Serves 4-6 One kg chicken, cleaned and trussed (preferably free-range or organic) Four small onions, cut in half Two parsnips, cut into 3cm slices One leek, trimmed and cut into 3cm slices Two carrots, cut into 3cm slices Four potatoes, cut into 3cm cubes Four garlic cloves, peeled Three tbsp puy lentils Two tbsp raisins Pared rind of 1/2 lemon Sprig fresh thyme Pinch of celery salt One tsp freshly grated horseradish or one tbsp creamed horseradish 300ml cider Two litres chicken stock, plus a little extra if necessary (cubes are fine if you're stuck) Salt and freshly ground black pepper Olive oil to garnish Preheat the oven to 180C0C, gas mark 4, if you are going to finish the cooking of this in the oven.

Place the chicken in a large pan with a tight-fitting lid and pack the onions, parsnips, leek, carrots, potatoes and garlic around it.

Sprinkle in the lentils, raisins, lemon rind, thyme, celery salt and horseradish. Pour over the cider and chicken stock . . .the chicken won't be covered but don't worry as with the secure lid the steam will help the cooking process.

Bring the pan to a gentle simmer and either place in the oven for one hour or turn down the heat as far as it will go and cook for 45 minutes to one hour until the chicken and vegetables are completely tender.

Remove from the heat and leave the chicken to rest for a while. There's no harm in making this much earlier in the day and reheating it when the time comes to serve.

To serve, re-heat gently if necessary, then carve the chicken in the pan as best you can . . . this might be a little sloppy but don't worry, the taste is everything.

Spoon the vegetables and broth into warmed serving bowls and arrange the slices of chicken on top.

Season to taste and add a glug of olive oil to each one before serving.

Eamonn O'Reilly Chef Patron One Pico Restaurant, Schoolhouse Lane, Dublin 2 Beef Bourguignon "This recipe is a must-have in any food lover's repertoire.

This is a dish we often cook at home on a cold wet day for the whole family, served with some potato and garlic puree, crusty bread and bottle of Beaujolais. Enjoy."

Serves 6 Part one 1.8 kg lean beef One medium onion One leek Three celery stalks One carrot One head of garlic One sprig of thyme One bay leaf One bottle Beaujolais Part two 350g button mushrooms 350g smoked bacon lardons 40ml olive oil approx Two tbsp flour 500ml beef stock Salt and freshly ground pepper Cut the beef into approx four cm cubes and place in a large dish. Peel and trim the vegetables and cut into large dice. Add to the meat along with the peeled garlic and herbs, pour in red wine, cover with clingfilm and leave to marinate for six to 10 hours in the fridge. (This can be prepared in the morning or the night before. ) Drain the meat, keeping back the wine and vegetables, pass the wine through a sieve and boil it to reduce it by half.

Season the meat and colour all over in half the oil in a very hot pan, drain and place in a large casserole dish, then colour and caramelise the smoked bacon and mushrooms in the remaining oil. Add the flour, stir well, then add to meat.

Add the reduced red wine to the casserole and pour in only enough stock to barely cover the meat and vegetables. Bring to the boil then cook in a preheated oven (1800C/gas mark 4) for two hours, until the beef is tender.

Remove from oven and leave the beef to cool a little.

Serve with some potato and garlic puree and fresh crusty bread.

Potato and garlic puree Five large potatoes Five cloves garlic 60g butter diced 40ml double cream Place potatoes and garlic in a pan, cover with water, bring to boil and simmer until tender.

Drain very well and mash, adding the butter and cream. Season with salt and freshly ground white pepper.

Colleen Bennett Head Chef Fontana Restaurant, High Street, Holywood, Co Down Prawn risotto "Cooking is something I like to do to make people happy and a good risotto is not only a seductive and satisfying dish, but, on a glum day it will bring a smile to any diner's face."

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as a starter 250g Arborio rice One litre of simmering water (you may not use all of this) 200ml white wine One white onion, finely chopped 50g butter 100ml olive oil One red chilli, seeded and chopped 170g fresh raw prawns Salt & pepper Large dessertspoon of chopped fresh rosemary Knob of extra-cold butter to finish You will need a good heavy based medium-sized pot, a long-handled wooden spoon and a bit of strength in your stirring arm.

Have the litre of simmering water in a pot with a ladle resting beside the pot for cooking your risotto.

Place the butter and oil along with the onion into a pot and cook at a medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent. Sprinkle a pinch of salt on the onion at the start to help get the onion cooking. When the onion is soft, add the risotto rice.

Add more butter at this point to make sure all the rice grains get a nice coating of fat. This is where you get your muscles going . . . you need to stir the rice constantly.

Add a glass of white wine, stir it in then add a large ladle of warm water, still stirring until the liquid has been absorbed. Taste the rice . . . you'll feel the grain is hard. Add more water only after the previous ladleful has been absorbed each time.

Repeat this over about 15 minutes and taste the rice again. You'll see the rice is looking much fatter and the grain should start to have a more chewy texture with a bit of a bite left in its centre. The point of all the stirring is the end result . . .

beautiful creamy rice. The creaminess is in fact the starch released from the grains of rice as they rub against each other during all that stirring.

Risotto is gorgeous and creamy if made correctly without the need of additional cream.

To finish the risotto you can now add the chopped rosemary and chillis along with the prawns. The consistency of the final dish should be loose, so make sure it is 'sloppy' . . .

add a bit more water and wine then a final knob of butter. Check the balance of seasoning . . . maybe a good pinch of salt and a hefty grinding of black pepper.

The dish is ready when the prawns have turned a sweet pale pink. Pour the final risotto onto warm bowls and indulge in a glass of good wine and some great company.

Philip Brazil Head Chef Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare, Co Kerry Roast breast of duck with butternut squash, roast chestnuts and plum sauce "This is a low-fat recipe, and because there is no flour used, it is ideal for a coeliac diet."

Serves 4 4 duck breasts Plum sauce 300ml red wine 1/2 stick cinnamon One slice orange One bay leaf 85g agen prune (pitted) Two tsp demerera sugar 120ml brown chicken (bouillion can be used) Pinch sea salt and freshly ground pepper Chestnuts/ vegetables 28g butter Two celery sticks (peeled chopped and blanched) One Granny Smith apple (chopped, deseeded and soaked in juice of one lemon) 10 oz parsnips (peeled and cut lengthways into quarters) 1/2 butternut squash (peeled chopped and blanched) 12 chestnuts (already cooked and peeled) 200ml water or veg stock Squeeze of lemon juice To make the sauce Boil the red wine, cinnamon stick, orange slice and bay leaf together until the wine has reduced by half.

Remove from the heat. Add the prunes and leave to marinate.

After two hours, remove the cinnamon, orange slice and bay leaf from the mixture. Put the sugar in a medium sized pan, then add the reduced red wine, prunes and the chicken stock, and bring to the boil.

Remove from the heat and blend for one minute in a liquidiser or with a handheld blender.

Season with salt and pepper.

Vegetables Melt the butter in a saucepan on a medium heat and sweat the celery, parsnip, butternut squash, apple and chestnuts for four minutes.

Pour in the water or stock, bring to boil and season with salt, pepper and sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat (with bubbles just breaking the surface) for 20 minutes, until soft and melting.

Duck breasts Season with salt and pepper. Place skin-side down in a large frying pan and cook for 10 minutes, pouring off excess fat every two minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp.

Place in an oven preheated to 1800C, gas mark 4. Cook for four minutes, then remove from the oven and leave to rest.

To serve:

Put the duck breast in the centre of each plate. Scatter the chestnuts, apple, celery, butternut squash and parsnip around the outside. Spoon the hot sauce generously around the plate.

Andrew O'Gorman Head Chef Halo@The Morrison Hotel, Ormond Quay, Dublin 1 Roast leg of lamb with a goats' cheese and marjoram crust "Lamb is a dish that always goes down a treat with my family. It's got that sense of occasion about it and yet this recipe only takes a short time to prepare and cook. The only part that takes a while is the slow-cook tomatoes, which can be easily prepared in advance . . . even overnight.

But when combined with the lamb it's the detail that makes the dish. Take my advice and do try this one at home!"

2.5kg leg of lamb with centre bone removed 150g goats' cheese grated 35g marjoram, chopped 25g thyme, chopped Six cloves garlic, chopped 100g breadcrumbs 20 spears asparagus Five medium potatoes 10 small peeled carrots Overnight Tomatoes 10 vine plum tomatoes 25ml olive oil (Greek organic) 5g crushed garlic 4g rosemary 4g thyme Sea salt and black pepper First prepare the tomatoes. Cut tomatoes in half, add a little oil to the garlic and brush onto the seeded side of the tomatoes. Chop the herbs and sprinkle evenly over the tomatoes. Season with the sea salt and black pepper.

Place in an oven with a very low heat for 12- 20 hours.

To prepare the lamb, pre-heat the oven to 1900C, gas mark 5. Mix the breadcrumbs, chopped herbs, goats' cheese and chopped garlic together.

Heat a roasting tray on the range or hob.

Season the lamb with rock salt and black pepper and seal in the roasting pan before placing in the oven.

Peel and the quarter the potatoes lengthways and pan fry to a golden brown colour.

After 20 minutes, turn the lamb and reduce the oven temperature to 1800C, gas mark 4.

At this point, add the potatoes, carrots and the cloves of garlic to the lamb and return to the oven.

After 40 minutes in the oven, sprinkle the crumb mixture on all sides of the lamb.

At 45 minutes, add the asparagus and overnight tomatoes (or five minutes before the lamb is taken out).

At 50 minutes . . . if you like your meat medium rare . . . you should take the lamb out now and leave to rest for 15- 20 minutes before serving.

Moira Tighe Chef and Owner, Cromleach Lodge Country House, Co Sligo Brown bread "I just love bread-making . . . I actually find it therapeutic.

These recipes take less than five minutes to prepare, no machines required and no big mess in the kitchen.

There is nothing more homely than the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the house . . . what greater love can any woman (or man) have?"

Makes two 454g loaves 227g wholemeal 113g bran 113g strong flour Two eggs One tsp bread soda One tsp bextartar 113g brown sugar 57g melted butter 1/2 litre milk Pinch salt Combine all dry ingredients. Add liquids and mix.

Pour into two buttered 454g tins (sprinkle with roasted buckwheat or sunflower seeds if desired).

Bake in pre-heated oven at 1800C, gas mark 4, for 50 minutes.

Turn out on its side and continue baking for a further 10 minutes to give the bottom a nice crust.

Mercy Fenton Head Chef Jacobs on the Mall, Cork City Caesar salad "This is a great salad and a great salad dressing. The preparation for the salad can all be done in advance and finished at the last moment.

Serve alone as a meal in itself or it goes great with poached egg, grilled chicken, avocado or steak. The dressing is also good with chunky homemade chips."

Caesar salad dressing Serves 8 main-course salads Three egg yolks 1/2 tbsp Dijon mustard One tsp crushed garlic 150ml lemon juice Two tbsp Worcester sauce One good dash tabasco 100g anchovies (use anchovies that have been marinated in oil, not salted anchovies) 1/2 tsp ground white pepper Approx 100 ml boiling water Two tsp salt 225ml olive oil 225ml sunflower oil One cup grated Parmesan Put the egg yolks in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, add the lemon juice and whisk until it is thick and fluffy . . . this will cook the egg yolks.

Remove from the heat and put into a food processor Add the Dijon mustard, garlic, Worcester sauce, anchovies, tabasco and seasoning to the egg yolks and let the machine run.

Add the oil in a steady stream . . . if the mix seems too thick add a little boiling water then continue to add the oil until all the oil is incorporated. Again add more boiling water to adjust the consistency.

Finally add the Parmesan and refrigerate until ready to use.

Salad One red onion, thinly sliced Four thick slices of stale bread for croutons Parmesan shaved with a vegetable peeler Eight slices of streaky bacon, grilled and chopped 24 anchovies, cut in thin strips Three-four heads of cos or little gem lettuce (a mixture of both types of lettuce gives a nice contrast) Just mix all the ingredients in a bowl, and coat evenly with the caesar dressing.

Croutons Cut the stale bread into small cubes and toss into a bowl with a little olive oil and a taste of crushed garlic. Coat with the oil then place on a tray in the oven at 1800C, gas mark 4, for 10 to 15 minutes until golden. Drain on kitchen paper and toss with salt until ready to use.

Sebastien Masi Chef Patron Pearl Brasserie, Upper Merrion Street, Dublin 2 Baked cod with bacon and parsley viennoise served with puy lentils and mustard dressing "I chose this recipe as all the products can be sourced locally and it is an extremely popular dish, especially with our regulars."

Serves 4 Four pieces of skinned and boneless cod 200g puy lentils or green lentils Four tbsp freshly chopped parsley Eight slices of white bread, crusts removed 80g cooked and finely chopped smoked bacon One small diced carrot One small diced parsnip Two diced shallots 50g butter Mustard dressing (wholegrain mustard, olive oil, lemon juice and honey) Pre-heat the oven to 1800C, gas mark 4. Put the lentils into a large saucepan with plenty of cold water. Add the diced carrots, parsnips and shallots. Simmer for 20 minutes. To serve, drain well, season and add some of the mustard dressing.

Process the butter, parsley, bread and bacon, to make a paste. Season the cod and cover the top with the paste-crust mixture.

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes until the fish flakes when tested with a folk.

Serve the cod on a bed of warm lentils surrounded by baby gem salad and drizzled with mustard dressing.

Noel McMeel Head Chef Castle Leslie, Glaslough, Co Monaghan White chocolate soup "White chocolate soup is one of my creations which I serve at the castle. It goes down a treat when served with the dark chocolate and pecan biscotti."

Serves 4 100g white chocolate drops 100g single whipping cream One vanilla pod Split vanilla pod in half.

Scoop out the seeds and add seeds to cream. Bring cream to the boil, then add to chocolate and mix.

Refrigerate for up to two hours before serving. Easy peasy.

Dark chocolate and pecan biscotti 31/4 cups flour 13/4 cups white sugar One cup pecans, chopped One cup chocolate chips 3/4 cup butter, softened 1/2 cup cocoa powder Two tbsp coffee liqueur Two tsp baking powder One tsp salt Four eggs, beaten Zest of one lemon Take a large mixing bowl and combine the baking powder, cocoa powder, flour, salt, butter and about half the sugar. Stir until smooth.

Now add the coffee liqueur, lemon zest and beaten eggs while stirring.

Fold in the chocolate chips and chopped almonds. Stir well.

Sprinkle the rest of the white sugar over a rolling board. Divide the batter in half and roll into a footlong log.

Place the logs on a greased baking tray. Place in an oven preheated to 1800C, gas mark 4, and bake for 30 minutes.

Lift out of the oven and cut into thick slices. Bake the slices again for another 10 minutes before serving.

Biscotti should be stored in an airtight container to preserve taste and texture.