New Suzie Lee’s Great Food Made Simple series shares signature dishes from Northern Ireland top chefs
In a new series for BBC Northern Ireland, home cook Suzie Lee meets some of Northern Ireland’s top chefs and gets to see how they create their signature dishes.
Back at home, Suzie then takes inspiration from all she has learned in the professional kitchen. From shepherds’ pie to sticky toffee pudding and Korean crispy cauliflower, Suzie shares lots of tips to make the dishes on her home-cooked menu, achievable and affordable.
In episode one, Suzie visits a Londonderry restaurant where chef Phelim O’Hagan combines fresh local ingredients with French techniques.
Phelim elevates a simple scallops dish with a pine nut butter and inspired by his unique flavour combinations, Suzie demonstrates how to make nut butter. For dessert, Phelim also takes one of Suzie’s favourites to a whole new level - sticky toffee pudding soufflé - and she then whips up her own version.
Later in the series, Suzie visits a Georgian guest house in Magheralin – home to husband and wife chefs, John and Louise Mathers.
John makes a dish of smoked eel, horseradish panna cotta and beetroot and apple salad. In her home cook’s version, Suzie replaces the eel with smoked mackerel and serves it with apple and fennel salad.
Louise, who prides herself on seasonal desserts, makes a creamy baked cheesecake with poached fruit. Suzie then rustles up an easy dessert which involves very little cooking - peach perfect pudding.
In Co Fermanagh, Suzies meet award-winning chef John Roche, who uses local, seasonal ingredients for a cookery masterclass making one of his signature dishes, cured black bacon served with celeriac, carrot and apple purées, plus a black pudding bon bon.
In Belfast, Suzie visits an Indian restaurant where owner Naz Rahman has worked for more than 30 years. He gives Suzie a crash course in Bangladeshi cuisine including lamb chops with tandoori spice, chicken biryani and the most loved dessert, Gulab jamun - an aromatic doughnut.
Inspired by these flavour combinations, Suzie makes a starter of lamb skewers, homemade naan bread and a mint yoghurt dip and for dessert, Chinese deep-fried doughnuts known as youtiao.
Suzie also visits Dundrum in Co Down to meet Michelin star chef and Great British Menu finalist Alex Green. Alex creates a fine dining version of mushroom tart with brown butter emulsion and bacon jam and rustles up his own home-reared dish – barbeque shorthorn beef, salt baked carrots, smoked potato mash, pickled onion and beef fat sauce. Inspired by Alex’s creative use of simple ingredients, Suzie cooks a pan seared fillet steak, baked onion and smoky lardon mash.
In the final episode, Suzie is in Lisburn where chef Stevie Higginson cooks local produce with international flavours. Stevie shows Suzie how to make Korean chicken with mayo. At home Suzie creates a vegetarian alternative using a popular Asian ingredient to make crispy cauliflower with spiced mayo.
For dessert, Stevie demonstrates how to make chocolate fondant with coconut ice cream and toasted coconut. Suzie has a hack for her homemade version, adding a dark chocolate surprise.
Suzie Lee’s Great Food Made Simple, is made by Waddell Media and starts Friday, May 16 at 7.30pm on BBC One Northern Ireland. The full series will also be available on BBC iPlayer.