Home Cook Hero: Sarah Butler on Summer Salads, Batch Cooking & Keeping It Simple
From a young age, great cooks surrounded me, including my parents and my grandmother. Any chance the kitchen was free (which was rare as I grew up in a B&B) I was in there messing about!
In the summer, I love salads, but not the boring ones! I like salads filled with seasonal, fresh, colourful Irish vegetables, tossed with flavoursome dressings and filled with delicious marinated meats. Topped off with a garnish of rustic cheese and some nuts – that’s my summer dinner on repeat!
I love tomatoes and how juicy they are when in season. They are so versatile and they can be used in everything from soups to sauces, salads to sandwiches.
I have a few favourite places to eat in the west, and they all have one thing in common – they keep it simple and use quality, local, fresh produce from the meat to the vegetables.
Depending on my mood and the day, I usually listen to anything from 80s pop to classical chill when I’m cooking.
I have a few favourite places to eat in the west, and they all have one thing in common – they keep it simple and use quality, local, fresh produce from the meat to the vegetables.
Meat marinades are my go-to summer batch cook. I love to bag up steaks and chicken in lots of flavours like oregano, sage and lemon or paprika, chilli, garlic and basil. I then grab them from the fridge and cook on the BBQ for salads, burgers, or sandwiches. It saves lots of time, and the flavours are the best!
I have a few favourite kitchen gadgets. I love my microplane zester for lemons, oranges, garlic, ginger and nutmeg, my handheld blender for soups and sauces and my mandoline slicer for salads, stir fries, potato gratin and mini chips.
It’s impossible to choose just one favourite recipe from any of my books, but if I had to, the authentic chicken curry from Home Cooking is a special dish.
Sarah's Faves: 3 Fab Food Spots in The West
Moytura at the Riverside, Cross
Run by Chef Paul Power, the menu and vibe are fantastic for a dinner date, a family dinner or brunch with friends.
Dining Room, Castlebar
Run by Kevin and Shirley Stirzaker, it’s not winning awards non-stop for nothing. A beautiful menu, a gorgeous setting, a real treat meal.
diningroomcastlebar.com
The Tavern, Westport
Always a good family spot. It has a great kids’ menu, quick service for those impatient kiddos, and tasty food.
Portrait by Julia Dunin
@sarahbutlerathomeofficial
sarahbutlerathome.com
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