Compiled By Valentina Ceriello
Many Irish folk celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, a day to honor Irish culture and celebrate St. Patrick, a well-known Irish saint. Let’s take some time to look at a few famous dishes people eat on St. Patrick’s Day alongside recipes for each of them.
Corned Beef
First, corned beef is a staple amongst many households for St. Patrick’s Day. The tasty beef is usually made with cabbage, potatoes, and other Irish delicacies. Corned beef is a worldwide favorite meal for St. Patrick’s Day.
Ingredients
1 corned beef brisket (about 4 lbs)
1 corned beef spice packet
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 bay leaves
1 medium brown onion sliced
4 garlic cloves peeled
4 lbs small red or yellow potatoes
8 large carrots peeled
1 medium head of cabbage cut into wedges
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 /2 cup grainy mustard for serving
Horseradish Sauce:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup reserved corned beef cooking liquid
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 /2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 /4 teaspoon black pepper
Place the corned beef in a large dutch oven, along with the contents of the spice packet included in the corned beef, brown sugar, bay leaves, onion, and garlic. Fill with enough cold water to cover the beef. Bring to a boil over high heat, lower the flame, cover and simmer for 2 hours or until the beef is tender.
Use a slotted spoon to remove and discard the onions and garlic (they’ve done their job and have given all their flavor already).
Peel the potatoes, I use red potatoes and peel only the center because I like the look of it, but feel free to peel all of it or don’t peel at all. Cut the carrots into large chunks. Place the potatoes and carrots into the pot with the brisket. Return to a boil over high heat and then reduce heat and simmer until fork tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. It depends on how big your potatoes are.
Transfer the potatoes and carrots to a platter and keep warm. Add in the sliced cabbage, I like to keep the core in the cabbage so that the sliced wedges stay intact, making it easier to move later. Bring back up to a boil over high heat. Lower the flame and simmer for 15 minutes until the cabbage is tender as well.
Transfer the cabbage to the platter along with the potatoes and carrots and move the brisket to a cutting board. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain. Arrange the sliced beef along with the vegetables on the platter. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with grainy mustard and horseradish sauce (recipe follows).
To make the sauce, set a medium saucepan over moderate heat with the butter. Once melted, whisk in the flour and cook for about 30 seconds or so. Slowly whisk in 1 cup of the liquid that the beef cooked inches Cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Stir in the sugar, vinegar, horseradish, salt and pepper. Enjoy!
Irish Stew
Irish stew is a kind of thick, brothy soup made with meat, vegetables, water/broth/Guinness stout, and a variety of herbs and seasonings.
Ingredients
1 1/4 pounds well-marbled chuck beef stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
3 teaspoons salt, or to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups beef stock
2 cups water
1 cup Guinness extra stout
1 cup hearty red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons butter
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
1 large onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
3 to 4 carrots or parsnips, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (2 cups)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Brown the beef: Sprinkle about a teaspoon of salt over the beef pieces. Heat the olive oil in a large (6 to 8 quart), thick-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Pat dry the beef with paper towels and working in batches, add the beef (do not crowd the pan, or the meat will steam and not brown) and cook, without stirring, until well browned on one side, then use tongs to turn the pieces over and brown on another side.
Add garlic to the pot with the beef and sauté 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the beef stock, water, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to the lowest setting, then cover and cook at a bare simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
While the pot of meat and stock is simmering, melt the butter in another pot over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots. Sauté the onions and carrots until the onions are golden, about 15 minutes. Set aside until the beef stew in step 2 has simmered for one hour.
Add the onions, carrots, and the potatoes to the beef stew. Add black pepper and two teaspoons of salt. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off any excess fat. Transfer stew to serving bowls. Add more salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Irish Shepherd's Pie
According to Google, “Shepherd's pie is a savory baked casserole with a minced meat and vegetable base in gravy, topped with a layer of mashed potatoes, and baked until golden and bubbly.” Meaty, with a rich flavor and vegetables, this is another famous Irish meal you can make for St. Patrick’s Day!
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 pounds lean ground lamb
1 onion, diced
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
salt and ground black pepper to taste
2 ½ cups water, or as needed
1 (12 ounce) package frozen peas and carrots, thawed
2 ½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and halved
¼ pound Irish cheese (such as Dubliner), shredded
¼ cup cream cheese
1 tablespoon butter
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons milk
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Place olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Stir in ground lamb and onion; cook and stir until meat is brown and crumbly, about 10 minutes.
3. Stir in flour until incorporated. Mix in garlic, ketchup, rosemary, paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper; cook and stir until garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Stir in water, scraping 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, 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Remove lamb mixture from heat, then stir in peas and carrots until combined.
6. Spread lamb mixture into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish; set aside.
7. Place potatoes into a large pot of salted water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well and return potatoes to the pot.
8. Mash Irish cheese, cream cheese, butter, and cayenne pepper into potatoes until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper.
9. Whisk together egg yolk and milk in a small bowl; stir into mashed potato mixture.
10. Top lamb mixture in the baking dish with mashed potatoes; spread evenly to cover.
11. Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and sauce is bubbling up around the edges, 25 to 30 minutes.
Irish Soda Bread
Moving on from the famous dinners you can make for St. Patrick’s Day, Irish soda bread is a classic dish one can make as a side-dish or appetizer. It is well-liked because of its variable texture, from a cake-like consistency to a rough texture, depending on the recipe.
Ingredients
1 ¾ cups buttermilk
1 large egg
4 ¼ cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
Whisk buttermilk and 1 egg together. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in another bowl.
Cut cold butter into the flour mixture. Like scones and pie crust, cutting cold butter into the flour is a key step. Coating the flour in cold butter guarantees a lovely flaky texture. You can use a fork, your hands, or a pastry cutter. Add the wet ingredients.
Bring the dough together with your hands. Using a very sharp knife, score the dough. This allows the center to bake.
Bake until golden brown.
Colcannon
Colcannon, according to Serious Eats, is “potatoes and greens into a hearty mash.” While it is commonly served in America on St. Patrick’s Day, in Ireland it is associated with and served on Halloween.
Ingredients
4 russet potatoes (2 to 2 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
Salt, to taste
5 to 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for serving
3 lightly packed cups chopped kale, cabbage, chard, or other leafy green
3 green onions, minced (about 1/2 cup)
1 cup milk or cream
Boil the potatoes: 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.
Cook the greens and the green onions with butter: 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 to 4 minutes, or until they are wilted and have given off some of their water. Add the green onions and cook 1 minute more.
Mash the potatoes with milk or cream and greens: 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 center.
Irish Coffee
Last but not least, here is a drink that you (as long as you’re of age) will surely enjoy this St. Patrick’s Day! Irish coffee is like any regular coffee on the outside; however, it is spiked with Irish whiskey.
Ingredients
1 cup cold heavy cream
3 Tbsp. Bailey's Irish Cream
1/2 cup Irish whiskey
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 cups strong hot coffee
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the heavy cream and Bailey's. Whip together until stiff and fluffy. Set aside.
To each of the four large coffee mugs, add 2 tablespoons whiskey, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 cup coffee. Top with a very generous layer of the Bailey's whipped cream. (Almost a third of the cup should be taken up by the whipped cream.)
Drink the coffee through the cream! Delicious.
These are staple dishes that everyone can enjoy this St. Patrick’s Day! Have a happy St. Patrick’s Day, everybody!
LINKS TO THE RECIPES
Corned Beef - Classic Corned Beef and Cabbage - Jonathan Melendez
Irish Stew - Irish Beef Stew
Irish Shepherd's Pie - Irish Shepherd's Pie Recipe
Irish Soda Bread - Grandma's Irish Soda Bread - Sally's Baking
Colcannon - Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes) Recipe
Irish Coffee - Best Irish Coffee Recipe