Anna Haugh, originally from Tallaght, Co Dublin, owns and operates her own restaurant, Myrtle, located in Chelsea, London. It began operations in 2019. The eatery honours the memory of Myrtle Allen, a co-creator of Ballymaloe House. In addition to being a chef, Haugh is a television personality and has recently authored her inaugural cookbook.
Her passion for cooking was ignited by her mother, whom she used to assist in the kitchen as a child. Haugh notes, “Cooking flows through me, and I naturally enjoy sharing it.” Her book contains user-friendly and accessible recipes targeting to motivate and instil confidence in domestic culinary enthusiasts. A dedicated section in the book featuring meals that can be prepared in 20 minutes will particularly resonate with those restricted by time, while a section on weekend projects will cater to those looking to immerse themselves deeper.
Her cookbook is titled ‘Cooking with Anna: Modern Home Cooking with Irish Heart’, and it is published by Bloomsbury. Laura Edwards was responsible for the photography.
She shares her vegetarian burger recipe:
– Pea and Cheddar Burgers
This delicious treat was born out of the challenge of a surprise vegetarian guest. It turned out all Haugh had was frozen peas and some cheese in her pantry. Through some creative kitchen work, a delicious burger was crafted.
Ingredients:
– 150g canned butter beans (drained)
– 200g defrosted frozen peas
– 1 egg
– 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds
– 1 tablespoon of sunflower seeds
– 2 heaped tablespoons of self-raising flour
– 60g grated mature cheddar cheese
– Vegetable oil
– Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Mash the drained butter beans in a large bowl with the end of a rolling pin. Add the defrosted peas and continue mashing. Season the mixture. Crack an egg into the mash, add the poppy seeds and sunflower seeds and stir thoroughly.
Serving Suggestions: Serve with bread rolls (Blaa rolls were used for the demonstration photo), horseradish sauce, sliced tomato, and lettuce.
To prepare this dish, first incorporate the flour into the mixture, season with salt and pepper again, then introduce the cheese for one last thorough mix. Preheat a portion of oil in a skillet. Take a big spoonful of the bean mix and plop it into the heated pan. Depending on the size of your patties, this recipe should yield four to six patties.
Whilst the patties are sizzling away, assemble your burger bun. Slice the bread rolls into two halves and spread a dollop of jarred horseradish sauce. Top it up with slices of tomato and lettuce.
Keep monitoring your patties, turning them over until they are golden brown on each side. Lever them out of the pan using a spatula and directly onto the bun before serving.
[“Never before have I spent as much on one item and I expect I never will”]
Chicken fricassee accompanied with pesto and semi-dried tomatoes
Despite what the name might suggest, this dish is rather straightforward to make, yet bursting with different flavour profiles. Preparing it while listening to your favourite podcast makes it a relaxing activity.
Complement it with plain simmered baby potatoes to make it more of a complete meal. The tanginess of the tomatoes amps up the delicious sauce. There’s already a medley of tastes in the dish so adding a component to the plate that isn’t competing for the spotlight works well. Swap semi-dried tomatoes with Kalamata olives if you like.
Ingredients for the pesto:
1 tablespoon of pine nuts
A bunch of basil
1 crushed or finely shredded garlic clove
1 lemon
40g (about 2½ tablespoons) of extra virgin olive oil
20g (4 teaspoons) of vegetable oil
40g of finely grated Parmesan cheese, or vintage Cheddar
Sea salt
Ingredients for the chicken:
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
300g of skin-on boneless chicken thighs
1 finely sliced garlic clove
1 finely sliced shallot
100g of white wine
100g of chicken broth
40g of salted butter
50g of semi-dried tomatoes (the vivid red ones)
In a food processor, combine the basil, garlic and pine nuts. Add the zest of a lemon and pulse-blend for a coarse texture. Gradually add both types of oil and a bit of salt. Fold in the Cheddar or Parmesan last. Give it a taste and add lemon juice if needed.
For the preparation of the chicken, preheat a sauté pan on medium to high heat, adding a dash of salt and oil. Place the chicken skin-side down and let it caramelise. Include the shallot and garlic, stirring until soft. Next, add the wine and let it bubble until almost evaporated. Mix in the butter and semi-dried tomatoes after pouring in the stock and bringing to a boil. Check if it needs additional salt by tasting.
Finally, serve the stew alongside the pesto.