St Patrick's Day is coming up in a few days, that special day when people of Irish Blood the world over commemorate their most commonly recognized of Patron Saints . . . Saint Patrick.
Many people of Irish descent, and many who just want to be Irish, will be celebrating with the wearing of the colour "green" and feasting on Irish foods like boiled bacon and cabbage, and the scrummy colcannon!
There'll be a jig or two or three danced, more than a few tall tales told, and many a Green Beer and Guiness downed!
We don't drink alcohol in our house, but we do love to eat, so we will probably be feasting on a tasty boiled dinner on the day, which I am really looking forward to, I have to say!
I did want to do a traditional Irish Teatime treat though and as we both love fruitcakes, I chose to do this Irish Boiled Fruit Cake . . . a traditional and beautifully moist creation from that beautiful Emerald Isle.
I can remember going to an Irish Pub one Sunday afternoon in Toronto many years ago and having a beautiful time. Oh the music and the laughter. It was a family affair. The place was full of adults and children, many of whom got up to sing or dance, or play the flute or fiddle. One day, and I hope soon, I am going to go to visit Ireland myself, but in the meantime I must make do with cooking the dishes here in my home and dreaming about all the colours of green I am going to see when I do finally get there.
I think this is just the kind of cake that Maureen O'Hara would have baked for John Wayne in the Quiet Man . . . one of my all time favourite films. It is a plain cake . . . honest, simple and delicious.
Home sweet home food. The kind of food that speaks to your Irish soul . . . and I believe there is a little of that residing in each of us now . . .
"Well, then. Now. I'll begin at the beginnin'. A fine soft day in the spring, it was, when the train pulled into Castletown, three hours late as usual, and himself got off. He didn't have the look of an American tourist at all about him. Not a camera on him; what was worse, not even a fishin' rod."
Oh sigh . . . I'm thinking I'll be a digging this movie out and watching it tonight now . . . it will go perfectly with a hot cup of herbal tea and a slice of this cake, don't you think?
*Irish Boiled Fruit Cake*
Makes 1 7-inch square cake
Printable Recipe
A tradition Irish boiled fruit cake, very moist and a good keeper. Stogged full of sultanas and currants and nicely spiced. We love this.
3 ounces golden syrup (1/4 cup of golden corn syrup will do)
4 ounces caster sugar (a generous half cup of white sugar)
4 fluid ounces of cold tea (1/2 cup)
4 ounces dried currants (a scant cup)
4 ounces dried sultana raisins (a scant cup)
4 ounces butter (1/2 cup)
8 ounces plain flour (a scant 2 cups)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp mixed spice (see below)
1 tsp ground ginger
1 medium egg, beaten
Place the golden syrup, sugar, cold tea, currants, sultanas and butter into a saucepan. Bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4. Butter a 7 inch square baking pan and line the bottom with baking parchment, buttering the parchment as well.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, mixed spice and ginger. (I also add a pinch of salt) Fold this into the cooled fruit mixture, then stir in the beaten egg to a soft consistency. Turn into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours until the cake tests done. Cover the top with some foil it if appears to be browning too quickly. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
Serve sliced with, or without softened butter for spreading. (Me I go for the butter every time. But then . . . I am a little piggie.)
Have I ever told you about how much I love the flavour of lemon???
How about how much I
ok, so I've never made any secret of either fact. I adore them both, but what I love even more is . . . both ofthem TOGETHER!!
Especially when they are showcased in a beautifully delicious and scrummily moist loaf cake like the one here today. Oh so fabulously tasty. With lots of lemon flavour, both in the batter, where you use lemon curd and lemon zest . . . and then in that tart/sweet drizzle icing which is strongly flavoured with lemon.
Then there are the blueberries. They settle somewhere in the middle of this cake like a layer of sweet blueberry jam . . . except it's not blueberry jam, just cooked blueberries.
It's really quick to throw together too. You just throw all of the batter ingredients into a bowl and beat them together! What could be any easier than that??? Not much I reckon!
Then it's just a matter of layering the batter and the berries into a prepared loaf tin. I have gotten really lazy lately. I discovered loaf pan sized parchment paper pan liners! They're just like cupcake liners, except bigger . . . and shaped like loaf. They work fabulously! (I got mine at Lakeland.)
Baked in a slow oven until lightly browned and oh so scrummy, and then . . . glazed with that beautiful lemon drizzle icing. You will hardly be able to keep yourself from tucking in right away.
But do wait until it cools. Your patience will be well rewarded. I promise you. (Those are purple lobelia that I clipped from my garden. I thought they looked really pretty.)
*Lemon Curd & Blueberry Loaf*
Makes about 8 to 10 slices
Printable Recipe
All in one loaf cake, made with Greek yoghurt, lemon curd and fresh blueberries, and iced with a lemon drizzle icing. Delicious, moist and easy!
175g of butter, softened (3/4 cup)
100g of thick Greek Yoghurt (scant 1/2 cup)
2 TBS of lemon curd (heaped)
3 large free range eggs
the zest of one unwaxed lemon
200g of self raising flour (generous 1 3/4 cup)
175g of golden caster sugar (9/10 of a cup, 14 1/2 TBS or a scant cup)
200g fresh blueberries (about 1 1/2 cups)
For the icing:
140g of sifted icing sugar (1 generous cup)
the juice of one lemon
Preheat the oven to 16-*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. Butter a 2 pound loaf tin and line with parchment paper. (I've been using the liners you can get from Lakeland. They're like a bit cupcake liner. Easy peasy.)
Put the butter, yoghurt, lemon curd, eggs, lemon zest, caster sugar and flour into a bowl. Beat with an electric whisk until the batter just comes together. Spoon half of it into the prepared loaf tin. Sprinkle half of the blueberries over top. Spoon the rest of the batter over top of the berries and then scatter the remainder of the berries over top to finish.
Bake for 1 1/4 hours, until golden in colour and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for about 10 minutes before lifting out to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Whisk together the icing sugar and lemon juice to make a runny drizzable icing. Pour over top of the cake, spreading it out to cover. Allow to set before serving.
I guess one could safely say that I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. My mother did have some silver . . . a silver coffee service which she was given when she bought her waterless cookery set in the 1950's as a 25 year waterless cookery anniversary gift . . . and then when my parents were stationed in Germany, she bought a set of silver cutlery, which only came out once a year at Christmas time. The rest of the time it sat in it's special case on top of the buffet.
When I worked at the manor I had more than my fill of silver, or should I say "the care of silver." There wasn't a room in that big house that didn't have silver in it in one form or another, and the kitchen was loaded with it . . . cutlery, serving pieces, coffee sets, tea pots, etc. . . . and of course the care of it all was down to me and the housekeeper. Just the silver in the kitchen alone took me days to polish and the rest of the silver in the house, took weeks. It seemed like we were always polishing silver. It cured me from ever wanting to have any great amount of silver for myself. I wouldn't mind having just a few pieces of it however.
I don't think you have to be rich to own a few pieces of silver . . . it is entirely possible to find nice vintage pieces at decent prices.
I was recently made aware of a fabulous Vintage Cutlery site. Jennifer's Cutlery. Specialising in beautiful silver plated cutlery and gifts, Jennifer's Cutlery offers a mix of products from single items of cutlery to large full canteens. She is able to service customers in Australia, the United States and the Far East, as well as here in the UK.
All you Downton Abbey fans would be interested in knowing that Jennifer supplied the show with some fabulous Kings pattern cuttlery in Season 4. Now, that's a pretty nifty claim to fame if you ask me.
Jennifer recently sent me several small pieces of cutlery. They came in a special padded envelope and wrapped in tissue paper, tied up with a grosgrain ribbon, which was a very nice presentation and made me feel like I was getting something really special . . .
Inside were these three pieces. I did a search to find out about the fork as it was quite unsual. I think it is either an oyster fork or a cake fork. I haven't quite figured it out yet and I am not that knowledgeable. The butter knife is very pretty with it's pearlized handle and I think the spoon is a sugar spoon, but again, I could be wrong. In any case they are very pretty and I thank Jennifer very much for sending them to me.
Her prices are not too bad. I think it's nice that you can buy single pieces or whole sets even, and quite reasonably.
I think single pieces of silver . . . serving pieces etc., make really nice wedding gifts and Jennifer's site has a lot to choose from. The site is very simple to get around and easy to use.
Do go and take a look. Jennifer's Cutlery I think you will find it quite interesting, and you never know. You will find testimonials as well as tips for care and storage of your silver. You never know . . . you may just fall in love. I did.
Many thanks to Jennifer for very generously sending me these pieces. They made me feel like a Queen . . . well . . . at the very least like a Princess.
I am always saying this, but it's true. I get sent the nicest things. I was recently sent the Chef'n Cookie Cutter and Stamp.
The set is composed of a sturdy plastic receptacle to hold the individual stamps (5 in this set) with the lid being the cutter and stamp punch.
There are four stamps in this set. A flower, a star, a heart, a crown and a butterfly.
On the bottom side of each is a screw shaped piece, which twists onto the little blue fixture inside of the cutter. It attached very simply with a little twist and detaches likewise.
Once attached it is very simple to just push down on the blue button and it stamps an impression into your cookie dough very easily. Press harder on the outside part and it cuts out perfectly round cookies.
There is a simple recipe which is included with the set for a simple sugar cookie.
I did not make simple sugar cookies. I made snicker doodles, for what is a snickerdoodle, but . . . a sugar cookie rolled in cinnamon sugar. Tis true.
Oh, and I decided to stamp them after they came out of the oven, instead of before baking. This cookie cutter worked perfectly, stamped perfectly and I ended up with snickerdoodles which were crisp where the stamp had pressed down in the centre of the hot cookie, and soft chewy outsides . . . the crisp bits having been cut off. This only meant I should have shaped the balls a bit smaller, but . . . c'est la vie. More nibbles for me.
Just look at those perfect impressions. Are they not very pretty??? The thought just occurs to me now as I am looking at this photograph, that they would be perfect for filling with a tiny bit of jam or jelly.
Or in the case of a savoury biscuit, you could use hot pepper jelly. OH, that does sound good.
In any case, these cookies were just lovely. And I thought this Chef'n Cookie Cutter and Stamp to be absolutely wonderfully delightful! I call this a winner.
*Snickerdoodles*
Makes about 3 dozenCream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift together the flour, cream of tartar and the soda. Stir this into the creamed mixture until well combined. Roll the dough into 1 inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar and then place them onto the paper lined baking sheets, leaving several inches between each. Flatten slightly with your fingers. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
Chef'n products are available at a variety of locations both in North America and here in the UK.
Many thanks to Annabel and Chef'n for sending it to me to try out. I highly recommend.
It's Mother's Day (Or Mothering Sunday as it is called here in the UK) in just a few short weeks now. Here in the UK it is celebrated on the fourth Sunday after Lent and so this year it is on the 30th of March.
I was recently sent a package of baking goodies from the people at Dr Oetker to help me do something special for this holiday. I love to bake and I admit, I love Dr Oetker baking goodies!
They have a beautiful line of ingredients to help the modern baker make the prettiest and tastiest biscuits, cakes and other baked goodies, including everything from the basic ingredients such as Baking Powder and Baking Soda . . . to candles, flavourings, icing gels, chocolate chips, cake sprinkles and sparkles, rice paper decorations . . . in short just about everything under the sun. And I have to confess that anything I have ever used of theirs has been exceptional. I haven't had anything yet that I didn't like or use, or that didn't live up to or exceed my expectations.
I quite simply have not had the time to use all the things that they sent me this time, but I did make good use of some of the decorations, such as these tasty milk and white chocolate hearts. I used them to decorate little bite sized classic Shortbread biscuits which I had iced with a vanilla buttercream icing.
The chocolate hearts come in their own little plastic mold, which I thought was really great as it helped to keep them from breaking. They taste good too, and don't they look sweet decorating these biscuits?
These edible rice wafer daisies are such pretty little posies and looked beautiful on some of the biscuits.
As did these edible wafer butterflies. They look like they are ready to take flight don't they? They just pop right out and onto whatever you are wanting to put them on with ease.
And of course these little candy butterflies are just so sweet and colourful, and dainty too.
Altogether they made for a very pretty tray of cookies I think.
*Classic Shortbread Biscuits*
Makes 12 to 18
It
doesn't have to be a special occasion to make these simple biscuits,
but they have a way of making any day a special occasion when these are
on the plate! Simple, simple . . . yes they are, but you can dress
them up too, with a bit of icing and some sprinkles if you so desire, or
cut them into different shapes.Makes 12 to 18
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until lightly coloured at the edges and on the bottom. Check to make sure they aren't browning too quickly. If they are lower the oven temperature a bit more. Carefully scoop off to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating or not as you wish.
All of the Dr Oetker baking helps are sold in most grocery shops here in the UK, in the baking sections and you can also find them at Hobby Craft. They are also available in their online shop.
Their webpage and shop: Dr.Oetker
Thanks very much to Dr Oetker for sending me these goodies!
I just love, love, LOVE the traditional recipes of the UK. All those years I spent ensconced in Enid Blyton books, drooling and dreaming over what sounded like exotic foods . . . well, those dreams and imaginations have come true for me since I arrived in the UK.
I am enjoying so much exploring the traditional, and sometimes not so traditional foods . . . and sometimes I do confess . . . I add my own twist to them, so they are somewhat traditional, but also somewhat new. I love that!
Some people might define a Gypsy Cream as a chocolate or orange version of a custard cream biscuit (cookie). Traditionally though the recipe includes neither one of those additional flavourings. Squidgy cocoa is what is called for . . . although in my house I pimp for plain coz I have a chocolate hating husband and . . . trust me . . . these biscuits are SOOO SO SO GOOD, it would be dangerous to have them in the house if only me was eating them. Oh so bad . . .
These are crisp and moreishly buttery. Oh so scrummy. Perfect with a hot cuppa of whatever your poison is . . . in my case it's Twinings' Black Currant and Mint herbal tea . . .
Oh . . . this was the perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon. I dare say Sunday will be much the same . . . ahem . . .
*Gypsy Creams*
Makes 24 double cookies
Printable Recipe
Crisp, buttery and moreishly addictive biscuits (cookies) with a yummy cream cheese filling.
For the biscuits:
6 ounces butter softened (3/4 cup)
2 ounces white shortening (1/4 cup)
6 ounces caster sugar (1 cup minus 2 TBS)
2 tsp golden syrup (In north america use dark corn syrup)
8 ounces plain whole meal flour (approximately 1 1/3 cup, you may need a bit more)
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
For the filling:
4 ounces butter, softened (1/2 cup)
2 ounces cream cheese (1/4 cup)
4 ounces icing sugar, sifted (2/3 cup)
2 ounces cocoa powder, sifted (1/3 cup)
(You can choose to use all icing sugar in which case use 6 ounces or 1 cup)
Preheat the oven to 150*C/300*F/ gas mark 2. Butter several baking trays. Set aside.
Cream the butter, shortening and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the golden syrup. Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Stir this into the creamed mixture, mixing together thoroughly. Roll out on a lightly floured board, with a floured rolling pin, 1/4 inch thick. Cut out with a 2 inch round cutter. Place onto the baking sheet, leaving some space in between for spreading.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until firm and golden. Let cool on the sheets for a few minutes, before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.
For the filling, beat all the ingredients together until light and fluffy. Use this to sandwich two biscuits together. Store in a tightly covered container.
Saint Patrick's Day is coming up just a week from Monday, and I was recently challenged by Ocado's Irish Shop to take the Saint Patrick's Day Feast Challenge, by coming up with a celebratory 3 course feast for four, for £50 or less. Something which was not only a bit innovative, but also simple and easy enough for loyal Ocado fans to replicate at home.
Initially I had the idea in mind to do a simple vegetable broth soup, with colcannon filled steamed dumplings as a starter, followed by a Boiled Bacon and Cabbage Lasagne for the main, and a dessert using Bailey's Irish Cream. I did test recipes of both the starter and main, but in all truth, I felt they were a bit too stodgy and . . . yes, a bit time consuming and fiddly. So I went back to the drawing board and this is what I came up with. I think my feast embraces some Irish ingredients which are unique to Ireland and delicious, and yet at the same time the menu maintains the simple integrity of what makes a St Patrick's Day Feast . . . well . . . a St Patrick's Day Feast!! (Somehow I don't think Saint Patrick would have quite embraced a Boiled Bacon and Cabbage Lasagne. )
♣♣STARTER♣♣
A St. Patrick's Day Salad of Apple Dressed Pears
with Cashel Blue Toasties
♣♣MAIN COURSE♣♣
An Irish Stew of Beef and Guinness
Irish Colcannon
Whole Wheat Soda Bread and Butter
(Using the bread you didn't need for the starter)
♣♣DESSERT♣♣
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate Sauce
Of course there will be lots of Bailey's leftover for your guests to enjoy over ice after dinner while you just sit around and play the fiddle, sing Irish Songs, Step Dance and talk about Leprechauns and Pots of Gold.
*A St Patrick's Day Salad of
Apple Dressed Pears with Cashel Blue Toasties*
Apple Dressed Pears with Cashel Blue Toasties*
This lovely salad makes the perfect first course with it's lovely green colours for St Patrick's Day. The tart flavour of
the cooking apple shines through in the dressing without being
overpowering and goes very well with the savoury crunch of the toasted
walnuts and the sweetness of the pears. The lovely Cashel blue cheese toasts
are it's crowning glory, and add just that extra special touch.
4 baby gem heads, washed and leaves separated, the larger ones torn into smaller pieces
4 thin slices of Irish Brown Soda Bread
75g of mild cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes (3/4 cup)
75g of Irish cashel blue cheese, cut into small cubes
2 ripe dessert pears
dash of lemon juice
100g of whole walnuts (A scant cup)
DRESSING:
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and cut into small chunks
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp liquid honey
1 TBS cider vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Heat a TBS of the oil in a small skillet and cook the shallot and apple in it, stirring, until golden. Remove from the heat and put into a blender along with the other dressing ingredients. Blitz until smooth. Check for seasoning, adjust if necessary, and set aside.
2. Cut each slice of soda bread in half and toast under the grill on one side only. Mix the cubes of cheese together and then divide amongst the slices of bread and toast under the grill until the cheese is all melted and bubbling and starting to brown just the slightest. Take out and set aside.
3. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for about 30 seconds.
4. Peel, core and slice the pears. Toss the sliced pears with a dash of lemon juice to help keep them from turning brown. Toss the pears with the lettuce leaves, toasted walnuts and apple dressing. Divide amongst four chilled plates, garnishing the top of each with two slices of the cheese toasts.
Serves: 4 people
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Times: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe
2 TBS canola or sunflower oil
4 TBS plain flour
1 1/2 pounds of lean stewing steak, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
3 medium onions, peeled and chopped
1 TBS tomato puree
450ml of beef stock (2 cups)
225ml of Guinness (1 cup)
1 TBS raisins, chopped
1/2 tsp caraway seeds
salt and black pepper to taste
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices on the diagonal (about 1 cup)
2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch slices on the diagonal (about 1 cup)
2 small to medium turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 1/2 cup)
a small handful of coarsely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley.
1. Season
the cubes of beef with some salt and pepper and toss with the flour.
Heat half the oil in a heavy based stove top casserole, over medium high
heat. Add half of the beef. Brown well on all sides and then scoop
out to a bowl. Add the remaining oil and the remaining cubes of
beef. Repeat until all of the beef is browned.
2. Return the beef to the pan along with the onions, turn down the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, or until beginning to soften without browning. Stir in the tomato paste, stock and Guinness, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Stir in the raisins, caraway seeds and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover tightly and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.
4. At the end of that time, remove the lid, bring to the boil and then cook for about 45 to 50 minutes at a fast simmer, again stirring occasionally.
5. Add the vegetables, cover tightly, reduce the heat to low and cook for half an hour. Remove the lid and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the vegetables are fork tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Pass the soda bread for sopping up all of that delicious gravy!
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours, approximately
Printable Recipe
*Colcannon*
I can remember reading a story once about a big rough and ready Irish family. They had this for supper and it was set in a big bowl in the middle of the table, a large crater scooped into the middle and filled with melting butter. They all sat around and scooped into it, eating it together with scraps of freshly baked crusty bread. It sounded so delicious. It is delicious, truly and so very easy to make. We might not sit around scooping it up with chunks of bread now, but a dip in the middle filled with melting butter is still a pretty tasty thing to do.
1 pound cabbage, finely chopped
7 to 8 fluid ounces of milk or cream
2 small leeks or green spring onion tops, chopped
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of ground mace
4 TBS melted butter
1. Cook the cabbage in a large pan of boiling salted water until very tender. Drain well and keep warm.
2. Put the milk or cream in a small pan with the leek or spring onion and simmer until soft. Set aside and keep warm.
3. Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil and then simmer until cooked through and they can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife or the tines of a fork. Drain well and then place back on the warm burner, giving them a good shake to dry them out. Mash well. Mix in the leeks and enough of the milk or cream to give it a creamy consistency. Add the cabbage and season with salt, pepper and mace. Drizzle with the melted butter and serve.
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe
For the cake:
225g of semi sweet chocolate, chopped (8 ounces)
113g of dark chocolate, chopped (4 ounces)
225g of butter (1 cup)
255g of caster sugar (1 1/4 cups)
6 large free range eggs, separated
For the Sauce:
60ml of heavy cream
60ml of Bailey's Irish Cream
113g of semi sweet chocolate, chopped
6. Dust the cake with icing sugar and cut into wedges to serve. Top each serving with a scoop of the vanilla bean ice cream. Spoon a portion of the warm chocolate sauce over top of each and serve immediately.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes, plus 4 hours for chilling
Printable Recipe
As with any challenge, there is a prize involved, a trip to Ireland. (It's on my bucket list of things to do before I die.) All of the Feasts entered in the challenge will be judged by a a panel of esteemed Judges:
Orla Broderick
Orla Broderick is a freelance food writer who lives in Dublin. After a degree in HOme Economics, she worked as a writer for BBC Good Food magazine for five years before deciding to specialize in creating recipes and preparing food for television. Orla has worked on many highly regarded productions, mainly for the BBC, but also for the first series of Masterchef Ireland. She is also the author of several cookbooks, as well as working with a number of high profile chef's on their own publications. She is also a contributing editor to the Bridgestone Irish Food Guides.
Andy McFadden
Andy McFadden was born in Ireland and from a young age was very passionate about great food. He endeavoured to make a career out of this passion. Working his way through some of the best restaurants in Ireland and on the continent, he gained a wealth of knowledge and skills that are still with him to this day, a culinary trail which inevitably took him to London, where he took up the position of chef de partie at the two Michelin starred, Pied a Terre. Andy now holds the top position at sister restaurant, L'Autre Pied, where he is showcasing his star quality and preparing creative, innovative and delicious dishes.
Wish me luck, and a Very Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you all!!
1 TBS cider vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1. Heat a TBS of the oil in a small skillet and cook the shallot and apple in it, stirring, until golden. Remove from the heat and put into a blender along with the other dressing ingredients. Blitz until smooth. Check for seasoning, adjust if necessary, and set aside.
2. Cut each slice of soda bread in half and toast under the grill on one side only. Mix the cubes of cheese together and then divide amongst the slices of bread and toast under the grill until the cheese is all melted and bubbling and starting to brown just the slightest. Take out and set aside.
3. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan for about 30 seconds.
4. Peel, core and slice the pears. Toss the sliced pears with a dash of lemon juice to help keep them from turning brown. Toss the pears with the lettuce leaves, toasted walnuts and apple dressing. Divide amongst four chilled plates, garnishing the top of each with two slices of the cheese toasts.
Serves: 4 people
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Times: 10 minutes
Printable Recipe
*An Irish Stew of Beef and Guinness*
A
hearty stew made with lean cubes of stewing steak, carrots, parnips,
turnips and onions, cooked in a delicious Guinness gravy until
delciously fork tender. Plan ahead as this takes a good 2 1/2 to 3
hours to cook, but then again the best things in life are worth waiting
for. This is delicious served with steamed baby new potatoes, or for St. Patrick's Day delicious mounds of buttery Colcannon.
2. Return the beef to the pan along with the onions, turn down the heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes, or until beginning to soften without browning. Stir in the tomato paste, stock and Guinness, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits. Stir in the raisins, caraway seeds and season with salt and pepper.
3. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover tightly and simmer for one hour, stirring occasionally.
4. At the end of that time, remove the lid, bring to the boil and then cook for about 45 to 50 minutes at a fast simmer, again stirring occasionally.
5. Add the vegetables, cover tightly, reduce the heat to low and cook for half an hour. Remove the lid and bring to the boil. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the vegetables are fork tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Pass the soda bread for sopping up all of that delicious gravy!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours, approximately
Printable Recipe
*Colcannon*
I can remember reading a story once about a big rough and ready Irish family. They had this for supper and it was set in a big bowl in the middle of the table, a large crater scooped into the middle and filled with melting butter. They all sat around and scooped into it, eating it together with scraps of freshly baked crusty bread. It sounded so delicious. It is delicious, truly and so very easy to make. We might not sit around scooping it up with chunks of bread now, but a dip in the middle filled with melting butter is still a pretty tasty thing to do.
1 pound cabbage, finely chopped
7 to 8 fluid ounces of milk or cream
2 small leeks or green spring onion tops, chopped
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of ground mace
4 TBS melted butter
1. Cook the cabbage in a large pan of boiling salted water until very tender. Drain well and keep warm.
2. Put the milk or cream in a small pan with the leek or spring onion and simmer until soft. Set aside and keep warm.
3. Put the potatoes in a saucepan and cover with salted water. Bring to the boil and then simmer until cooked through and they can be pierced easily with the tip of a knife or the tines of a fork. Drain well and then place back on the warm burner, giving them a good shake to dry them out. Mash well. Mix in the leeks and enough of the milk or cream to give it a creamy consistency. Add the cabbage and season with salt, pepper and mace. Drizzle with the melted butter and serve.
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Printable Recipe
*Flourless Chocolate Cake*
served with Vanilla Ice Cream and a Bailey's Chocolate Sauce
You
will want to make the cake for this the day before. It needs several
hours in the refrigerator to set up properly for cutting. (I like to leave it overnight.) It's rich and
delicious. Top with a scoop of really good Vanilla ice cream and a
spoonful of Bailey's Chocolate sauce for the perfect finish.
You will also need a tub of good Vanilla Bean Ice cream
1. Preheat your oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. You will need a 9 inch springform pan. Remove the bottom and then place a large square of parchment paper over this bit. Replace the ring around the bottom and clamp on, making sure that the parchment paper is clamped in place. Butter the paper lined bottom of the pan and the sides. Set aside on a baking tray.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl placed over a pan simmering water, without allowing the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir as it melts, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the pan and whisk in the sugar. Pour into a larger bowl and beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating constantly.
3. Beat the egg whites until stiff using a scrupulously clean beaters. Fold these into the chocolate mixture, carefully to combine, working gently and not whisking. (You want to keep the mixture airy.) Pour into the prepared pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. The cake will rise dramatically and fall drastically when it is removed from the oven. That is ok. It's supposed to happen. Allow to cool to room temperature on the countertop then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours before removing the sides of the springform pan.
1. Preheat your oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. You will need a 9 inch springform pan. Remove the bottom and then place a large square of parchment paper over this bit. Replace the ring around the bottom and clamp on, making sure that the parchment paper is clamped in place. Butter the paper lined bottom of the pan and the sides. Set aside on a baking tray.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl placed over a pan simmering water, without allowing the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir as it melts, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the pan and whisk in the sugar. Pour into a larger bowl and beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating constantly.
3. Beat the egg whites until stiff using a scrupulously clean beaters. Fold these into the chocolate mixture, carefully to combine, working gently and not whisking. (You want to keep the mixture airy.) Pour into the prepared pan.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. The cake will rise dramatically and fall drastically when it is removed from the oven. That is ok. It's supposed to happen. Allow to cool to room temperature on the countertop then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours before removing the sides of the springform pan.
5. Make the chocolate sauce just
prior to serving the cake. To make the chocolate sauce, gently heat the
cream, Bailey's and chopped chocolate together in a small saucepan over
low heat, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture has
thoroughly amalgamated.
6. Dust the cake with icing sugar and cut into wedges to serve. Top each serving with a scoop of the vanilla bean ice cream. Spoon a portion of the warm chocolate sauce over top of each and serve immediately.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 60 minutes, plus 4 hours for chilling
Printable Recipe
As with any challenge, there is a prize involved, a trip to Ireland. (It's on my bucket list of things to do before I die.) All of the Feasts entered in the challenge will be judged by a a panel of esteemed Judges:
Orla Broderick
Orla Broderick is a freelance food writer who lives in Dublin. After a degree in HOme Economics, she worked as a writer for BBC Good Food magazine for five years before deciding to specialize in creating recipes and preparing food for television. Orla has worked on many highly regarded productions, mainly for the BBC, but also for the first series of Masterchef Ireland. She is also the author of several cookbooks, as well as working with a number of high profile chef's on their own publications. She is also a contributing editor to the Bridgestone Irish Food Guides.
Andy McFadden
Andy McFadden was born in Ireland and from a young age was very passionate about great food. He endeavoured to make a career out of this passion. Working his way through some of the best restaurants in Ireland and on the continent, he gained a wealth of knowledge and skills that are still with him to this day, a culinary trail which inevitably took him to London, where he took up the position of chef de partie at the two Michelin starred, Pied a Terre. Andy now holds the top position at sister restaurant, L'Autre Pied, where he is showcasing his star quality and preparing creative, innovative and delicious dishes.
Wish me luck, and a Very Happy Saint Patrick's Day to you all!!
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