Paul and Nick’s culinary adventure visits Armoy

A visit to a local pig farm inspires the main course but will they succeed in perfecting their dessert?

Bill Kennedy, Clerk of the Course at Armoy Road Races said: “The Armoy Motorcycling Road Racing Club were absolutely delighted to be part of this series, it was a real delight. We had a wonderful evening where we dined in true luxury and the craic was mighty.

“Paul and Nick got a rare treat as their mode of transport on their inland journey was care of our very own motorcyclists, Joe O’Kane and Mick Colgan. You’ll just have to watch this Monday night to see what else they got up to in our beautiful Armoy!”

For starters, Paul and Nick decided on baked monkfish, quennie scallops, tomato and basil cream - a fish starter which tastes sensational but requires some preparation time. Paul and Nick love the texture of the baked monkfish and the sweetness of the scallops. They describe their basil cream as one of the best fish sauces in the world, with the cherry tomatoes bringing a hint of acidity.

The chefs decided on slow braised spiced pork with gratin potatoes, steamed beetroot and caramelised apples for the main course. Paul cooks the spiced pork roast with a beautiful glazed finish while Nick is making it up as he goes along, but says he manages to create a little bit of magic which the camera captures with fresh beetroots, creamy potatoes and beautifully moist apples. Nick’s verdict: “Truly inspiring”.

Baked alaska with yellowman ice cream is their chosen dessert and Paul says cooking this dessert is the most fun he’s had in ages as the chefs give a masterclass in meringue and honeycomb. They produce a dish which they say is not far off being the best dessert in the world. But like Nick, you’ll need a kitchen blowtorch to cook this at home.

Paul and Nick’s Big Food Trip concludes on UTV this Monday night at 8pm and www.u.tv/bigfoodtrip has exclusive videos with the chefs and all the recipes from the series.