Today is St Patrick's Day, March 17th
Ireland.com is a wonderful resource for all things Irish. Check out this link to St Patrick's Day recipes. Which I have incorporated into this post.
Irish or not, the world goes green on St. Patrick’s Day. But with such a range of delicious traditional foods to choose from, you don’t have to think emerald-colored when it comes to your St. Patrick’s Day party menu.
Here is a delicious-looking salmon dip.
Cliff Academy: Lesley Keogh's Smoked salmon pâté
The west coast of Ireland is famous for its quality traditional smoked salmon. Beautiful served on its own, you can also give it a twist with this simple pâté recipe.
Ingredients
- 8oz/225g smoked salmon
- 8oz/225g cream cheese
- 1 tsp horseradish sauce
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- A few sprigs of dill
Method
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend. It’s as simple as that!
- Serve with a crisp green salad or some watercress for a shamrock-style effect. Don’t use shamrock – as pretty as it looks, it’s not actually edible. Watercress makes a good edible substitute.
Not into fish? How about Beef & Guinness Stew then?
Wineport Lodge: Beef and Guinness Stew
This is a classic Irish dish that is perfect for feeding a group of people. With the distinctive flavor of Guinness, it makes a good alternative to Irish stew.
Ingredients
- 2.25 lb (1kg) of stewing beef (shin, flank or rib, trimmed and cut into 1" (2.5 cm) cubes
- 1oz (25g) flour
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced
- 2 carrots, sliced thickly
- 1 large or 2 small parsnips, peeled and cubed
- 1 pint (600ml) Guinness, or beef stock
- Quarter bottle (225ml) prune juice or to taste (optional)
- Bouquet garni or mixed herbs
- Half celeriac or 3-4 stalks celery, trimmed and cubed
- Half an orange, left whole (optional)
Method
Season the beef and toss in the flour to coat. Heat a little oil and butter in a heavy pan and brown the meat in batches, then transfer to a casserole dish. Add the onions and other vegetables, and sweat gently for a few minutes in the same pan.
Transfer to the casserole dish. Add any remaining flour to the pan, stir to absorb whatever fat is left, then cook for a minute before stirring in the Guinness (or stock and prune juice if using). Add the liquids to the casserole (enough to cover the main ingredients) as well as the bouquet garni or mixed herbs and the orange. Season, stir to mix well, cover and cook in the oven for about 2 hours, or until the beef is tender.
Remove the orange and bouquet garni, check seasoning, and add two prunes soaked in Guinness (optional). Serve with mashed potatoes and garnish with chopped parsley.
May your pockets be heavy and your heart be light,
May good luck pursue you each morning and night.
- Irish blessing
So it goes... Enjoy!
