Glenn McCourt with his entry
St Mary’s College student Glenn McCourt has been named as Ireland’s student chef star.
The award was bestowed on him by Sarah Baker of Cloughjordan House cookery school in Tipperary, with the competition also sponsored by Glenisk.
Having made the final three, Glenn won the cook off for his Apple and Calvados Crème Brulee, Apple and Blackberry Crumble Tart and Crunchy Caramel Shot.
Glenn now collects an iPad as well as cookery classes at Cloughjordan House and Glenisk hampers.
His recipe is as follows:
Ingredients:
Crème brûlée
1. 1 apple
2. 3 egg yolks
3. 125ml of Glenisk Cream
4. 30g of sugar
5. 1 knob of butter
6. 5ml of Calvados
7. brown sugar
Apple crumble tart
1. 35g of butter
2. 50g of sugar
3. 25g of ground almonds
4. 30g of flour
5. 1 apple
6. 40g of blackberries
7. 30g of ground almonds
8. 1 pinch of cinnamon
Apple Shot
1. Glenisk Organic 0% Fat Natural Yogurt with Granola
2. Homemade Caramel Sauce
3. 1 Apple
Sweet pastry
1. 250g of flour
2. 150g of butter
3. 100g of icing sugar
4. 2 eggs
5. 1 pinch of salt flour
Method:
1.For the crispy apple slice, first make a syrup, which will also form the base of the apple sorbet. Combine 125ml of hot water with 125g granulated sugar and stir to dissolve. Allow to cool
2. Slice a Granny Smith apple into rounds 1mm thick using a mandolin Use a pastry brush to gently coat the apple slices with the simple syrup
3. Lay the apple slices on a non-stick baking tray.
4. For the apple purée, place the apples, water, and sugar in a large pan. Cook over a low heat until the apples are soft – approximately 10 minutes
5. Place the cooked apples into the food processor and process until smooth. Refrigerate to cool the purée. Reserve 500g, refrigerated, for topping the panna cotta and use the remaining 500g to make the apple sorbet
6. Combine the reserved syrup, the apple purée, and the vitamin C powder. Mix well and churn in an ice cream maker. Freeze until ready to use. Check on the ice cream and sorbet as it churns.
7. For the panna cotta, mix the sugar, the vanilla seeds and the double cream in a pan over a medium heat and briefly bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and add the gelatine. Mix well
8. Pass the hot cream mixture through a fine strainer and then mix in the yoghurt. Pour into small kilner jars and place in the refrigerator to set.
9. For the Tarte tatin, peel the Cox’s apples and cut two large cheeks from each one
10. In a thick-bottomed pan, slowly melt the sugar and cook it to a dark caramel. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter
11. Place the apple cheeks into the pan, rounded side down, and cover the pan. Leave the pan covered and off the heat for 1 hour to cook the apples
12. Transfer each apple, rounded side down, into a 10 cm tart pan. Cover with a round of pastry dough and gently tuck the edge of the dough into the pan around the apple. Bake at 180ºC until the pastry is risen and golden
13. Remove the tarts from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Flip the tart pans onto a baking sheet lined with parchment to turn out the tarts apple-side up. Allow to cool
14. Make the butterscotch sauce shortly before serving. In a heavy-based pan, combine the golden syrup and brown sugar and cook over medium heat.
15. Add the butter to the pan and mix well. Add the cream and briefly bring the mixture to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the mixture through a fine sieve. Allow to cool
16. Reheat the tarts in a 180ºC oven until crispy. Place on serving plates beside a jar of the panna cotta. Top the panna cotta with a spoonful of the apple purée
17. Place one scoop of the apple sorbet on each plate and top with a dehydrated apple slice. Swirl a spoonful of the butterscotch across the plate. Sprinkle The Granola on top of the panna cottas at the last moment so they stay crispy. Serve.
Glenn’s dish
