Few foods can inject as much flavour into meals as tasty rashers. Undoubtedly, everything tastes better with a rasher on top and, when used creatively, they can enhance well-known favourites, or inspire new recipe ideas. Cooking and working from home can often result in the same meals being created each week, so to keep meals interesting why not simply add rashers – the ultimate flavour maker.
Clonakilty Food Co.'s products have been a firm favourite in Irish homes for generations. Their most recent launch, a new range of Clonakilty Dry Cure Rashers, are available in Traditional Dry Cure and Beechwood Lightly Smoked, ensuring great taste and flavour in every bite.
While we all may have a go-to rasher recipe, here are two new tasty dishes to try this week. Enjoy.
Lilly Higgins’ Clonakilty Rasher Eggs Benedict
Recreate the ultimate weekend brunch with this simple recipe from Cork-based chef Lilly Higgins. Crispy rashers elevate this dish in flavour and texture from its original guise where ham is commonly used. For another twist, Clonakilty’s Beechwood Lightly Smoked Rashers add a subtle smoky flavour which pairs wonderfully with the creamy hollandaise sauce in this popular brunch dish.
Ingredients (serves 2):
- 1 pack Clonakilty Dry Cure Rashers (Traditional or Beechwood Lightly Smoked)
- 2 eggs
- 2 vines of cherry tomatoes
- 4 slices of sourdough toast
For the hollandaise:
- 100g butter
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 tsp wholegrain mustard
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- Splash of boiling water
Method:
- Melt the butter and set aside. Place a heat-proof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. First, add the egg yolks and whisk to break up, then whisking the entire time, add the mustard and lemon juice to combine. Add a splash of boiling water to emulsify and smoothen the sauce then set aside to keep warm. You can pour it into a flask or just leave sitting over the pot of warm water, off the heat and cover with a plate to prevent a skin forming.
- To cook the Clonakilty rashers place foil on a baking tray and lay the rashers on top of this. Place the tray into a cold oven then turn the oven to @ 190C. Place the cherry tomatoes in an oven proof dish and drizzle with a little olive oil. These can roast alongside the rashers.
- Leave to cook for 15-20 mins till the rashers are crispy and the tomatoes are softened.
- Toast the bread and spread with butter (essential).
- Top the toast with some of the gorgeous crispy rashers then place the egg on top followed by the sauce and tomatoes. Serve with a big pot of tea.
Eric Matthews' Clonakilty Rasher Alsace Pizza
Michelin-star chef at Chapter One restaurant Eric Matthews has created an indulgent yet simple recipe for the ultimate fakeaway experience at home. Clonakilty’s Traditional Dry-Cure Rashers are the focal point of this dinner recipe and the crispy savoury flavour of the rashers is balanced with a blend of spring onion, Irish cheeses and some subtle spicing.
Ingredients (serves 2):
- 250g strong flour
- 125ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp salt
- 20ml olive oil
- 6 Clonakilty Beechwood Lightly Smoked Rashers
- 1 red onion
- 1 spring onion
- 125g cream Fraiche
- 25g of grated Templegall Cheese or Emmental Cheese
- Salt and pepper
Method:
- Add the flour, water, olive oil and 1 tbsp of salt in a bowl and stir to combine. Tip the dough onto a lightly-floured counter and knead for 10 minutes. Then rest the dough for 15 minutes.
- Slice the red onion very finely and slice the Clonakilty Beechwood lightly smoked rashers into small strips. Season the creme fraiche with salt and pepper.
- Preheat the oven to 200c. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a thin oblong shape and place on a lightly floured baking tray. Spread a thin layer of the seasoned creme fraiche on the dough base. Evenly scatter a layer of cheese, the sliced rashers and red onion on top. The cheese is not traditional but I love it with the smoked flavour of the rashers.
- Bake this in the preheated oven until golden and nearly on the verge of burning but not quite. Finish with sliced spring onion, fresh black pepper and enjoy.