Cottage Pie

Dice the onion, carrot and celery. In a heavy based frying pan over high heat, stir-fry them until soft (about 4min). Add the meat and garlic, stir for a further 4min until brown. Pour in the wine and let it reduce almost completely. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, the herbs tied with a string (bouquet garni), the stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the thickened. Season well with salt and pepper.

Boil the potatoes, skin on, until you can easily stick a knife through them. Strain, peel and mash with butter. Stir in the egg yolks and season with salt and pepper.

Pull out the tied herbs and spoon the meat into the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Layer the mash all over it and form peaks with a fork. Sprinkle it with the parmesan cheese and bake in a 180C/350F oven for about 20min, until golden.

Guinness Beef Stew

Heat a heavy based casserole and add the oil. Brown the meat on all sides on a high heat, dusting it with the flour as you stir. You can do it in batches, not to overcrowd the pan. Remove the meat from the pan. Add the chopped onion and cook for a few minutes until it is softened. Add the carrot, cut into 1cm rounds, and the herbs and stir for 2min. Return the meat to the casserole and cover it with the stock and the stout. Bring it to the boil, turn down the heat and add the prunes. Simmer uncovered for 1 1/2 hour, until the meat is very tender and the sauce thickened. If it starts to loose too much water, add a little during cooking. Correct seasoning, add the chopped parsley and serve with mash or cooked quartered potatoes.

Hazelnut Rocket Carrot Soup

Peel and chop roughly the carrots and potato. Lightly brown onions and garlic in butter. Add the carrots and potatoes. Let them sweat a bit and add the wine. When it no longer smells of alcohol, pour in the stock, season and let cook until the carrots and potatoes are soft. Meanwhile toast the hazelnuts in a 200C/400F oven. Rub them inside a tea towel to remove the skins and chop roughly. Blend the soup, adjust the seasoning and serve topped with a handful of rocket, chopped hazelnuts and a drizzle of olive oil.

Carrot Cake with Butter Cream

Cake: Sieve together the flour, baking powder and soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix in the walnuts. Blend together the oil and sugar. Add the eggs, one by one, then the carrots and blend until smooth. Pour over the flour mixture and mix until smooth. Butter and flour a ring cake mould. Fill with the batter and bake in pre-heated oven at 200C for 45 min. until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in cake centre.;Butter Cream: Beat butter until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks and beat again. When it starts getting foamy, add the vanilla, salt and then sugar, slowly. Beat until the sugar dissolves in the cream.

Glazed Carrots

Peel and slice the carrots on the diagonal. In a wide heavy based pan, melt the butter and add the carrots, sugar, salt, pepper, wine and water till halfway up the carrots. Bring it to a simmer and cook until the carrots are tender. Shake the pan from time to time. Remove the carrots and boil the liquid until reduced to a thick glaze. Add the carrots and toss to cover them. Adjust the seasoning and sprinkle with parsley.

Honey Caramelized Root Vegetables

Peel and chop the vegetables in 1,5cm sticks. Season with salt, pepper, olive oil and honey. Put them in anti-stick tray and roast until soft, around 1h, turning them occasionally.

Irish Stew

Cut the carrots lengthwise and then slice to around 2,5 cm thick. Tie the bouquet garni herbs with a string. Cut the lamb in large chunks, do not discard the bones. Season with salt and pepper. In a heavy ovenproof pan melt the butter and brown the meat. Remove the lamb and add the chopped onions. Sweat them until translucent. Add the carrots and pearl barley. Return the lamb to the pan and add the bones and the bouquet garni. Cover with water, place the lid on the pan and transfer it to the oven at 170C for 2hs. Adjust salt and pepper to taste, add the potatoes, peeled and cut into large pieces. Cover with lid again and cook in the oven for a further 30 min, until the potatoes are soft and the meat is falling apart. Remove the bouquet garni and shank bones and sprinkle some chopped parsley before serving.

Shepherd’s Pie

Dice the onion, carrot and celery. In a heavy based frying pan over high heat, stir fry them until soft, for about 4min. Add the meat and garlic, stir for 4 more min until brown. Pour the wine and let it reduce almost completely. Add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, the herbs tied with a string, the stock and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the thickened. Season well with salt and pepper.;Boil the potatoes, skin on, until you can easily stick a knife through it. Strain, peel and mash it with butter. Stir in the egg yolks and season with salt and pepper.;Pull out the tied herbs and spoon the meat into the bottom of an ovenproof dish. Layer the mash all over it and form peaks with a fork. Sprinkle it with the parmesan cheese and bake in a 180C/350F oven for about 20min, until golden.

Prawn and Vegetable Tempura

In a chilled bowl, mix the flour, egg and ice cold water to make a lumpy, but thin batter. Leave in the fridge. For the dipping sauce, mix the dashi, water, mirin, soy sauce and bring to the boil. Let it cool to room temperature. Cut the courgette and onions into 1cm slices. Cut the carrots into 1cm sticks and the sweet potatoes in 0,5cm slices. Make a thin cut through the back of the shrimps and remove the veins. Heat the oil to 180C/350F, until a cube of bread browns in a minute. Dip the shrimps and vegetables in the cold batter and deep fry 2 or 3 pieces at a time for 2-4 minutes until cooked through and crisp (not brown). During this process, it’s important to drip more batter over them, so that you create a thicker, uneven and consequently crispier crust. Drain over kitchen paper and serve with the sauce.

Vegetable and Curry Samosas

Grate the carrots and slice the onions finely. In a pan, stir fry the onions for 2 minutes, until soft, and add the carrots. After 2 min, add the frozen peas and cook until just defrosted. Season with the curry powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Leave to cool. Line the won ton wrappers on the work surface and brush the edges with a little water. Fill them with a tablespoon of the filling and close them in a triangular shape. Try to squeeze most of the air out when you do it.

Deep fry the dumplings in hot oil (170C) or bake them in a 220C oven until golden.