Irish Delight

3/14/2017 (Permalink)

Irish Delight

Every year on March 17, the Irish and the Irish-at-heart across the globe observe St. Patrick’s Day. What began as a religious feast day for the patron Saint of Ireland has become an international festival celebrating Irish culture with parades, dancing, special foods and a whole lot of green!

For St. Patrick’s Day, celebrate with Irish inspired foods like this New England boiled Dinner and Caraway Soda bread recipe:

New England Boiled Dinner Recipe

• Cook time:4 hours, 30 minutes
• Serves 6 to 8

Corned beef can be pretty salty, so if you are making boiled dinner with corned beef you may want to put it in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to a boil, and then discard the water before starting the recipe. If the broth ends up being too salty, you can serve just the meat and vegetables, without the broth, or add water to the broth to dilute it.

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 pounds corned beef brisket or plain beef brisket
• 15 peppercorns
• 8 whole cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt, if using plain brisket
• 2 medium sized turnips, peeled and quartered
• 4 red new potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 3 large carrots, cut into thirds and the thickest pieces quartered lengthwise
• 1 small head cabbage, cut into fourths

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Method

1. Put corned beef in a pot, cover with water, add seasonings, simmer:Put the brisket in a 5 or 6 quart Dutch oven and cover with an inch of water.

If you are using corned beef brisket and it does not come already packed in seasoning, add peppercorns, cloves, and a bay leaf to the pot.

If using plain brisket, add a teaspoon of salt for every quart of water.

Bring to a simmer and then cover, lower the heat until it is barely simmering. Keep at a low simmer for four hours or until the meat is tender (a fork goes through easily).

2. Remove meat, add vegetables, simmer:Remove the meat and set aside, keeping the meat warm. Add the vegetables to the pot. Check the broth for taste. If it is too salty, add a little more water to taste.

Raise the temperature and bring the soup to a high simmer. Cook at a high simmer until done, about 15-30 minutes longer, depending on the size of the cut of your vegetables.

3. Slice meat across the grain:Slice the meat in thin slices across the grain. You may find it easier to slice if you first cut the roast in half along the same direction as the grain of the meat. Then slice smaller lengths across the grain.
   
    

Serve in bowls, a few pieces of meat in each, add some of the vegetables and some broth. Serve with horseradish or mustard or both.

Caraway Soda Bread Recipe

Prep time: 10 minutes

• Cook time:40 minutes
• Yield:Makes one loaf

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (1 pound)
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons caraway seeds
• 4 Tbsp butter (1/2 stick) room temp
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk*

*If necessary, you can substitute buttermilk with a half cup of plain yogurt mixed in with a cup of plain milk and a tablespoon of white vinegar.

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, baking soda, and caraway seeds.
2. Using your fingers (or a fork) work the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles a coarse meal.

3. 3. Make a well in the center of the flour. Pour the buttermilk into the center and using either your hands or a wooden spoon, fold the flour over the buttermilk and gently mix until just combined.

The dough should be neither too wet or too dry, so if it is a little too dry to work with, add a little more buttermilk. If too wet, add a little more flour. Roughly shape into a ball and place on a floured surface. Knead just a few times to shape it into a round loaf. Do not over-knead or the bread will be tough.

4. Place dough loaf onto a lightly greased baking sheet (or cast iron pan). Make 1 1/2-inch deep cuts, forming a cross, from side to side on the loaf. The scoring helps the heat get to the center of the loaf while cooking.

5. Place in oven, cook for 15 minutes at 450°F, then lower the heat to 400°F and cook for 25 more minutes. One way to test for doneness is to take it out of the oven, turn it over and knock on the bottom. If it sounds hollow, it's done. You can also use a skewer inserted into the center.

Let bread sit on the baking sheet for 5-10 minutes to cool. Then remove it to a rack to cool a little bit longer. I think the bread is best when it is still warm and just baked. Quick breads like this, which rely on baking soda for leavening, are generally best eaten soon after they're baked.

Photo Credit: Friendsdriftinn.com and amazingribs.com

Content Credit: Simplyrecipes.com