I started out this feature asking my dad what he remembered about
the meals in Ireland when he was there in the 1950's. He didn't
have a lot of time there since he was on leave from the Army but
he did remember this:
"What I recall having for breakfast at my Aunt Lily's was
fried eggs, (the yoke was hard), scones and tea. Uncle Fred
and Aunt Lily took me out to lunch and I ordered liver and
onions, the other choice was tripe, they were the specials
that day."
After talking with him I did more research and looked through
many recipes. The ones I chose are traditional farm recipes.
If you visit Ireland now you will find a wide variety of dishes
to rival those any where in the world-especially the fresh
seafood dishes. However, I thought the frugal recipes from
long ago when Irish homemakers used what was available to
them were so much more interesting.
You will find mostly ingredients such as pork, potatoes,
cabbage and herbs. Cows were used primarily for milk, and
pigs were raised for food. Pork can be smoked, salted and
brined-every part of the pig was used.Some farms raised
sheep, and so you'll also see mutton used in Irish cooking
as well. Dairy products are used a lot too, again because
it was available to families. Buttermilk was used in recipes
and for a beverage. Seafood was used when it was readily
available to those that fished or could buy it inexpensively. Smoked fish and good aged cheese served on a nice brown bread
was a nice treat to start meals.
When bacon is used as an ingredient in Irish recipes it
could be any cut of salted pork. American bacon, which is
thin and cooks crispy, is not really a good substitute.
Look for salted pork or a piece of slab bacon. They should
be fairly easy to find in the meat department near the bacon
and ham hocks. A side note-if you ever see "thin streaky
bacon" in an Irish recipe that refers to American bacon.
SOUPS
Ham and Pea Soup
Ingredients:
1 pound or 2 cups dried peas or split peas
Ham bone with some meat still on
1 large onion
6 cups ham stock or water
seasoning
Soak the peas as directed on the packet. Chop the onion
and soften in a little oil or fat over a low heat. Add the
peas and stock with the ham bone. Cook gently until the
peas are soft - about an hour. Remove the bone and cut
off any meat and dice. Set aside the ham pieces. Puree
the peas in a blender or pass through a sieve. Adjust the
seasoning. Add the diced ham and serve with a little cream
or a sprinkling of chopped parsley on top. NOTE: My
mom made a similiar soup and never pureed the peas
and it was the best split pea soup I've tasted:)
Potato and Leek Soup
2 medium leeks, cleaned and chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup mashed potatoes
1-1/2-2 pints chicken stock
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons cream
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
Sauté the leeks and onion on low heat in the butter until soft.
Mix the potatoes with the chicken stock; the less stock you
use the thicker the soup. Add the leeks and onion, season to
taste and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15 minutes. Pour into
individual bowls and garnish each with a tablespoon of cream
and chopped parsley before serving.
Mutton Broth (Brachan Caoireola)
Ingredients:
1/2 lb. neck of mutton
1 3/4 pints water
1 oz. barley
12 oz. chopped root vegetables-carrot, onions, leeks, potatoes
bouquet garni *see note
salt and pepper
Place meat in a large saucepan, with water and barley. Boil
and skim the top. Add the vegetables, bouquet garni, salt and
pepper. Return to boil, then simmer, covered for 2 hours. Remove
the bones. Pour into soup dishes and serve hot. Note: bouquet
garni is parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and rosemary. A leave of sprig
of each put into a piece of cheese cloth, tied and simmered with
the broth then removed. You could use a small amount of dried,
crushed herb and a bay leaf top-then remove the leaf before you
serve the soup.
VEGETABLE DISHES
This recipe is made on Samhain (Halloween) or the
beginning of the Celtic New Year.
Boxty
Ingredients:
1 lb. potatoes, grated
3-3/4 cups flour
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons warm water
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 cup mashed potatoes
salt and pepper to taste
Soak grated potatoes overnight in cool water to remove the
starch. Mix all ingredients together EXCEPT the flour-mix
that in a little at a time with a wooden spoon or your hands.
Add extra milk if it seems too stiff. Lightly grease a skillet
or griddle. Drop the mixture onto the skillet by rounded
teaspoon. Brown the bottom slightly, then flatten the tops
a little bit with a spatula. Depending on what you prefer
they can be thinner and crispy or thick. Cook until golden
brown. Served with butter. Notes: Herbs can be added.
Champ
This is much like Colcannon without cabbage.
Ingredients:
8 medium potatoes, peeled
small bunch of scallions or green onions
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper
butter
Boil the potatoes until soft, but not mushy. Drain and return
to the pan quickly-you want them to stay warm. You can
have the following ready a little before the potatoes are done:
add the scallions or green onion after you have chopped it to
the milk in a small pan and cook for 5 minutes. Beat this
into the potatoes until smooth and fluffy. Season to taste
and serve with a pat of butter in each serving.
Parsnips
Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds parsnips
4 tablespoons butter or bacon fat
3 tablespoons stock
Salt and pepper
Pinch nutmeg
Peel parsnips, quarter, and remove any core. Boil in
water for 15 minutes. Place in an ovenproof dish. Add
the stock and sprinkle with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Dot with butter and bake for 30 minutes on a low shelf
in a 350 degree oven. Cook this dish at the same time
you are cooking your meat.
HEARTY DISHES
Irish Stew
This is the basic, traditional stew!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds mutton, cut into pieces
6 carrots, sliced
2 pounds potatoes
Salt and pepper
1 pound onions
Parsley
Place meat and vegetables in saucepan and cover with cold
water. Add salt and pepper to season as well as a few sprigs
of fresh parsley. Slowly bring to a boil and skim off the top.
Simmer over a very low heat for about 2 hours or until the meat
is tender.
Dublin Coddle
I found MANY varieties of this stew, probably because it
often uses leftovers from breakfast, which of course could
change. Some added hard cider with the broth, others even
added chicken or ham. Seems to be a "whatever we have
around" recipe! It's mainly a traditional dish to Dublin, and
one that changes depending on the family and the cook.
Ingredients:
1 pound sliced thick bacon
2 pounds pure pork sausage links
2-3 large onions, sliced
4 large potatoes, thickly sliced
2 carrots, thickly sliced
black pepper
broth-chicken, ham-whatever's on hand
fresh parsley
Fry bacon until crisp in large cooking pot. Brown
sausage in some of the bacon fat in another pan.
Remove and add to the pot. Soften sliced onions
in fat, then add to pot with potatoes and carrots.
Add 3-4 tablespoons minced parsley. Season with
pepper. Cover with broth. Simmer slowly 1 1/2-2
hours over low heat. Garnish with chopped parsley.
Makes 6 servings
About the author
Brenda Hyde is a wife and Mom of three, a freelance writer, and editor of OldFashionedLiving.com. Her grandfather was born in Ireland and became
a merchant seaman at a young age, ending up in America, where her
aunt and father were born.
