The next in our series of monthly blog posts by the incredibly talented Jess Murphy of Kai Restaurant.

14 March 2025

Paddy’s Weekend Feast Ideas from Jess Murphy

A St. Patrick’s Day special from Jess Murphy of Kai Restaurant for us this Bank Holiday weekend, featuring Wild Garlic and Gubbeen Scones to go with a bowl of comforting tomato soup and Killer Lamb Koftas with toasted pittas, houmous, cucumbers, pickled mint and sumac.

It’s our day to celebrate a Welshman banishing snakes from the whole island, so we’re going to be particularly specialising in the nation’s favourite once again. Yes, a feast of picky bits with stunning Wild Garlic and Cheddar Scones to serve with our tasty tomato soup, perfect for a heat and eat for all the local parades popping up around the country.

Also, to finish the bank holiday off, we’re making some Killer Lamb Koftas with toasted pittas and The Galway Kitchen Classic Houmous, cucumbers, pickled mint and sumac. All perfect for the panic of a Tuesday lunch box drama and keeping the household income budget for 99s by the beach and making memories in the Spring sun.

Wild Garlic & Gubbeen Scones

This makes 8 to 10 scones

Cook and prep time 40 mins in total

Ingredients

315 grams of plain white flour

1 tablespoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

1 teaspoon of salt

115 grams of ice cold butter

270grams of ice cold buttermilk

150 grams of ice cold grated Gubbeen cheese

20 grams of wild garlic

1/2 teaspoon of black cracked pepper

Method

Measure out all your dry ingredients and pop them in a bowl.

Then grate the butter and cheese, keep separated and pop them in the freezer for around 20 mins.

Measure out the buttermilk and leave in the fridge – ice cold butter, cheese and buttermilk help give puff pastry a stunning lift!

Then thoroughly wash your wild garlic, dry and chop.

Now in a food processor mix the flour and cracked pepper, then pulse in the ice cold butter, add buttermilk, cheese and wild garlic, until it’s just about mixed. Then turn out onto a floured bench and fold together, cut into desired shapes, brush the tops with left over buttermilk and pop them in a 180 degree oven and cook for 20 mins. Leave them to cool and serve with some stunning tomato soup as dippers (we used Cully & Sully) – perfection for the Parade.

Killer Lamb Koftas

Serves 4 to 6

Koftas Ingredients

300 grams of lamb mince

1 teaspoon of dried mint

2 cloves of smashed garlic

2 teaspoons of minced ginger

1 teaspoon of chilli chopped

2 teaspoons of cumin ground

2 eggs

40 grams of feta

To dress

2 tubs of The Galway Kitchen Classic Houmous

4 baby cucumbers

1 tub of natural yoghurt

1 teaspoon of sumac

1 med red onion

2 tablespoons of pickled mint

2 tablespoons of coriander

1 packet of wholemeal pittas

Tomatoes (quantity to your taste)

Leaves of your choice

Lime wedges (quantity to your taste)

Method

For the kofta mix, pop all your lamb, feta, eggs, herbs and spices in a bowl season and mix together. Once they are mixed, shape into little oval meat balls, pop on a plate and leave to marinate in the fridge for a good two hours to set , these can be made well in advance,

Then brown them in a pan and transfer them on a baking tray into the oven to cook at a further 180 degrees for 20 mins until lovely and golden brown .

On a large platter spread your houmous around, mix the yoghurt and sumac together, place the koftas on the platter and sprinkle on your chopped baby cucumbers and onions. Add the koftas and fresh herbs, tomatoes, leaves and lime, toast your pittas and simply serve and enjoy!

 Jess Murphy