Another Irish Round Up of Recipes for St. Patrick's Day!

Boiled Eggs and Dippies*
Darina Allen – Traditional Irish Cooking“

"Mothers all over Ireland cup up fingers of toast for children to dip into soft boiled eggs".

2 fresh eggs
salt and freshly ground pepper
a few pats of butter
1 slice of fresh bread, toasted

Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and gently slide in the eggs. Bring the water back to a boil and simer gently for 4 to 6 minutes, according to your taste. A four-minte egg will be still quite soft. Five minutes will almost set the white while the yolk will still be runny, and six minutes will produce a boiled egg with a soft yolk and solid white.
Meanwhile, toast the bread, cut off the crusts an spread with butter. Cut in fingers. As soon as theegs are cooked, pop them into egg cups, put the dippies on the sie and serve with salt, pepper and butter on the side.

*Pregnant women or people with suppressed immune systems should not eat partially cooked eggs unless they are pasturized!

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Dublin Bay Prawn Bisque
Adapted from Elegant Irish Cooking by Noel Cullen

"Dublin Bay prawns, sometimes known as "Norway Lobster," were often found n the nets of fishing boats looking for other fish. They were sold locally on the Dublin markets. Today, they are scarce and much prized."

4 pounds whole prawns or shrimp (I used shrimp)
1 rib celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 onion, diced
4 sprigs tarragon
4 sprigs parsley
3 bay leaves
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup dry white wine
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 pound tomatoes, diced
½ cup brandy
3 egg yolks
1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 400F. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a stock pot. Add the chopped celery, carrots, onion, herbs and wine and sauté until tender. Add 2 quarts of cold water and bring to a boil.

Using a strainer, immerse the prawns in the boiling liquid for 40-50 seconds. Bring liquid back to a boil and then remove the blanched prawns. Allow to cool, shell, and remove the flesh from the prawns. Reserve.

Place the prawn shells on a baking sheet and bake the shells in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.

In another saucepan, melt butter. Add the flour and cook gently for 3-5 minutes, stirring continuously, being careful not to brown the flour.

Add tomato paste, garlic, tomatoes, baking prawn shells, warm stock and vegetables. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.

Add brandy and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain into another large saucepan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and cream. Add a little bisque liquid to the egg mixture to temper it. When light and fluffy, incorporate into the soup. Bring to a gentle simmer. Do not allow the soup to reboil after the addition lf the cream and egg. The bisque should thicken slightly.

To serve, arrane the prawns in soup boals and ladle the bisque over them.

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Doyle's Dublin Coddle
Adapted from Full On Irish by Kevin Dundon

Serves 4

"This is my twist on a dish that has been around since the eighteenth century".

8 oz streaky bacon, cut into lardons
1 potato, diced
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 large carrot, diced
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus extra to garnish
1-2/3 cups vegetable stock
4 large butcher-style pork sausages (I substituted turkey sausage to cut down on fat)
For the Potato Puree:

1 lb potatoes, well scrubbed
3-3/4 tablespoons milk
¼ stick butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cover the potatoes with cold water in a pan and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until completely tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.

Drain the potatoes in a colander and then peel while they are still hot. Push through a potato ricer or sieve using a spatula. Quickly heat the milk in a pan. Beat the butter into the warm mashed potatoes and then add enough milk to make a smooth but firm puree. Season to taste.

For the Bacon/vegetable mixture:

Heat a pan and sate the bacon in the pan for 2-3 minutes until it has begun to release its fat. Add the potato, leek, carrot and thyme and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes until softened but not colored.

Pour the vegetable stock into the pan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 15 minutes until the liquid has slightly reduced and the vegetables are completely tender.

Heat a griddle pan and cook the sausages for 10-15 minutes until cooked through and well marked.

To serve, using two large spoons, shape the potato puree into quenelles and arrange two in each warmed wide-rimmed serving bowl. Spoon the bacon and vegetable mixture around the sides. Cut the sausages on the diagonal and arrange on top. Scatter over the thyme leaves to garnish.

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Jameson Chocolate-Walnut-Caramel Tart
-By Margaret Johnson

Serves 8

Crust
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, cut into small pieces
4 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
3-4 tablespoons ice water

Caramel Sauce
¼ cup unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter
½ cup sugar
¼ cup heavy (whipping) cream

Filling
1 cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
¾ cup light corn syrup
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup packed dark brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted Kerrygold Irish butter, cut into pieces
3 large eggs
3 tablespoons Jameson Irish whiskey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
Confectioner’s sugar for dusting

“The combination of whiskey and chocolate is especially delicious, and when nuts and caramel are added, the results are superb”.

To make the crust: Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade. Add the butter and shortening and pulse 8 to 12 times, or until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of the water and process for 15 to 20 seconds, or until the dough comes together. Add the remaining water if necessary and pulse again. Dust a work surface with flour. Turn out the dough, form it into a ball, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Remove the dough from the refrigerator 10 minutes before rolling.

Butter a 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Dust a work surface with flour. Roll out the dough into a circle 12 inches in diameter. Transfer to the prepared pan, fold in the excess dough, and press with your fingers o form thick sides. Freeze for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375F. Prick the bottom and sides of the crust with a fork. Line the crust with foil, fill with pie weights or dry beans, and cover with a pie shield or foil. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Remove the weights, foil and shield and bake for 12 to 15 minutes more, or until the crust is browned all over. Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack. Maintain the oven temperature.

To make the caramel sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Continue cooking, without stirring, until the mixture turns golden brown. Remove from heat and whisk in the cream. Pour the caramel mixture into the tart crust, spread evenly over the bottom, and freeze for 15 minutes or until set.

To make the filling: Sprinkle half of the walnuts and all of the chocolate pieces over the caramel. In a large bowl, combine the corn syrup, brown sugars, butter, eggs, whiskey, vanilla and salt. With an electric mixer, beat until smooth. Pour over the chocolate and walnuts. Sprinkles the remaining half of the walnuts over the top. Bake the tart for about 50 minutes, or until the pie filling is nearly set in the center. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Release the side of the pan. Slice the tart and serve warm.

I hope you all have a wonderful St. Patrick's Day!  Click here for a few interesting facts about this day.