St Patrick Day Recipes: Perfect for the Holiday, but Terrific Any Day of the Year!
Let's get right to it - certain foods are perfect St Patrick Day recipes. But why limit ourselves to a single day of the year? We would like to share a few delicious favorites that can be served on any Irish occasion - or for no reason at all!
With that in mind, let's have a closer look at a few delicious St Patrick Day recipes!
St Patrick Day Recipe #1: Fried Cabbage with Bacon
Cabbage has always been a prominent vegetable for the Irish. In fact,
historians believe that it became a staple around 600-400 B.C.
The
Celts brought it to Ireland where the cool climate allowed it to thrive.
Even though the potato became quite popular, during the great potato
famine in Ireland cabbage surged back to popularity.
Today, Fried Irish
Cabbage, Cabbage Soup and Corned Beef and Cabbage are very popular St Patrick Day recipes.
The quickest to
prepare is fried Irish cabbage with Bacon.
Fried Cabbage with Bacon: Ingredients
- 1-12 to16 ounce package of bacon
- ¼ cup bacon drippings
- 1-small cabbage head finely cored and shredded
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fried Cabbage with Bacon: Preparation
- Use a large skillet to cook the bacon until crisp. If you’re in a
hurry, you can clip the bacon in smaller pieces with kitchen scissors
before cooking. It allows you to fit more in the frying pan.
- Remove bacon from the pan and allow it to drain on a paper plate covered with a paper towel or two.
- Remove grease from the pan, reserving ¼ cup to return to the skillet.
- Put the chopped cabbage in the frying pan and turn the burner to
medium, stirring frequently. It takes approximately 5 to 7minutes for
the cabbage to cook to a wilted state.
- Crumble the pieces of bacon over the cabbage and mix. Set the heat
on simmer and stir the mixture as it cooks for the next two to three
minutes to mix and warm the bacon.
- Season the mixture to taste with freshly ground black pepper.
- Serve as a side dish alone or piled over mashed potatoes.
Recipe #2: Brotchan Roy Leek and Oatmeal Soup
If you’re looking for a historical Irish soup, this one’s for you. Many believe it dates as far back as Druid times, because it contains easily attained ingredients from that time.
Leek and Oatmeal Soup: Ingredients
Adapted from the book, “A Taste of Ireland” by Biddy White Lennon and Georgina Campbell, this is one of our more popular St Patrick Day recipes.
- 2-cups of beef or chicken broth
- 2-cups milk
- 2-Tbs of butter
- 2-Tbs. of pinhead oats
- 4- Large leeks with the ends removed. Use only the light green and white parts
- ¼ cup heavy cream or heavy whipping cream
- 5-scallions-finely sliced
- White pepper
- Salt
- Fresh chopped chives or minced parsley
Leek and Oatmeal Soup: Preparation
- Mix the broth with the milk in a large saucepan and heat over
medium heat. Gradually sprinkle in the oatmeal, stirring as you do. Do
not boil; just simmer.
- Simmer for 15 minutes.
- Slice the leeks in half, lengthwise, rinse them well. Cut each length into 1-inch sections and rinse thoroughly.
- In a medium size skillet, melt butter on low. Add the leeks and cook them until soft, but not browned, stirring frequently.
- Add the cooked leaks and sliced scallions to the
milk/broth/oatmeal mixture that is simmering. Stir well. Allow the
mixture to simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Remove mixture from heat. Season the soup with salt and white
pepper, then stir in the heavy cream. Use parsley or chives to garnish
before serving.
Recipe #3: Irish Cheddar Ale Pub Spread
If you’re having a few guests over
for drinks or want an appetizer
you can prepare ahead for your Irish feast, Irish Cheddar Ale Pub Spread
is one of our most popular St Patrick Day recipes.
Serve it with
crackers or if you want to
be authentic serve it with soda bread. It’s also good with celery or
apples.
Cheddar Ale Pub Spread: Ingredients
- 8-oz bar of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded or prepackaged shredded cheddar
- 8-oz bar of softened cream cheese
- 1-tsp of dry mustard
- 1-bottle of strong ale or beer—reserve 1/3 tablespoon for the recipe and enjoy the rest
- ¼ tsp of cayenne pepper
- ½ cup fresh parsley-chopped fine
- ½ cup chopped toasted pecans
Cheddar Ale Pub Spread: Preparation
- Place cream cheese and cheddar in blender or food processor and run until smooth.
- Scrape mixture into a bowl and add the mustard, pepper and ale gradually.
- Put bowl in refrigerator for about an hour or until it firms up and can hold shape.
- Mold into the shape of your choice on a serving plate. Some people
use a disc shape, others a ball and those truly creative ones create a
shamrock.
- Combine the parsley with the pecans and pat them onto your cheese
mixture. If you used a ball shape, simply roll the ball in the
pecan/parsley mix.
Hungry for More Irish Recipes?
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Delicious! Where Can I Find More?
At Irish Expressions, our our goal is simple: to provide you with a unique Irish experience, on demand, wherever you are in the world.
If you have enjoyed our section on Irish Food Recipes, you have probably been exposed to many of the most delicious flavors that Ireland has to offer!
Will that entice you to visit Ireland - or to return if you have already been?
We hope so!
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