As soon as March 17 rolls around, it seems as if the Irish comes out in all of us in preparation for St. Patty’s Day. As the Irish proverb goes, “When the drink was gone the fun was gone,” it is very apparent that the amount of Guinness, stouts and car bombs served exceeds the usual quantity served. But there’s another Irish tradition that is a wee bit important as well: the authentic meals served on St. Patrick’s Day.
Whether you have the shamrock blood in you or not, most people recognize the classic corned beef and cabbage dish as an Irish staple. Yet after conducting delectable research, it is evident that there are far more eccentric and intriguing dishes that we Americans aren’t aware of being served on this most celebrated holiday. Here are three Irish recipes that you won’t ever see on the Denny’s menu:
Irish Soda Bread
instructions at http://www.allrecipes.com
This loaf of bread is easy to make and absolutely delicious as an appetizer or an entrée side. The raisins add sweetness to the thickness of the bread. Once you have Irish Soda Bread, the simple white slices at casual restaurants isn’t going to do it for you anymore, trust me. Including preparation and cooking time, this dish only takes about 45 minutes.
4 cups all purpose flour
¼ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
¼ cup corn oil
1 cup raisins
Champ/Poundies
instructions at http://www.homecooking.about.com
Champ, poundies? Excuse me? Yes, that is exactly what this mashed potato dish is truly called to those Irish folk. And my-oh-my is it mighty tasty.
Replacing what we would assume would be gravy as the sauce for our Americanized mashed taters, in Ireland they substitute it for a heap of butter in the center of the dish.
I would rather have poundies over KFC mashed potatoes any day. All in all the dish will take 30 minutes.
4 pounds red potatoes
½ pint milk
1 cup chopped green onions
½ cup butter
salt and black pepper
Shepherd’s Pie
instructions at http://www.foodnetwork.com
This dish is an oldie but a goodie and most Irish pubs will be honored to serve you their version of Shepherd’s pie on St. Patty’s Day.
Although the list of ingredients is a bit more extensive than the previous two, it is far more worth it! The comfort that this pie brings your belly is indescribable. The best part is that you will have a ton of leftovers for weeks to come.
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 pound chopped lamb shoulder or lamb fillet
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 carrotts, chopped
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 ounces button mushrooms, wiped clean and sliced
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 ¼ cups lamb or beef stock
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound potatoes
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup white cheddar, grated
Jordan Schein can be reached at jschein@spartans.ut.edu.