One thing that we’ve noticed over the years is that food plays such an important role our in lives and not just for fuel but for entertaining and providing us with fond memories too.
We’ve chatted to some of Ireland’s well-known faces to discover their favourite dishes and meals, be it from their childhood or simply something they like to rustle up at home.
Andrew Rudd is a regular guest on TV3’s Late Lunch Live, and also has his own private dining venue Medley, in Dublin’s city centre.
Celebrity chef, Andrew is also currently working as part of a new campaign, Eye Am What I Eat, which aims to raise awareness of diabetic macular edema (DME) a form of diabetic retinopathy that can have a severe effect on vision, causing significant sight loss and is the leading cause of sight loss in working-age adults in Ireland. To get involved, and to help raise awareness of DME and diabetic retinopathy, people are invited to simply develop a recipe for eye health, and include in the recipe one or more of the “Top 10 Foods for Eye Health” listed here.
Andrew shares his own take on one of his favourite recipes: Thai Carrot and Coriander Soup.
Thai Carrot and Coriander Soup
Speaking about this quick and easy recipe, Andrew said:
“This soup is wholesome and nutritious and is really simple to make. Serve with a lovely crusty French loaf. To make the prep for this recipe more manageable, use a food processor with a shredding attachment for the vegetables.”
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Serves: 10 x 200ml portions
Ingredients
- 100g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 carrots, peeled and shredded (or grated)
- 1 onion, peeled and shredded (or grated)
- 1 parsnip, peeled and shredded (or grated)
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and shredded
- 1 tsp green Thai curry paste
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 1.5 litres vegetable stock
- salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 125ml crème fraîche
- 1 bunch fresh coriander, stalks removed and finely chopped (optional)
Method:
- Place a large frying pan over a medium heat and melt 50g butter with a dash of olive oil (this prevents the butter from burning) and sauté the carrots, onion, parsnip and potato for about 10 minutes until they become soft but do not brown.
- Add the green Thai curry paste and curry powder and mix well. Add the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and then reduce to simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and, using a hand blender, blend until smooth. Return to the pan and stir in the crème fraîche, fresh coriander (optional) and the additional 50g of butter to give it a smooth finish.
Chef’s tip: You can make a lovely variation on this soup by including 2 tsp ginger and 1 stalk of lemongrass, bruised and sliced very finely.
