Page 69 - Guerin Media Ltd | Active Retirement Ireland Members Annual 2016
P. 69
THIRD PRIZE:
RAMS ARA, NEWCASTLE
MATT DOWLING’S PRAWNS AND SCALLOPS GRATIN
Ingredients - Serves 2
120gm Dublin Bay prawns’ tails
120gm fresh king scallops
60gm fresh butter
Seasoning/fresh ground pepper
200ml Avonmore cream
1 chopped shallot
Pinch chopped parsley
Pinch chopped chives
20gm butter roux to thicken
Sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese
600gm mashed potato for piping.
1 egg yolk
Pinch of nutmeg
Method
Place butter in a heavy based pot, add shallots. Melt butter, and soften shallots. Add in king scallops, and sweat
until nearly cooked. Add in prawns, (these can be raw or precooked). Add chives, parsley and cream, and allow to
simmer, Do not boil, as this will toughen the scallops. Add roux, or thickening, to make a smooth sauce.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mash potato, and add pinch of nutmeg, and the egg yolk to the mashed
potato. Pipe potato in a circle on to a serving plate, and reheat in the oven, or under grill. Place the prawns and
scallops mixture in the potato ring. Sprinkle with grated cheese, and glaze under grill. Serve on a larger base plate
Matt says:
“This is one of my favourite recipes, as a young chef, I was very privileged to win a prize for this dish, and I still have
the photo. The Russell Hotel was one of the finest restaurants in the 1960s, and this is one of the most popular
dishes from then. The Russell on St Stephens Green, closed its doors in April 1974. Dublin Bay prawns were always
a favourite, and 10kg a day were prepared each day. King scallops came fresh in shells, and were prepared from
scratch. The scallop shells were often used to serve the scallops in, before the upgrade to oven wear dishes. Today
most scallops come frozen, and sometimes only Queens are used. Dublin Bay Prawns are my favourite, and I love
to go to Howth just to purchase some whole fresh prawns.”
Gary says:
“Using a classic recipe from an old landmark Dublin Hotel and using proper Dublin Bay prawns and scallops in
their shells, this dish transported me back to my early days as a commis chef in The Rosapenna Hotel in Downings,
Co. Donegal. A simple dish but using the finest of Irish produce and allowing them to shine. Beautiful.”
www.activeirl.ie Active Retirement Ireland 69
RAMS ARA, NEWCASTLE
MATT DOWLING’S PRAWNS AND SCALLOPS GRATIN
Ingredients - Serves 2
120gm Dublin Bay prawns’ tails
120gm fresh king scallops
60gm fresh butter
Seasoning/fresh ground pepper
200ml Avonmore cream
1 chopped shallot
Pinch chopped parsley
Pinch chopped chives
20gm butter roux to thicken
Sprinkle of grated parmesan cheese
600gm mashed potato for piping.
1 egg yolk
Pinch of nutmeg
Method
Place butter in a heavy based pot, add shallots. Melt butter, and soften shallots. Add in king scallops, and sweat
until nearly cooked. Add in prawns, (these can be raw or precooked). Add chives, parsley and cream, and allow to
simmer, Do not boil, as this will toughen the scallops. Add roux, or thickening, to make a smooth sauce.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mash potato, and add pinch of nutmeg, and the egg yolk to the mashed
potato. Pipe potato in a circle on to a serving plate, and reheat in the oven, or under grill. Place the prawns and
scallops mixture in the potato ring. Sprinkle with grated cheese, and glaze under grill. Serve on a larger base plate
Matt says:
“This is one of my favourite recipes, as a young chef, I was very privileged to win a prize for this dish, and I still have
the photo. The Russell Hotel was one of the finest restaurants in the 1960s, and this is one of the most popular
dishes from then. The Russell on St Stephens Green, closed its doors in April 1974. Dublin Bay prawns were always
a favourite, and 10kg a day were prepared each day. King scallops came fresh in shells, and were prepared from
scratch. The scallop shells were often used to serve the scallops in, before the upgrade to oven wear dishes. Today
most scallops come frozen, and sometimes only Queens are used. Dublin Bay Prawns are my favourite, and I love
to go to Howth just to purchase some whole fresh prawns.”
Gary says:
“Using a classic recipe from an old landmark Dublin Hotel and using proper Dublin Bay prawns and scallops in
their shells, this dish transported me back to my early days as a commis chef in The Rosapenna Hotel in Downings,
Co. Donegal. A simple dish but using the finest of Irish produce and allowing them to shine. Beautiful.”
www.activeirl.ie Active Retirement Ireland 69
