Donal Skehan: Home Cook Episode 3 Recipes

Korean Beef BBQ Short Ribs  

Tip:  

Don’t worry if you can’t get the super thin flanken-cut short ribs; you can use bavette or onglet or thicker cut short ribs instead. Just cook it for a couple of extra minutes as it is a little thicker and you can use scissors to snip it into smaller pieces. Ssamjang is a sweet and spicy Korean condiment that you’ll find in Asian supermarkets or online – it keeps in the fridge for months. Finally, a nashi is a crisp, almost apple-like pear with a tangy flavour which you can sometimes spot in Asian grocery stores but any not-quite-ripe pear will work. 

Serves: 6 

DF 

Prep time: 30 minutes, plus marinating and resting 

Cook time: 5 minutes 

Ingredients:  

800g (1lb 12oz) short ribs cut flanken-style (see tip) 

1 small onion 

5 garlic cloves 

1 small firm pear (nashi, if you can find it), peeled, cored and grated 

1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated 

75ml (1⁄3 cup) soy sauce 

1 tbsp gochujang paste 

3 tbsp honey 

2 tbsp sesame oil 

2 tsp ground black pepper 

75ml (1⁄3 cup) rice wine or sake (or use water) 

For the pickled cucumbers: 

6 baby cucumbers (or 1 large with seeds scooped out) 

1 tbsp flaky sea salt 

2 tbsp rice vinegar 

1 tbsp sesame oil 

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds 

1 garlic clove, grated 

2 tsp brown sugar 

2 tsp soy sauce 

2 tsp gochujang paste 

To serve: 

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds 

2 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced 

Steamed rice 

Kimchi 

Korean or Japanese pickles 

Little gem lettuce leaves, separated 

Ssamjang 

Method: 

1. Put the ribs in a container.  

2. In a small food processor, blitz the onion, garlic, and grated pear and ginger to a smooth paste.  To this paste, add the soy sauce, gochujang, honey, sesame oil, pepper and rice wine. Mix well and pour over the ribs. Turn to coat evenly and mix, then leave to marinade for at least 2 hours.  

3. To make the pickled cucumbers, slice the baby cucumber into rounds, sprinkle with salt and leave to drain in a sieve over a bowl while you blend together the rest of the ingredients for the pickling liquid. Rinse the cucumbers and pat them dry, then toss in the pickling liquid and leave for at least an hour.  

4. When you are ready to cook the ribs, remove them from the marinade and shake off any excess. Place the ribs on a barbecue over direct heat or in a griddle pan set over a high heat and cook for 2 minutes each side (or 4-5 minutes if you have a thicker cut), or until you have deep char marks on the outside and the beef is still slightly pink inside (medium rare).   

5. Allow the ribs to rest for 5 minutes, cover with foil, then slice into bite-sized pieces. 

6. To serve, arrange the meat on a warmed platter and scattered with toasted sesame seeds and spring onions. Bring to the table with bowls of rice, the pickled cucumber, kimchi, pickles, lettuce leaves and the ssamjang sauce. 

Citrusy BBQ Lamb with Charred Salad 

Tip: If you want to cook this in the oven instead of the barbecue, preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6 and cook the lamb for 30 minutes, then reduce 

the temperature to 160°C/140°C fan/325°F/Gas 3 and cook for a further hour 

and a half. Cook the veggies on a smoking hot griddle pan for a deep smoky 

flavour. 

Serves: 6-8 

DF GF 

Prep time: 20 minutes, plus marinating and resting 

Cook time: 2 & ½ hours 

Ingredients: 

2kg (3lb 5oz) bone-in-shoulder lamb 

For the citrusy harissa sauce: 

3 tbsp rose harissa paste 

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

2 garlic cloves, finely grated 

6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves stripped 

Zest and juice of 1 orange 

For the charred greens: 

10 spring onions (scallions), trimmed 

2 baby gem lettuces, quartered 

4 endives (chicory), trimmed and sliced in half 

1 tbsp olive oil 

3 tbsp sherry vinegar 

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

For the couscous: 

200g couscous 

A large handful of chopped fresh herbs (mint, parsley and coriander)  

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

Zest and juice of a lemon 

For the cumin salt: 

1 tbsp flakey sea salt 

2 tsp cumin seeds, toasted 

Method: 

1. Whisk together the ingredients for the citrusy harissa sauce and massage onto the lamb, reserving some to serve at the end. Allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or covered in the fridge overnight.  

2. Prepare a barbecue to a high heat (around 220°C /430°F if you have a BBQ thermometer). If you can, use indirect grilling by pushing the coals to one side of the BBQ.   

3. Add the lamb to the centre of the grill, turning until lightly charred on all sides, then cover and cook for 2 ½ hours, letting the temperature drop down to around 180°C/350°F as it cooks. 

4. To make the couscous, put the couscous in a bowl  and cover with boiling water and a plate on top, leaving until all the water has been absorbed. Fluff the couscous with a fork and add the chopped herbs, olive oil, lemon zest and juice and season with salt & pepper.  

5. To make the cumin salt, bash the salt and toasted cumin seeds together in a pestle and mortar and set aside. 

6. Just before the lamb is cooked, prepare the charred greens. Brush the spring onions, gem lettuces and endives with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper and a pinch of the cumin salt.  In a bowl whisk the sherry vinegar with some seasoning, then gradually whisk in the extra virgin olive oil and set aside to use as a dressing.  

7. When the lamb is cooked (it should read above 80°C/175°F on your meat thermometer), transfer to a chopping board with deep grooves to catch the juices, then cover with foil and a clean towel and allow to rest for about 5 minutes.  

8. Place the vegetables on the barbecue and cook until charred on all sides. Remove to a plate and drizzle over the dressing.  

9. Slice the lamb thinly and serve with the charred vegetables, a large drizzle of the remaining citrusy harissa sauce and a good sprinkle of the cumin salt. 

Bananas Foster   

Serves: 4  

GF 

Prep time: 5 minutes 

Cook time: 10 minutes 

Ingredients: 

75g (3oz) pecans 

50 g (2 oz) unsalted butter 

4 bananas, halved lengthways 

2 tbsp caster sugar 

50g (2oz) demerara sugar 

2 tbsp golden syrup 

1 cinnamon stick 

1 tsp vanilla bean paste 

50ml (scant 1⁄4 cup) dark rum 

Vanilla ice cream, to serve 

Method: 

1. Toast the pecan halves in a dry non-stick frying pan (skillet) over a medium heat, then roughly chop and set aside.  

2. Heat a large non-stick pan over a medium high heat and add half the butter and let it melt gently.  

3. Sprinkle the cut side of the bananas with the caster sugar and place, cut side down in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden and sticky, turning once. Carefully remove to a plate with a palette knife.  

1. In the pan add the rest of the butter, and when melted, add the demerara sugar in an even layer with the golden syrup and let it melt gently. Then add the cinnamon and vanilla and let it all melt to-gether and bubble for a minute. Return the bananas to the pan, cut side down again and cook for 30 seconds.  

2. In a ladle or small pan, heat the dark rum over a low heat, then light it with a match. Bring the banana pan to the table and pour over the flaming rum. Once the flames have died down, serve with scoops of vanilla ice cream and a scattering of pecans.