Post by Luna on Feb 23, 2011 10:05:16 GMT -5
Ok, the Irish (amongst others) are the kind of cooks that hold to family recipes, it marks our heritage. In Irish culture, no two family's recipes are exactly the same for the same dish, and it's these differences that create a kind of family pride between the cooks and the rest of their family. Without further ado, I give you a few of my family's recipes from Ireland that our ancestors brought with them and adapted when they came here.
Colcannon
5lbs red potaotes
1/2 head of savoy cabbage
3 strips of bacon
chives to taste
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 container sour cream
butter
salt
Peel and dice potatoes.
Boil in salted water until soft.
Drain potatoes and leave in colander.
Dice bacon and fry until crispy.
Remove bacon, but leave the drippings in the pan.
Shred cabbage and fry in bacon drippings until limp.
Add heavy cream to potato pan.
Dice chives and add to cream.
Simmer about a minute.
Add potatoes back into the pot and add bacon and cabbage.
Add sour cream and mash together.
Butter and salt to taste.
***I did make a few modifications, as I'm not allowed to give out the recipe word for word, but here's a hint: use more bacon, and instead of chives, use green onions.***
Corned Beef and Mustard Sauce
1 Corned Beef
Handful of carrots
2 Tbsp minced garlic
Brown sugar
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Dry Mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 C water
1 Tbsp Butter
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
1 tsp grated horseradish
2 egg yolks, beaten.
***if there's a spice packet with the corned beef THROW THE PACKET OUT, IT DRIES OUT THE CORNED BEEF AND MAKES IT TOO SALTY.***
**Obviously mustard sauce isn't an irish thing, but my mother added it and I personally think it adds wonderful flavor to the meat.**
Wash Corned beef well (get all of the salt on the surface off of it as much as you can.)
Place in a baking dish and add water half way up the side of the corned beef.
Add the garlic, brown sugar and carrots to the water.
Bake cover for four hours at 250 degrees.
Combine cornstarch, sugar, mustard and salt in heavy sauce pan.
Add water, and stir over low heat until mixture thickens.
Remove from heat and add butter, vinegar, and horseradish.
Beat some of the hot mixture into te eaten eggs to temper.
Add eggs to the pan and cook till thick.
Carve uo the corned beef and serve using the mustard sauce like gravy.
*To be clear on the subject of corned beef and cabbage, it is NOT the traditional method of eating it. Corned beef was actually fat back, which was unavailable in America when the irish came here, so they borrowed the jewish corned beef as an alternative. The Cabbage was also not served by itself traditionally, it was made in colcannon. Again, when they came to america they had to make due with what's available. St. Patrick's day in Ireland isn't a day for drinking, like it is here, it's their Thanksgiving. A time for family, so if you're interested in having a real old fashioned st. patties, just spend it with your friends and family at home one year with maybe one of the above recipes and the soda bread below.
Soda Bread
2 Cups of flour
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp butter
1 Cup Buttermilk
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Cut in butter using a fork or pastry cutter.
Stir in buttermilk with a fork (Do NOT overmix)
Knead lightly for about a minute maing sure all the dry ingredients are incorperated.
Form dough into a ball.
Turn ball of dough onto a cookie sheet.
Cut a cross on the top of the bread.
Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown (about 35-40 minutes)
***you'll note that most soda bread recipes involve raisens. Our family's recipe has never included it, so I suspect the family aversion to the little snot textured fruits goes back way farther then just our ancestors that came here. Also, this bread is wonderful with butter and is a little crumbly so make sure you use a plate or something!***
Colcannon
5lbs red potaotes
1/2 head of savoy cabbage
3 strips of bacon
chives to taste
1 pint heavy cream
1/2 container sour cream
butter
salt
Peel and dice potatoes.
Boil in salted water until soft.
Drain potatoes and leave in colander.
Dice bacon and fry until crispy.
Remove bacon, but leave the drippings in the pan.
Shred cabbage and fry in bacon drippings until limp.
Add heavy cream to potato pan.
Dice chives and add to cream.
Simmer about a minute.
Add potatoes back into the pot and add bacon and cabbage.
Add sour cream and mash together.
Butter and salt to taste.
***I did make a few modifications, as I'm not allowed to give out the recipe word for word, but here's a hint: use more bacon, and instead of chives, use green onions.***
Corned Beef and Mustard Sauce
1 Corned Beef
Handful of carrots
2 Tbsp minced garlic
Brown sugar
1 Tbsp Cornstarch
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp Dry Mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1 C water
1 Tbsp Butter
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
1 tsp grated horseradish
2 egg yolks, beaten.
***if there's a spice packet with the corned beef THROW THE PACKET OUT, IT DRIES OUT THE CORNED BEEF AND MAKES IT TOO SALTY.***
**Obviously mustard sauce isn't an irish thing, but my mother added it and I personally think it adds wonderful flavor to the meat.**
Wash Corned beef well (get all of the salt on the surface off of it as much as you can.)
Place in a baking dish and add water half way up the side of the corned beef.
Add the garlic, brown sugar and carrots to the water.
Bake cover for four hours at 250 degrees.
Combine cornstarch, sugar, mustard and salt in heavy sauce pan.
Add water, and stir over low heat until mixture thickens.
Remove from heat and add butter, vinegar, and horseradish.
Beat some of the hot mixture into te eaten eggs to temper.
Add eggs to the pan and cook till thick.
Carve uo the corned beef and serve using the mustard sauce like gravy.
*To be clear on the subject of corned beef and cabbage, it is NOT the traditional method of eating it. Corned beef was actually fat back, which was unavailable in America when the irish came here, so they borrowed the jewish corned beef as an alternative. The Cabbage was also not served by itself traditionally, it was made in colcannon. Again, when they came to america they had to make due with what's available. St. Patrick's day in Ireland isn't a day for drinking, like it is here, it's their Thanksgiving. A time for family, so if you're interested in having a real old fashioned st. patties, just spend it with your friends and family at home one year with maybe one of the above recipes and the soda bread below.
Soda Bread
2 Cups of flour
3 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 Tbsp butter
1 Cup Buttermilk
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl.
Cut in butter using a fork or pastry cutter.
Stir in buttermilk with a fork (Do NOT overmix)
Knead lightly for about a minute maing sure all the dry ingredients are incorperated.
Form dough into a ball.
Turn ball of dough onto a cookie sheet.
Cut a cross on the top of the bread.
Bake at 375 degrees until golden brown (about 35-40 minutes)
***you'll note that most soda bread recipes involve raisens. Our family's recipe has never included it, so I suspect the family aversion to the little snot textured fruits goes back way farther then just our ancestors that came here. Also, this bread is wonderful with butter and is a little crumbly so make sure you use a plate or something!***
