Wednesday, March 15, 2017

There's More to Eat In Ireland Than Corned Beef and Cabbage

An Irish Country Cookbook by Patrick Taylor, MD   368 pages   $28.99

Ireland, as based on this book if nothing else, is Big on Bread.  Soda bread, potato bread... probably because most of these breads are 1.  easy to make   2.  made from leftover potatoes; potatoes being a staple there as rice is to Asia. 

In the event you are having guests and want to amaze them with your knowledge ...

IRISH POTATO BREAD  aka  Potato Farls which are a round loaf cut into quarters, each quarter being 1/4th of the loaf.

1 lb. mashed potatoes
4 oz. all-purpose flour
1 oz. softened butter
pinch of sea salt

Bung it all together, knead it into a flat round, cut that into fours (farls) and fry them in a lightly-greased skillet until golden brown on both sides.

"Champ" is the name of a dish that is simply mashed potatoes, with cooked green onions stirred into them with lots of butter and, variation, dotted with cheese and run under the broiler.

COLCANNON or White-headed Cabbage  
It's eaten in Scotland, too, but there it's called "rumbledethumps"
1 3/4 lb. quartered potatoes
4 oz. curly kale or spring cabbage
1 bunch green onions
4 oz. butter
2 slices cooked and chopped bacon
salt and pepper to taste.

Boil the potatoes and leave them in the emptied pot to dry out, then mash them
blanch the kale for a minute, then drain and dry and chop.
Roughly chop the green onions
Mash everything together including the bacon, reheat, make a well in the middle and put the butter in.

If you're a guest, try for an overnighter so you that you can have an Ulster Fry for breakfast.


 

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