Birthday Dinner… Black Pudding Mousse to start

The birthday dinner was planned for sixish, eating at seven and it just turned into one of those days. Everything ran away from me so I felt  a little like a contestant in a cookery competition when 3 o’ clock rolled around and I was walking in the door with the shopping, not one thing prepared, three hours to go. It was busy and not exactly the most relaxing kitchen in Ireland to be in, if truth be told, if you happened to be passing through, but by 6 O’ clock, as the doorbell went, it was ready! No judging thank god, only a lovely family birthday dinner where everyone says everything is lovely!

To start…. Black Pudding Mousse with Apple & Calvados

Fillet Steak with Mushroom & Parmesan Cream

Dessert…. Buttermilk Vanilla “Cricket Grounds” Cake

Happy Birthday Leigh Xx

So I’m going to start at the start(er)! (I’ll post the steak and cake another night)

One of my favourite restaurants in this part of the world is the famous seafood restaurant “The Lobster Pot”. People travel from far and wide to eat their fish – they’ve recently been joined by a host of other fantastic seafood restaurants & pubs in the Kilmore area – competition is definitely raising the bar in that part of the county. But every time I go, I cannot bear to miss their Black Pudding Mousse – it is to die for! I have found it very hard to find a recipe despite much browsing so this is my attempt, tweeked and adapted over the years to get as close as I can to the real thing.

Ingredients

(to serve 4)

1/2 black pudding sliced and slices quartered (you can add more if you want a richer mousse)

1/2 onions chopped

two red juicy apples, peeled & chopped

cup cream

2 eggs and 2 egg yolks

3 / 4 tablespoons Calvados (brandy will do either or you can leave it out if you don’t have it)

Butter & Olive oil to fry

• Heat some olive oil & a knob of butter in a frying pan. Add the chopped onions & black pudding. Gently fry for 5 minutes. Place in a blender.

• Gently fry chopped apple in butter for 3 / 4 minutes.

• Add the Calvados and ‘deglaze’. Remove half the apples & set aside.
• Pour in the cream and cook on gentle heat for 4 / 5 minutes.

• Strain the cream into the blender with the pudding and onions.  Add the eggs and egg yolks. Blitz for 30 sec. Season with salt & pepper. Pour mixture into buttered ramekins.

• Add the apples that have just been strained to the top of each dish.

• Cover and cook in a pan with a little water in the pan at 180c for 25 mins.

• Remove carefully, reheat the remaining chopped apple and serve with green salad.