A light, citrus crab starter for Christmas from Kai’s Jess Murphy

Santa on a Jet Ski, plating up ceviche and crayfish on the barbecue ... It's fair to say that a New Zealand Christmas is considerably different from an Irish one. New Zealander, Galwegian and owner of Kai restaurant, Jess Murphy has leaned into the latter. “I’m married to a lovely Carlow man so Christmas here is all about the ham and the turkey,” she says.

Though Murphy humbly refers to Kai as, “a teeny-weeny neighbourhood restaurant in the west of Ireland”, those who travel great distances to dine there might disagree. She describes her style of food as “chonky wonky”, and as the restaurant has a Michelin Green Star for sustainability, she puts a huge emphasis on supporting local Irish farmers and producers.

Every year, Murphy’s husband Dave does the Cope Galway Christmas swim at Salthill. “I’d like to say I do it but that would be lying,” she laughs. “I did it once and that was enough. I’m surprised I didn’t have a heart attack, it was so cold. I’ll be standing there taking photos for Instagram and then we’ll have a warm chicken broth to warm Dave up.”

Back at home, crab from Aran Islands Seafood is on the menu for the couple’s starter. “Bertie and Niamh own a boat on Inis Mór and they do all my crab for the restaurant,” she explains.

“I think it’s neat that I can jump on my bike and cycle down to the docks and pick up beautiful Inis Mór crab. You can get it from Galway Bay Seafoods and Stefan at Gannet Fishmongers. Niamh prepares it all and it’s cooked on the island, and sent over the same day. It’s the best crab that I’ve ever had in my whole life.”

High praise. Murphy mixes it with apple, celery, coriander and dill, and folds in both mayonnaise and crème fraîche, before topping with Florence fennel and orange slices. “Mayo gives it a rounder flavour, while crème fraîche gives it the creamy, dreamy sharp flavour,” she says.

“If you’re having turkey and ham for mains, like we do, you don’t want to sit there incoherent because you’re so full. I like that it’s super light. Yes, it has mayo and crème fraîche, but the zestiness of the orange and the fennel cut through that richness. I think it helps with digestion too, which I have to think about now I’m 40.”

Though her recipes for mains and desserts can be prepared in advance of the big day, Murphy says it’s worthwhile getting up early on Christmas morning to make the brown bread for the starter. “You want fresh bread, and the smell in the house will be amazing too. My sister-in-law’s house always smells like Christmas coffee, and I love that.”

Murphy currently has a Neff N90 oven at home. “If you are the ultimate bread dork or mastered sourdough during lockdown, then this oven is for you,” she says of the Variosteam function, which allows you to add steam, making it ideal for sourdough and soda bread.

Between stalking Riot Rye in Cloughjordan’s bread page last year and the in-built Dough Proving mode, her at-home bread baking is levelling up. “It’s the best domestic oven that I’ve ever owned,” she says, adding, “I have the manual, and I’m a chef, and I still go through all the functions all the time. They are just fabulous.”

Post-lockdowns, Murphy reckons people are more up for baking bread, and soda bread is nice and quick - though there is always space for shortcuts. “We also have amazing bakeries, so no judgement if you are supporting them too. This is a no judgement Christmas,” she smiles. “We all know Christmas is about cooking dinner for people that you don’t necessarily like. So whatever gets you through and keeps you calm.”

Dillisk seaweed is a nourishing, multi-use ingredient which Murphy points to as something you can include in her bread recipe as an optional extra. And she is a big believer that if you can get it produced better than you can make yourself, then go for it.

“Our dillisk comes from Mungo Murphy’s Seaweed Co in Connemara, which you can buy online. It’s fab. You can sprinkle it in hot apple cider vinegar when you’ve the sniffles, or you can mix it with salt in your salt pig. It’s really good for you.”

For those who can’t enjoy seafood for their starter course this Christmas, Murphy suggests substituting in On the Pig’s Back terrine, available from Sheridans Cheesemongers, quoting Wildfoods Festival in Hokitika, New Zealand: “There’s room for all god’s creatures on a slice of bread.”

Bertie and Niamh's Inis Mór crab

Ingredients (serves 4-6):

• 400g crab meat
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon, to taste
• Pinch each of black pepper and salt
• 1 chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 1 Granny Smith apple, finely diced
• 4 sticks of celery, finely diced
• 100g crème fraiche
• 150g mayonnaise
• 20g coriander
• 20g dill

For garnish:

• 4 oranges
• 2 heads of shaved fennel
• Pinch of salt
• Juice of half a lemon

Method:

• Shave the fennel on a mandoline slicer nice and thin, add the juice of half a lemon and a pinch of salt, and set aside
• Peel the oranges and cut into wheels, set aside
• Pick your crab, add the rest of the ingredients, season, and combine
• Serve on a large platter with the orange wheels arranged to the sides, and fennel shavings sprinkled on top
• Enjoy with brown bread, or some toasted crostini.

Jess’ brown bread

Ingredients:

• 200g plain flour
• 150g wholemeal flour
• 8g bread soda
• 1.5g salt
• 2 tbsp mixed seeds
• 1.5 tsp dried dillisk (optional)
• 400ml buttermilk
• 35g treacle/molasses

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius
• Mix all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and the wet ingredients in a medium bowl
• Make a well in the dry mixture and slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, and combine
• Pour the mixture into an oiled loaf tin and cut it down the centre using a knife dipped in buttermilk
• Pop in the oven for 35 minutes, before tapping to see if it is cooked. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes if necessary
• Turn out onto a wire rack to cool before slicing
• Enjoy with the Inis Mór crab.

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