Recipes created for the Irish Food Writers’ Guild Food Awards 2020 by executive head chef Gareth Mullins of The Marker, Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, showcasing the 2020 award winners.

TEELING POT STILL WHISKEY SPRING CUP

To make the rhubarb cordial, place the chopped rhubarb in a saucepan. Add just enough water to cover the rhubarb and bring to the boil. Boil until the rhubarb is soft, then strain the mixture into a jug through a fine mesh sieve. Pour the strained juice back into the pan, then add the sugar and heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boiling point, then skim, remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

To make the spring cup, add ice to a highball glass. Add the whiskey and 25ml of the rhubarb cordial. Add a slice of apple, orange and pink grapefruit and one or two fresh raspberries and blueberries. Top up with white lemonade and stir gently with a bar spoon, taking care not to crush the fruit. Add a fresh sprig of mint to the top of the glass and serve.

SHINE’S WILD IRISH TUNA NICOISE SALAD, QUAIL EGG

Carefully remove the tuna from the jars, trying not to break up the pieces too much, and place in a strainer. Reserve the oil for the aioli.

To make the aioli, put the egg yolk, garlic, mustard and vinegar in a large bowl and whisk together. Gradually incorporate the oil that you drained off the tuna plus the extra 100ml, adding it in a slow, steady stream and whisking constantly until emulsified into a mayonnaise.

Boil the new potatoes until tender, then drain and cut in halves or slices.

Top and tail the green beans, then blanch briefly in boiling salted water. Drain, then rinse under cold water to stop them cooking further.

Cook the quail eggs in boiling water for 3 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and refresh in iced water. Allow to cool, then carefully peel and cut a slice off the bottom of each one so that they will stand upright.

To serve, add a small dollop of aioli to each plate, then nestle a quail egg on top and sprinkle with a pinch of celery salt. Arrange the green beans, tomatoes and olives together on one section of the plate, then add the potatoes alongside. Add a few strips of tuna on the last clear section of the plate, then garnish with a few leaves of parsley. Finally, drizzle over a good-quality olive oil to finish the dish.

INCH HOUSE TRADITIONAL BLACK PUDDING AND CHICKEN PITHIVIER, CELERIAC PUREE, BROWN SAUCE

To make the brown sauce, heat the oil in a saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 minutes, until softened but not coloured. Add the garlic and chilli and sauté for 2 minutes, then add the raisins, prunes, brown sugar, ketchup, soy sauce, vinegar and fennel seeds and season well with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a few minutes to combine all the flavours. Place in a food processer and purée until smooth.

To make the celeriac purée, place all the ingredients in a heavy-based saucepan and cover with a lid. Cook over a low heat until the celeriac is tender, then purée in a food processer until smooth.

To make the pithivier, preheat the oven to 220°C. Line two large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.

Mix the black pudding and chicken together, then season well with salt and pepper. Stir in the chopped parsley and tarragon.

Place four of the pastry discs on the lined baking sheets (two on each sheet) and top with a neat mound of the black pudding and chicken mix, leaving a 1cm border clear all around. Brush the clean pastry border with the beaten egg yolks, then cover with the second pastry disc. Press down the edge to seal the pastry discs together, then brush the top with the remaining egg wash. Pierce the top of the tart to allow the steam to escape, then score eight lines in the pastry, radiating out from the top like a pinwheel.

Bake in the preheated oven for 15–18 minutes, until the pastry is golden and the core temperature is about 75°C.

To serve, spoon a small circle of celeriac purée into the middle of a wide, shallow bowl, then add the pithivier and place a small spoonful of the brown sauce on top. Carefully pour the jus around the outer edge of the celeriac purée.

Steamed Fillet of Brill, Hederman Hot Smoked Salmon, Asparagus, Seaweed

To make the beurre blanc, place the shallots, wine, vinegar and water in a saucepan set over a medium heat. Simmer until almost no liquid remains. Turn the heat down to low, then whisk in the butter one piece at a time, allowing each piece to melt and emulsify before adding the next. It’s a good idea to occasionally take the pan off the heat, then return it when it’s becoming too cool, so that the sauce doesn’t split. Once all the butter has been added, the sauce should be pale and have a thin, custard-like consistency. Stir in the cucumber and seaweed, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Keep warm.

Steam the brill in a steamer basket for 4–6 minutes, then season with sea salt.

Steam the asparagus spears for 3–4 minutes, then season.

To serve, spoon the beurre blanc into the middle of a plate, then add the steamed brill on top. Add three asparagus spears to each plate, then two of the smoked salmon pieces. Garnish with small sprigs of fresh dill on top of each piece of salmon.

Joyce Timmins’s Apple Bavarois, Apple Ganache, Apple Sponge

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two large baking trays with non-stick baking paper.

To make the coconut dacquoise base, sieve the icing sugar, flours and ground almonds together into a bowl. In a separate large, clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites, caster sugar and a pinch of salt together until soft peaks form. Fold in the dry ingredients, then spread out on one of the lined trays and bake in the preheated oven for 6 minutes.

To make the apple sponge, put the eggs, ground almonds, icing sugar and apple purée in a food processor and blend to a smooth, frothy mixture, then stir in the flour. In a separate clean, dry bowl, whisk the egg whites and caster sugar together, then whisk in the lemon juice. Spread on the second lined baking tray and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Cool down fast to preserve its softness.

To make the apple syrup, boil the apple juice and water together over a high heat until reduced and thick, then cool down fast. Once the apple sponge and the syrup have cooled, brush the syrup all over the sponge.

To make the apple ganache, bloom the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water. Heat the apple purée and lime juice together in a small saucepan, then add the gelatine, stirring until it has dissolved. Stir in the melted white chocolate.

To make the apple bavarois, bloom the gelatine in a small bowl of cold water. Warm the apple purée in a saucepan, then add the gelatine, stirring until it has dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl, adding the sugar in three batches. In a separate bowl, whip the fresh cream to soft peaks. Fold the meringue into the cooled purée mix, then fold in the whipped cream.

To assemble, you’ll need a 30cm springform cake tin for building up the cake in layers. First cut a 30cm circle from the coconut dacquoise so that it fits the base of the tin perfectly, then add the apple ganache and spread to cover in an even layer. Next add one-third of the apple bavarois. Cut the apple sponge into 2 x 30cm discs, then add one disc on top of the bavarois. Add another third of the bavarois, then the second disc of apple sponge. To finish, add the remaining third of the bavarois, then gently tap the tin on the countertop to ensure there are no air bubbles. Briefly dip a palette knife in hot water, then use it to smooth the top of the cake. Place the cake in the fridge overnight to set. The next day, use a hot towel or a kitchen blowtorch to warm the edge of the tin before you release the cake, then cut into slices.

To serve, spoon a line of finely crumbled shortbread onto a plate, then add a quenelle of apple sorbet on top, if liked. Add a slice of the cake alongside and serve immediately.

Durrus Cheese, Cumin Lavosh, Honey

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Line two large baking sheets with non-stick baking paper.

To make the lavosh, mix together the flour, toasted cumin seeds, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl, then pour in the olive oil. Stir with a fork, then continue stirring while slowly adding the cold water. You might not need all the water – use just enough to form a ball of dough.

Roll out the dough into two large rectangles that are the same size as your baking sheets – you could even use a pasta machine to get it nice and thin. Place the dough onto the lined sheets, then drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle with a little more sea salt and toasted cumin. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes, until golden and crisp.

Allow to cool on a wire rack, then break the crackers into large irregular pieces.

To serve, place the small wedges of cheese directly on a piece of the lavosh, then add a drizzle of local honey or a piece of honeycomb.

Exploding Tree Chocolate Truffles

Pour the cream into a heavy-based pan set over a medium heat. Bring to a simmer – don’t let it boil – then add the butter.

Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl, then pour over the hot cream mixture, whisking until the chocolate melts. Add a pinch of salt, then stir in the whiskey. Once the ganache is smooth, pour into a clean bowl and place in the fridge to chill for 2 hours.

Place the cocoa powder in a shallow bowl. Using a parisienne scoop briefly dipped in just-boiled water, scoop out balls of the firm chocolate, aiming for about 20g each, then roll in the cocoa powder.