IF there is anyone that captures the spirit of a young chef excluded from his busy kitchen during lockdown it is Eric Matthews.
Matthews is the former Head Chef at Michelin-starred restaurant Chapter One in Dublin and has trained under some of the best chefs in Ireland and internationally.
These include Heston Blumenthal, Philip Howard and Guillame Brahimi.
A native of Dublin, Matthews held his position at Chapter One for five years before moving on earlier this year to explore new opportunities.
In profiling Ireland's top chefs, The Irish Post have teamed up with Co Fermanagh's Belleek Pottery and Daniel O'Neill's specialist cookware provider ProCook to test one of their recipes.
With readily available ingredients, the simple dishes re-created are aimed at the beginner through to the more established home chef while giving the flexibility to alter the ingredients to suit your own pallet.
Along with the ingredients and method, we will be showing you how we got on with the recipe and providing a list of the equipment used.
Throughout the Covid-19 lockdowns, Matthews has taken to Instagram to share his culinary knowledge and experience in what he has called his Cabin-Fever-Classics.
From his home kitchen, Matthews, along with his partner Ciara Donnelly (behind the camera), take budding home chefs through some of his favourite meals on a step-by-step basis.
Listening to the interaction between the two as they talk through the ingredients and put the meal together, the audience is treated to Matthews' comedic personality while gaining invaluable insight to food preparation, kitchen skills and most importantly, timing your perfect meal.
In one of the Cabin-Fever-Classics, Matthews takes his Instagram followers through his Spiced Lamb Ragu with Caserecce Pasta dish.
With a combination of Mediterranean and Moroccan flavours, the dish, as he explains, is not too technical and is based on building and marrying together the natural flavours of the ingredients.
Giving an insight into his own learning, Matthews explains that cooking is about three things; temperature, timing and technique.
Applying his learning to this dish, the temperature is steady and hot, the timing is knowing when to add the next layer of ingredients and his technique is to build the flavour with the ingredients to create your perfect dish.
For more information on Eric Matthews and learn more about his style of cooking you can follow him on Instagram at @eric.matthews87
Irish chef Eric MatthewsEric Matthews' Spiced Lamb Ragu with Caserecce Pasta
The dish is presented using Belleek Living, Grafton Pasta Bowls with Belleek Living Occasions Cutlery Set.
In preparing this dish we used the following ProCook equipment:
Micro Grater, Stainless Steel Fine
End Grain Chopping Board
Damascus 67, 20cm Chef's Knife
28cm Sauté Pan was used from the ProCook Professional Ceramic Range
DesignPro Silicone Spoonula
ProCook Light Wooden Salt or Pepper Mill Set
Ingredients: Serves 2
250g lamb mince
1/4 tbsp of cumin
2 tbsp of harrisa paste*
3 cloves of garlic
1 shallot
1 lemon
12 sun dried tomatoes
100g tinned tomatoes
10g fresh mint
3 sprigs of Rosemary
60g feta cheese of your choice
25 ml of olive oil
100 g caserecce pasta (fresh or dried)
*Harissa paste is a hot, aromatic Middle East chilli paste, if you like your meals less spicy you can reduce the amount of Harrisa Pate by half or you can replace with milder Piri Piri sauce and tomato puree.
Method
First heat your pan on high and add the olive oil.
Place the mince in the pan and fry on a high heat until brown and a little crispy. To this, add the cumin and continue to cook for 1 minute.
Next, slice the shallot and garlic and add to the pan and cook until soft but no colour.
Once this looks mixed and soft, add the harrisa and continue to cook for about 1 more minute.Next take the rosemary and run your hand against the leaves to remove them from the stalk. Add these to the base and cook for 30 seconds.
Once the whole room smells of rosemary and spice, add the tomatoes both the tinned tomatoes and dried ones. Cook this for another 5 minutes or until reduced by half.
The pasta will take around 6-7 minutes if dried or if fresh this can take only about 2-4 minutes.
Cook the pasta to how you like it.
Once the pasta is about 1 minute off being finished, add the pasta to the sauce and finish the cooking in the ragu.
Just before finishing, grate the zest of one lemon into the ragu and add the mint and feta. Let the feta melt ever so slightly and spoon into your favourite serving dish/bowl and enjoy.
All of the products used in making and presenting the meal can be found at www.belleek.com and www.procook.co.uk
