Bring the Irish flavours home with Chef JP McMahon’s favourite dishes…
This March, Kerrygold celebrated St. Patrick’s Day by championing authentic Irish food culture around the world, from crisp sandwich activations to traditional recipes created in collaboration with chef JP McMahon of Michelin-starred restaurant Aniar.
Rooted in Ireland’s food traditions and enriched with Kerrygold grass-fed Irish butter, the dishes highlight simple ingredients and authentic flavour.
Lamb hotpot
Slow-cooked with tender lamb, thyme and onions, then finished with layers of buttery potatoes and a golden Kerrygold cheddar crust. Honest, hearty and made for gathering around the table.
Ingredients:
- 1kg lamb shoulder, diced
- 3 onions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped thyme
- 75g plain flour
- 750ml lamb stock, warmed
- 750g potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
- 125g Kerrygold butter
- 75g Kerrygold cheddar, grated
- 50g fresh breadcrumbs
- Rapeseed oil, for frying
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
-
Begin by preheating the oven to 180°C.
-
Season the lamb with black pepper and salt. Heat 75g of butter with a little oil in a cast iron pot over a medium heat, add the lamb and fry, in batches, for 5–10 until nicely browned. Remove and reserve in a warm place.
-
Add the onions and half the thyme to the pot and cook for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent. To make a roux, add the flour and cook for 2 minutes to form a loose paste. Gradually pour in the warm lamb stock and stir until the roux has dissolved.
-
Return the browned lamb to the pot. Place the potato slices on top in a circular pattern. Melt the remaining butter. Brush with the melted butter and season with sea salt, black pepper, and the remaining thyme.
-
To make the cheese crust: combine the cheddar, breadcrumbs, and a little oil. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Cover and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
-
Remove the lid and sprinkle the crust on top of the potatoes. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until nicely browned.
Cheese scone
Bring land and sea together in perfect balance with light, buttery cheese scones made with cheddar, topped with sweet Irish crab and fresh sea lettuce.
Ingredients:
- 500g white flour, sieved
- 4 eggs
- 125g Kerrygold butter, cubed
- 175ml milk
- 200g cheddar cheese
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
Crab:
- 200g fresh crab meat
- 30ml cold press rapeseed oil
- Lemon juice, to taste
- 10g fresh green herbs
- Sea salt
To serve
- Kerrygold butter
- Sea lettuce
Method:
-
In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients until they have a sandy consistency.
-
Mix the milk and eggs together and then add into the dry mixture.
-
Once combined stop kneading. Try to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.
-
Lay the mixture out on a floured surface and cut with a small pastry cutter.
-
Wash the tops with a little egg and bake at 180ºC for 10-12 minutes.
-
Dress the crab and season to taste.
-
Slice the scones and butter and garnish with the crab and sea lettuce.
Apple and whiskey tart
Gently spiced apples, whiskey-soaked fruit and golden pastry, served with silky brown butter ice cream. Rich, nostalgic and deeply comforting.
Ingredients:
Apple & Whiskey filling
- 10 apples, peeled and cored
- 200g sultanas
- 100ml Irish whiskey
- 250g brown sugar
- 50g Kerrygold butter
- 1sp cinnamon powder
- 1 egg beaten
Pastry
- 500g plain flour
- 250g Kerrygold butter
- 100g sugar
- 2 eggs
Brown butter ice cream
- 225ml double cream
- 225ml milk
- 100ml Kerrygold butter, browned
- 5 egg yolks
- 125g caster sugar
- A pinch of sea salt
Method:
-
For the pastry: combine the flour and butter together in a food processor until you have the texture of breadcrumbs. Add the sugar and eggs until everything comes together. Wrap the pastry with cling film and chill.
-
To brown the butter: Place cubed Kerrygold butter into a light-coloured pan/pot over a medium heat to ensure the butter cooks evenly. Stir the butter as it melts, it will foam and sizzle around the edges. Keep stirring for approx. 5/6 minutes until the butter is golden brown and the milk solids on the bottom of the pan toast resulting in an intense buttery, nutty aroma.
-
To make the ice cream: put the cream and milk into a small pan and bring to the boil. Whisk the yolks and sugar together in a heatproof bowl with the salt. Pour the cream-and-milk mixture over the yolks, whisking all the time. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk for about 10 minutes until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Put into an ice cream machine with the brown butter and churn until set.
-
Place the sultanas into a pan with the whiskey. Bring to a simmer, then leave to one side.
-
Cut the apples into large wedges and melt the butter in a heavy-based pan. Toss the apples in the butter, then add 200g of sugar, the cinnamon powder and a splash of whiskey. Cook the apples for a few minutes until nicely coloured, then place in a sieve to drain away excess juices. Combine with the sultanas.
-
Grease a tart tin. Roll two-thirds of the pastry to the thickness of a coin and line the ring. Chill for at least 20 mins. Prick pastry with a fork, then bake blind in the oven for around 10 mins. Brush with beaten egg, then return to the oven for 5 mins.
-
Add the apple mixture. Roll a lid for the tart with the remaining pastry and place on top of the tart, egg washing the edges. Score the top, egg wash and sprinkle with the remaining sugar.
-
Bake in a preheated oven at 170ºC for 20-30 mins, until the top is golden.
Crisp sandwich
Soft white bread, generous Kerrygold butter and a satisfying crunch of crisps – proof that the simplest pleasures are often the best.
Ingredients:
- 15g butter, room temperature
- 2 slices of white ‘batch’ bread or regular sliced pan
- 1 individual packet of good-quality potato crisps (chips)
- 10g fresh watercress
Method:
-
Spread the butter on both slices of bread. Lay the potato crisps on top of one slice.
-
Place the watercress on top of the crisps and cover with the other.
-
Cut in half and serve.
For more recipe inspiration, follow Kerrygold South Africa on Instagram and Facebook .
