Category Archives: Food and Recipes

Is Irish Stew lamb or beef

Heres the recipe with lamb and chicken stock. You might want to change for beef and beef stock, but the secret is slow cooking (3 hours)

  • 300g diced lamb 
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 100g pearl barley
  • 500g carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1 sprig thyme
  1. Heat a little oil in a casserole and brown the lamb, in batches, transferring it to a plate as you go. Set aside.
  2. Soften the onion in the casserole, then stir in the pearl barley and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  3. Stir in the carrots and return the lamb to the casserole. Add the stock and thyme and bring to the boil.
  4. Cover and simmer for 180 minutes until the pearl barley is tender.
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How To Make Colcanon, 1847 Style

How to make perfect Colcanon, 1847 style

Mrs. Crowen’s American Lady’s Cookery Book, Mrs. T.J. Crowen [Dick & Fitzgerald: New York] 

“Cabbage and Potatoes.- Chop cold boiled cabbage and potatoes quite fine; put them together, season with butter, pepper and salt, add a very little vinegar to hopt water, to moisten without making it wet, put it into a stew-pan over the firs, stir it well, that is may be thoroughly heated, but not burn; then take it into a dish, and serve for breakfast, or with cold boiled salt meat for dinner.”

Colcanon, 1847 style

The famous Irish brown bread

So if you’re planning a trip to Ireland this summer be sure to sample some of the very many tasty delights this little country has to offer. Among the favourites has to be brown bread. Try it with fresh seafood chowder and it’s a match made in heaven. There’s something so special about the aroma of freshly baking brown bread that evokes happy memories of mixing the dough by hand with granny as she wipes her floured hands in her crossover apron before cutting the tradional cross in the top, which was said to ward off the devil and protect the household. To this day there is nothing quite like a slice, warm from the oven, slathered with pure kerrygold butter! Ah I’m salivating at the thought! Check out the recipe below and be sure to tell us what other Irish foods you’d like to see covered on the site.

Traditional Irish Brown Bread
Ingredients:
4oz plain white flour/cream flour
12oz coarse wholemeal flour
1/2 to 3/4 pint of buttermilk (sourcream is a good substitute)
1 teaspoon bread soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:
Preheat oven to 200°c/400°f/gas 6

Sieve plain flour, salt and breadsoda in a bowl

Add wholemeal flour and stir

Mix in the buttermilk to form a soft dough

Turn onto a floured board and kneed until it comes together

Place on a floured baking sheet and shape into a round and cut a cross in top (don’t go too deep!)

Place in centre of the preheated oven for 40 mins

To check its fully cooked, knock on base of bread and it should sound hollow

Wrap in a clean dry (non fluffy) teatowel while hot and allow to cool to achieve a softer crust

Serve with lashings of kerrygold and enjoy!

How to make brown soda bread

Brown Soda Bread Straight from the oven
No yeast, so no rising time. Simple and wholesome.
Ingredients
• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 large egg, beaten
Honey (optional)
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 6, 200°C (400°F). Mix the flour, bread soda and salt together in a bowl. Combine the egg with the buttermilk and honey then mix into the flour. Add a little more buttermilk if the mixture is dry – it should be a soft dough. Then pour the lot into a lightly oiled loaf tin. Sprinkle the sesame seeds or porridge oats over the top of the loaf if using. Bake for 45-50 minutes. To know when it is cooked simply tap the bottom of the loaf – it will sound hollow when it is fully cooked. Remove from the tin and wrap in a clean tea towel while cooling. This will keep the crust soft.

Brown Bread