WELCOME TO MY IRISH KITCHEN
A Collection of Irish Recipes
"I invoke the land of Ireland:
Much-coursed be the fertile sea
Fertile be the fruit-strewn mountain
Fruit-strewn be the showery wood..."
~AMERGIN~
I have many wonderful Irish recipes, either handed down from family or gleaned from other friends.
I wanted to share this unique culinary culture with you.
So, TRY IT, YOU'LL LIKE IT!
This recipe is made on Samhain (Halloween) or the begining of the Celtic New Year. This is a great way to use up those leftover mashed potatoes.
BOXTY
1 lb. grated potatoes
3-3/4 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons butter or margerine
1 cup mashed potatoes, cooked (no instant please! Irish potatoes only)
salt and pepper to taste
Soak grated potatoes overnight in cool water to remove the starch. Mix all ingredients together. I find that mixing the potatoes and wet ingredients together and then adding the flour bits at a time, and mixing with my bare hands works best. Add extra milk if it seems to stiff to you. Lightly grease a griddle. Drop the mixture into the griddle a rounded teaspoon at a time and let the bottom brown a little. Then flatten the tops a little with a spatula. They can be exta thin and crispy, or a little thicker and chewy. Cook them until they are golden brown. They can be served with butter or sprinkle with sugar. You can add a little rosemary or other spice of choice. They are easy to make.
This is another traditional Samhain dish. There are small gifts in the meal, whoever gets the thimble will be a spinster/laborer, the button for a bachelor, the ring is for marriage, and the coin prosperity. I think I'd make mine with nothing but coins. Another way to use up those mashed potatoes.
COLCANNON
4 cups mashed potatoes (Real Irish spuds only please)
1-1/2 cups cabbage, cooked and chopped fine
1/2 cup butter (real butter is best)
1/2 evaporated milk or cream
3/4 cup onion, chopped very fine
Few strips bacon/or bacon grease
14 teaspoons salt1/8 teaspoon white pepper
A thimble
A button
A ring
A coin (make sure you clean this well)
In large cooking pan, fry bacon, add onion and saute'. Discard bacon and grease. Add all of the above ingredients, except the cabbage and play pretties, and cook over low heat while blending together. Turn the heat to medium and add the chopped cabbage. The mixture will have a pale green cast. Stir occasionally until the mixture is warm enough to eat. Put in the pretties and eat very cautiously.
Serves about 6 healthy eaters.
SHORT CUT MEADE
1/2 gallon water
1-1/2 cups raw honey
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon of allspice, rounded
1/2 Everclear, an Irish alcohol beverage
Slowly heat all ingredients together, except the alcohol, in a large stock pot. As the honey melts, an oily crust will form on the top of the meade. You can leave it there, if you like. Some think this adds to texture of the meade. DO NOT Allow the meade to come to a rolling boil. When it is well blended, remove from heat, stirring it occasionally unti it settles. When it has cooled, add the Everclear and serve.
BASIC IRISH SAUSAGES
1 1/2 lb Lean pork
8 oz Pork fat, without gristle
1/2 ts Ground allspice
1 ts Salt
Fresh-ground pepper
Pinch dried sage or marjoram
1 oz White breadcrumbs (optional)
Ground ginger, mace, nutmeg
Cloves, cayenne pepper
Sausage casing
Mince the meat and fat twice, then mix very well and season. (Fry a
teaspoon or so each time to check the flavor until you get it the way
you like it.) Add the herbs and breadcrumbs and any spices used.
Fill skins as usual.
FADGE (POTATO BREAD)
2 lb Unpeeled "old" potatoes
1 Egg, beaten
1/2 Stick butter
3 T Flour
1 1/2 T Chopped parsley
1 1/2 T Chopped chives
1 1/2 T Chopped lemon thyme
-(these three mixed, opt)
Creamy milk
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Seasoned flour
Bacon fat or butter for
-frying
Boil the potatoes in their jackets, pull off the skins and mash
straight away.
Add the egg, butter, flour and herbs (if using) and mix well. Season
with plenty of salt and pepper, adding a few drops of creamy milk if
the mixture is too stiff.
Shape into a 1" round and then cut into eight pieces. Dip in seasoned
flour.
Bake on a griddle over an open fire or fry in bacon fat or melted
butter on a gentle heat. Cook the fadge until crusty and golden on
one side, then flip over and cook on the other side (about 4-5
minutes on each side).
Serve on its own on hot plates with a blob of butter melting on top.
IRISH HOT POT
6 md Potatoes peeled and sliced-thin
2 md Onions sliced thin
3 Carrots scraped and sliced-thin
1/4 cup Cooked rice not instant
1 can(14.5-oz) peas with liquid
1 pk (20-oz) sausage links-ground chuck browned
1 can(15-oz) condensed cream of-tomato soup diluted with
a can of water
Salt and white pepper to taste
In a buttered, 4 quart casserole layer the potatoes, onions and carrots,
season each layer as you go with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with rice, then
the peas with their liquid and top with the meat. Pour the diluted soup
over all. Bake, covered, in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour. Remove cover,
turn sausages and bake an additional hour, uncovered.
IRISH SODA BREAD
4 cups all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
2 tb cold butter
2 eggs
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tb granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup raisins
1 2/3 cup buttermilk
1 tb melted butter
In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Cut in cold butter with pastry blender or two knives until fine. Stir in raisins. In bowl beat eggs, stir in buttermilk and soda. Make well in dry ingredients and add liquids all at once, mixing lightly with fork until blended. Turn dough on to floured surface and knead lightly for 10 seconds. Shape dough into ball and place on buttered baking sheet. Flatten ball into 8 or 9-inch loaf.
Grease sharp knife with butter and cut 1/4-inch deep cross from edge to edge to mark into quarters.
Brush top with melted butter; bake in preheated 375F oven 40 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheet and cool to lukewarm.
IRISH TEA BREAD
12 tablspoons Strong tea
1lb Mixed dried fruit
6oz.Soft brown sugar
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1oz.Butter (melted)
9oz All-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon Baking soda
The mixed fruit can include raisins, currants, and any
other kind of dried fruit you like; chop any larger
pieces down to about raisin size. Place the tea, mixed
fruit and sugar in a bowl; cover and leave overnight.
Stir in the egg and melted butter. Sieve the flour and
the bicarb together and fold them in. Line the bottom
of a large loaf pan with baking parchment, and brush
the whole inside of the pan with melted butter. Pour
the mixture in and smooth the top. Bake in a
preheated oven (360 F) on the middle shelf for 1 1/2
hours. After removing from the oven, leave in the pan
for 2-3 minutes; then turn out of pan and cool on a wire rack.
Irish Lamb Stew
2 lbs. Cubed, Boneless leg of lamb
2 Medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoon Flour
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 teaspoon Rosemary
1 lb. Potatoes, cut into pieces
2 Small rutabagas, cubed
1/4 cup frozen onions
3 tablespoon Oil
1 Clove of garlic, minced
2 cup Beef stock
Black peper to taste
1 Bay leaf
6 Carrots sliced
1 lb. Frozen peas
Cut lamb into cubes. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan, add lamb and cook until
lightly browned, remove from pan. Add onion and garlic and cook for a few
minutes. Add flour andd stir, heat until mixture browns. Gradually add
stock while stirring. Return meat to saucepan. Add salt, pepper, rosemary
and bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until meat is almost tender.
Add potatoes, carrots and turnips. Cook 30 minutes longer. Add peas and
onions and continue cooking until peas are tender, about 10-15 minutes.
Irish Scones
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* Exported from MasterCook Mac *
IRISH 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.