Neven Maguire: Home Chef

In the first epsiode, Neven visits the Aviva stadium where he finds 80 chefs busy at work! Neven’s dishes this week include Crispy Goats Cheese with an Apple and Hazelnut salad, Sea Bass with Irish Bacon, and Pork Meatballs with Coriander and Coconut.

This week Neven heads for Cork and the Naval Base at Hawlbowline where Able Cook Paul O’Shea and Petty Officer Cook John Brunnock demonstrate their talents at producing tasty and delicious dishes for the crew. Neven’s recipes in programme two include sticky bacon chops with vegetable rosti, peach tart tatin with citrus marscapone; and speedy fish soup with prawns. As always, the emphasis is on speed….

Neven visits friend and fellow foodie Ray D’Arcy to watch him prepare a prawn curry. Neven likes being interviewed by Ray because Ray is interested in, and very knowledgable about food and cooking, and this makes their chats and cooking sessions very enjoyable for Neven. In this third programme Neven prepares Hake with a Herb Crust, and delicious Baked Eggs.

This week Neven visits Trinity College in Dublin to experience dinner at ‘Commons’, one of the university’s oldest traditions, and meets Trinity’s head chef Kieran Maxwell to prepare one of the dishes served at Commons. Dishes this week include Baked Cod with Smoked Salmon and Herb Crust, Stir-fried Ginger Pork with Aromatic Green Vegetables; and Smoked Trout and Cream Cheese Roll with Pickled Cucumber Salad.

The Irish care far more about the provenance of their food than the British, with 75% of Irish consumers saying that they prefer to buy food from Ireland if possible. But labels, and particularly the use of the tricolour, can be confusing. Does the Irish flag on the packet guarantee that the product is really Irish? The short answer is no, so Neven visits the Irish Times’ Consumer Affairs Correspondent Conor Pope to find out more. Dishes this week include a delicious Sweet Potato, Coconut and Chilli soup, and Beef Stroganoff with fluffy rice and dill pickle shavings.

This week Neven visits Dubai where he is the guest chef at a dinner being hosted by Fine Foods Eire to promote Irish ingredients to the city’s top chefs. The dinner was held at the Atlantis Hotel, where Neven meets Executive Sous Chef Mathew Goodlet, and was attended by the Irish ambassador Patrick Hennessy and his wife Pauline. Neven cooks Fillet of Beef and Singapore noodles.

The GPO has one of the largest canteen’s in Dublin’s city centre, catering for six hundred An Post workers. Neven visits chef Derek Daly as he cooks Vienna steaks for the staff, and then Neven cooks a speedy version of coq au vin in this iconic building’s foyer. Other dishes in this final programme of the first part of this series,include asparagus soup with Bellingham Blue cheese, and brown scones and apricot pudding with amaretti custard.

Neven is in Google’s European HQ in Dublin where the Googlers enjoy wonderful food as one of their perks – their various restaurants serve more than 3000 people every day. Dishes this week include Lamb Kebabs with flat bread, and Vietnamese Pho with Chicken Dumplings.

This week Neven catches up with broadcaster Aine Lawlor whom Neven has known for many years. Aine is a good cook, and she has an allotment in Co Wicklow where she grows most of her fruit and veg throughout the year. Dishes this week include Rib-Eye Steak with Chimichurri, and Crispy Chicken Thighs with Puy Lentils.

In Dubai, Neven meets Gillian O’Neill from Fine Foods Eire who imports Irish products into Dubai. He visits a spice souk and watches Dutch chef Marco de Wildt cook Irish beef in an American steakhouse. Neven also cooks: Sticky Glazed Pork Fillet with Asian Greens in Parchment Rack of Lamb with Black Olive Couscous.

Neven visits Christ King Girls’ Secondary School in Cork which prides itself on providing healthy food for its students. Neven meets the Principal and Samantha Kelly from KC Catering and shows the students some ideas for making lunchboxes more interesting. Dishes include Crepes with Ham and Asparagus, Salmon Fishcakes, and an instant Strawberry Ice Cream made with buttermilk.

Even though Neven’s uncle is a cattle dealer, Neven has never been to a mart…until now. He goes behind the scenes and visits the cafeteria on site where farmers with hearty appetites come to relax after a hard day’s buying and selling. He also visits Mary Kennedy whose father and grandfather worked at Guinness, and in their memory Mary cooks Guinness Beef Stew. The other recipes in this programme include Steak with Roasted Peppercorn Sauce and a Peanut Parfait.

Neven visits Bunratty Castle to learn how the team there prepares and serves two banquets a night for over 300 people. Chicken and Ribs in a secret sauce are served to the guests. Neven cooks Soufflé Omelette with Smoked Haddock and also delicious Sichuan Peppered Lamb with Spiced Redcurrant Compote.