The Ultimate All Ireland Sandwich with Ingredients from all 32 Counties!

Following a competition run by Heinz Ireland and held during this summer to design the Ultimate All Ireland Sandwich, the public nominated their favourite locally made foods and fillings and the final recipe has just been announced!

With the final fillings chosen by David Adams, Head of Heinz Ireland and Dee Laffan, food writer and presenter, the 32 Winners of the Heinz [Seriously] Good Mayonnaise All-Ireland Sandwich Competition Ingredients have been released just ahead of the All-Ireland Football Final, being held this Saturday 11th September!

And the Winning Ultimate All Ireland Sandwich Fillings are:

1. St. Tola Divine, a spreadable version of the award-winning goats cheese representing Co. Clare
2. Gubbeen Farmhouse Cheese, representing Co. Cork
3. Sourdough bread from Emilie’s Bakehouse, representing Co. Kerry
4. Irish butter from Glenstal Foods, representing Co. Limerick
5. Mature Cheese and Red Onion crisps from O’Donnells Crisps, representing Co. Tipperary
6. Blaa from Walsh’s Bakehouse, representing Co. Waterford
7. Cheddar from Coolattin Cheddar, representing Co. Carlow
8. Cucumbers from Welgro Produce, representing Dublin
9. Chilli jam from Gibney’s Preserves, representing Co. Kildare
10. Smoked trout pâté from Goatsbridge Trout Farm, representing Co. Kilkenny
11. Microgreens from Edmundburry Greens, representing Co. Laois
12. Honey roast ham from Herterich Artisan Meats, representing Co. Longford
13. Sourdough bread from The Home Bakery, representing Co. Louth
14. Organic lettuce from Meade Farm, representing Co. Meath
15. Shaved New York-style pastrami from Carrolls of Tullamore, representing Co. Offaly
16. Turkey slices from Green Farm Fine Foods, representing Co. Westmeath
17. Tomatoes from Wexford Tomatoes, representing Co. Wexford
18. Salami from Guastalla, representing Co. Wicklow
19. Smoke roasted organic salmon from North Coast Smokehouse, representing Co. Antrim
20. Onion jam from Burren Balsamics, representing Co. Armagh
21. Drumlin garlic cheese from Corleggy Cheeses, representing Co. Cavan
22. Crispy onions from Scotts Crispy Onions, representing Co. Londonderry
23. Wild Irish tuna from Shines Seafood, representing Co. Donegal
24. Black garlic butter from Abernethy Butter, representing Co. Down
25. Fresh free range eggs from Cavanagh Eggs, representing Co. Fermanagh
26. Mushrooms from Monaghan Mushrooms, representing Co. Monaghan
27. Bresola from Ispini Charcuterie, representing Co. Tyrone
28. Salad leaves from An Garraí Glas, representing Co. Galway
29. Boxty from McNiffe’s Bakery, representing Co. Leitrim
30. Sea salt from Achill Island Sea Salt, representing Co. Mayo
31. Sundried tomatoes from Ballagh Farm Shop, representing Co. Roscommon
32. Hummus from Sweet Beat, representing Co. Sligo

And all held together with dollops of Heinz [Seriously] Good Mayonnaise!

Here's our good buddy and Ingredients judge Dee Laffen with the finished Ultimate All Ireland Sandwich!

I think I'm gonna have to make one of these for Sunday to watch the match with!!!

Zack

Hedgerow Blackberry & Apple Jam

"You ate the first one and it's flesh was sweet
Like thickened wine: summer's blood was in it
Leaving stains upon the tongue
And a lust for picking..."
-from "Blackberry Picking" by Seamus Heaney


It's Blackberry Time Again!

Autumn comes and  the Blackberries ripen just in time for the back-to-school children. One of my favourite memories as a child is picking blackberries down country roads with my cousins, so that my Aunty Nora could make some of her famous and delicious Blackberry & Apple Jam.

We would never pick them just after it had rained, always checked them for worms and always ate as many as we picked!

There are many recipes and methods for making jams with blackberries and this is my favourite. The fruit is cooked without sugar at the start and then sieved to remove the seeds as they can be quite hard and get stuck in your teeth!

The sugar is added later in the cooking as the amount of sugar in any jam recipe is determined by the weight of the fruit. Removing the seeds will reduced the weight of the fruit by 40% therefore less sugar is required.

The apple helps to increase the pectin content giving this jam a better 'setting' quality, as well as adding more flavour & bulk.

Always sterilise your jam jars before use. You can do this easily by putting them in the microwave on full power for 3 minutes.

My Ingredients:
2kg Blackberries
500g large cooking Apples
2 whole cloves
150ml water
Juice & zest of 1 Lemon
1.5 kg granulated sugar

My Method:
1. Peel, core and roughly chop the apples. Pull the stalks out of the blackberries.
2. Put the apple, blackberries, lemon juice, cloves & water into a large heavy-based pot and bring to the boil.
3. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes stirring ocassionally with a wooden spoon. The fruit should be smooth and soft.
4. Pour the cooked fruit into a sieve and rub it through with the back of the spoon into a clean pot. Discard the seeds & cloves.
5. Add the sugar, stir it in well and simmer the jam for another 20 minutes.
6. To test the setting properties of the jam put 1/2 teaspoon of it on a cold saucer and push the end of the spoon through it. If it sets and leaves a gap then it is now ready. If it falls back on itself, give it another 5 minutes cooking and test it again.
7. Pour your hot jam into the warm sterilised jars. (I put the glass jars in the microwave for 3 minutes to sterilise them.) Cover with a greaseproof paper disk and close the lid tight while it is still hot. Turn the jars upside-down once and then upright again - this helps in the sterilisation of the lid and also helps create the vacuum that will make the jam keep longer.

Leave the jams in a cool place until cold.


Delicious with homemade soda bread and My soda bread recipe is here.

UPDATE!
This September I went picking Blackberries with my daughter and found millions of them (well, nearly) That post is here: Picking Blackberries & my Blackberry Madeira Pie Recipe and my Blackberry Ice Cream is Here!

Enjoy! 


zack