped lemongrass and cook for a couple of minutes.

2Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to the boil. Add in the mushrooms, the red chilli and the prawns. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the prawns are lightly cooked.

3Finally, add the lime juice, soy sauce and the chopped coriander. Correct the seasoning and serve.

This is great midweek supper, ideal if you’ve got guests popping in for a bite to eat. Although paella is a traditional Spanish dish, I have added a couple of quintessentially Irish ingredients to this version.

1/ 2onion, peeled and sliced

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

50g/2oz chorizo, chopped

6 rashers of smoked bacon, chopped

350g/12oz/1 3/ 4cups paella rice (or basmati, if you are stuck)

90ml/3fl oz/ 1/ 3cup white wine

1/ 2tsp saffron strands

1.2 litres/2 pints/5 cups mild fish stock

450g/1lb selection of raw fish such as pollock or haddock, cubed

12 large whole Dublin Bay prawns (langoustines)

2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

50g/2oz spinach

110g/4oz curly kale (optional)

lemon wedges or juice of 1 lemon

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1Place the onion, garlic, chorizo and bacon in a large wok or wide-based saucepan and fry together over a gentle heat.

2Add the rice and stir until completely combined with the onion mixture. Pour in the white wine and leave to reduce for a few minutes. Infuse the saffron strands in 100ml/3 1/ 2fl oz/scant 1/ 2cup boiling water and add to the pan—this will immediately colour the dish.

3Add half the fish stock and mix thoroughly. Allow the liquid to come to the boil, then simmer gently until all the liquid has evaporated.

4Add the cubed fish and the remainder of the fish stock. Cook gently on a low heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

5When the fish is cooked through, add the parsley, spinach and kale, if using. Season to taste. Lay the prawns across the top and scatter over the lemon wedges or squeeze the juice directly onto the dish. Bring the saucepan to the table and allow people to help themselves.

Tiger prawns, monkfish and mussels are gently simmered in a rich garlic and tomato sauce, bringing a real Mediterranean flavour to the table. The broth can be made in advance, so you can reheat it and add the fish just before serving.

1 large fennel bulb

2 tbsp olive oil

1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped

200ml/7fl oz/scant 3/ 4cup dry white wine

300ml/10fl oz/1 1/ 4cups fresh fish stock

2 × 400g/14oz tins of chopped tomatoes

pinch of sugar

250g/9oz cherry tomatoes, halved

450g/1lb monkfish fillet, cut into 4cm/1 1/ 2in chunks

12 large tiger prawns, heads removed

12 mussels, scrubbed pimento paste (optional)

1 tbsp snipped garlic chives

1 tbsp chopped fresh lemon thyme

extra-virgin olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1Remove the feathery tops from the fennel bulb, roughly chop and set aside to use as a garnish. Cut the remaining fennel bulb lengthways into quarters and finely chop, discarding the core.