Ingredients

• For the pickled dice

• 300g cider vinegar

• 200g sugar

• 100g water

• 1 granny smith apple, peeled and finely diced

• 1 medium red beetroot, peeled and finely diced

• For the beetroot and apple purée

• 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, and finely grated

• 2 red beetroot, also peeled and finely grated

• sugar, 10% weight of the combine weight of the apple and beetroot

• salt and apple cider vinegar to season

• For the cup mixture

• Pickled Apple and Beetroot Dice

• Caramel/Apple Purée

• Lough Neagh smoked eel, diced

• For the miso cream

• 1 litre cream

• 60g white miso

Method

1. For the pickled dice

2. First make the pickle liquid. Bring the vinegar, sugar and water to the boil, remove from the heat.

3. Pour half of the hot pickle liquid over the apple dice, leave overnight if possible.

4. In a small pot, add the other half and the beetroot dice. Bring to a low simmer and cook the dice until al dente, about 10 minutes. Let cool.

5. For the beetroot and apple purée

6. Add the sugar to a pot that will comfortably hold everything. On a medium heat allow the sugar to turn to a dark caramel.

7. Add the apple, the sugar may solidify in clumps, but as the apples release their liquid and heat, these will dissolve back into the mixture.

8. After a few moments add the beetroot and mix well.

9. Lightly cover with tinfoil and leave on a low-medium heat until nearly all the liquid is dissolved and the beetroot is cooked and soft.

10. Blend on high speed until smooth, season with salt and vinegar.

11. For the cup mixture

12. In a bowl, add equal quantities of the apple/beetroot dice and diced eel.

13. Add the puree and mix through, you are not looking for a loose mixture, the puree should merely bind the elements together.

14. For the miso cream

15. Add the cream and miso to a pot, bring gently to the boil and reduce. (Too much heat will cause it to boil over).

16. Reduce until it is almost reduced by half. It should have almost a custard-like thickness. Season with salt and fresh miso if needed. Pass through a fine sieve.

17. If you have a whipped cream siphon, fill with the mixture and charge it with one gas canister.If not, reduce it slightly less, and when serving aerate it with a hand blender and spoon over. Either way keep the mixture warm, but not boiling hot, for serving.

18. To serve, place a spoonful of the apple/eel/beetroot mix in the bottom of a small bowl or cup.

19. Pour over the miso cream, either by siphon or spooned over.

20. In the restaurant, we finish it with a dusting of beetroot powder, and a few drops of oil infused with roasted eel trim.

Preparation Time

 30 mins

Ingredients

• 450ml milk

• few slices of carrot and onion

• 1 small bay leaf

• sprig of thyme

• 4 parsley stalks

• 200g roux (made with equal quantities of flour and butter (110g of each).Melt the butter and cook the flour in it for 2 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally).

• 2 egg yolks, preferably free range

• 225g grated mature Gouda, Aillwee Caves or Coolea Gouda

• a pinch of cayenne

• ½ tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp freshly chopped chives (optional)

• salt and freshly ground pepper

• seasoned white flour, preferably unbleached

• beaten egg

• fine dried white breadcrumbs

• To serve

• Ballymaloe Country Relish

Method

1. Put the cold milk into a saucepan with the carrot, onion and herbs, bring slowly to the boil, simmer for 3-4 minutes, turn off the heat and allow to infuse for about 10 minutes if you have enough time. Strain the flavourings, rinse them and add to a stock if you have one on the go. Bring the milk back to the boil, whisk in the roux bit by bit; it will get very thick but persevere. (The roux always seems like a lot too much, but you need it all so don’t decide to use less).

2. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook for 1-2 minutes on a gentle heat, then remove from the heat, stir in the egg yolks, cheese, pinch of cayenne, mustard and optional chives. Taste and correct the seasoning. Spread out on a wide plate to cool.

3. When the mixture is cold or at least cool enough to handle, shape into balls about the size of a golf ball or 25g (1oz) approx. Roll first in seasoned flour, then in beaten egg and then in fine breadcrumbs. Chill until firm but bring back to room temperature before cooking otherwise they may burst.

4. Just before serving, heat a deep fryer to 170°C/325°F and cook the croquettes until crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper and serve hot with a green salad and perhaps some Ballymaloe Country Relish.

5. Note: The cooked cheese croquettes can be kept warm in an oven for up to 30 minutes. They can also be frozen and reheated in an oven.

Ingredients

• 1 large egg

• 2 egg yolks

• 115g golden caster sugar

• 2 tbsp cornflour

• 400ml whole milk

• 2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

• a sprinkling of ground cinnamon (optional)

• 900g puff pastry

• Lightly grease 2 x 12 muffin tins.

Method

1.  Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8.

2. Put the egg, yolks, sugar and cornflour in a saucepan and whisk, gradually add the milk and whisk until smooth.

3. Cook on a medium heat and stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture thickens and comes to the boil, continue to cook for 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat, stir in the vanilla extract and cinnamon if using.

4. Transfer to a Pyrex bowl, allow to cool. Cover with parchment paper to prevent a skin from forming – prick here and there to allow steam to escape.

5. Roll the chilled puff pastry into a 3mm thick sheet, stamp out 7.5cm discs. Press into the muffin tins.

6. Spoon a generous dessertspoon of the cool custard into each pastry case. Bake in the preheated oven for 16-20 minutes or golden on top and slightly charred. Allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack. Eat warm or at room temperature.