St Patricks a day early.

Charlie told me that his car club monthly meeting had been set for Sunday and asked if I could cook out dinner a day early or late. He tried to tell them that 15 guys trying to find a quiet corner in a bar on St. Patricks day was a crazy idea but they plan to go ahead with it.  I planned to make the dinner on Monday but this morning decided to do it today.  The meat was home made corned beef brisket.  I have always made it with Tender Quick instead of Canning Salt (Prague Powder)  Other than that the way I make it is listed below.  When I cook it, I wash it off, put it in a pot and cover with water and bring it to a simmer. Then I pour off the water, fill it again. let is sit a little, pour that water off and add water again for the last time with carrots, onions and celery and cook it as directed.  I cook the other vegetables after the corn beef is done.  This time and a few other times I cooked  the cabbage in the oven but this time it was burnt on the bottom when I took it out.  We didn't have cabbage this year even though there is one on the plate.... it was just for the picture.

Scotch eggs may seem like a weird thing to have for an Irish dinner but this recipe came out of an Irish  pub food cookbook and is a popular bar food all over England and Ireland and it the best Scotch eggs recipe I have ever tried.

I didn't want to have a totally treditional Irish immigrant all boiled dinner and chose Irish Roast Potatoes instead.

The carrots, parsnips and rutabaga were boiled in strained corn beef broth.

Homemade Corned Beef with Vegetables

INGREDIENTS

Serves 8.

• FOR THE BRINE

• 2 quarts water

• 1 cup coarse salt

• 1 tablespoon pink curing salt

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed

• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, crushed

• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

• 1 cinnamon stick, crushed

• 4 dried bay leaves, crushed

• 8 whole cloves

• FOR THE CORNED BEEF

• 5 pounds flat-cut beef brisket

• 1 medium onion, halved

• 1 medium celery stalk, halved

• 1 medium carrot, peeled, halved

• 1 pound baby turnips, peeled, trimmed

• 1 pound baby carrots, peeled, trimmed

• 1 medium head cabbage, cut into 8 wedges

• 1 pound small red potatoes

• Dijon mustard, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the brine: Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add salts, sugar, and spices; remove from heat, and stir until salts and sugar dissolve. Let cool.

2. Make the corned beef: Place brisket in a nonreactive container just large enough to hold it. Pour cooled brine over meat. Place 2 small plates on top to keep meat submerged; cover, and refrigerate for 2 weeks.

3. Rinse brisket; discard brine. Place in a large pot. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Add onion, celery, and halved carrot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.

4. Set a steamer in a large saucepan. Add enough water to reach the bottom, and bring to a boil. Add turnips. Reduce heat, cover, and steam until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with baby carrots, steaming 10 to 12 minutes. Add to turnips.

5. Transfer corned beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Discard remaining solids from broth, then bring to a boil. Add cabbage and potatoes, and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Add turnips and carrots, and cook until warmed through. Transfer vegetables to a platter; reserve broth.

6. Trim excess fat from beef. Slice thinly against grain, and transfer to platter. Serve with broth and mustard.

First published   

Irish Soda Scone

Recipe photo courtesy of Raymond Hom

These scones pack the hallmarks of our favorite St. Patrick's Day bread -- loads of currants and caraway seeds -- into a single serving with a light, fluffy texture. Just mix, scoop, bake, and enjoy with a spot of tea. Source: Martha Stewart Living, March 2018 prep 20 min  total 40 min. makes 8

  2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 stick cold unsalted butter
1/2 cup dried currants
2 teaspoons caraway seeds
1 cup cold buttermilk
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest

DIRECTIONS

• 1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, and salt.
  
  2. Cut butter into small pieces; work into flour mixture with your fingers or a pastry cutter until dough resembles coarse meal. Add currants, caraway seeds, and buttermilk; stir until just combined.
  
  3. Scoop 1/3 cup-size mounds of dough onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, spaced 3 inches apart. Bake until bottoms are golden, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely on sheet.
  
  4. Meanwhile, combine confectioners' sugar, milk, and orange zest. Drizzle over scones; serve.

Roasted Cabbage Wedges

Super simple to make, this healthy side dish packs a crunchy, flavorful punch.  Source: Everyday Food, April 2010

1 tablespoon plus 2 more tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium head green cabbage, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds

DIRECTIONS

• 1.
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Place 1 medium head green cabbage, cut into 1-inch-thick rounds, in a single layer on sheet and brush with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon caraway or fennel seeds. Roast until cabbage is tender and edges are golden, 40 to 45 minutes.
  
• Step 3 Rinse brisket; discard brine. Place in a large pot. Add enough water to cover by 2 inches. Add onion, celery, and halved carrot, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
  
• 
  Step 4 Set a steamer in a large saucepan. Add enough water to reach the bottom, and bring to a boil. Add turnips. Reduce heat, cover, and steam until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Repeat with baby carrots, steaming 10 to 12 minutes. Add to turnips.
  
• 
  Step 5 Transfer corned beef to a cutting board. Tent with foil, and let rest for 30 minutes. Discard remaining solids from broth, then bring to a boil. Add cabbage and potatoes, and simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Add turnips and carrots, and cook until warmed through. Transfer vegetables to a platter; reserve broth.
  
• 
  Step 6 Trim excess fat from beef. Slice thinly against grain, and transfer to platter. Serve with broth and mustard. 

Irish Roast Potatoes

Ingredients

• 8 medium russet potatoes
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil or goose fat
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper optional

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees 

2. Peel potatoes. Leave whole or cut in half or quarters depending on size desired

3. Place in large saucepan and cover with water and a pinch or two of salt.  Boil, lower             heat and simmer 5 minutes

4. Drain, toss in saucepan or colander to roughen the outer surfaces. Let sit a few minutes to steam dry.

5. Pour oil into large roasting pans and heat in the oven a few minutes.

6.Place potatoes in the hot oil and turn them gently to evenly coat the surface with oil.  Do not place potatoes too close together.

7. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven 30-60 minutes depending on size of potatoes. Turn the Potato after 15 & 30 minutes of cooking 

8. Potatoes are cooked when the outer surface has turned golden and crispy.  Serve hot with roast poultry or meat

Scotch Eggs   From Irish Pub Food ©2021

10 eggs, divided

2 T. vegetable oil

1 1/2 C panko bread crumbs

1 lb. bulk breakfast sausage

1/4 C thinly sliced green onions

3/4 C AP flour

2 T. whole grain mustard

1. preheat oven to 400º
2. hard cook 8 eggs
3. heat oil In med. skillet over med. heat. Add panko; cook about 8 minutes or until toasted and golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove and allow to cook
4. Combine sausage and green onions. Place flour in another bowl 
5. add mustard to two  lightly beaten eggs in another bowl 
6. divide sausage into 8, spread out and wrap sausage around each egg. dip each sausage in flour then in egg mustard mixture.  Roll in Panko crumbs.  
7. Place on lined cooking sheet and bake 16 to 18 minutes.  Drain well on paper towels. Serve warm.