St. Pat's Recipes

Recipe Collection


Apple Barley Pudding

4 tbs of Pearl barley
1 ½ pounds of apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 tbs of sugar
1 lrg cup of full fat cream
1 tbs of lemon juice

Boil the barley in water and add the apples. Cook until both soften. Drain and blend the mixture in a blender or sieve. Cook the mixture after adding the sugan and lemon and boil again. Allow to cool and then chill in the fridge, adding cream to the top.

Barm Brack

1 lb flour
6 oz sugar
1 lb of mixed dried fruit
1 tsp of baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp of all spice/mixed spice

Soak the fruit over night in tea. Be careful not to over knead the dough the next day however as this will break up and speckle the cake. Add sugar and egg to the fruit mix the next day. Using a sieve add in the remaining ingredients. Mix gently. When mixed place the mixture in a seven inch round baking tin at 350 degrees F. for around eighty minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Black Pudding

Black Pudding is traditionally made by mixing together pigs blood, boiled groats, pigs fat, onion, flour and seasoning. A traditional and unusual addition to this mix was pennyroyal mint, not usually a culinary herb and considered unsafe for use today. When all the ingredients were well mixed together, the pudding mix was either put into skins or sometimes just into a well greased tin. The pudding in skins was then boiled; the mixture in the tin was baked. When cooked they could be eaten immediately or stored for several months. These days most people just buy it at a specialty store.

To make black pudding:
1 1/4 qt Fresh pig's blood
8 oz Fine oatmeal
8 7/8 oz Bread cut into cubes
1 ts Salt
1 1/4 qt Skim milk
2 ts Ground black pepper
1 lb Cooked barley
2 ts Dried and crumbled mint
1 lb Fresh beef suet

Put the bread cubes to soak in the milk in a warm oven. Do not heat the milk beyond blood temperature! Have the blood ready in a large bowl, and pour the warm milk and bread into it. Stir in the cooked barley. Grate the beef suet into the mixture and stir it up with the oatmeal. Season with the salt, pepper and mint. Have ready 2 or three large roasting pans. Divide the mixture between them ~- they should not be more than 3/4 full. Bake in a moderate oven -- 350 F ~- for about an hour or until the pudding is well cooked through. This makes a beautifully light pudding which will keep well in a cold larder. Cut into squared and fry till heated through and the outside is crisp, in bacon fat or butter. Delicious for breakfast, or for supper with fried apples and mashed potato.

Colcannon

2 lbs Potatoes
1 large Cabbage
1 large Onion
4 oz of butter/margarine
Pepper & Salt
Half pint Milk

Wash, peel and divide the potatoes. Chop the onions and cabbage. Layer a saucepan with the potatoes and add the pinch of salt and pepper. Layer the onion and cabbage on top of the potatoes and add enough water to cover the whole mixture. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are cooked. Mash the mixture thoroughly adding the butter and milk to ensure a good consistency. Best served with meat, steak or sausages.

Dublin Coddle

1 lb bacon slices
2 lb pork sausages
Oil
2 large onions sliced
2 cloves garlic
4 large potatoes, thickly sliced
1 large bunch of fresh herbs, tied with string
black pepper
hard cider or apple cider
fresh parsley.

Lightly fry the bacon until crisp. Place in a large cooking pot/saucepan. Brown the sausages in some vegetable oil. Remove and add to pot. Soften sliced onions and whole garlic cloves in vegetable oil, add these to the pot with the potatoes and carrots. Place the bunch of herbs in the middle of the mixture. Add a pinch of salt. Cover with cider. Cook 1 ½ hours over moderate heat, do not allow to boil. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Irish Coffee

Irish whiskey
1 or 2 tsp sugar (preferably brown sugar)
Freshly made hot coffee
2-4 tbsp chilled whipped cream

Heat the Irish whiskey (do not allow to boil) Pour the warmed whiskey into a warmed Irish coffee glass and follow by adding the sugar. Fill with the hot coffee to within about a half an inch from the top of the glass. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Float the whipped cream on top of the hot coffee and serve immediately.

Irish Rarebit -A famous High Tea Savory. I really love this stuff...

2 tbsps butter or margarine
2 tbsps flour
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup Guinnesss Stout
1 cup Cheddar cheese,grated
Salt and pepper

Melt the butter in a heavy pan and stir in flour to make a roux. Cook on a low heat for a further minute without allowing it to brown. Remove pan from heat and gradually beat the milk into the roux.Return to heat and stir until the mixture thickens. Stir in mustard and honey and finally the Guinness. Cook this mixture fairly rapidly for 2-3 minutes then add grated cheese and stir over very low heat only until all the cheese has melted. Spread thickly on four slices of toast and brown under the grill.

Irish Sausages

1 1/2 lb Lean pork
Pinch dried sage or marjoram
8 oz Pork fat, without gristle
1 oz White breadcrumbs (optional)
1/2 ts Ground allspice
Ground ginger, mace, nutmeg
1 ts Salt
Cloves, cayenne pepper
Fresh-ground pepper

Mince the meat and fat twice, then mix very well and season. (Fry a teaspoon or so each time to check the flavor until you get it the way you like it.) Add the herbs and breadcrumbs and any spices used. Fill skins as usual.

Irish Stew Servings: 6

2 tb oil
4 lg Onions cut in wedges
5 lg Carrots cut in thick slices
1 ½ lb Round steak or lamb
6 lg Potatoes
1c Water
Salt and Pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Soften onions in oil. Add carrots and cook for several minutes. Cut steak into ½ inch cubes and add to onions & carrots. Wash, peel and slice potatoes and add to pot . Pour in water and add some salt and pepper. Bring the whole lot to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer on a low heat until all vegetables are tender. For those who prefer thick stew two tablespoons of flour can be added with a little water to thicken the broth. Heat through until thickened and serve piping hot.

Potato Cakes Servings: 2
¼ cup of butter
6-8 oz white flour
½ lb plain flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking powder
3 cups freshly mashed potato (with milk)

Cut butter into the flour. Add salt and baking powder, mix well. Mix in the potatoes. Knead for a few minutes. Roll out onto lightly floured board with floured rolling pin. Cut into circular shapes. Cook/Grill until brown on both sides.

Raisin Scones

1 lb of flour
¼ pint of buttermilk
1 cup of raisins
1 tsp of baking soda
2 tbs of sugar
2 oz Irish butter

Sift the flour, baking soda and powder into a bowl. Knead in butter. Add in the sugar and raisins using a wooden spoon. Add the butter milk gradually and work in. Place mixture on to a floured board. Roll the mixture until it is one inch thick. Now cut out circular shaped scones from the dough. Place in the over at 425 degrees F. for 15-20 minutes.

Shepherds Pie

1 lb of ground or minced beef
1 tbs of olive oil
2 medium sized carrots
1 tsp of thyme
1 tbs of chopped parsley
1 tbs of plain flour
1 (10 oz appx.) can of beef stock or boullion
1 tbs of tomato puree
salt and pepper
Mashed Potatoes

Heat the olive oil and fry the onions until soft. Then add the chopped carrots and continue frying for another five minutes. Remove the vegetables from the frying pan. Cook the beef in the frying pan and season with salt and pepper. Add the vegetables along with the thyme and parsley. Stir in the flour and slowly add the beef stock to the mixture. Simmer for 30 minutes. Make mashed potatoes When the meat is ready put it into a baking dish and spread the mashed potatoes on top. Bake 25 minutes until golden and crispy.

Sherry Trifle

Four-egg sponge roll
3/4 c. sugar
4 egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. cake flour
3/4 tsp. double acting baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
4 egg whites
1/2 c. finely chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray with Pam a 10 1/2" X 15 1/2" X 1" pan. Separate egg yolks from whites. Beat until light sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Sift before measuring cake flour. Resift with baking powder and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture. Beat the batter until smooth. Whip until stiff but not dry egg whites. Fold them lightly into the cake batter and add the nuts. Bake for appx. 12-13 minutes.

1/2 cup heated cherry jam
1 cup sherry
1 pint of custard
¼ pint cream
4-5 cherries

Make sponge roll. Fill with jam and roll up. Slice and arrange in a deep/wide serving dish. Pour sherry over the slices. Then add the made custard over the slices and let set for an hour. Decorate the trifle with cream, leaves and cherries.

Soda Bread Makes two loaves.

6 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
¾ cup of sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp salt
1/2 c. softened butter
1 lg box (15 oz) raisins
1/8 cup of caraway seeds
2 1/2 c. buttermilk

Mix all the dry ingredients dry in a large bowl. Slice in softened butter and cut into a cornmeal consistency. Mix in the caraway seeds and raisins. Mix in buttermilk. It may be necessary to use your hands to mix the dough. (Don’t use an electric mixture) Divide the batter into two buttered cake pans. Flour a knife and cut a cross into the tops of each. Bake at 350ºF for around an hour depending on oven. Do not let the top go brown.

Spiced Beef

7 lb even sized piece of topside beef
2 tsp ground cloves
2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp of allspice
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp black treacle
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 bottle of Guinness Beer
½ cup of salt

Mix together all the ingredients except the beef and bottle of Guinness. Place the beef in a bowl and cover with the mixture. Place the beef in the fridge and for the next week rub in the mixture twice a day. Tie up the meet and place into a pan. Cover with cold water and bottle of Guinness. Simmer gently for 5-6 hours. The beef is usually served cold and thinly sliced.

Traditional Irish Bacon and Cabbage

2 lb Piece of Irish Bacon
1/2 Green cabbage and 1/2 white cabbage
8 Peeled red potatoes
Salt and Pepper

Cover the Bacon in a saucepan of cold water. Bring to the boil and drain. Again cover with fresh cold water and bring to the boil. Then simmer for about 25 mins. for every 1lb and plus 25 mins over. Remove outer leaves of cabbage. Cut the cabbage into half and add to the saucepan to simmer for the last 20 mins. Remove the bacon and carve into thin slices. Drain the cabbage and season with salt and pepper. Add a slice of butter. Serve bacon, cabbage and potatoes together.

Traditional Irish Breakfast -- You will never catch me eating this!

8 Slices of Irish Bacon
4 Irish Sausages
4 slices Black Breakfast Pudding 4 slices
4 slices White Breakfast Pudding 4 slices
4 Medium size tomatoes
4 Eggs
Freshly Ground Pepper

Cook the bacon over a low heat. Turn frequently until fully cooked. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Keep bacon hot in the oven on low heat. Cook sausages until golden brown on all sides. Cut the tomatoes in half and fry with the pudding in the juice of the bacon. Remove tomatoes and pudding and keep heated. Fry eggs and serve the whole lot with tea, orange juice and toast.

Treacle Bread

2 tbs dark molasses
7 fl oz milk
1 ½ tbs of sugar
1lb flour
1 tsp cream of tartar
½ teaspoon of salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Good pinch of ground ginger

Heat the molasses and milk together. Mix all dry together and liquid until a soft dough is achieved. Next, shape into a round cake roughly around 1-2 inches thick . Cut into farls, place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 40 minutes.

White Pudding

2 1/2 lbs. medium ground pork butt
2 1/2 lbs. fine ground pork putt
5 cups plain bread crumbs
4 eggs lightly beaten
8 cloves pressed garlic
1 tbsp. salt
3 tsp thyme
3 tsp.basil
3 tsp marjoram
3 tsp black pepper
2 cups ice water.

Mix thoroughly keeping cold. Stuff into casings making 2 1/2 inch links or pat into small compact patties. Refrigerate over night before freezing. Fry to golden brown.