ST. PATRICK'S DAY DINNER

Cream of Potato/Leek Soup
Lamb Stew
Soda Bread
Stuffed Baked Apples
Irish Coffee

For more about Kerrygold butter click here.

Cream of Potato/Leek Soup

Melt butter in a 4 qt. soup pot or sauce pan. Sauté onion, leeks and celery until onion is transparent. Add potatoes and chicken broth. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered for 30 minutes.

Puree solids and some of the liquid in a food processor and return puree to the  pot or use an immersion blender and puree the vegetables directly in the soup pot.

Add evaporated milk and cornstarch slurry, stirring constantly over low heat for about 10 minutes.  Taste soup and adjust by adding salt and pepper to your liking.

For serving,  garnish with chopped chives

Yield: 6 servings

Irish Lamb Stew

Many years ago I was given this recipe by an Irish neighbor who taught me that Irish Stew did not include carrots, but by all means, if you like carrots in your stew, just add 2 carrots, peeled, and cut into thick slices along with the onions.

 

3 pounds	lamb  (shoulder), cut into 1 ½-inch cubes (dry meat cubes with paper towel)
4 large	Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices
3 medium	yellow onions, sliced 1/4-inch thick
2 Tablespoons	finely chopped parsley
1 teaspoon	dried thyme PLUS 2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon	salt
	Freshly ground black pepper
1½ cups	organic chicken broth
1½ Tablespoons*	Kerrygold butter, softened and mixed with 1 tablespoon flour
2 Tablespoons	finely chopped parsley for garnish

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In an oven and stovetop proof 6 qt. stock pot or a cast iron Dutch oven, brown the lamb cubes lightly in a small amount of vegetable oil. Remove meat and wipe out any remaining oil in the pan.

Lightly butter the interior of the pot.  Arrange a layer consisting of one third of the amount of potatoes, meat, onions. Sprinkle a portion of the thyme and parsley, salt & pepper on each layer.  Repeat layering until all ingredients are used.

Add the chicken broth and cover the pot.  Bring the mixture to a boil on top of the stove. Transfer pot to the heated oven and cook for 1 ½ hours.   Fifteen minutes before the end of the cooking time, you can thicken the juices in the pan with a beurre manié (French term for softened butter and flour mixture) Let the stew cook another 10 minutes.  Remember to remove fresh thyme stems before serving.  Garnish each plate with additional chopped parsley.

Yield: 6 servings

*if you don't have a 1-1/2 Tablespoon size measuring spoon -   the equivalent is 4-1/2 teaspoons

Irish Soda Bread

This is the classic buttermilk soda bread with the familiar crumbly texture. The only deviation is the inclusion of golden raisins, which are a luxurious touch.

 Soda Bread recipe courtesy of "Judy Gorman's Breads of New England", by Yankee Books, 1988 (sadly this book is out of print - you're lucky if you have a copy!) See Judy's website:  www.vegetablegoddess.com

Stuffed Baked Apples

Heat oven to 375°F.

Wash and core apples.  Using a paring knife, slightly enlarge the cavity of each apple to hold the filling.  Peel the upper half of each apple and place them upright in a baking dish. Fill each cavity with the marmalade mixture. Pour apple cider into the baking dish around the stuffed apples. Dot each apple with a teaspoon of butter and light brown sugar.  Place dish on the middle rack of the oven and bake for  40 - 45 minutes.  Occasionally baste sides of apples with juices in the pan during cooking. Yield: 6 servings

Irish Coffee

Brew your favorite regular coffee to the strength you enjoy.

In a tall glass with a loop handle made specifically for Irish coffee, or other tall insulated glass, pour in 1½ oz. of a good quality Irish whiskey like Jameson. Add a teaspoon of sugar if desired. Fill the glass with the brewed coffee leaving at least a 1-inch space at the top. Stir to combine whiskey and coffee. Carefully pour or spoon on top of the coffee, softly whipped heavy or whipping cream.

Yield: one Irish coffee

http://www.jamesonwhiskey.com/stpatricksday.aspx