I use as many local vegetables as possible to showcase the amazing produce that is grown all around the Skerries area.
Growing up in north Co Dublin surrounded by amazing growers, who have with little fanfare, just been doing what they do for generations, has definitely influenced my cooking and has had a massive impact on what ends up on the menu in Potager, as well as what I cook at home.
Cathal Leonard is chef and owner at Potager restaurant in Skerries, Co Dublin.
Kai broccoli, confit garlic, Orla potatoes, anchovy and land cress
Serves four
Ingredients
600g broccoli (sprouting or tender stem broccoli can be substituted)
1 head wet garlic (regular dried garlic can be used in place of the wet garlic)
200ml sunflower oil
60ml cream
4 medium Orla potatoes
100g butter
20g brown anchovies (available in tins from most supermarkets)
50g garlic oil
50g rapeseed oil
½ lemon, juiced
Salt
120g land cress (If land cress is not available, watercress can be used, just decrease quantity as it is a stronger flavour; alternatively any green leaf could be used, even baby spinach)
8 marinated white anchovies (white anchovies are available in tins, tubs or jars from most specialty food shops or a good fishmongers)
100g Panko breadcrumbs
1 egg
50ml milk
20g flour
Method
1 For the confit garlic peel the garlic cloves, place them in heavy bottomed pan or pot and cover with sunflower or similar oil. Cook on lowest heat for approximately 1.5hours or until fully soft.
2 In a separate pan heat the cream, until reduced by half. Allow it to cool slightly as it needs to be warm, but not hot to make the purée.
3 Once cooked, drain the garlic, retaining the oil for use in the dressing and one spoonful for the garlic purée.
4 Put the warm garlic gloves, the reduced by half, still warm cream, and the spoonful of garlic oil in a blender and blend till smooth.
5 Cook the broccoli in salted boiling water until tender.
6 Steam the potatoes skin-on in a steamer or in a colander over boiling water. When tender cut into quarters, add butter and season to taste.
7 To make the breaded anchovy: Dip the white anchovies into flour, then egg and milk and then into breadcrumbs. Deep fry briefly at 180 degrees Celsius until golden brown. Alternatively you may shallow fry in a pan.
8 For the anchovy dressing, blend the brown anchovies, oils, lemon juice and a pinch if salt in a blender or with a hand held beldner, until smooth and emulsified.
9 Wash the land cress in chilled water and drain on kitchen paper.
10 To plate the dish, lightly dress the leaves and broccoli in the anchovy dressing - hold some back for dressing the plate at the end. Put three to four small marble-sized spots of confit garlic puree on each plate. Arrange the broccoli, potato and dressed leaves on the plates. Drizzle over the remaining dressing. Place two crispy anchovies on each plate and serve.
Kitchen Cabinet is a series of recipes from chefs who are members of Euro-Toques Ireland, who have come together during the coronavirus outbreak to share some of the easy, tasty things that they like to cook and eat at home #ChefsAtHome
