Traditional Irish Recipes

Ireland's diverse culinary landscape mimics the inherent beauty of the Emerald Isle with its lush green fields and rugged coastline. With a style and tradition leaning towards hearty comfort foods, Irish cuisine is rich, flavorful and inventive. Below are five easy-to-prepare recipes reflecting traditional Irish tastes and culture.

First up is Beef in Guinness. This dish is a bold and creative interpretation of Coq Au Vin which substitutes Guinness Stout in place of the red wine found in its French counterpart. Next, is Dublin Coddle-- a popular, Dublin-area dish made with sausage, bacon and tender potatoes.

Our Rose of Tralee Potato Soup starts with rich stock and ends with a creamy, heart-warming soup. Also offered is a recipe for traditional Buttermilk Scones. Served warm and buttered, they are the perfect complement to any breakfast. And for dessert, there's Irish Blackberry Crumble-- a light and healthy dessert that's both quick and easy to prepare.

Recipe: Beef with Guinness

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds bottom of the round beef
2 large onions
6 medium carrots
1 pound small button mushrooms, halved
2 TBS all purpose flour
1 TBS Butter, 1 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup dry cider
1/2 cup water
1 cup Guinness Stout beer
Fresh, flat-leaf parsley
1 cup quality beef broth or water
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Cut the beef into large chunks. Peel and slice the onions and carrots. Season the beef then toss in the flour.

Quickly brown the beef on all sides in the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Lower heat to medium-low. Remove browned beef with slotted spoon and saute the onions in the remaining liquid until translucent.

Return the beef to the pan, also adding the carrots, mushrooms, cider, water and beer. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.

Cover and cook for 1 hour. Add the beef broth, stir and cover tightly. Continue cooking at a gentle simmer for 1 more hour.

Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with boiled potatoes.

Recipe: Dublin Coddle

Ingredients:
1 pound quality sausage
1/2 pound bacon
1 cup rich chicken stock
6 large potatoes
2 medium-size onions
Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:
Cut the bacon strips into squares. Bring the stock to a boil in a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid.

Begin frying bacon over moderate heat. After 2-3 minutes, add the sausage and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove the sausages and bacon and set aside, reserving the liquid. Cut sausage into bite-size pieces.

Peel the potatoes and cut into thick slices. Skin the onions and slice thin. Arrange a layer of potatoes in the saucepan, followed by a layer of onions. Top with half the sausage and bacon. Repeat, making a second layer, then finish with a top layer of potatoes. Pour the reserved stock over the surface and season to taste.

Cover and simmer for about an hour.

Recipe: Rose of Tralee Potato Soup

Ingredients:
6 large potatoes
2 large onions
4 cups rich chicken stock
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 TBS Heavy Cream
2 TBS Irish butter
2 TBS flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Peel the potatoes and dice. Rough chop half the onions and finely chop the other half. Melt 1 TBS butter and gently cook the onions and potatoes in a covered saucepan until just soft and beginning to turn translucent.

Add the liquid, adjust the seasoning to taste.

Run 1 cup potato solids through a food mill or puree together with 1/2 cup broth using a stick blender. Add the puree back into the soup, stir in the heavy cream and heat through.

Serve in individual bowls. Top each with a small pat of the remaining butter and garnish with chopped parsley.

Recipe: Buttermilk Scones

Directions:
8 ounces self-raising flour
Pinch sea salt
2 TBS pure Irish butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
5 ounces cultured buttermilk
Egg wash or heavy cream to glaze tops

Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Sift flour together with salt and rub in the butter using your finger tips. Make a well in the center of the flour then add the egg and 3/4 of the buttermilk. Combine quickly to form a soft dough, adding more buttermilk as needed.

Turn out dough onto a floured marble surface then roll out lightly until about finger-thickness. Using quick, sharp strokes, cut each scone using a biscuit cutter, creating 2 inch rounds. Brush the tops of each scone with egg wash or heavy cream then space well onto a lightly floured, parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake for 18-20 minutes until just beginning to brown.

Recipe: Blackberry Crumble

Ingredients:
2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup pure Irish butter
2lbs fresh blackberries
1 cup confectioners sugar

Directions:
Using your fingertips, rub butter lightly into the flour in a large bowl. Work quickly and stop when the texture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Slowly add in the brown sugar. Toss the berries in one tablespoon confectioner's sugar then transfer to Pyrex baking dish.

Cover blackberries with most of the remaining confectioners sugar. Repeat, covering berries with the crumble mixture. Press down lightly on the surface of the berries, then top off with remaining fine sugar. Bake dessert for 45 minutes in the center rack of an oven pre-heated oven to 350°F. Serve hot.