Irish Food That's Not Corned Beef and Cabbage

Last year around this time I posted a blog entitled "Irish Recipes That I'd Actually Make". I'm not a fan of corned beef and cabbage nor of Irish soda bread, but I do like making themed recipes around holidays. Last year's recipes were beef stew, shepherd's pie, bangers and mash, boxty, steak pasties, and Irish whiskey cake. This year's recipes are lamb stew, potato rolls, Dublin Coddle, steak and Guinness pie, whiskey roasted salmon, and Bailey's chocolate chip cheesecake. Please note that none of these recipes involve cabbage of any kind. (You're welcome.)

Lamb Stew
Lamb and beef are both common proteins in Irish cooking. so it's no surprise that stew recipes for both abound. The Guinness adds a depth of flavor, but if you're not a beer drinker and don't want to have to bother with buying a single bottle of it, just substitute additional chicken broth. You can also freeze individual portions; simply thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then warm in a saucepan, adding a bit of water if needed.

2 pounds lamb stew meat, cut into 1" cubes
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound carrots, peeled and thickly sliced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1-1/2 cups chicken broth
12 oz. Guinness stout (or additional chicken broth)
6 medium red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes
4 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
1-2 teaspoons salt, to taste
1-1/2 teaspoons pepper
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream (or half and half)

Heat the butter and oil in an oven-safe Dutch oven and brown the lamb. Remove meat and cover to keep warm. In the same oil, saute carrots and onions until tender but still crisp. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Gradually add broth and beer. Stir in lamb and remaining ingredients except cream. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, until meat is tender, stirring every 30 minutes. Discard bay leaves, thyme, and rosemary. Stir in cream and return to oven for a few minutes until heated through.

Potato Rolls
What better to sop up the remains of the stew than a good, hearty potato roll? The potato gives a light texture and creaminess that nothing could improve, except possibly a good dollop of fresh Irish butter.

1 packet yeast (2-1/4 teaspoons)
1/2 cup warm water (handwashing warm)
1 cup mashed potatoes (real or instant)
2/3 cup butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk, scalded and cooled to lukewarm
5-6 cups flour
Melted butter

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and set aside. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer, combine potatoes, butter, eggs, sugar, honey, and salt. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Stir the yeast mixture into the cooled scalded milk and add to potatoes, mixing on low speed until blended. Gradually add flour until a soft dough forms. Using a dough hook, knead for 5 minutes on low (if you don't have a dough hook, knead by hand in the bowl). Spray a large mixing bowl with nonstick spray and place the dough inside, turning to coat. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. Punch down and shape into rolls. Place rolls 2" apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet or arrange in three 8- or 9-inch round pans (recipe makes about 21 rolls). Cover and let rise again until increased by one-third. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-13 minutes. Remove from oven and brush tops with melted butter.

Dublin Coddle
The "coddle" in Dublin Coddle is because this dish is cooked slowly and gently. You can find slow cooker recipes, but this version cooks in a 300-degree oven for a few hours instead. Some recipes also include carrots, which add color, flavor, and nutritional value, and feel free to use whatever fresh herbs you have on hand. Any version is delicious!

10 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-3/4 pounds pork sausage (about 5 links)
4 small yellow onions, diced
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley
3-1/2 pounds russet potatoes, roughly peeled (i.e., leave some strips of peel on)
salt and pepper
2 cups chicken or beef broth

In an oven-safe Dutch oven, brown the bacon over medium to medium-low until cooked and crispy (about 18-20 minutes). Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside. In the same pan, sear the sausages for 3-4 minutes on both sides, then slice into thirds. Remove the pot from the heat and layer onions with a pinch of salt and 1/3 of the parsley, bacon, sausages, another third of the parsley, potatoes, another pinch of both salt and pepper, and the remaining parsley. Pour chicken broth over, cover, and return to heat. Bring to a boil, then bake (covered) in a 300-degree oven for 1-1/2 hours or until potatoes are fork tender. Serve with crusty bread.

Steak and Guinness Pie
Pies and pasties (a free-form pie, not baked in a dish) are both popular in Irish cuisine. You can make homemade pastry if you like, but frozen puff pastry is a lot easier and (almost) as delicious. The beef is the star of this dish, anyway.

1-1/2 pounds stew beef, diced
salt and pepper to taste
2 heaping tablespoons flour
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped
2-3 potatoes, peeled and chopped
about a handful of fresh rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, or a combination
2 cups Guinness stout, other stout beer, or beef stock
28 oz. canned diced tomatoes
1 sheet puff pastry, defrosted
1 egg, beaten

Season the beef generously with salt and pepper and toss in flour to coat (easiest to do in a big ziploc bag). In a large, deep pan, heat the oil over medium-high and brown the meat. Do in two batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Add the onion and cook for 1 minute, then add the carrots, potatoes, and herbs. Cook for 4 minutes or so, then add the Guinness (or stock) and tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Stir and reduce heat to low, then simmer for 2 hours until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thickened. Season to taste. Pour the meat and sauce into a large baking dish (or individual ramekins). Roll out the puff pastry until about 1/4" thick. Cut out a circle about 1/2" larger than the diameter of the bowl. Brush the rim of the bowl with beaten egg and lay the pastry circle on top, pressing down the edge to seal. Lightly score the top of the pastry in a criss-cross pattern and brush with remaining egg. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes.

Whiskey-Roasted Salmon
I don't generally think of fish when I think of Irish cooking, but I'm not sure why, because a good deal of Ireland is coastline! But it's the delicious honey and whiskey marinade that makes this particular recipe a real Irish dish. Grill the salmon if you can, but if grilling isn't an option, baking it in the oven works just fine.

2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 salmon fillets

Mix together all ingredients except fillets. Place the fillets in a shallow rimmed dish and pour the marinade over them. Marinate for 1 hour at room temperature or 4 hours in the fridge. Remove from marinade and grill on a greased grill or place on a greased rack over a roasting pan and bake at 450 degrees for 10-15 minutes, basting once with remaining marinade halfway through cooking.

Bailey's Chocolate Chip Cheesecake
Okay, this is probably not a "traditional Irish recipe" by any stretch of the imagination, but it involves Bailey's Irish Cream, which makes it Irish, and it looks AMAZING, which makes it included here.

For the crust:
1/2 cup toasted pecans, cooled and crushed
2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted

For the filling:
2-1/4 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1-2/3 cups sugar
5 eggs
1 cup Bailey's Irish Cream Liqueur
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the topping:
1 cup chilled whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon instant coffee powder
chocolate curls, for decoration

Combine all crust ingredients and press into a 10" springform pan, covering the bottom and 1" up the sides. Bake at 325 degrees for 7-10 minutes.

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in sugar, then eggs, one at a time. Beat in Bailey's and vanilla. Sprinkle half of the chocolate chips into baked crust, then spoon in the filling and top with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake at 325 degrees for about 1 hour and 20 minutes, until puffed, springy in center, and golden brown. Place a pan of water on bottom rack of oven while baking to keep moist.

Beat together topping ingredients except chocolate curls, and spread over cooled cake. Decorate with chocolate curls. Refrigerate for one day before serving.

Irish Recipes That I'd Actually Make

It's St. Patrick's Day, which means - since I live near Boston - that I'm supposed to be making corned beef and cabbage and Irish soda bread for supper. But here's my problem: I can't stand corned beef OR cabbage OR Irish soda bread. So what Irish foods can I make that I and my family (which includes two relatively picky children) will actually enjoy? Here's a list of some recipes that are delicious Irish alternatives to traditional St. Patty's Day fare.

Beef Stew with Guinness
I'm not fond of beer, but beer-infused Irish stew takes on the malty richness of the beer without the bitterness that I find so unpleasant. I first had beef stew made with beer in an authentic Irish pub, and I've been a big fan ever since.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced (or 3 tsps minced garlic)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
2 pounds beef stew meat, cubed
3 cups stout beer (such as Guinness)
2 potatoes, peeled and sliced

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beef, beer, sliced potatoes, and quartered potatoes. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the beef is tender, about 2 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper before serving.

Shepherd's Pie
The dish I usually make by the name of shepherd's pie is really cottage pie, as it uses ground beef rather than lamb, and corn instead of peas and carrots. But this traditional recipe, flavored with onions, rosemary, and a pinch of cayenne, is a completely different - and even more delicious - creation. 

1 tablespoon olive oil
2s tablespoon butter, divided
1 onion, diced
2 pounds lean ground lamb
1/3 cup flour
salt and pepper to taste
2-1/2 cups water, as needed
1 (12 oz.) package frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2-1/2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and halved
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 pound Irish cheese (such as Dubliner), shredded
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk

Place olive oil and butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in onion and ground lamb; brown the meat, breaking it up into small crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes. Stir in flour until incorporated, then mix in salt, black pepper, rosemary, paprika, cinnamon, ketchup, and garlic; cook and stir until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in water and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Reduce heat to medium-low and bring mixture to a simmer; cook and stir until thick, about 5-6 minutes. Remove lamb mixture from heat and stir in peas and carrots until combined. Spread lamb mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.

Place potatoes into a large pan of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and return potatoes to pan. Mash butter, cayenne pepper, cream cheese, and Irish cheese into the potatoes. Mash until combined and potatoes are smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Whisk together egg yolk and milk in a small bowl; stir into the mashed potato mixture. Top the lamb mixture in the baking dish with the mashed potatoes and spread evenly to cover.

Bake at 375 degrees until the top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling up around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.

Bangers and Mash
I always assumed that "bangers and mash" was simply sausages served with a side of mashed potatoes. Not so! Irish "bangers and mash" have a wonderful rich wine and vinegar onion gravy that is served over both the meat and the potatoes. 

2 pounds pork sausage
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 lbs. Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup milk
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 red onions, sliced thinly
1-1/2 teaspoons flour
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 cup full-bodied red wine (Shiraz or Malbec works well)
1 cup beef stock

1. Place sausages in a roasting pan, drizzle with vegetable oil and toss to coat. Spread in single layer and bake at 400 for 30 minutes, turning halfway through cooking.
2. While sausages are cooking, place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water, add about 1/2 teaspoon salt, and bring to boil. Simmer about 15 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Drain, cover with a kitchen towel and let stand until dry, about 5 minutes.
3. In same pan over medium-high heat, combine milk and butter and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Place potatoes in a bowl and mash. Add hot milk mixture and beat until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. To make gravy, in a wide shallow saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until lightly colored, 2-3 minutes. Stir in vinegar and cook until evaporated. Stir in red wine and stock, increase heat to medium-high and bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until a rich sauce forms, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Divide sausages and mash among individual plates. Spoon gravy on top and serve immediately with extra gravy on the side. 

Boxty

This Irish version of potato pancakes gets its name from the Gaelic words "bac", which means "hob" (a metal shelf in a fireplace used for cooking), and "stai", which refers to an open fire, which is where this dish would have originally been cooked. 

1 lb. potatoes, peeled

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons flour

2-4 tablespoons butter

1. Line a large bowl with a piece of muslin or cheesecloth, or a clean linen towel. Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the potatoes into the bowl. Squeeze the cloth to extract as much of the liquid as possible. Discard the liquid, return the potatoes to the bowl, and stir in the onion, eggs, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Add the flour and mix well.
2. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Drop the potato mixture into the skillet by tablespoons, leaving space between cakes. Flatten each cake with a spatula and cook for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until lightly browned and crisp. Add more butter to pan if necessary for subsequent batches. 
3. Keep the cakes warm in a low oven until ready to serve. 

Steak Pasties

Pasties (pronounced "pah-steez", not "pay-steez" - that's a different word entirely) are a delicious use for leftover cooked beef, whether it's Sunday's roast beef or Saturday's filet mignon. If you don't have any leftover beef, throw a roast in the crockpot with some onion soup mix and water until it falls apart, then make these. You can also use beef gravy from a jar or a mix instead of making your own.

1 lb. roast beef, cooked and cubed (or shredded)

3-4 potatoes, cooked and cubed (you can also use frozen cubed hash browns; no need to thaw)

salt and pepper to taste
2 prepared pie crusts (buy pre-made refrigerated or make your own dough)
roast beef drippings (if you have them)
1-2 cups water
2 teaspoons beef bouillon
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water

Mix the beef, potatoes, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Unroll the pie crusts and cut in half. Put a good amount of filling in each crust, fold over, and seal. Place each pasty on a greased cookie sheet. Make a couple of small slits in the top of each crust. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. 

While pasties are baking, prepare gravy by whisking together remaining ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for a minute or two until slightly thickened. 

When the pasties come out of the oven, brush them with melted butter and serve with the gravy. 

Irish Whiskey Cake
No food blog of mine is complete without dessert, so here's an NC-21 recipe to bring out after the kiddies are tucked into bed with visions of shamrocks dancing in their heads. Don't forget to save a drop or two of whiskey for the hard-working chef!

For the cake:
1 (18 oz) box yellow cake mix
1 (3-1/2 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 cup milk
1-1/2 oz whiskey
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped

For the icing:
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup whiskey

1. Combine all cake ingredients and mix by hand for 3 minutes. Pour into well-greased bundt pan and bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees, until toothpick comes out clean. Do not remove from pan!
2. Combine all icing ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until sugar dissolves completely and mixture begins to brown. Remove from heat. 
3. While cake is in pan, poke holes into cake with a toothpick and pour 3/4 of the icing onto cake. Let set 15 minutes. Invert cake onto serving plate. Brush remaining icing onto top and sides of cake.