Eric Matthews is the head chef at Michelin starred restaurant Chapter One in Dublin. A role which he has relished over the last five years.
He has trained under some of the best chefs in Ireland and internationally, including Heston Blumenthal, Philip Howard and Guillame Brahimi. Eric returned to his native Dublin to continue the legacy of Chapter One.
We have been really enjoying his Instagram Live cook-a-long recipes. If you haven’t tuned in, get over to Eric’s Instagram feed and check them out. Trust us you won’t be disappointed.
Eric will be doing an IGTV takeover on our page on Sunday 28th June at 1pm. You will find the ingredient list below.
But first we wanted to find out more about Eric….
Why did you become a chef?
I would love to say I was cooking with my grandmother since I was a child, but the honest answer is I just fell into it. I was cooking since I was about 12 but never really considered it a job. I was 17 when I finished my leaving cert and embarked on a Business degree in DCU. I knew it wasn’t for me and with advice from my brother I switched over to culinary arts at DIT and the rest as they say is history. It is honestly the best job in the world.
What was one of the very first things you ever cooked?
Funnily enough it was a poor attempt at a paella. I remember using turmeric for the colour and sliced frankfurter instead of chorizo and of course basmati rice… we all start somewhere.
What is your ultimate comfort food recipe?
Usually it’s a slow cooker, beef ragu tossed trough pasta, lamb shoulder curries and a proper roast chicken. Also I need to give a good shout out for my mothers prawns pil pil on garlic bread.
What are your top 3 ingredients you couldn’t live without and why?
Now obviously salt, good olive oil and pepper are a given. However my favourite ingredients have to be:
1. Pasta because it is the vehicle I love for any flavour! Prawns, tomatoes, herbs and simple parmesan. Speaking of which….
2. Cheese, any cheese any time.
3. Good Irish butter is magic.
What are your top tips for people cooking at home?
For any budding home cooks my top tips are try and cook something new every week. Before you know it you’ll have a repertoire of dishes that keep you wanting to cook. Also invest in a decent knife and a proper heavy bottom frying pan.
Name one dish everyone should know how to cook.
Beef bourguignon is the ultimate slow cooker and is so rewarding if done right. I cook this dish at home only a few times a year. But it never fails to disappoint.
Head over to Eric’s Instagram page for more great recipes and videos.
Ingredients list for Sunday 28th IGTV
- 100g piece of wild salmon
For the tomato vinaigrette: - 4 tomatoes skinned, seeded and diced
- 1 shallot diced25 ml walnut oil
- 6 drops of Tabasco
- 50 g ketchup
- 25ml sherry vinegar
- 100 ml olive oil Maldonado salt to taste
- Ground pepper
- Garnish:Boiled and charred baby potatoes
Some fresh herbs to finish
