Are you planning to serve somehing special for St. Patrick's Day? If you're headed to the grocery store, consider one of these traditional Irish dishes. They both take two days (or at least a night and a day) to prepare, so you'll need to get started soon. Corned beef is the traditional meal for St. Patrick's Day, but you may need to be a hard-core Irishman to appreciate it. CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE Corned beef is brisket, topside or silverside, which has been pickled in brine. It is especially popular around Dublin. It is best to soak a joint overnight to remove excess salt.
Quarter the cabbage and put aside. Peel and slice the other vegetables. Cover the meat with the water and bring to the boil. Skim the surface, add the vegetables (except the cabbage), the bay leaf and the pepper and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook for a further 30 minutes. Serve the meat surrounded by the vegetables with additional mashed potatoes. Instead, you might have better luck with this one. It is an old Scotch-Irish recipe much favored by soldiers for obvious reasons. AULD REEKIE COCK-A-LEEKIE
Mix the whiskey with the water, tarragon and sugar. Place the chicken, bacon and beef into a large bowl and pour the whiskey marinade over. Leave to marinate overnight. Next day, transfer mixture to a large soup pot. Add the leeks (reserving one) and the onion, and season to taste. Bring slowly to a boil, cover, and then simmer for 2 hours, or until the bird is tender. Skim off excess fat from the liquid. Remove the chicken from the pot, skin, remove bones and cut meat into pieces before returning to the pot (cut up the shin of beef, if necessary). Add the prunes andremaining sliced leek and simmer gently for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy! |
