Ask anyone where you should eat on a trip to Galway and it’s likely that Kai will be the first restaurant mentioned. Here, we chat to chef-proprietor Jess Murphy about how the #AtHomeWithKerrygold series has helped her connect with people around the country.
The #AtHomeWithKerrygold series has seen Ireland’s favourite butter brand team up with some of the country’s best kitchen experts, including Caryna Camerino from Camerino Bakery and Paul Flynn of The Tannery. The aim of the series is to encourage us all to keep cooking at home, using great Irish ingredients like Kerrygold.
New Zealand born Jess Murphy is one of the top names associated with this campaign and, as you will see below, she has shared one of her delicious recipes with us for you to enjoy at home. Well known within the Irish food scene, Jess has long been a champion of local seasonal ingredients and delicious food. Kai, the restaurant she set up with her husband Dave in 2008, has been a success since day one and has helped Jess foster a wonderful community in Galway.
While we may not have been able to enjoy Jess’ food in Kai over the past few months, she has promised that when the restaurant reopens at the end of this month, customers will be treated to new dishes and flavours.
“We’re lucky to be coming back in summer when we will have great produce available for us to use. We’re experts at making people feel safe in the restaurant industry; we feed hundreds of people a day and keep them safe, healthy and full. At the end of the day, you’re only as good as the ingredients you use, and we try to use the best.”
This is where Kerrygold comes in: as Ireland’s favourite butter brand, most homes around the country are bound to have a block or two in their kitchen. The recipe that Jess has shared with us is perfect for families as you can make them in bulk or whip them up to make the most of any leftovers you might have on hand.
“Use your leftovers, do not throw them out!” says Jess when describing her #AtHomeWithKerrygold recipe. “This is a super flexible recipe that you can customise to use whatever you have. Fritters are great for using leftovers.”
The recipe Jess has shared below is perfect for any time of the day and can be made with cupboard staples that most of us have on-hand right now, as well as some delicious Irish ingredients like St Tola Goat Cheese, Kerrygold butter and more. Always remember that cooking should be fun and if things don’t turn out as you had expected then it means they’re made with love!
READ MORE: How to make Camerino Bakery's famous peanut butter brownies
Cauliflower and St Tola fritters
Serves four
For the fritters:
- 1 head of cauliflower, steamed
- 100g spring onions, sliced
- 2 eggs
- 100g St Tola cheese (or any cheese you have on hand, like feta)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Salt and pepper
- 150g wholemeal spelt flour
- 1 tablespoon Kerrygold butter
For the wild garlic ranch sauce:
- 20g wild garlic or three-cornered leeks
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon buttermilk or yoghurt
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh dill or fennel, finely chopped
For the fattoush salad:
- Juice of half a lemon
- A dash of apple cider vinegar
- A drizzle of olive oil
- 15g pomegranate molasses
- 2 tomatoes, chopped into chunks
- 75g cucumber
- 1/2 a red onion
- 1 handful of mint
- 1 handful of parsley
- 1 handful coriander
- 2 teaspoons sumac
- 100g croutons
Method:
- To make the fritters, mash the steamed cauliflower and mix with the eggs, spring onions and cheese until a scrambled egg-type consistency.
- Combine the spices, flour and baking powder together. Make a well in the cauliflower mix, pour in the dry ingredient and fold together. Season to taste.
- Place a frying pan over a medium heat and add a small knob of the Kerrygold butter.
- Add a spoonful of the cauliflower mixture to the pan, flatten out and fry on one side. After a minute or two, flip to cook through. Once cooked, remove from the pan and repeat with the rest of the mixture.
- To make the ranch dressing, mix together all of the ingredients until well combined. Set aside.
- For the fattoush, whisk together the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil and molasses. Chop the herbs, tomatoes, cucumber and onion, and mix through the salad dressing along with the sumac. Finish with the croutons.
- To serve, divide the fritters and fattoush between plates, then drizzle with the ranch sauce.
READ MORE: How to make Ian Marconi's ultimate shrimp and grits recipe
Cook along with Jess
Now that you've seen Jess' recipe, check out her cooking video below. If you try out her cauliflower fritter recipe, be sure to tag FOOD AND WINE, Kerrygold and Kai Galway so we can see your good work. Happy cooking!
This article is brought to you in association with Kerrygold and the #AtHomeWithKerrygold campaign.
For more inspiration, you can find all the #AtHomeWithKerrygold recipes on Kerrygold.com and all of the how-to videos on the @Kerrygoldirl Instagram page.
