St Patrick's Day

[DriftingCrow]

Hey guys and girls:

What's your favorite St Paddy's Day meal? I always enjoy my green soda bread, and I do love corned beef and cabbage even though it's not really eaten in Ireland. (And of course, I enjoy my Guinness  )

Here's my favorite Irish soup recipe though, feel free to share your recipes and meal ideas!

Carrot Soup (from Clare Connery's In An Irish Country Kitchen, published in 1992, I rewrote it a little so it's easier to read) or "Anraith Meacan Dearg"

serves 6-7; makes 3 pints

2 tbls butter or oil
1 large onion, finely sliced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 pound carrots peeled and sliced
3 3/4 cups veggie or chicken stock
sprig of thyme, bay leaf, parsley stalks <---I usually just use the dried spices in my spice rack
pinch of ground mace
salt and pepper
2/3 cup light cream or milk
croutons or fried bread
1 tbls parsley, finely chopped

It's a really easy recipe and it looks super pretty when it's done! (nice and smooth orange)

1) Heat the butter or oil in a large saucepan, add the onion, garlic and carrots. Cook gently over a low heat until the onions are soft but not colored (about 10 minutes).

2) Stir in the vegetable or chicken stock. Add the herbs for the bouquet garni, held together with a string, along with the mace and seasoning.

3) Bring to a boil, cover and cook gently for 45-60 minutes until the carrots are very tender.

4) Sieve or puree the soup until smooth, then return to a clean pot and bring to a boil. <--this is the most PITA part for me because my blender isn't big enought for the entire pot so I have to blend it in batches

5) Adjust the seasoning and stir in the cream. Reheat, this time without boiling to prevent the cream from curdling.

6) Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley and croutons

Henry

Edit: changed "coup" to "soup"

[Devlyn]

That sounds really good! I love corned beef, and there's no reason to wait for Saint Patricks Day! Hugs, Devlyn

[DriftingCrow]

That sounds really good! I love corned beef, and there's no reason to wait for Saint Patricks Day! Hugs, Devlyn

Yes I eat whatever I want whenever I want too, though I hardly ever see corned beef outside of March. I often make this soup for Christmas or Thanksgiving, though lately I've been doing middle eastern or Indian themed Christmas meals.

Though I should post the recipe here for the Irish Whiskey Cake, it's extremely delicious but for some reason I can't get the sponge cake to rise enough, I always have to just double that part of the cake in order to get it high enough. I am not sure if I am not whisking the egg whites enough (though I haven't had this problem with other sponge cakes) or if it's the recipe.

I'll post that one tomorrow.

[ford]

I'll post that one tomorrow.

You should post it now 

Also I'm stealing your carrot soup recipe. That looks delicious.

[Ms. OBrien CVT]

Corned beef and cabbage.  Usually I slow cook the beef with Guinness.  But this year it will just be the beef and the cabbage.

[DriftingCrow]

You should post it now 

I was about to go to bed, and if I dared to type another recipe I would've completely mistyped it. 

Here we go:

Irish Chocolate Whiskey Cake (from the same book as cited above) or "Ciste Uisce Beatha agus Seaclaide"

Serves 8-12

3 small eggs
2/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup self rising flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tbls warm water
For the filling
3 tbls apricot jam
2 tbls whiskey
1 1/4 cups heavy cream, lightly whipped
For the Chocolate Covering
1/2 pound dark chocolate
1 tbls whiskey
1 tbls butter
1 small egg
1 tbls heavy cream
For the Decoration
2/3 to 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Chocolate leaves, flakes, or grated chocolate
8 inch cake pan, at least 2 inches deep

Oven temp. 375 degrees F
Oven time 25-30 minutes

1) Line the base of the pan with waxed paper and then lightly oil the paper and the sides of the pan

2) Beat the eggs and the sugar until very thick and pale. The mixture has been whisked enough when it holds the shape of a figure "8" on the surface for a few seconds.

3) Sift the flour and the cocoa powder onto a plate to make sure they are well mixed. Then sift again on top of the cake mixture, one third at a time. Fold gently into the egg mixture, using a large metal spoon; make sure the mixture is not overworked. With the last third of the flour, add the water. Then spoon the sponge mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the preheated over 25-30 minutes until the cake shows slight shrinkage at the sides. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a few minutes before removing it from the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack.

4) When the cake is cold, cut into three layers (hahaha good luck with that!. Place one layer of the cake on a sesrving plate, spread with some jam, sprinkle with 1 tbls whiskey and cover with half of the cream. Pace the middle layer on top and cover it with the remaining jam, whiskey, and cream. Cover with the last layer of sponge.

5) Prepare the chocolate covering by breaking the chocolate into a mixing bowl over a saucepan of hot water. Add the whiskey and butter, and stir until melted. Beat the egg separately, and add with the cream to the melted chocolate, stirring well to combine. The heat of the mixture will slightly cook the egg. Use the chocolate cream to cover the sides and top of the cake. Leave until set before decorating.

6) Whip the double cream for the decoration until it holds its own shape. Use to fill a piping bag with a star nozzle, and pipe rosettes of cream around the edge of the cake. Spike each with chocolate leaves or flakes.


My changes:  1) There's no friggin' way anyone can cut that cake into three layers. So, I just double the cake recipe, and use two 8 in pans, and then just cut each into 2 layers once cool, to have a total of 4 layers of cake. It's sooo much easier. 2) This cake is awesome with anise extract, the liqourice flavor goes so well with the chocolate. I like to add in a few teaspoons (I just pour some in without measuring) to the sponge cake. It's amazing. You can also add some in to the cream you whip with a bit of sugar. 3) If you can't have alcohol for whatever reason, you can use just the anise extract or switch over to rum extract which is also pretty good with this cake.

[DriftingCrow]

Though I should post the recipe here for the Irish Whiskey Cake, it's extremely delicious but for some reason I can't get the sponge cake to rise enough, I always have to just double that part of the cake in order to get it high enough. I am not sure if I am not whisking the egg whites enough (though I haven't had this problem with other sponge cakes) or if it's the recipe.

After posting this recipe, I realized that I forgot this cake using self-rising flour and doesn't do the typical "beat the egg whites until stiff, add in your other crap, being careful not to break the egg whites". It must be the self-rising flour or just adding in 3 eggs without separately beating the egg whites until stiff that is causing the cake not to rise as much as I would expect based on experiences with other sponge cakes. Still... I think I'll keep making it this way and just doubling it. I always hate doing the egg white thing because I am always so scared of destroying the little air pockets in the egg whites that I usually end up not mixing my flour, cocoa, etc. in all the way.

[Devlyn]

I saw Alton Brown slice cakes very thin using a bow saw blade and wooden strips as height adjusters.

@ Janet, why no Guinness?

[Shantel]

Corned beef and cabbage.  Usually I slow cook the beef with Guinness.  But this year it will just be the beef and the cabbage.

Yes, perfect, I couldn't have said it better! Mrs. OBrien, set a place for me will you hon?

[ford]

Irish Chocolate Whiskey Cake (from the same book as cited above) or "Ciste Uisce Beatha agus Seaclaide"

Thanks! I'll give it a whirl.

[DriftingCrow]

I saw Alton Brown slice cakes very thin using a bow saw blade and wooden strips as height adjusters.

I've never seen a bow saw blade before, I think I used just my sharpest biggest knife, or a bread knife.

I really want to try the recipe for the "Dublin Lawyer" in that cookbook but I don't think I could bear to kill a lobster, though the recipe looks really good.  I hit a opossum today, and it made me really sad, I love opossums.

[Devlyn]

Killing lobsters is easy, you put 'em in the pot and forget about 'em while you melt some butter!

[Shantel]

Killing lobsters is easy, you put 'em in the pot and forget about 'em while you melt some butter!

I dunno, it's their screaming that would get to me!

[DriftingCrow]

I dunno, it's their screaming that would get to me!

Haha yeah that's what my problem would be too, though I hear Chef Ramsey sticks them in the freezer for a bit first to make them all drowsy and numb and then throws them in the pot! I guess I'll have to wear some headphones with really loud music if I ever want to make lobster.

[Jamie D]

As part of my heritage is Scots-Irish, I learned early on about the "Irish seven-course meal" for St. Patrick's Day ...

A boiled potato and a six-pack of Guinness!

[Shantel]

As part of my heritage is Scots-Irish, I learned early on about the "Irish seven-course meal" for St. Patrick's Day ...

A boiled potato and a six-pack of Guinness!

Good one! I find that a bottle of Guinness along with some Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder in the crock pot makes the best tasting beef roast and a great base for a really good gravy.

[Joelene9]

  I'm 1/2 Scots-Irish, 1/4 other Celt, 1/4 German.  I've been exposed to all of those ethnic dishes in my life.  The corned beef and cabbage is a staple here.  I usually have 2 corned beef sessions during St Patty's week due to the discounts the stores have on these food items at this time of the year.  I eat 2 or 3 dinners with the beef and cabbage with the rest going into corned beef on rye sandwiches, some with sauerkraut added.  There is a difference in the corned beef sandwiches you make from the corned beef you prepared than the prepackaged corned beef slices you get at the grocer or even the deli. 

  Joelene

[Jamie D]

  I'm 1/2 Scots-Irish, 1/4 other Celt, 1/4 German.  I've been exposed to all of those ethnic dishes in my life.  The corned beef and cabbage is a staple here.  I usually have 2 corned beef sessions during St Patty's week due to the discounts the stores have on these food items at this time of the year.  I eat 2 or 3 dinners with the beef and cabbage with the rest going into corned beef on rye sandwiches, some with sauerkraut added.  There is a difference in the corned beef sandwiches you make from the corned beef you prepared than the prepackaged corned beef slices you get at the grocer or even the deli. 

  Joelene

Discounts!  I got a nice vacuum-seal corned beef for $1.69 per pound.

You know what's great with the leftovers?  Corned beef hash!

(If my cardiologist finds out he's going to kill me)

[Shantel]

Discounts!  I got a nice vacuum-seal corned beef for $1.69 per pound.

You know what's great with the leftovers?  Corned beef hash!

(If my cardiologist finds out he's going to kill me)

No doubt he will if the corned beef doesn't beat him to it. I love corned beef and cabbage, but the salt content will do you in, I'm going to have to take a pass on it this year.

[Jamie D]

Yep, Shan.

To "corn" means to preserve with granulated salt or with brine.

Once a year won't kill me (knock on wood).