Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh!

St. Patrick's Day Blessing On You!


Celebrate tomorrow with one or two of these recipes:

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Ardshane House Irish Stew

4 lb middle neck of lamb, cut in 1" chunks
4 lb potatoes, peeled
10 sm onions, sliced
2 oz pearl barley
2 pt beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste

"That's the basic recipe. You can add a load of sliced carrots and leeks to make it go further and about 5-6 tsps. of Worchestershire sauce or regular brown sauce wot you Yanks pour over everything! If you like, you could add a half a pint of Guinness to your stock. I make my stock from the potato peelings, carrot tops, leek ends, and any other stuff I find lurking in the refrigerator. If you chuck in a few moldy lamb bones and boil/simmer for several hours, you should get a damned good stock (strain the liquid or you'll get God knows what stuck in your teeth!) You'll need to start with about 5 pints of liquid. Then bung everything into a ginormous pan, bring to the boil, and then simmer for about two hours...should taste bloody orgasmic! Salt and pepper to taste, depending on your level of drunkeness!"

Judith Caughey,
Ardshane House, Holywood, Co. Down,
N. Ireland 1992

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Corned Beef and Cabbage

Corned beef is brisket, topside or silverside which has been pickled in brine. It is especially popular around Dublin. It is best to soak a joint overnight to remove excess salt.

5 lb joint of corned beef
1 large cabbage
2 large onions
2 large carrots
4 potatoes
bay leaf
cold water to cover
ground black pepper

Quarter the cabbage and put aside. Peel and slice the other vegetables. Cover the meat with the water and bring to the boil. Skim the surface, add the vegetables (except the cabbage), the bay leaf and the pepper and simmer gently for 90 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for a further 30 minutes. Serve the meat surounded by the vegetables with additional mashed potatoes.

From A Little Irish Cookbook by John Murphy

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Colcannon

1 lb potatoes peeled
2 med parsnips,peeled and sliced
2 med leeks
1 c milk
1 lb cabbage
1/2 t mace (optional)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 dash Salt
1 dash Pepper
2 T butter
1 bunch parsley-chopped

Cook the potatoes and parsnips in water until tender. While these are cooking, chop leeks (greens as well as whites) and simmer in the milk until soft. Next, cook the cabbage and have warm and well chopped. Drain the potatoes, season with mace,garlic, salt and pepper, and beat well. Add the cooked leeks and milk (be careful not to break down the leeks too much). Finally, blend in the cabbage and butter. The texture should be that of a smooth-buttery potato with well distributed pieces of leek and cabbage. Garnish with parsley. Colcannon is also made by cooking layered vegetables, starting with potatoes, in a slow-cooker during the day. Drain vegetables, blend with milk and butter as above and garnish with parsley.

Source Unknown

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Irish Soda Bread

1 T butter or margarine
4 c white flour
1 t salt
1 t baking soda
1 c buttermilk or 1 c sweet milk (NOTE: I have needed 1 1/2 cups to make this)

Rub the butter into the flour. Add the salt and soda, mix all well together by running the dry ingredients through your fingers. Add the buttermilk (or sweet milk) and stir into a soft dough with a wooden spoon. With your floured hands knead lightly into a ball and turn out onto a lightly floured baking sheet. Flatten the dough into a circle 1 1/2 inches thick with the palm of your hand. Make a cross in the center with a floured knife. Bake at 425° for 30 to 35 minutes.

From The Art of Irish Cooking by Monica Sheridan