St. Patrick’s Day is the greatest ethnic celebration in America with hundreds of cities having parades and parties. But there’s more to the celebration than green beer. Ireland’s most famous cook Darina Allen whips up some traditional Irish fare. Check out the recipes below.
Soda Bread only takes 2 or 3 minutes to make and 20-30 minutes to bake. It is best eaten on the day it is made but is still perfectly edible next day and is also very good toasted. It is certainly another of the great convertibles. We’ve had the greatest fun experimenting with different variations and uses and now the possibilities are endless for the hitherto humble Soda Bread.
VARIATIONS
WHITE SODA SCONES
Make the dough as above but flatten the dough into a round 1-inch deep approx. Cut into scones. Cook for 20 minutes approx. in a hot oven (see above).
GRIDDLE BREAD (NO OVEN NEEDED)
Use half the white soda bread recipe. Flour the board and roll out about 12 inch thick. Bake in a non-stick frying pan on a very low heat for about 20 minutes, then carefully turn over and continue to cook on the other side for a further 15 minutes or until cooked. It should sound hollow when it is tapped, cool on a wire rack.
SPOTTED DOG
One of the many names for the this traditional fruit bread, best cut into slices still warm and eaten with lots of butter melting onto it.
Add 3-4 oz. sultanas, 1-2 tablespoons. sugar to the dry ingredients and whisk one egg into 10 fl. ozs buttermilk and continue as in the basic recipe.
Colcannon is one of Irelands best-loved traditional potato dishes. Fluffy mashed potato flecked with cooked cabbage or kale. This soup uses identical ingredients to make delicious soup.
Use your favorite stout for this recipe. In Cork we use Murphy but even Cork people have divided allegiances!
BEEF WITH GUINNESS OR MURPHY Darina Allen
Serves 6-8
Cut the meat into 1½-inch cubes and toss in seasoned flour. Heat some oil in a hot pan and fry the meat in batches until it is brown on all sides. Transfer the meat into a casserole and add a little more oil to the pan. Fry the thinly sliced onions until nicely browned; de-glaze with the stout. Transfer to the casserole, ad the stock, sugar, mustard, tomato purée, orange rind and bouquet garni. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer in a very low heat, 300F, for 2-2½ hours or until the meat is tender.
Meanwhile, wash and slice the mushrooms. Sauté in a very little melted butter in a hot pan. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside. When the stew is cooked, add the mushrooms and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, taste and correct the seasoning. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.
This stew reheats well. You may need to add more sugar to the recipe if you find it a little bitter.
9123684604813813354554 beef2pound2 lbs. lean stewing beef, e.g. chuckSeasoned flourSeasoned flourolive oil4tablespoon4 tablespoons olive oilonions22 thinly sliced onionssugar4teaspoon4 teaspoons sugardry english mustard1teaspoon1 teaspoon dry English mustardtomato purée1tablespoon1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon concentrated tomato puréeorange peel11 strip of dried orange peelthyme1sprigA bouquet garni made up of 1 bay leaf, 1 sprig of fresh thyme, and 4 parsley stalksGuinness 0.5pint½ pint Guinness or Murphybeef stock0.5pint½ pint beef stockmushrooms8ounce8 oz. mushroomsbutter0.5ounce½ oz butterSalt and pepperSalt and freshly ground pepper
A bowl of mashed potatoes flecked with green scallions is comfort food at its best.
IRISH COFFEE MERINGUE Darina Allen
Serves 6-8
Draw 2 x 7½ inch circles onto a sheet of parchment. Then turn them over so the pencil or pen doesn’t mark the meringue.
Put the egg whites into a spotlessly clean and dry bowl. Add all the confectioners’ sugar except 2 tablespoons. Whisk until the mixture stands in firm dry peaks. It may take 10-15 minutes. Sieve the coffee with the remaining confectioners’ sugar together and fold in carefully.
Spread the meringue carefully with a palette knife onto the circles on the parchment paper. Bake in a very low oven 300F for approx. 1 hour or until crisp. The discs should peel easily from the paper. Allow to get quite cold. Add the whiskey to the whipped cream.
Sandwich the meringue discs together with Irish whiskey flavored cream. Pipe 5 rosettes of cream on top. Decorate with chocolate coffee beans if available.
91236846049138133egg whites22 egg whitesconfectioners sugar4.5ounce4½ oz. confectioners sugarinstant coffee powder2teaspoon2 teaspoons Instant coffee powdercream0.5pint½ pint whipped creamirish whiskey2tablespoon2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons approx. Irish whiskeycoffee beansChocolate coffee beansparchmentNon-stick parchment
IRISH COFFEE SAUCE Darina Allen
Put the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan; stir until the sugar dissolves and the water comes to the boil. Remove the spoon and do not stir again until the syrup turns a pale golden caramel. Then add the coffee and put back on the heat to dissolve. Allow to cool and add the whiskey.
912368438133sugar8ounce8 oz sugarwater3fluid ounce3 fl oz watercoffee8fluid ounce8 fl oz coffeeirish whiskey1tablespoon1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon Irish whiskey