Now that the Irish Green Day just around the corner, you’ll need a plan of action for your Irish meal-unless you’re heading out on a pub crawl for your fill of green beer, cabbage, and corned beef. If you’re motivated to try your hand at an authentic Irish menu, here are five options and recipes to get your team of leprechaun chefs into high gear.
Believe it or not, there’s more to Irish food than the standard corned beef and cabbage; Ireland is famous for an assortment of goodies and authentic fare that may not have made its way over to your local Irish pub. Irish stew is a popular choice for those blustery day in Ireland, and you can enjoy this stick-to-your-ribs creation with this simple recipe:
Irish Stew
1 1/2 pounds lean boneless lamb shoulders, cut in 3/4-inch cubes
12 ounces Guinness
2 14 oz. cans broth
3 cups cubed potatoes
2 cups thinly sliced carrots
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon pepper
1 packetbrown gravy mix
In a medium pan, heat oil. Add onion and sauté until brown, stirring lightly. Add lamb and sauté, stirring until browned. Stir in beer and add the pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Mix in broth and gravy mix. Add potatoes and carrots, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
6 medium potatoes
2 medium onions
6 cups stock
1tbsp butter
salt and pepper
(serves six)
Peel and dice the potatoes and chop the onions. Melt the butter and cook the onions until translucent. Add the potatoes and cover until softened. Add the stock, and serve immediately.
Oatcakes
These are a great side dish and snack; they can work very work well as a bread substitute for post pub-crawl sobering too. This recipe makes 4 oatcakes:
1oz plain flour
pinch salt
pinch baking soda
¼ cup oatmeal
1oz butter
1/4 cup boiling water
Sift the flour, salt and baking soda into the oatmeal. Melt the butter and add to the dry ingredients. Mix until the mixture is spongy (add water if needed) Turn mixture on to a surface covered with more dry oatmeal. Flatten the dough and roll out to a 1/4inch in thickness. Cut into circles, then bake on a griddle or oven for 25 mins. At 350 degrees F.
Dublin Coddle
This is a very popular dish in Dublin, and is definitely a must-try for a low-cost, tasty, one dish:
1lb of your favorite sausage
8oz bacon
1 cup stock
6 medium potatoes
2 medium onions
salt and pepper
Cut the bacon into one-inch squares. Bring the stock to the boil in a medium saucepan. Add the sausages and bacon and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the sausages and bacon and save the liquid. Cut each sausage into four or five pieces. Peel the potatoes and cut into thick slices. Peel the onions and slice them. Assemble a layer of potatoes in the saucepan, then a layer of onions, followed by half the sausages and bacon. Repeat the layering to finish with the potatoes. Pour the remaining stock over the mixture, and season to taste. Cover and simmer gently for about an hour. Serve immediately.
Traditional Irish Coffee
Nothing will round out your meal better than a mug of Irish coffee. Here’s what you need to make yours:
1/4 cup strong black coffee
2 tsp sugar
1 generous pour of Irish whiskey
2 tbsp whipped cream
Fill a stemmed whiskey glass with boiling water, then discard the water (you want to heat the glass). Fill the glass halfway with coffee and sugar to dissolve. Stir to dissolve, then add the whiskey. Pour the cream over the back of a spoon to float on top. Enjoy!
So there you have it, a nice roundup of Irish treats that are as simple as they are tasty. You and your dinner mates can toast to a great home-cooked meal with a dose of Irish spirit!
Reference:
- The ‘Lucky Charms’ mascot
