***Please note – TX times are provisional until the final schedules are issued on Tuesday 3 December***
Off Duty Chef Bringing It Home for Christmas – Monday 23rd December at 6.30pm
This Christmas on RTÉ One, podcaster, award-winning author and chef Mark Moriarty wants to take the stress out of cooking on the big day. In a bid to help make our festive feasts effortless and impressive, Mark has curated a three-course menu, packed with tips to get ahead and featuring a show-stopping vegetarian centrepiece to compliment the traditional festive ham—ensuring no one is left out.
For starters, Mark dishes up a classic French Onion Soup, complete with golden caramelised onions and a gooey delicious compte cheese topped toast. The beauty of this recipe is that it can be prepared days in advance to save time. For the mains, he presents a sticky soy-glazed ham with simple yet elegant sides, including a glazed and studded swede, perfect for vegetarian diners. To round off the meal, Mark’s indulgent bread and butter pudding, studded with dark chocolate and pistachios, is the ultimate crowd-pleaser—it’s even his wife’s favourite dessert!
In this special episode, Mark invites a group of friends to road-test his festive menu ahead of the big day, ensuring everything runs seamlessly when it matters most.
“As a chef, I’m often on cooking duty at Christmas, whether in the restaurant or for my family” says Mark. “I want to share the tricks I’ve learnt along the way so cooking for a crowd feels less overwhelming. With a bit of planning, some clever techniques, and recipes designed to impress without the stress, you might even enjoy yourself in the kitchen on the 25th!”
MENU
Classic French onion soup
Mains
Slow-roast ham glazed in soy, honey and orange
Red cabbage
Vichy carrots
Vegetarian Option: Studded swede glazed in soy, honey and orange
Dessert
Croissant and butter pudding with chocolate and pistachio, Baileys custard
