March 2008

We asked for recipes to feed a party, and that’s what we got. Lots of traditional stews and chowders, a great recipe for fish and chips, and some delicious desserts came in from local restaurants and Irish cooks all over the Delaware Valley.

We’re adding these to our growing list of recipes that will keeping you eating great Irish food every St. Paddy’s Day–and all year long.

Lamb Stew

This recipe developed by Chef Geoff Hutton at C.J. McGee’s Restaurant and Pub was contributed by former proprietor Jack McNamee, the 2008 St. Patrick’s Day Parade Grand Marshal.

2 lbs cubed lamb
3 cups of lamb stock
2 medium onions, ½ onion minced, 1 ½ onion generously cut
6 medium carrots, inch round cuts
1 lb of baby potatoes
½ cup of flour
3 tbsp. oil
2 minced garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of fresh thyme, stems removed and minced
2 sprigs of fresh parsley, stems removed and minced
Salt
Pepper

Generously salt and pepper cubed lamb, then lightly coat with some of the flour (approx. 3 tbsp).  Heat up the oil in a heavy pot or saucepan.  Brown the cubed lamb in the oil, and then remove the lamb from the pot.  Add a half an onion (finely chopped) and the two minced garlic cloves to the pot, stir until onions and garlic are tender.  Add approx. 2 tbsp. of flour to the onions, garlic, and juices of the lamb.  Stir until smooth.  Add the bay leaf, fresh thyme, and lamb stock slowly to the pot, stirring constantly.  Put the lamb back into the pot, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about forty-five minutes to an hour (until lamb is just about tender).  Add remaining onions (generously cut), carrots, and baby potatoes to the stew.  Simmer for another half hour or until your vegetables are tender.  Taste to see if any more seasoning is necessary, if so, add salt and pepper to taste.  Add fresh parsley to the finished stew, remove bay leaf.  If the stew is not as thick as you would like it, whisk some room temperature stock and the remaining flour together.  Whisk the blend into the simmering stew slowly, until you reach your desired thickness.     

McGillin’s Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipe

This traditional Irish-American recipe comes from our friends at McGillin’s Olde Ale House on Drury Street in Philadelphia. We stopped in there the last couple of parade days and had some great beer, but couldn’t make our way to the food (what a crowd!). Looks like we should have tried harder. McGillin’s has been contributing to the IrishPhiladelphia Virtual St. Paddy’s Day Cookbook since it began three years ago. Thanks, guys!

12-15 lb corned beef
3 cups     water
6 Tbsp pickling spices
½ cup    white wine vinegar

Place corned beef in roasting pan, pour water and vinegar into pan, sprinkle pickling spices over corned beef.  Roast for 3 hours at 300?F.  Strain juice, save on side

1  white cabbage, wedged into 1/8’s
2 lb carrots, cut into chunks
1 tsp    salt and pepper
1 cup    water

Skewer each wedge of cabbage with a toothpick to retain shape during cooking.  Line pan with cabbage wedges, chunks of carrots, salt & pepper and water.
cook 1 hour at 250?F (makes cabbage & carrots sweeter).  Retain juices.

5 lbs red bliss potato, halved
5 tsp     butter
3 tbsp    olive oil
4 garlic cloves, chopped
4 tsp    rosemary, chopped
3 tsp salt & pepper

Bake in single layer, 1 hour, at  350?F

Mix corned beef juices & cabbage juices

On your dish place cabbage wedge, carrots and corned beef.  Place potatoes around the sides and pour small amount of mixed juices over the whole platter

Seafood Chowder
The Beach Bar B&B in Templeboy, County Sligo

Contributed by Tom O’Malley, who plays guitar in the Pat The Budgie Ceili Band.  Tom told us that he got this recipe from the owner after a night of music and other craic. We don’t doubt it.

1 large onion
1 head celery
4 to 6 medium potatoes
3 to 5 cloves garlic
1 quart milk
1/2 pint heavy cream
glass of white wine (more or less)
2 lbs mixed seafood
1/4 lb. butter for roux

In large pot, Dice onion, celery, potatoes and cook in a little butter about 15 mins.  Add wine and simmer until spuds are tender.  Add milk and cream and cook another 10-15 mins.  Add roux to desired thickness.  Makes about 10 portions.

Salmon adds a great taste and texture.  Also, a little liquid smoke is nice.

CORKTOWN IRISH STEW WITH HERB DUMPLINGS

This recipe won retired police officer Phil Bowdren the First Prize Award / Amateur Class in the 2006 Hibernian Hunger Project Great Irish Stew Cook-Off held at Finnegan’s Wake.

Serves: 6 to 8

2 – 3 lb  lamb, cut into pieces (depends on how meaty you want it)
3 tbsp olive / vegetable oil
2  onions, chopped
2-3 carrots, cut into 2” pieces
4-5 potatoes, cut into quarters or 2” pieces
2  tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 large bunch – fresh mixed herbs, tied with a string
2 cups lamb broth (get lamb bones from butcher)
1/2 cup Irish whiskey
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown meat in oil in a skillet, along with onions. (I usually do this in small batches) Add 1 shot-glass of Irish Whiskey to skillet, light to burn off alcohol (imparts flavor of whiskey to meat) Place browned meat, onions and vegetables in large cooking pot. Add garlic powder. Place herbs in middle of mixture. Cover with broth; cook approx. 2 – 2 1/2 hours over low heat. While stew is cooking, make dumplings. During last 30 minutes of cooking, bring temperature up until stew starts to bubble, and then add dumplings. Salt and pepper to taste.

Dumplings make a stew or casserole more interesting and wholesome. They should be light and not sticky. To make sure of this:

4 oz. – self raising flour
1 pinch – salt
2 oz. – fat / soft margarine
Warm water to mix
2 – 3 tsp. of fresh herbs or 1 tsp. of dried herbs. (parsley, chives or mixed herbs)
 
Sieve the flour and salt into a large bowl. Blend the herbs into dry mix (flour & Salt). Add the fat / margarine and blend with a knife. Stir in just enough water to bind the mixture, which should be just soft enough to roll into balls. Divide dough into 4 portions and roll into balls with floured hands. Make sure that the mixture is firm enough to roll in balls but is not too stiff. Once stew begins to bubble, add dumplings on top of stew and allow to cook with stew.

NOTE from Phil: Beware of “Stewies”, those people who somehow always knew when stew is on the stove and show up with their bowl or container in hand.

Easy Beef Stew

This no-hassle stew comes to you by way of Slainte Pub and Grille, a new pub at 3000 Market Street from those wonderful folks who brought you New Deck Tavern. Thank Chef Stephanie Gray and General Manager Kathleen Doyle for this delicious recipe.

5 lbs 1″x1″ cubed beef (shin meat is really tender)
1 large white onion, medium dice
2 large carrots, medium dice
2 cups peas
2 T chopped garlic
1 cup white wine
2 gallons beef stock
2 T tomato paste
To taste: salt and pepper
As needed : corn starch and water mixed to thicken
 
In a large pot saute the beef until browned and then add in the vegetables.  Once vegetables are translucent add the white wine and reduce and then add in the beef stock.  Simmer until meat and vegetables are tender.  Stir in tomato paste.  Whisk in corn starch and water mixture and boil until desired thickness is achieved.  Serve on top of mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes!
 

 
Slainte’s Fish and Chips

Another delicious entrée from Slainte.

4 8-oz. cod filets (one per person)

Beer Batter
2 c. flour
 2 T corn starch
1 egg
2 c Harp lager
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Combine ingredients in large bowl. The batter should be thick
enough to coat the back of a spoon but can be evened out by
adding more flour if too thin or more Harp if too thick.

Heat canola oil over a shallow frying pan to medium-high heat.
Coat each filet in a thin layer of flour and place deep in the beer
batter.

Place filet in shallow frying pan by dragging the tip around so the frying adhers to fish and then place in oil completely and fry each side until
golden brown.

For tartar sauce:
• 2 c. mayonnaise
• 1 small white onion, minced
• 2 T parsley, chopped
• 2 T relish
• 1 small lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. pepper
Combine all ingredients until smooth.
Recipe serves 4 people.
For chips steak fries that your local grocery store carries are perfect and bake until crispy or fry in oil until golden brown as well.

Irish Whiskey Cake

We suspect this recipe from Carmel Boyce will make you get up and sing. How else can you explain that musical family? Sons Mike and John Boyce play in the Celtic rock group, Blackthorn, and her daughter Karen is singer with the group Causeway. Carmel and her husband, Barney, are tireless fundraisers for the Irish community and were recently named to the Ring of Honor for the 2008 St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Apparently this cake also makes you generous.
            
1 box Duncan Hines yellow cake mix                                 
1 box instant vanilla pudding                               
2 oz Irish whiskey                                                                                    
4 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
1 cup walnuts

Glaze
½ cup whisky
¼ lb butter
¾ cups sugar
 
Mix first 7 ingredients. Grease and flour tube pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for approx 55-60 minutes.

Boil glaze ingredients and pour over cake.

Sprinkle with castor (superfine) sugar  (optional).

Irish Short Breads with Cherries

Bernadette Truhlar, treasurer of the Irish Center, shared several recipes with us from her mother’s file. We’re putting a few aside to print on other holidays, but couldn’t wait to try these easy cookies.

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup butter or margarine

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 can cherry pie filling

In a mixer, beat softened butter or margarine with sugar and beat well. Add the eggs, well-beaten, and the vanilla. Slowly add the flour. Spread batter on a large ungreased cookie sheet with a rim. Add a teaspoon of the cherry mixture 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Cut into bars when cooled.

Maggie O’Neill’s Irish Whiskey Cake

When Chef Norm Staley from Maggie O’Neill’s Irish Pub and Restaurant in Drexel Hill first uttered the words, “18 two-pound loaf pans,” we thought we’d never be able to use this restaurant-sized recipe in our annual cookbook. But then we joined the Ladies Ancient Order of Hibernians annual Irish potato-making event (they sell the candies and give the money to charity) and we remembered:  There are plenty of kind folks out there who are saving the world one bake sale at a time. Ladies and Gents, this one is for you! Thanks, Norm!

18  2 lb loafs pans

6 ¾ lbs of yellow cake mix
3 lbs vanilla pudding mix
5 cups Irish whiskey Jameson or Powers
4 cups milk
3 c vegetable oil
30 eggs
6 cups chopped walnuts

Whip eggs in a blender until they’re almost coming out of bowl–about15 minutes. You want them to be nice and airy.

While the eggs are whipping, combine the whiskey, milk, and oil together and whisk. 
 
Mix  the dry ingredients–cake mix, pudding and walnuts—in another bowl.

Add dry and the wet together, mix with spoon.

When eggs done, fold them into the mixture gently. 

Pour the batter into 18 2 lbs loaves (or 20 1 lb loaf pans). Fill to almost half.

Bake in oven 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Glaze

1 ½ butter
3 cups sugar
3 cups of whiskey

Bring whiskey and sugar to almost q boil, whisking the whole time. Add the butter in cubes,  and whisk on low flame till it boils.

Pour or brush over loaves when they’ve cooled on a wire rack and are back in the loaf pan.