The Mac Nean Restaurant Cookbook by Neven McGuire

From a very young age, one of Neven Maguire’s favourite pastimes was to shadow his mother in the kitchen, watching her cook. He began experimenting with ingredients in the home kitchen at the tender age of ten and his pastime soon became his passion.

After studying catering in Fermanagh College in Enniskillen, Neven went on to train in some of the highest-profile restaurants in the world, including the Michelin starred Roscoff’s in Belfast, Grand Hotel in Berlin and Arzak in San Sebastian. He also worked with Léa Linster, the renowned Michelin starred chef from Luxembourg, whom he credits as a major influence.

In 2001, Neven took over MacNean Restaurant and turned a local establishment into a national phenomenon. Neven is the author of many bestselling cookbooks and has fronted numerous top-rated cookery shows on RTÉ. This is his first restaurant cookbook.

On Neven:

‘Neven Maguire is one of Ireland’s best-loved chefs’ Darina Allen

 ‘When it comes to creating down-to-earth, home kitchen friendly recipes, there is no chef to beat the delightfully approachable Neven Maguire’ Georgina Campbell

On MacNean’s:

‘You will find the best food and hospitality Ireland has to offer at Neven Maguire’s award-winning MacNean House and Restaurant’ John McKenna 

‘Careful, thoughtful, skilful, inventive and presented with élan, haute cuisine at a price that anyone could afford. Remarkable’ Paolo Tullio

MacNean is the destination dining point for Irish food lovers. If you’ve already been there, here is an opportunity to relive and recreate the stunning recipes at home. If you’re still aspiring to visit, it will further whet your appetite for one of the most celebrated restaurant menus in Ireland.The recipes encompass all that has made MacNean Restaurant a success – Neven’s commitment to constant innovation and insistence on high quality, seasonal and traceable produce, sourced locally.

As well as classic MacNean dishes like the Gratin of Cod (on the menu as long as Neven can remember), Salad of Wood Pigeon (from ‘Uncle Frank’s land in Westmeath’) and the chef’s personal favourite, Duck Confit, there are more aspirational dishes reflecting Neven’s evolution as a chef, such as the signature starter A Study of Shellfish or the truly impressive dinner party dish, Turbot with Crab Cannelloni and Prawn Velouté.

There’s still plenty to choose from if you want the comfort of simpler food, including dishes cooked for staff suppers at MacNean House like Turkey and Leek Stroganoff and MacNean Fish Pie. Or just enjoy the writing and the stunning photography in this beautiful book, and celebrate the achievements of one of Ireland’s best-loved chefs.