This recipe is from my first cookbook, Comfort and Spice. I was a little pork belly obsessed at the time. I still am. How could you not be? It is the best bit. It feeds well into my next book which will be out very soon, all about bacon, the most famous bit of bacon being streaky, made of pork belly (or as some say, belly pork).

This recipe works well each way but if you have 6 hours, do it. You will likely worry about the crackling, we all do. Ensure the skin well is scored and scored just to the fat and not the skin. If you score to the skin, the skin will lose moisture which will not only dry out the flesh but also make the crackling soft. Make sure the skin is dry before you put it in the oven. If you have the time, pour the boiling water over the belly the night before and let it dry uncovered in the fridge overnight. A hair dryer is your best friend for good crackling. Give it a blast before you put it in the oven. If all of this fails (it shouldn’t be we all have those days I know), give it a good blast under a high grill once cooked, watching it all the time so it doesn’t burn. In a matter of minutes the skin will blister and crisp.

Two and Six Hour Roast Pork Belly Recipe from Comfort & Spice

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I have definitely flicked that Christmas over eating switch. I need to reign it back in as it is only December 6th! I also want to lighten what I eat a bit. I absolutely want to make and eat food that denies the weather and speaks of brighter times. 

These meatballs are a perfect start. Have them with your carb of choice – pasta, rice, potatoes (pile them on a baked potato!), cous cous, or have them with your brunch eggs. I love meatballs with my eggs, they are the perfect vehicle for dragging through a runny egg yolk. These would be great in a sandwich too! Add some cheese and make a toastie or have them in a baguette. 

I originally made these with wild boar which I get from my farmers market but I fully understand that wild boar is not an easy meat to source. It is great if you can though, so do use it, but I also make these with pork. I make these gluten free and so the lightness that would normally come from bread, I add with some chickpea flour. The real joy of that experiment was that it gifted the meatballs a lovely crust.

Gluten Free Meatballs – use chickpea flour in place of soaked breadcrumbs 

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Jump straight the the Crown Prince Squash, Ginger and Coriander Soup

Jump straight to Ten Terrific Soups from My Kitchen and My Travels

Well hello darker evenings. How is it that you always descend so quickly? We bounce from summer to chilly to dark in a matter of weeks. I do love the seasons but this time of year requires care and adjustment. I feel like I have the hibernation instinct of a bear. All I want to do is cook and eat (well, always I know but more so!). With the best of the season that usually means a cosy collection of soups front of centre.

I love a pumpkin, that isn’t new. Within the pumpkin (and squash!) family there is much to explore. I have a few favourites, at this time of year Crown Prince Squash and Delicata Squash are two favourites. Today we are going to talk about Crown Prince. With rich dense orange flesh and a deep flavour it is the perfect starting point for many things. Pancakes, waffles, soups, stews, pilaf, gnocchi. You name it, I have probably made it with Crown Prince Squash recently.

Who doesn’t love pumpkin soup? 

Today I am going to share this simple recipe for Crown Prince Squash, Ginger and Coriander Soup with you. It is so bright and full flavoured. As much as coconut milk loves this squash, I dar say as much as I do, I only add it on the top allowing the squash to shine in the soup. Continue reading

I was in Dublin last week and, as I always do, I popped in to Picado Mexican to see Lily Ramirez Foran. Except this time I was armed with my microphone and laptop to record my podcast. We had a great chat about Lily’s life in food and favourite dishes. Her family were third generation tortilla makers but Lily rejected a life in food for a career, only to turn this around to a career in food when she moved to Ireland to be with her husband Alan. Lily is now the Irish authority on Mexican food, and I am delighted to share our chat with you. 

We talked everything from Mexico to Japan (where she met Alan) to Ireland. And of course we talk about Day of the Dead, Mexican Breakfast, Mezcal and Tequila among many other things. 

(Irish folks – you will notice that I temporarily mangle the Calvita and Galtee cheese boxes in my head – before you tell me :) ). 

Enjoy and I would be so grateful if you took a few minutes to review it on iTunes – thanks!

Fingers in Pies Season 1 Episode 2 – Lily Ramirez Foran – Excerpt

I’ve been living in Ireland for 18 years. I will soon be living here longer than I ever lived in Mexico which is a very scary thought. I always think that I don’t come from a food background and I don’t know why. This is so bizarre because I would have been a fourth generation tortilla baker like my great grandfather, my grandfather and my father. Almost everybody in my family makes tortillas for a living. I grew up helping in the business. So I suppose if you want to define Mexico about one particular or one singular dish you’ll always have to say tortillas because it’s like our bread and the basics for almost everything we eat.

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Jump straight to the Mexican Style Black Beans with Chorizo recipe!

My second podcast is with Lily Ramirez Foran of the wonderful Picado Mexican in Dublin. Lily is a Mexican cook in Dublin, and the Irish authority on Mexican cuisine. She is who I go to when I have queries and I have learned a lot from Lily and her website A Mexican Cook in Ireland over the years. I always pop in to Lily’s gorgeous shop Picado in Dublin when I am home and stock up on proper corn tortillas, beans, chillies and anything else I fancy for cooking adventures at home. 

I was at home last week and I had a few days in Dublin. On the day that we recorded the podcast – and I will be sharing that soon! – I bought several things, on of which I will talk about now, a 1kg bag of dried black beans. I cooked up a batch and I have been using them since. Dried beans are a terrific and much under used ingredient. I love them. Tinned beans are only for an emergency for me (and yes, I am the type of person that might occasionally have a bean emergency!).  Continue reading