This week’s Guest Chef is Deirdre "Dee" Clinton

Deirdre ‘Dee’ Clinton is the Head chef at Smugglers Creek, sitting high on the cliffs at Rossnowlagh, in County Donegal. She is a regional, national & international award-winning chef and is currently a member of the Irish Culinary Team.


Dee (3rd from right at the back) with members of the Irish Culinary team

Dee is the only female chef to hold the title ‘Irish Chef of the Year’. She loves to use fresh local produce in her cooking especially seafood and this is very evident in her menus. Living near the sea, as she does in Donegal, she is very aware of the bountiful wonders that are available to her kitchen.

"We are very lucky here on the west coast of Ireland in that we have such a variety of fish & seafoods on our doorstep! It makes putting a menu together a pleasure," says Dee. "I think its great that Ireland is finally recognising that we have the most wonderful home-grown products in this country and has stopped being afraid to shout about how great our own Irish foods are!"

Deirdre ' Dee' Clinton - Head Chef at Smugglers Creek, Rossnowlagh, Co Donegal

One of Dee's kitchen loves is baking and today she is cooking for us one of her favourite desserts. "This is a very simple recipe but it's one of my favourites when I'm cooking at home for the family. Like any pudding the secret is to keep it light, layer the mix and keep the pudding from getting wet while cooking".



mmmmmmmm!



Raspberry & White Chocolate Steamed Pudding

Ingredients:

8oz Margarine

8oz Caster Sugar

8oz Self Raising Flour

4 Fresh Eggs

Fresh Raspberries

White Chocolate Buttons

Method:1. Cream the margarine & sugar until light and fluffy.

2. Lightly beat the eggs together.

3. Add the flour and eggs alternatively and gradually, mixing steadily.

4. Line 12 individual ramekins (or a 2lb pudding bowl) with cling film and half fill the moulds with the pudding mix, keeping some aside to top the moulds.

5. Chop the white chocolate buttons into chips and sprinkle over the mix.

6. Sprinkle some fresh raspberries over each mix.

7. Top each mould with a final layer of pudding mix. Each one should be only ¾ full so as to let the pudding rise.

8. Wrap each bowl tightly with cling-film to keep the pudding from getting wet when steaming.

9. Place a plate upside down in a large heavy based saucepan and put the ramekins in on top of this. Gently pour some water in to the pot coming 1/3 of the way up each mould.

10. Bring to the boil and then turn the heat down by half. Steam the puddings for 1 hour (or 2½ hours for one big pudding). Serve slightly warm with fresh cream & more raspberries!

See http://www.smugglerscreekinn.com/ for more details on The Smuggler Creek.

Don't forget to Feed the Fish at the bottom of this post!

zack