Staff report
You don’t have to have a drop of Irish blood to enjoy a bit of Irish cuisine when St. Patrick’s Day rolls around.
Of course there’s the traditional corned beef and cabbage, but you can get a little more creative than that.
If you’re not up for corned beef, how about a Ploughman’s Sandwich? This version, which comes from Enda Howley, who is a master cheese grader, takes its inspiration from the Irish ploughman’s lunch, a meat-and-cheese salad.If you’d rather go meatless, try colcannon, which features potatoes, cabbage and cheese. This recipe is from Deirdre Cronin, a dairy farmer from County Cork, Ireland.
For a happy ending, how about a bread and butter pudding?
The recipe for this one comes from Rachel Allen, Ireland’s hottest TV chef.
She recommends Kerrygold butter, which is widely available in the United States.
“Butter just tastes different in Ireland because cows graze on lush pastures, giving the milk and butter a distinctive flavor,” she said.
Enda Howley’s Ploughman’s Sandwich
6 (3/4-inch thick) slices rustic brown or whole grain bread
8 ounces thinly sliced ham
12 tomato slices
7 ounces cheese, preferably an Irish brand like Kerrygold Dubliner or Blarney Castle Cheese, sliced thinly
Mustard Dill dressing (recipe follows)
4 C. mixed baby greens
6 Tbsp. marinated, pitted olive wedges (black and green)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and top with ham, tomatoes and cheese, dividing equally. Bake for 5 minutes to warm ham and lightly melt cheese. Place dressing in a medium bowl; add greens and toss well to coat. Arrange sandwiches on 6 plates. Pile greens on top and sprinkle with olives, dividing ingredients equally. Makes 6 servings.
Mustard Dill Dressing
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tsp. spicy brown or Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, chopped
Salt
Sugar
Freshly ground pepper
Combine first five ingredients in a small food processor; puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt, sugar and freshly ground pepper. If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop dill and garlic and whisk ingredients together. Deirdre’s Colcannon
2 pounds red potatoes, cut into large chunks
3/4 C. milk
3/4 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. butter, plus additional melted butter if desired
1 C. chopped onion
6 C. finely shredded green cabbage (or one 10-ounce package)
1 C. (about 4 ounces) shredded cheddar or Swiss cheese (Kerrygold Dubliner or Blarney Castle are good choices)
Freshly ground pepper to taste.
Cook potatoes in boiling water about 20 minutes or until very tender; drain well and mash with skins on, adding milk and salt. White potatoes are cooking, melt butter in a large skillet. Add onion; cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until very soft. Add cabbage; cook and stir for 5 minutes more or until very soft. Stir cabbage mixture and cheese into hot potatoes and season with pepper. Mound onto serving plates and make a well in the center of each. Pour a little melted butter into each well, if desired. Makes 8 servings.
Rachel’s Date Bread and Butter Pudding with Boozy Toffee Sauce
4 Tbsp. butter (Kerrygold preferred), softened, plus extra for greasing
10 slices good quality white bread, crusts removed
7 ounces (about 1 C.) pitted dates, chopped
1 1/2 C. cream
2/3 C. milk
3 eggs
3 ounces (about 1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp.) superfine sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. light brown sugar for sprinkling
Boozy Toffee Sauce (recipe follows)
Softly whipped cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bread, leaving 4 slices whole and cutting the remaining 6 slices in half to make triangles. Grease the sides and base of an 8-inch square baking dish. Place the 4 whole slices of bread buttered side up on the base of the ovenproof dish, then sprinkle the chopped dates over the top. Arrange the triangles of bread buttered side up on the top to cover the dates.
Heat the cream and milk in a saucepan almost to the boil. While it heats up, whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a heatproof bowl, then pour the very hot milk and cream on top, whisking as you pour. Pour this custard over the bread and allow to soak for 20 minutes. Sprinkle brown sugar over bread. Place the baking dish in a large roasting pan and carefully pour in enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up t he sides of the baking dish. Bake in the oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until the top is golden and the center is set. Serve with Boozy Toffee Sauce and some softly whipped cream.
Boozy Toffee Sauce
8 Tbsp. butter (Kerrygold preferred)
8 ounces (about 1 1/4 C.) light brown sugar (or half brown and half superfine sugar)
1 C. cream
1/4 C. brandy
1/4 C. sweet sherry
Place the butter, sugar and cream in a saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring all the time. Boil for 4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove the pan from the heat, allow to cool for 1 minute, then add the brandy and sherry. Makes 1 3/4 cups.
Rachel’s tip: This recipe can be made a day ahead and then reheated in the oven at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until hot in the center.For more Kerrygold recipes, go to www.kerrygold.com.