Another of the wonderful home-grown chesses that we love to
use in the kitchen is that of Knocklara all the way from Waterford.
As far as cheesemakers go we seem to have a superb selection
of Irish cheeses at the moment, a skill that’s being honed with great success
as a cottage industry.
Knocklara farmhouse is an old favourite producing a
selection of cheeses of which we use their sheeps cheese.
The chief chessemakers Agnes and Wolfgang Schliebitz are
very serious about cheese, and have been making their specialty sheeps cheese
since 1990, that’s more than 20 years of refinement, and it seriously shows in
the finished product.
If you are a regular to Kai you will surely have tasted the
mouth-watering cheese at some point.
Cheese is handmade at Knocklara using traditional methods
and vegetarian rennet. This method increases the health benefits of the cheese,
and increases its flavour.
The cheese is available to buy at Sheridans if you fancy
trying some at home. And if you are feeling adventurous why not try this recipe
out with your dinner guests courtesy of Café Paradiso…our favourite veggie restaurant
in Cork.
Deepfried courgette flowers with
Knockalara sheep's cheese & capers and a tomato-citrus broth
INGREDIENTS
6 tomatoes
100mls olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
zest of 1 orange
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
2 sprigs fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon tomato passata
100mls water or vegetable stock
100mls olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
zest of 1 orange
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
2 sprigs fresh oregano leaves
1 tablespoon tomato passata
100mls water or vegetable stock
8 courgette flowers
200g Knockalara cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
200g Knockalara cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
60g rice flour
40g plain flour
200mls sparkling water
oil for deep-frying
40g plain flour
200mls sparkling water
oil for deep-frying
Bring a pot of water to a boil.
With a sharp knife, score the base of the tomatoes with a cross and drop them
into the water for 30 seconds or so. Remove them to a bowl of cold water, then
peel off the skins. Deseed the tomatoes and finely dice the flesh.
Heat the olive oil in a small
pan over medium heat. Add the tomato and garlic, and cook for one minute. Add
the orange zest and herbs, and cook for one minute more. Add the passata and
100mls of water or vegetable stock. Simmer for one minute, then remove from the
heat and season with salt and pepper. Leave the broth to cool to room
temperature.
Stir the capers and chives into
the cheese. Open the flowers and fill them to about halfway with the mixture.
Twist the ends of the flowers to partially close them.
Combine the flours and whisk in
enough cold sparkling water to get a thin batter.
Heat some vegetable oil to
approximately 180°c in a deepfryer or pot.
Drop the flowers into the batter to lightly coat them, then lower them
carefully into the oil, a few at a time. Fry for 3-4 minutes, turning once,
until lightly coloured and crisp. Drain on paper.
