5 Irish Recipes to Try on St. Patrick's Day

Colcannon with green cabbage

The Gaelic term, cal ceannann, means “white headed cabbage” and it is a traditional Irish dish made by combining mashed potatoes with cabbage or kale. The different variety of cabbages available in Ireland, from the spring green to the autumnal variety, allows this dish to be made all year around.

Excerpted from: A Return to Ireland: A culinary journey from America to Ireland by Judith McLoughlin (Hatherleigh Press, 2022)

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 2 pounds of red skinned potatoes
• ¾ cup of milk
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 6 cups of shredded green cabbage
• Sea salt and pepper

Directions

Cover and place the potatoes in a pan of cold salted water and boil until fork tender. Drain the potatoes and allow them to dry out a little. Mash the potatoes with the skins on.

In a clean skillet melt the butter and sauté the onion until soft and then stir in the cabbage and cook for just a few minutes until it is soft and fragrant.

Stir the cabbage and onion mixture in with the hot potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.

Courtesy: Hatherleigh Press

Loin of Bacon with Crispy Cabbage & Mustard Sauce

In the United States, corn beef and cabbage has earned its place as the noble national Irish dish, especially on St. Patrick’s Day, but it is not actually very well known in Ireland itself. If you ask any Irish immigrant about corn beef and cabbage, they will happily share that while they do enjoy corn beef, slow-cooked bacon loin is closer to the food they remember from Ireland. The recipe, an old favorite, is normally paired with cabbage and cooked in a skillet.

While American bacon is made from the pork belly, Irish bacon is more like Canadian bacon in that it comes from the back of the pig. Irish bacon is typically cut into a round shape with a little fat left on the outside. It is also meaty, salty and delicious. I encourage you to get to know the more authentic version of this Irish dish — one that is quick, tasty and impossible not to enjoy. If you really want to get into the mood, search for the Irish country singer Brendan Shine’s iconic song “I’m a Savage for Bacon and Cabbage.”

Excerpted from A Return to Ireland: A Culinary Journey From America to Ireland by Judith McLoughlin (Hatherleigh Press, 2022)

Bacon ingredients

• 3 pounds cured loin of bacon
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 1 stick celery (chopped)
• 1 large onion (cut in quarters)
• 1 carrot (chopped)

Cabbage ingredients

• 1 large green savoy cabbage (hard core removed and thinly sliced)
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons water
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mustard Cream Sauce

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup reserved cooking liquid
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard

Directions

Put the bacon in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, celery and carrot. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Cook for 20 minutes per pound plus an additional 30 minutes.

Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid for the sauce.

To make the cabbage, melt the butter in a large skillet and then add the cabbage, tossing with tongs until it looks bright and smells fragrant. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of water over the cabbage so that it wilts slightly but remains crispy and bright.

To make the mustard sauce, melt the butter and add the flour, cooking for a minute. Whisk in the reserved cooking liquid, heavy whipping cream, mustard, and salt and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings!

To serve slice the bacon and drizzle with a little mustard sauce and top with crispy cabbage.

Courtesy: Ambassador International

Classic Ulster Shepherd’s Pie

This is another great Irish country dish that is economical and can feed a large crowd or family. When I was a child, it was a personal favorite of mine, and now that I have children of my own, it has also become their firm favorite. The simplicity of the potato topping combined with the tasty beef center is always a winning combination. No need to overcomplicate it; just enjoy this old-world classic as generations of British and Irish have and still do in pubs and clubs the length and breadth of the land. Serve with a mixed green salad or petite garden peas.  

Excerpted from The Shamrock and Peach: A Culinary Journey From the North of Ireland to the American South by Judith McLoughlin (Ambassador International, 2011)

Meat layer ingredients

• 2 pounds quality hormone-free lean ground beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 small onion (peeled and finely chopped)
• 1½ tablespoons flour
• 12 ounces (1½ cups) beef stock
• 2 small carrots (scraped and diced)
• 1 clove garlic (crushed)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons parsley (chopped, for garnish) 

Potato layer ingredients

• 3 pounds potatoes (floury variety peeled and cut into small pieces)
• 6 ounces (¾ cup) half-and-half cream and milk
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Kosher salt and white pepper

Directions

In a large skillet, heat the oil and sauté the onions for 5 minutes to soften but not to brown. Add the meat in small batches, then braise until brown.

Stir in the flour and coat the meat mixture completely.

Add the beef stock, carrots, garlic, thyme, tomato paste, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook on low for about 45 minutes.

While the beef is cooking, prepare the topping by cooking the peeled potatoes in lightly salted water for about 20 minutes, until soft when pierced with a fork.

Drain and mash the potatoes, mixing in the milk, butter, a pinch of salt and a touch of white pepper.

To assemble the pie, spoon the meat into 6 individual dishes or a 9-inch-by-13-inch casserole dish and top with the potato mixture. (For great presentation, swirl a fork over the potatoes in a zigzag fashion.)

Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes at 350°F.

For a golden crust, broil the potatoes for the last 2 minutes. Garnish with some chopped parsley and serve with vegetables of your choice.