The popular 29-year-old Dublin-based chef, listed on the Forbes 30 under 30 list, has a refreshing, no fuss approach to home cooking and entertaining …
Simplicity is the key to chef Mark Moriarty’s home cooking. That’s understandable given his multiple roles – presenting RTÉ One’s Beyond the Menu and Cook In with Mark Moriarty, not forgetting his consultancy roles for M&S in Ireland and for Diageo Reserve.
After work, he says, “More often than not I will rustle up a ‘one pot wonder’ such as some grilled herby halloumi with a pea and feta salad [see recipe below]. My favourite mid-week meal is lamb kebab with flat bread and salad, accompanied by a nice glass of French Burgundy.”
Clearly simplicity does not mean any loss of flavour or flair. Mark’s years in professional kitchens including time at The Greenhouse restaurant, (working under head chef Mickael Viljanen) have taught him how to be creative with a few key ingredients. “When you work at a restaurant, it’s repetitive as you are recreating the same menu each evening, albeit to a very high standard. I often preferred whipping up the staff dinners, which allowed me to be creative. Kitchen teams are such a critical audience and their feedback is instant and often brutal.”
At home, Mark relies on some key ingredients and larder staples. He admits he is not one of those chefs who recommends dishes using hard-to-source, or expensive items. “I always try to save time by investing in some readymade pastes and sauces. One of my regular buys is M&S’ Magic Umami Paste which is of restaurant-quality and can enhance everyday dishes. The Hot Peri Peri Sauce (and Mayo) is another larder staple, as are some pickled red onions which can lift a dish from good to great.”
On Mark’s weekly shop, he loves watching what other people are buying and it’s this research which informs his recipes for M&S. In addition to adding cook in sauces to his shopping basket, you’ll find fresh herbs to pep up dishes and for garnishes, some mince, bacon rashers, chicken fillets and salads.“I especially love picking up the ‘three for €12’ readymade salads and some garlic bread – that’s a meal in itself. There is nothing wrong with assembling food, if the core ingredients are of a high standard and locally sourced,” he says.
Mark has personally met many of M&S’ local Irish producers and suppliers – from the north Dublin-based Keelings Fruit to Horgan’s Delicatessen Supplies based in West Cork. They, and other select farmers, who have impressive environmental and animal welfare standards, will be featured in M&S’ upcoming “Farm to Foodhall” campaign, launching on June 21.
“When M&S say, ‘this is not just food’, they mean it,” says Mark. And his favourite summer ingredients? “They are beef, butter, rooster potatoes, yoghurt and summer berries. These Irish hits are the foundations for most of my summer menus and are so versatile. Yoghurt, especially, can elevate dishes and add a Middle Eastern flavour at this time of year.”
Why not try two of Mark’s recipes this weekend, as follows:
Barbecued Lamb Kebabs with Chilli Jam, Hummus, Cous Cous and Pickled Red Onion
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 lamb shish kebab skewers
2 tbsp vegetable oil
8 tbsp M&S Chilli Jam
1 container M&S Collection Chickpea Hummus
400g giant cous cous
1 lime
4 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp M&S Concentrated Chicken Stock
4 tbsp M&S Pickled Red Onion
1 pack Cook with M&S Coriander
Method:
Begin by cooking the giant cous cous. Place the cous cous in a pot and cover with double the amount of water. Add the chicken stock paste and slowly bring to the boil. Cook for 15-18 minutes until the cous cous is soft. Strain and dress with some vegetable oil to stop it sticking. Leave to cool.
Dress the chilled cous cous in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Fold through the pickled red onion and rip the coriander leaves over the top. Finish with the zest and juice of a lime.
Heat the barbecue before cooking the kebabs for 2 mins on all sides. Remember to remove the sticks if cooking over an open flame.
To plate up, place a spoonful of the hummus in the bottom of the bowl, top with the dressed cous cous and the barbecued shish kebabs
Finish with the chilli jam, and some more ripped coriander.
Grilled Herby Halloumi, pea and feta salad, garlic and herb sauce
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 Herby Halloumi skewers
1 bag M&S frozen peas
50g M&S Feta Cheese block
4 tbsp olive oil
1 lemon
4 tbsp M&S Garlic and Herb Sauce
1 packet Cook with M&S Mint
Method:
Start with the pea and feta salad. Take the peas out of the freezer in advance to defrost. Drain any excess water before placing in a bowl. Crumble the feta into the bowl and season with the olive oil, M&S Garlic and Herb Sauce, the juice and zest of half a lemon and some hand ripped mint leaves. Adjust the seasoning with salt before placing the dressed salad into bowls.
Heat the barbecue before cooking the halloumi skewers very quickly on all sides until lightly charred and just melting.
Serve these on top of the salad with a little more ripped mint.
Follow Mark on Instagram: @markmoriarty1.