It’s Rory’s three-course harmony

Celebrated Cork chef marks 40 years of teaching by sharing some of his delicious dinner ideas

Cork chef Rory O’Connell marks his 40th anniversary of teaching students to cook with a new series of his RTÉ show How to

Cook Well.

The seven-part series includes short contributions from just a few of his thousands of students, including Eoin Cluskey from Bread 41, food writer Lily Higgins, Jack Kirwan of Sprout, Colm Keane of Daddy’s Café, and Scott Holder, owner of the popular Los Chicanos Mexican Food Truck.

In each programme, Rory prepares dishes to make a harmonious and balanced three-course meal. Each dish can, of course, be served individually.

As always, Rory’s dishes are simple yet sophisticated, and are easily achievable by anyone interested in cooking and increasing their skills and confidence.

‘In my new series I reflect that this year coincides with 40 years of my involvement in teaching students how to cook,’ says Rory.

‘My career began in restaurant kitchens where I learned from great chefs — good restaurant kitchens can be places of great learning and a generous chef will impart knowledge on a daily basis to his cooks. Almost without realising it, I too became a teacher, at first in some of the kitchens I had cooked in, and later in the more formal setting of a demonstration room.

‘Teaching gives me great pleasure, as the joy of sharing knowledge feels like an extra and unexpected gift I have been granted.

‘Through my television shows I have always approached the content with a view to the audience being able to clearly understand what it is I am doing, and thereby empowering cooks at home to recreate what they see on the shows.

‘As a teacher, you are planting a seed — opening up a journey of learning for your students. In due course, some students surpass the teacher’s capabilities, which I consider a cause for celebration and an added impetus to keep learning — to learn from my students.

‘In the series, I have chosen dishes I feel are great teaching dishes and stand the test of time. Old favourites, yes, but still relevant, still delicious, still dishes I want to cook and eat.’

How To Cook Well with Rory O’Connell, Wednesdays,

8pm, RTÉ One.