IRISH RECIPES FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY

Guinness Stew

• 2 lb. rump steak
• 2 1/2 tablespoons oil
• 2 large brown onions - chopped
• 2 cloves garlic - crushed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Cup Beef stock
• 12-oz Guinness
• 2 large carrots - sliced
• 2 bay leaves
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• black pepper - freshly ground
• 1/2 cup prunes - halved and pitted, optional *
• chopped parsley - for garnish

Cut meat into 1" cubes.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan and cook onions until pale golden. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Remove from pan and drain on absorbent paper.
Heat the remaining dripping in a larger pan, add meat and cook quickly to brown on all sides. Reduce heat, stir in flour until all meat is coated.
Blend through stock to form a thick, smooth sauce. Add Guinness and stir until the mixture comes to simmering point. Add onions and garlic, carrots, herbs and pepper, stir until combined.
Simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent catching.
Cook uncovered so that the sauce can reduce and thicken.
Serve garnished with the chopped parsley.
* If using prunes, add to pan in the final 30 minutes of cooking. The addition of prunes to this dish adds sweetness and balances the distinctive bitterness of the Guinness. They can be removed before serving.

Potato & Parsley Soup

• 2 streaky bacon rashers, rinded and chopped (American style bacon)
• 25g (1oz) butter
• 450g (1lb) potatoes, chopped
• 450g (1lb) onions, skinned and roughly chopped
• 900ml (1½ pints) chicken stock
• 300ml (½ pint) fresh milk
• 25g (1oz) chopped fresh parsley
• 50ml (5fl oz) fresh single cream
• salt and pepper
• croutons, to garnish

Fry the bacon in a large saucepan for 2 – 3 minutes, until the fat just starts to run, stirring occasionally.   
Add the stock and milk. Season to taste, bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
Allow to cool slightly, then purée the soup in a blender or food processor.
Return the soup to the pan and stir in the parsley and cream. Reheat gently, then serve hot, garnished with croutons.

Dublin Coddle

• 1 pound sliced bacon
• 2 pounds pure pork sausage links, bacon fat or vegetable oil
• 2 large onions, sliced 
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 4 large potatoes, thickly sliced
• 2 carrots, thickly sliced 
• 1 large bunch of fresh herbs tied with string, black pepper, hard cider (apple wine) or apple cider, fresh parsley, chopped for garnish 

Lightly fry bacon until crisp. Place in large cooking pot. Brown sausage in some bacon grease or vegetable oil. Remove and add to pot. Soften sliced onions and whole garlic cloves in fat, then add to pot with potatoes and carrots. Bury the bunch of herbs in the middle of the mixture. Sprinkle with pepper. Cover with cider. Cook 1 1/2 hours over moderate heat; do not boil. Garnish with chopped parsley. Makes 6 servings.

Potato Cakes

• 1/4 cup butter 
• 6 to 8 ounces white flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 3 cups freshly mashed potatoes (with milk)  

Cut butter into flour until it forms large granules. Add salt and baking powder, mix well. Mix in potatoes. Knead for a few minutes. Roll out onto lightly floured board with floured rolling pin. Cut into 2 rounds. Cook on a dry griddle or skillet until brown on both sides. Makes 2 cakes.

Soda Bread #1

• 4 cups (1 pound) flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 to 3/4 pint of milk or buttermilk 
• Raisins or currants (optional) 

Mix dry ingredients together. Add milk or buttermilk to form a loose dough. Add raisins or currants, if desired. Place dough on floured board and knead until smooth. Form into a round about 2 inches high and make a large X with a knife in top of dough. Bake on greased baking sheet at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Makes 1 loaf.

Colcannon (3 versions)

This is traditionally eaten in Ireland at Halloween. Until quite recently this was a fast day, when no meat was eaten. The name is from *cal ceann fhionn meaning white-headed cabbage.

Colcannon should correctly be made with chopped kale (a member of the cabbage family) or green cabbage but it is also made with white cabbage.

Colcannon at Halloween used to contain a plain gold ring, a sixpence, a thimble or button: finding the ring meant marriage within the year for the person who found it, the sixpence meant wealth, the thimble spinsterhood and the button bachelorhood."

Colcannon #1

Yield: 4 servings 1 lb Curly kale or cabbage, cooked 1 lb Potatoes, cooked 1 Onion, chopped 1 oz Dripping per lb. vegetables Salt and pepper Milk if necessary 1 Ring, wrapped in greaseproof paper Mash the potatoes or pass them through a food mill. Chop the cabbage or kale and add it to the potatoes. Mix well. Peel and chop the onion. Melt a little of the dripping in a large, heavy frying pan and cook the onion in it. Remove and mix with the potato and cabbage. Season to taste, and stir in a little milk if the mixture is too stiff. Add the rest of the dripping to the hot pan and, when very hot, turn the potato and cabbage mixture into the pan and spread it out. Fry until brown, then cut it roughly and continue frying until there are lots of crisp brown pieces. Just before serving, slip in the wrapped ring -- the trick, as you can see from the rhyme, is to make sure the ring doesn't turn up too soon -- then the children will eat it all willingly!

Colcannon #2

Yield: 4 servings 450 g Kale or cabbage 450 g Potatoes 2 Small leeks or green onion tops 150 ml Milk or cream Pinch of mace Salt and pepper 100 g Butter If using the kale, strip from the stalks or likewise remove the stump of cabbage before cooking in boiling salted water until tender but not overcooked. Drain very well and chop finely. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes, and while they are cooking chop the leeks or onion tops and simmer them in milk or cream for about 7 minutes. Drain the potatoes, season and mash them well, then stir in the cooked leeks and milk, adding a little more milk if needed. Finally blend in the finely chopped kale or cabbage (modern cooks will find a blender or food processor ideal for this). Add the mace and taste for seasoning. Heat the entire mixture gently, then pile in a warmed dish. Make a small well in the center and pour in the melted butter.

Colcannon #3

Yield: 4 servings 2 1/2 lb Potatoes (cooked, mashed) 1 c Cooked kale (finely chopped) 1 c Hot milk 4 Chopped scallions (optional) Butter Strip the heads of kale away from the stems and shred them finely. Kale is a tough vegetable which needs to cook for 10-20 minutes depending on its age. Cook as you would for any green vegetable in furiously boiling salted water until it is just tender. (Some people add 1/2 tsp baking soda to the water to help keep the kale at its brightest green.) Strain it and refresh it with cold water. Drain it thoroughly and squeeze out any excess water. Put the kale into a food processor with the hot milk and blend them into a green soup then mix through the mashed potatoes. Reheat it in the oven until it is very hot. This produces a dish fit for St. Patrick's Day in greenness. It is perfectly acceptable just to mix the kale and milk into the potatoes without recourse to the food processor, but the resulting dish is just speckled green. Do not use the processor if you are making colcannon with cabbage instead of kale. Don't forget the coin and the ring to amuse the children.

Bolognaise

• 1/2 large carrot 
• 1-2 medium onions 
• 1 lb mince (Hamburger) 
• 1 tin tomatoes 
• 1/2 tin tomato puree 
• 6 slices pepperoni 
• 4 slices salami 
• 2 parts marjoram
• 1 part rosemary 
• 3 parts basil 
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper 
• 1 teaspoon parmesan (or to taste) 
• 2 cloves of garlic 
• a little smoked ham
• peppers, mushrooms and pickled onions to taste
• splash of red wine

Chop and fry onions, mince and garlic. Add everything else except the peppers and wine when the mince is browned. Keep adding the herbs until the mixture just begins to taste herby. Add peppers about 5 minutes before serving, and wine at the last minute, Serve with any pasta.

Cottage Pie

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 2 onions (finely chopped)
• 2 tomatoes (chopped)
• 1 cup beef stock or bouillon
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon sage
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
• 5 medium potatoes (boiled and mashed)
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 tablespoon butter or bacon fat
• salt and pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Brown the beef in oil.
Remove from pan and set aside.
Drain most of the accumulated fat from the pan. Sauté onions until tender, and then add chopped tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add broth and stir in herbs and seasonings.
Return brown meat to skillet and continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Transfer all ingredients to an ovenproof casserole.
Top with mashed potatoes (scoring them with a fork.) Dot with butter and bake uncovered in 375-degree oven for 30-40 minutes.

Apple Potato Cake

• 2 large potato cakes  
• 2 large cooking apples 
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cloves 
• 2 tablespoons butter Lemon curd

Mix. Divide dough into 2 parts. Roll out into 2 large circles. Peel apples and slice thinly. Layer apple slices on 1 circle of dough; cover with other. Pinch edges to seal. On greased griddle, cook slowly over low heat, turning once. When apples are cooked, remove top cake and sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves and butter. Replace top cake and heat 5 minutes longer. Serve with lemon curd and hot tea. Makes 1 cake.

Scones

• 1 cup white flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• 1/4 pound butter, softened 
• 2 ounces sugar 
• 1 egg, slightly beaten 
• 2 ounces milk 
• Sultanas (white raisins) optional 
• Walnut halves (optional) 

Mix flour and baking powder. Add butter, blending until mixture is butter-colored. Add sugar and continue to mix well. Add half the beaten egg and all the milk. Add raisins or some nuts, if desired, mixing well to make a sticky dough. Turn dough onto floured board and knead at least 5 minutes or longer. Cut dough into rounds and place on greased baking sheet or hot frying pan. Brush tops of scones with remainder of beaten egg. Place walnut halves on top, if desired. Bake at 350 to 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes, or until brown. If preparing over an open fire, heat frying pan till very hot. Place scones in pan and cook 7 to 8 minutes. Turn and cook 7 to 8 minutes more.  Makes 6 scones.

Plain Scones

• 8 oz. plain flour 
• 2 oz. butter 
• 2 level tablespoons sugar 
• 1 level teaspoon bicarbonate of soda 
• 2 level teaspoons cream of tartar 
• milk 
• pinch salt 

Sieve flour and mix together all dry ingredients. Rub in margarine and mix to a soft dough with milk. Roll out and cut into rounds or shape into two rounds, flatten out with palm of hand and cut into four, making small triangular scones. Place on a greased and floured baking tin and brush over with egg or milk if liked. Vary by adding sultanas to the above ingredients.450 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.

To make a savory cheese scone, omit sugar and add 2 to 3 oz. finely grated cheese and seasoning. For whole meal scones, use half and half whole meal and plain white flour and omit sugar.

Barm Brack

Cream the yeast and the sugar and allow to froth up in the milk, which should be at blood heat. Sieve the flour, caster sugar and spice and rub in the butter. Make a well in the centre and add the yeast mixture and the egg, beaten. Beat with a wooden spoon for about 10 minutes until a good dough forms. The fruit and the salt should be worked in by hand; the gold ring wrapped in greaseproof paper should then be added, and the whole kneaded. Put in a warm bowl, cover and allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour until doubled in size. 

• 1/4 pt/ 125 ml/ 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp fresh yeast
• 8 oz/ 250 g/ 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp mixed spice, pinch salt
• 1 egg, 3 tbsp butter
• 6 oz/ 200 g/ 2 cups mixed fruit
• (currants, sultanas, raisins, candied peel)
• 1 gold ring (in greaseproof paper)
• 2 oz/50 g/2 tbsp caster sugar

Knead lightly and place in a lightly-greased 7 in /15 cm diameter cake tin and allow a further 30 minutes rising time. Bake near the top of a pre-heated oven at gas mark 6, 400°F, 200°C for 45 minutes. On removing from the oven the brack can be glazed with a syrup made from 2 tsp sugar dissolved in 3 tsp boiling water.

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

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 20 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for a further 30 minutes. Serve the meat surrounded by the vegetables with additional mashed potatoes. Serves four to six.

Mutton Broth

It is a good idea to make this broth a day in advance. The fat that rises to the surface will solidify and can easily be removed. 

• 2 lb neck of mutton
• 6 cups water
• 2 tbsp pearl barley
• 1 large onion
• 1 medium turnip
• 2 large carrots
• 1/2 small white cabbage

Put the meat in a large pan and cover with the cold water. Bring to the boil and skim the surface. Rinse the barley and add to the pan. Cover, but not too tightly, and simmer gently for 90 minutes. Shred the cabbage and dice the other vegetables and add these to the soup. Bring back to the boil and simmer for another hour. Remove the mutton and separate the meat from any bones, fat or gristle. Chop the meat and return to the soup. Allow to cool and remove fat. Reheat and serve. Serves six.