Healthy Biltong Recipes by Gary O’Hanlon

#8– Irish Biltong Spicy Noodle Lettuce Cups with Natural Yoghurt

Gary O Hanlon - TV chefWhat Gary says about this dish …

Every time I hear lettuce cups I think of the Galway races and my neighbour and buddy Johnathon. A few years back after a bit of a get together at ladies day in Galway I came up with the bright idea of hosting a dinner party the following day for the race gang. The morning came and in the cold light of day it all came back to me and I’d hoped everyone had forgotten my promise of a dinner party, they didn’t!. 

“Off I set home with a stop off at the store to grab the grub for din dins and I figured I needed a wee appetizer to keep the hungry crew going as I sorted out the rest of the courses. I came on some baby gem lettuce and as I’ve always loved a lettuce cup bite I decided they were perfect. Filled with chilli beef noodles and more they went down a treat, to say the least. Johnathon still talks about them. I’ve added some Chan-Chan sauce to these but a little Sriracha or Frank’s hot sauce also works well. Happy cooking.”

Ingredients

100g Irish Biltong
8 baby gem lettuce leaves
75g dried egg noodles

1 small white onion
50g sweet corn
½ red chilli
juice of 1 lime

30ml Chan-Chan sauce, Tabasco or Frank’s Hot sauce
2 scallions, sliced thinly
10g fresh coriander, chopped
4tsp Glenisk Organic Natural Yoghurt.

Method

Cover the noodles with boiling water and set aside for 5 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside.

Heat a frying pan and add a dash of vegetable oil.

Sweat the onion & chilli until soft and then add in the sweet corn and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Season with white pepper and a pinch of salt.

Add the lime juice and the Chan-Chan sauce (or preferred spicy sauce) followed by the noodles and mix/toss well.

Now add in the scallion and coriander.

Season to taste and then fill the lettuce cups followed by pieces of Irish Biltong and a small dollop of yoghurt.

Enjoy!

Gary O'Hanlon

Chef, TV & Radio Broadcaster and Columnist

Gary O Hanlon has been Head Chef of Viewmount House, Co. Longford since 2008. Winner of the Georgina Campbell ‘Best Restaurant in Ireland’ 2014, Food & Wine Magazine ‘Best Chef Leinster 2016’ and ‘Country House of the Year 2017’ Gary has been ever present on our TV screens since 2008 with appearances on MasterChef Ireland, Four Live, The Today Show, Late Lunch Live, The Seven O Clock Show and is resident Chef on ‘The Restaurant’. Gary is a columnist with The Irish Times, has a food show on Shannonside/Northern Sound and is a regular contributor on Today FM.