Lush: Recipes for the food you really want to eat

By Daniel Lambert

TikTok sensation Chef Daniel Lambert brings you the food you really want to eat in his much-anticipated first cookbook.

Enter the comfort zone with Chef Daniel Lambert’s unapologetically delicious recipes.

The Perfect Irish Hashbrown for breakfast?

Coca-Cola sticky ribs for Friday-night dinner?

Mint Chocolate Cheesecake for that special occasion?

Daniel Lambert has you covered. Packed with easy-to-make and satisfying recipes, Lush is the feel-good cookbook that has been missing from your life. Naughty food; clean plates!

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Sep 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9780008527112

Daniel Lambert

Daniel Lambert is an award-winning Irish chef, who has worked in the fine-dining restaurant industry for over seven years. He appears regularly on Ireland AM and rose to stardom by sharing quick and snappy cookery videos on TikTok, his channel boasting an impressive 318k followers. This is his first cookbook.

Book preview

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LUSH

Recipes for the food you really want to eat

Daniel Lambert

Harper Collins Ireland Logo

Copyright

HarperCollinsIreland

The Watermarque Building

Ringsend Road

Dublin DO4 K7N3

Ireland

a division of

HarperCollinsPublishers

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

UK

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published by HarperCollinsIreland 2022

Text © Daniel Lambert 2022

Photography © Leo Byrne 2022

Cover design by Graham Thew © HarperCollinsPublishers 2022

Cover photograph © Leo Byrne 2022

Designer: Graham Thew

Photographer: Leo Byrne

Food Stylists: Charlotte O’Connell and Clare Wilkinson

Daniel Lambert asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780008527105

Ebook Edition © September 2022 ISBN: 9780008527112

Version: 2022-08-26

Dedication

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This one’s for you, Gaga

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction

Chef’s Note: How To

Potato Party

A Masterclass in Perfect Mashed Potato

Emotional Roast Potatoes

Irish Hash Browns

To-die-for Fries Two Ways

Sticky Sweet Potato Fries

Triple-cooked Chips

Cheesy Potato Doughnuts

Nacho Average Baked Potato

Irish Boxty Pancakes

Irish-style Potato Nachos

The Perfect Crisps

The Potato Hoagie Wrap

Summer BBQ Potato Salad

Trad Fest

Rosemary and Lemon Soda Bread

Slow-cooked Bacon and Cabbage

Potato Bread (Boxty)

Cabbage Crisps

Horseradish Roast Beef

The Best Guinness Gravy

Honey and Cointreau Glazed Carrots

Potato and Leek Soup

So Wrong but So Right

Slow-cooked Chicken Curry Lasagne

Boozy Wings Two Ways

Jäger Bomb Chicken Wings

Buckfast Chicken Wings

Coca-Cola Slow-cooked Ribs

Coca-Cola Ham

Vegetable Spring Rolls with Sticky Club Orange Sauce

Pizza Pasta Bake

Cheeseburger Tacos

Coffee and Cheese Arancini

Pizza in a Pineapple

The Ultimate Mayo Three-cheese Toastie

The Cure

Frying Pan Pizza

Pork Belly Ramen Noodle Bowl

Instant Noodle Wrap

Hangover Wedges

Super Nachos

Dorito Mozzarella Sticks

Cheese and Chorizo Potato Bites

Loaded Fries Two Ways

Full Irish Fries

Emotional Cheese Fries

Sausage and Egg Muffin

Chicken Fillet Rolls

BBQ Beef Ranchero Tacos

Smoked Bacon Beef Burgers

Jambons

Sausage Rolls

Battered Sausages

Battered Beef Burgers

Korean Chicken

A Bit Posh

Prawn and Pesto Tagliatelle

Proper Carbonara with Lemon and Thyme Chicken

Garlic Butter

Irish Guinness Bread

Smoked Bacon and Chorizo Bolognese

Slow-cooked Meatball Marinara

Pan-fried Chicken Alfredo Pasta

Katsu Curry Salmon with Stir-fried Noodles

Pan-fried Scallops with Champagne Sauce, Mussels and Basil Oil

Homemade Pasta

Pasta Aglio e Olio

The Perfect Steak

Around the World

Aloo Tikki Bites

Crispy Duck and Hoisin Tacos

Salt and Chilli Chicken Tray

Chicken Katsu Curry

Crispy Tofu Uramaki Rolls

Curried Fishcakes with Lime Mayo

Chicken Maryland

Chicken Tikka Masala with Spiced Rice

The Sweetest Thing

Popcorn Ice Cream

Mint Chocolate Shake

Peppermint Aero Cheesecake

Honeycomb and Chocolate Bites

Gooey Cookies

Emotional Chocolate Brownies

Kinder Bueno Mug Cake

Edible Cookie Dough

Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Eton Mess

Homemade Custard

Deep-fried Mars Bars

Super Fruit Smoothie

A Bit on the Side

Japanese Mayo

Garlic Mayo

Roasted Garlic

Sour Cream and Chive Dip

Caesar Dressing

Sourdough Croutons

French Dressing

Emotional Sauce

Curried Mayo

Thousand Island Dressing

Classic Vinaigrette

Homemade Tomato Ketchup

Jack Daniels BBQ sauce

Cucumber Raita

Smoked Bacon Jam

Hollandaise Sauce

Basil Oil

List of Searchable Terms

Acknowledgments

About the Publisher

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INTRODUCTION

My name is Daniel Lambert. I’m a professional fine dining chef, TikToker and occasionally I appear on your telly. This is my first cookbook and I’m thrilled that people like my recipes enough to want a book full of them!

If you follow me on TikTok or Instagram, you’ll know that food makes me feel pretty emotional! I think food can make the world a better place, and all I want is to share the food that makes me incredibly happy with everybody else.

I was lucky enough to grow up in a family where everyone was amazing at cooking. My grandad was a chef most of his life – if he could see this book, it would definitely make him smile! I was always curious about food, and when I was about eight, my Auntie Crea taught me how to make a lasagne, step by step. That was my introduction to the world of cookery. Since then, experimenting with food and cooking for others has been a way for me to explore my creativity and get lost in my own little world.

I didn’t always know I would be a chef. I failed my way through college because I had no interest in my course (and I may have been partying just a bit too much!). I tried working in marketing for a bit, but I didn’t really enjoy that either. It was then that my Auntie Crea suggested culinary college. My family was so supportive and they encouraged me to pursue my love of cooking. My Nana Niamh even helped me get my first job in a kitchen, in a little café in Drumshanbo, where I got to learn the ropes. I owe her so much – and she still makes the best Bolognese in the whole world. During culinary school I got my first proper job in a professional kitchen. I took the opportunity to really hone my skills in the world of fine dining, learning from the expertise of the amazing chefs I got to work alongside. I even won some awards for my cooking, receiving gold medals in the Taste of Donegal competition three years in a row, and I was selected to compete in the final of the National Dairy Chef competition. But as much as I loved fine dining, in my spare time I kept getting creative with food, coming up with weird and wonderful flavour combos, copying my favourite takeaway dishes and always having fun and experimenting.

When COVID hit and the restaurant industry temporarily shut down, I suddenly had loads of free time. I decided to download TikTok and I was instantly hooked! One of the first videos I made was deep-fried Dorito-crusted cheese bites, and overnight it blew up, gaining over 1 million views. Next, a radio station contacted me and asked if I’d be interested in doing a series of recipes throughout Lockdown. In no time I was cooking on live television, appearing on Ireland AM and Good Morning America. It’s been a crazy experience, and I’ve loved every minute of it. TikTok means I can reach people from all corners of the world with my food and I’m so lucky I get to do that. I love it when people try out my recipes and send me their pictures – it’s the best feeling ever knowing one of my own creations is making someone on the other side of the planet happy.

I love fine dining, and I love the kind of food I make on my TikTok. Some people have said that it isn’t ‘real food’, but as far as I’m concerned, there is no rulebook when it comes to cooking. Making lush, satisfying food that you really want to eat is so important. It’s one of the greatest pleasures in life! So go ahead. Get stuck in, get creative and have fun. This is cooking, there are no rules.

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CHEF’S NOTE: HOW TO

The key to following a recipe successfully is knowing a few basic techniques. This way your food will always be perfectly cooked and absolutely delicious!

HOW TO DEEP FRY

If you know me, you know my deep fat fryer is my best friend. If you make fried foods regularly, I recommend investing in a small deep fat fryer. They’re easy to use and, because the oil is temperature controlled, it’s safer than frying in a pot on the hob. Always follow the instructions that came with your deep fat fryer to achieve the best results.

If you don’t have a deep fat fryer though, here are some tips on how to deep fry on the hob as safely as possible.

• Always use an oil with a high smoke point, such as sunflower or vegetable oil.

• Use a deep pot and enough oil so you can submerge a small batch of your food completely, but never fill it more than half full. Ideally it should be about one-third full and the walls of the pot should rise at least 10cm above the oil. This prevents the oil from spilling over and contains any oil spatters too.

• Preheat the oil to the cooking temperature. Use a probe or sugar thermometer held in the centre of the pot of oil to check the temperature. For consistent results, cook in small batches and let food come up to room temperature before frying it. Allow the oil temperature to heat back up between batches, as adding food will cool it down.

• Moisture can cause oil to spit, so gently pat foods dry with kitchen paper before adding to the oil.

• Don’t get too close to the oil. Use long metal tongs or a slotted deep-frying spoon to insert and remove foods. Be gentle when inserting foods to avoid oil spatter.

• To prevent the food having a greasy taste or texture, drain it on kitchen paper after removing from the oil.