Preparing for St. Patrick's Day - recipes

St. Patrick's Day is coming up - Tuesday, March 17th.

Here in America, it's a day where everybody's Irish, it seems. What's sad is that it's turned from the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland into a free-for-all where people drown themselves in Irish whiskey and kegs of green beer.

From the way we act, you'd think we believe that all Irish people are simple minded drunks who eat nothing but corned beef and cabbage and swill dyed liquor and dress like leprechauns.

How unfortunate that we have gotten away from a real celebration of Irish heritage.

This year, why not consider some things that are really Irish!

For instance, GENUINE Irish soda bread...

REAL Irish soda bread consists of the following: Flour, Salt, Baking Soda, and Buttermilk.

REAL Irish soda bread is a poor family's "table" bread, for everyday consumption. It doesn't have sugar or fruit or nuts or even eggs. It doesn't have the consistency of cake, either.

Here is a real, honest-to-goodness recipe for Irish soda bread.

REAL IRISH SODA BREAD
4 cups all-purpose flour (bread flour or cake flour work even better)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 3/4 cup (14 oz.) buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Stir in the buttermilk to form a sticky dough. Place on floured surface and knead lightly (too much kneading allows the gas to escape).

Shape into a round flat shape and place in the cake pan. Slash a cross in the top of the dough with a sharp knife.

Cover the pan with another pan and bake for 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

To test for doneness, tap the bottom of the bread. It will sound hollow when the bread is done.

Cover the bread in a towel and lightly sprinkle water on the cloth to keep the bread moist.

For more information (and an amazing history lesson) about traditional Irish soda bread, I invite you to visit The Society for the Preservation of Irish Soda Bread.

Here's another Irish recipe that's pretty standard. You can find this served just about anywhere you go in Ireland.

IRISH SHEPHERD'S PIE

This popular comfort dish includes the Irish trinity of meat, vegetables and potatoes. It is traditionally made with minced lamb (hence the title "shepherd"), although some people prefer to make it with minced beef.

2 Tbsp. butter
1 medium onion, chopped
2 sliced carrots
4 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 cups beef stock or broth
Chopped parsley and thyme
1 lb. cooked minced or ground beef
3 cups mashed potatoes
Grated cheddar cheese - or Dubliner Irish cheese, if you can get it
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the chopped onion. Cover and cook until the onions are transparent. Add the carrots. Stir in the flour and cook until slightly browned; add stock and herbs. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Add the meat and return to a boil.

Place vegetable/meat mixture in a pie pan and spread the mashed potatoes on top. If you really want to get fancy, you can pipe the potatoes on top with a pastry bag and decorator tip.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top 10 minutes before the end of cooking.

Season with salt and pepper.

Here's one more recipe, to satisfy your potato craving. It's called Boxty.

Boxty is a traditional Irish potato pancake. The dish is mostly associated with the north midlands, north Connacht and southern Ulster, in particular the counties of Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Leitrim and Cavan. There are many different variations but all contain finely grated, raw potatoes and all are served fried.

The mixture is fried on a griddle pan for a few minutes on each side, similar to a normal pancake.

Boxty was seen as so much a part of the local culture in the areas in which it was made, that the following poem was written:

Boxty on the griddle,
Boxty in the pan,
If you can't make boxty,
You'll never get a man.

GALLAGHER'S BOXTY HOUSE PANCAKES

This is the boxty recipe from a restaurant in Dublin, Ireland.

2 eggs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cooked mashed or shredded potato, cooled
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. milk
Salt and pepper to taste
Oil or butter for frying

Mix eggs with flour and potato together until fully blended. Add milk slowly and whisk ingredients together, forming a smooth batter. Salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a little oil or butter in pan. Pour a ladle of batter into the pan and swirl it so it covers the pan. Turn the heat to medium-high. Flip the pancake when the edges are starting to cook through.

Makes about 6 pancakes.

-- Dave Power, head chef, Gallagher's Boxty House

And last, but not least... Fish and Chips.

Wait a minute! Did you think that fish and chips was English? Yes, but it's also hugely popular in Ireland. EVERYBODY serves fish and chips.

MCDONAGH'S FISH & CHIPS (Galway, Ireland)

Fish and chips (what we call french fries) is one of the most popular "take away" meals in Ireland. Some of the best is reputed to be served at McDonagh's "chipper" in Galway. Fishmongers for more than four generations, the owners buy fish from local fishermen daily and serve within hours.

For the fish

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Salt
6 tsp. oil
2/3 cup cold water
1 egg white
2 lbs. cod fillets

For the chips

8 medium potatoes
Oil for frying
Malt vinegar for seasoning

To cook fish

Stir together flour and a pinch of salt in a bowl and make a well in the center. Pour in oil and chilled water and carefully mix into the flour. Beat the egg white until stiff and fold lightly into the batter.

Preheat the oil in a pan to 350 degrees. Dip the fish into the batter. Drain and lower into the hot oil. Fry until the batter is crisp and golden, normally 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

To cook chips

Allow 2 medium potatoes per person. Peel potatoes and cut into strips no wider than about a half-inch. Wash in cold water. Drain well and dry by shaking in a towel.

Preheat oil in fryer to about 320 degrees F. Put half of the chips into the oil. Cook until chips are soft and flexible but not browned. Remove chips and drain.

Reheat oil to 320 degrees and fry remaining chips.

Five minutes before serving, bring the oil temperature up to about 350 degrees. Quickly cook half of the cooled chips until they're golden brown. A couple of minutes are all they need. Drain on paper towels and cook the remaining chips.

Season the fish and chips with salt and malt vinegar before serving.

-- Colm McDonagh, McDonagh's Seafood Restaurant, Galway

This year, skip the green beer and the corned beef.
Instead, grab a Guinness (if you're thirsty for an adult beverage) and try some REAL Irish cuisine!

Éireann go deo - "Irish Forever"