Remembering John Howard

Coming from a farming family in West Clare, John Howard would have had that down to earth grounding in his DNA. For many years he has been in our minds as a source of wonder when travelling in the area – and we will now remember him with special pride every time we are fortunate enough to return.  

The recent loss of John Howard is a sad marker in Ireland’s culinary history, but also a proud one as he was one our greatest chef-patrons. So warmly remembered by many of us, not only for the wonderful experiences that he and his wife Catherine created at their legendary Dublin restaurant, Le Coq Hardi, but for his generosity in the training of talented young chefs, many of whom went on to open their own restaurants and speak to this day of the early grounding and love of the work that that he inspired in them. His steadfast support and encouragement of Ireland’s developing food culture was a key element in its success today – most especially, through Euro-Toques Ireland and working with the other original commissioners, Declan Ryan and the late Gerry Galvin – all three so well chosen for the task by Myrtle Allen when setting up the Irish branch of Euro-Toques, the international organisation that was created by a group of famous European chefs in order to “preserve and promote traditional culinary methods, excellent regional food producers and standards of culinary excellence’. Coming from a farming family in West Clare, John must have had those basic principles in his DNA, and for many years he has been in our minds as a source of wonder when travelling in the area – and we will now remember him with special pride every time we are lucky enough to return.

At his funeral, John was honoured by chefs standing in line outside the church in their white jackets and toques, and chefs and long-time friends Derry Clarke and Aidan MacManus then celebrated their shared life. He will be missed by friends and admirers in many walks of life, and none more so than fellow Chefs, Cooks and Producers of Euro-Toques Ireland https://euro-toques.ie/about/. These words from their Head of Community, Manuela Spinelli, were a fitting farewell:

“It is with great sadness that we share the news of the passing of John Howard, founder of Le Coq Hardi and one of the founding commissioners of Euro-Toques Ireland.

John was instrumental in the establishment of Euro-Toques Ireland in 1986, alongside Myrtle Allen, Declan Ryan, and Gerry Galvin. His commitment to honest cooking and to the values that underpin our organisation helped shape Euro-Toques in Ireland from its very beginnings.

John's influence extended far beyond his own kitchen. He was a respected colleague, a reference point for many, and a passionate advocate for quality, craftsmanship, and ethics in the profession. His contribution to Irish food culture, and to our community, will not be forgotten.

On behalf of Euro-Toques Ireland, we extend our heartfelt condolences to John's family, and to all those who had the privilege of working with and learning from him.”

At a time when hyper-competitive chefs are constantly in the news, Manuela’s reference to John Howard’s commitment to honest cooking seems especially relevant. While Le Coq Hardi was a fine dining destination and he won (and also judged) many top level competitions, his culinary feet were always firmly on the ground and it is hard to imagine him allowing many of today’s go-to aids, such as tweezers, in the kitchen… And he was able and willing to create superb simple recipes for the general public too, as in these delicious and very do-able dishes that he produced for Bord Bia in the 1990s.

Beef and Guinness
There are many recipes for Beef and Guinness, but this one from chef John Howard is very special. A dish for all seasons and any occasion, it will always be a treat. Serves 4

1kg (2 lbs) shoulder beef, cut into thin slices
2 tablesp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 leeks, 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks, chopped
2 cloves garlic
250ml (½ pt) well reduced beef stock
125ml (¼ pt) Guinness
Salt and black pepper
50g (2oz) butter
75g (3oz) streaky bacon, diced
100g (4oz) wild mushrooms, if available, sliced
50g (2oz) small onions, peeled
25g (1oz) flour

To cook: Heat the oil in a large pan, brown the meat well. Remove to a pot. Next sauté the leeks, carrots and celery. Add to the meat plus the garlic. Pour in the stock and Guinness, season. Simmer gently for approx. 1½ hours. Remove the meat from the pot. Strain the liquid. Discard the vegetables. Place the meat back in a clean pot, plus the liquid. Sauté the bacon, mushrooms and onions in the butter. Add to the pot. Reheat the lot. Blend the flour with remaining butter. Stir it into the sauce, stirring well. Taste for seasoning. Serve in a deep dish with buttery mash - Food for the Gods!

Roast Smoked Loin of Pork with Herb Mash, Buttered Cabbage & Whiskey Jus
There’s no showing off about this awarding winning pork dish from John Howard, but it is extremely tasty – and could be just the job for St Patrick’s Day. Serves 4

1½ kg (3 lbs) smoked loin of pork (Kassler)
250ml (½ pt) cider
Sprig of thyme
1kg (2 lbs) creamy mashed potatoes, kept warm
2 tablesp. chives and parsley
4-6 tablesp. very finely chopped cabbage, cooked in a small amount of water, salt and butter
8-12 roast shallots
Butter
To Cook: Set oven Gas Mark 6, 200°C (400°F).
Roast the kassler for approx. ½ -1 hour. Halfway through cooking add in the cider and thyme. When the meat is cooked, wrap and keep warm. Boil up the juices in the pan. Set aside. Mix the creamy potatoes with the chives and parsley.
To Serve: Pipe or spoon the potatoes onto the plate. Carve the meat and lay on the bed of potato. Spoon the cabbage onto the plate plus the roast shallots. Finally boil up the juices again with a knob of butter. Taste for seasoning and spoon around the meat.

Apple & Jameson Tart
This is another delicious recipe from John Howard's kitchen. Both pretty and impressive when assembled and plated, it is sure to delight yet it’s basically a simple dish. Makes 4 individual tarts.

250g (8 oz) shortcrust pastry
50g (2 oz) ground almonds
4 large Bramley apples, peeled and diced
2 tablesp. sugar
250ml (½ pt) cream
3 egg yolks
50g (2 oz) caster sugar
Dash of whiskey

To Cook: Set oven Gas Mark 6, 200°C (400°F).
Line four individual tart tins with the pastry. Sprinkle some ground almonds on the base of each one. Then add the apple and enough sugar to sweeten. Heat the cream. Beat the egg yolks and sugar together. Stir in the cream and a dash of whiskey. Spoon a little of the cream mixture into each tart. Reserve the remaining cream. Bake tarts for 25-35 minutes.
Pour the remaining cream into a bowl. Place over simmering water. Stirring constantly, continue to cook until the custard thickens. Set aside - keep warm.
Serve the tart, dusted with icing sugar, with the warm custard. Vanilla ice-cream, thin almond biscuit, raspberries etc. are optional but delicious!