Get your green on! From soda bread to beef stew we’re cooking up some traditional Irish dishes in honour of St. Patrick’s Day

Colcannon Recipe

Ingredients

  • 4 russet potatoes (2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into large chunks
  • Salt
  • 5-6 Tbsp unsalted butter (with more butter for serving)
  • 3 lightly packed cups of chopped kale, cabbage, chard, or other leafy green
  • 3 green onions (including the green onion greens), minced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 cup milk or cream

Method

  1. Put the potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water by at least an inch. Add 2 tablespoons of salt, and bring to a boil. Boil until the potatoes are fork tender (15 to 20 minutes). Drain in a colander.
  2. Return the pot to the stove and set over medium-high heat. Melt the butter in the pot and once it's hot, add the greens. Cook the greens for 3-4 minutes, or until they are wilted and have given off some of their water. Add the green onions and cook 1 minute more.
  3. Pour in the milk or cream, mix well, and add the potatoes. Reduce the heat to medium. Use a fork or potato masher and mash the potatoes, mixing them up with the greens. Add salt to taste and serve hot, with a knob of butter in the centre.

Guinness Beef Stew

Servings:

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2 (with some fat left on the meat)
  • 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/4
  • 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
  • 2 -3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup beef stock (or use canned)
  • 1/2 cup Guinness stout
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 lb carrot, sliced
  • salt and black pepper, freshly ground

Method:

  1. Heat a 6 quart stove top casserole or oven proof pot and add the oil and the bay leaves.
  2. Cook the bay leaves for a moment and then add the meat. Brown the meat on both sides on high heat.
  3. Add the onion and cook for a few minutes until it is clear.
  4. Reduce the heat to low and add the garlic, thyme, rosemary and flour and stir until smooth.
  5. Add the beef stock and stout; simmer, stirring until the stew thickens a bit. Add the remaining ingredients and cover.
  6. Place the pot in the oven at 275 F: for about 2 hours, stirring a couple of times.
  7. Check for the salt and pepper before serving.

Bread and Butter Pudding

Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
  • 6 slices thick white bread
  • 1/3 cup mixed dried fruit (golden raisins, currants, and raisins)
  • 1 tbsp candied peel
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ¼ cups milk
  • 2/3 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ cup superfine sugar
  • whole nutmeg, for grating
  • 1 tbsp raw brown sugar

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F/180 degrees C.  Grease an 8x 10-inch/20 x 25-cm baking dish.
  2. Spread the butter over the slices of bread.  Cut each slice of bread diagonally into quarters, then arrange half the bread overlapping in the prepared baking dish.
  3. Scatter half the mixed dried fruit and peel over the bread, cover with the remaining bread slices, and add the remaining fruit and peel.
  4. In a pitcher, beat the eggs well and stir in the milk, cream, and superfine sugar.  Pour into the baking dish and let stand for 15 minutes to let the bread soak up some of the egg mixture.
  5. Tuck the dried fruit and peel under the bread slices so that they don't burn.  Grate a little nutmeg over the top, then sprinkle over the brown sugar.
  6. Place the dish on a baking sheet and bake at the top of the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until just set and golden brown.  Serve warm.