Donal Skehan: Home Cook Episode 6 Recipes

Autumn Pasta with Pumpkin and Blue Cheese  

Serves: 4 

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Cook time: 45 minutes 

Ingredients: 

1 pumpkin or autumn squash (about 1kg/2lb 4oz), peeled, deseeded and sliced into wedges 

3-4 sprigs of thyme  

1 tbsp olive oil 

1 tbsp salted butter 

2 onions, thinly sliced 

350g (12oz) pasta shapes, such as conchiglie or rigatoni 

100g (3 ½ oz) blue cheese 

75g (3oz) walnuts, toasted and roughly crushed 

Best-quality extra virgin olive oil, to serve 

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Method: 

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/400°F/Gas 6. 

2. Place the pumpkin on a large baking sheet with the thyme sprigs and toss in the olive oil until all the pieces are coated. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes, or until tender and caramelised at the edges. Once cooked, keep warm. 

3. While the pumpkin cooks, place a large heavy-based frying pan (skillet) over a medium–high heat and add the butter. Add the onions and season generously, tossing to coat completely in the melted butter. Reduce the heat and cook gently until the onions are sweet and caramelised, about 10–15 minutes. 

4. Towards the end of the pumpkin cooking time, bring a large pan of water to the boil and generously season with salt. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water for use in the sauce. 

5. Increase the heat back up under the pan with the onions, then add the reserved pasta water and bring to a steady simmer. Meanwhile, mash half the cooked pumpkin and add this to the onions. Crumble in almost all of the blue cheese (keep a little back to serve) and stir until you have a smooth, creamy sauce. Working quickly, add the pasta to the pan and stir through until completely coated. 

6. Serve the pasta hot in warmed plates topped with the remaining pumpkin slices and blue cheese. Sprinkle with toasted, crushed walnuts and top with a generous drizzle of best-quality extra virgin olive oil and a final seasoning of sea salt and black pepper. 

Pork Medallions with Caramelised Onion Sauce 

Serves: 4  

GF 

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Cook time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients: 

2 tbsp olive oil 

500g (1lb 2oz) pork loin fillet, sliced into 1.5cm (1in) thick medallions 

Good knob of butter 

2 red onions, thinly sliced 

1 tbsp cider vinegar 

1 tbsp maple syrup 

12 sage leaves 

4 sprigs of thyme, leaves striped 

125ml (1⁄2 cup) white wine 

200ml (generous 3⁄4 cup) chicken stock 

1 tsp Dijon mustard 

Handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped 

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 

For the garlic mash: 

800g (1lb 12oz) floury potatoes, cut into chunks 

4 garlic cloves, peeled 

30g (1oz) butter plus extra, as needed, to taste 

Splash of milk 

70ml (1/3 cup) double (heavy) cream 

For the broccoli: 

300g (10oz) tenderstem broccoli 

2 tsp  apple cider vinegar 

1 tbsp olive oil 

2 tbsp capers, drained and patted dry 

Method: 

1. Put the potatoes and garlic for the mash in a pan of cold salted water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for 15 minutes.  

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over a high heat. Season the pork medallions and brown evenly on both sides in the pan before setting aside on a plate. Reduce the heat and add the butter to the pan, followed by the onions and fry for 10 minutes until very tender. Add the cider vinegar, maple syrup, sage and thyme, season well and cook for a further 5 minutes.     

3. Return the pork to the pan, add the wine and bubble for a minute to reduce a little then add the stock and mustard and simmer gently for 5–6 minutes until the pork is tender and cooked through.   

4. Drain and mash the potatoes and garlic with the butter, milk and cream. Season well. 

5. Put the broccoli in a microwaveable bowl with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Cover and microwave for 4-5 minutes. When cooked, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the apple cider vinegar and olive oil. Sprinkle over the capers. 

6. Scatter the pork with the parsley and serve with the creamy garlic mash and broccoli. 

Spice Bag Chicken Buns 

Serves: 4 

DF 

Prep time: 15 minutes 

Cook time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients: 

8 skinless chicken thigh fillets, cut into strips 

400ml buttermilk 

100g corn flakes  

2 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour 

Pinch ground white pepper 

Sunflower oil spray 

2 tbsp vegetable oil 

1 red chilli, thinly sliced 

6 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced diagonally 

1–2 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or use rice wine) 

1 tbsp sesame oil 

4 brioche buns, lightly toasted  

1 gem or 1⁄2 iceberg lettuce, shredded 

For the spice mix: 

1 tbsp Chinese five-spice 

1⁄2 tsp garlic powder 

1 tsp chilli powder 

Pinch ground cardamom 

Pinch cinnamon 

2 tsp salt 

2 tsp granulated sugar 

1⁄2 tsp white pepper 

For the garlic & coriander aioli: 

1 egg yolk 

1 clove of garlic, grated  

Pinch salt 

1 tbsp rice wine vinegar 

125ml neutral oil   

1 tbsp fish sauce 

Small handful coriander, finely chopped  

Method: 

1. Preheat the air fryer to 180°C/350°F. 

2. Mix together all the ingredients for the spice mix and set aside. 

3. In a bowl, cover the chicken thighs with buttermilk. 

4. Add the cornflakes to a zip locked bag and beat the bag using a rolling pin until finely crushed and add about half the spice mix, all of the flour and a pinch of white pepper. Shake the bag to fully mix before transferring to a shallow bowl. Save the remaining spice mix for steps 9 & 10. 

5. Lift each chicken thigh piece with tongs, allowing any excess buttermilk to drip off and toss in the cornflake/spice mix, leaving each aside on a plate once coated.  

6. Line the air fryer with a sheet of parchment paper and add in the chicken thigh pieces, spraying all over with oil. 

7. Cook for 15-20 mins until cooked through (alternatively you can deep fry them in batches in hot oil for 5-8 mins).  

8. To make the garlic and coriander aioli, whisk the egg yolk, garlic, salt, rice wine vinegar and whisk well. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly until completely emulsified. Add the fish sauce and coriander and whisk to combine.  

9. Place a large frying pan over a high heat and once smoking, add the vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add the red chilli and spring onions and stir-fry for 3–5 minutes until the chilli and spring onion are tender and translucent, before pouring in the Shaoxing wine and sesame oil. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of the remaining spice mix.  

10. To assemble, slather the aioli on toasted brioche buns and add some shredded lettuce. Place a piece of chicken on top, along with a spoon of the fried veggies and sprinkle a teaspoon of the spice mix on top and top with bun lids.