St Patrick's Day Recipes

I received these recipes from oldfashionedliving.com. According to the editor, Bacon and cabbage are the more traditional Irish recipe. Corned beef and cabbage is a more Irish American food
that was adapted from this recipe for Bacon and Cabbage once in America.

Irish Bacon and Cabbage

Ingredients:
2 pounds thick slab bacon
1 cabbage-you can mix regular cabbage and Savoy
8 peeled potatoes
butter
Salt and pepper

Cover the slab bacon with cold water and bring it to a boil-drain
the water off and put back in the pan again-covering with cold
water. Bring to boil again and then simmer for about an hour
and 20 minutes. Remove outer leaves of cabbage. Cut in half,
add to the saucepan and simmer for the last 20 minutes. Remove
bacon from the pan, and carve into thin slices. Drain cabbage,
season with salt and pepper, chop and add a tablespoon of butter.
Serve the bacon with the cabbage. Also serve this with boiled
potatoes that have been seasoned with salt, pepper and fresh
minced parsley. I'm sure bread was part of the meal as well!

Irish meals are very hearty and always include potatoes
and bread-at least the old fashioned farm meals!

Irish Stew (Ballymaloe)

Ingredients:
3 pounds lamb neck chops or other cut of lamb with bones
4 carrots
4 medium sized onions
1 tablespoon butter
fat of some type-lamb, beef or oil
4 large potatoes
Salt and pepper to season
2 1/2 cups stock or water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Add your fat to the pan-if it's oil, just add it and heat. If
it's a fat like bacon fat-heat til it melts. Peel the onions,
potatoes and carrots. Cut the meat into 8 pieces; cutting
of any excess fat. Bones need not be removed. Cut the
carrots and onions in quarters. Brown the meat in fat until
just browned and repeat with onions and carrots. Add stock
(use whatever stock you have on hand or water) and season.
If using canned stock, watch the salt-you won't need much.
Place the whole potatoes on top. Cover and simmer gently
until the meat is cooked about 2 hours. Pour off the cooking
liquid and defat. Reheat just the broth in another saucepan.
Taste for seasoning. Add in butter, chives, and parsley. Pour
back over stew and serve.

Irish Oat Bread

Ingredients:
8 ounces regular oatmeal (not instant)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 cup flour
2 tablespoons melted butter

Add the oatmeal to a bowl and cover with the buttermilk-
it should cover the oats. Let this sit overnight in the refrigerator.
The next day, add baking powder, salt and part of the flour.
Mix well with a wooden spoon, continually adding flour until dough
is no longer sticky. Place dough on greased baking sheet or in
round bread pan, forming a round loaf; brush with melted butter.
Bake 30 minutes at 325 to 350 degrees. When toothpick put into
center comes out clean, it's done. If needed, bake 10 minutes
longer or until done. Makes 1 loaf.

Dressed Cabbage

Ingredients:
Whole Cabbage
4 tablespoons Butter
3 tablespoons stock or water
1 pinch nutmeg or mace
1/2 teaspoon flour
Salt and pepper

Shred the cabbage. Melt half the butter in a heavy pot; then add
the cabbage and toss until covered with the butter. Add the stock
or water, cover and cook gently for about 20 minutes. By this time
the liquid should be nearly gone, and the cabbage cooked. Add the
nutmeg or mace, the flour, and stir well; then add the rest of the butter
and toss until melted into the cabbage. Season. Servings: 4

NOTE: The Irish cook often used a stock made with some type of
pork fat. You can use any type that is available.

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