Ireland’s mild climate and rich soil combine to form the perfect environment for growing cereal grains and root vegetables, like carrots, onions, turnips, and—famously—potatoes. And, thanks to its long pastoral history, veal and mutton are common ingredients in its cuisine as well.
You can see the influence of these ingredients in the recipes below. Soda bread developed due to the prevalence of soft—rather than hard—wheat, which rises much better with baking soda than with yeast, and the abundance of fuel that made home baking commonplace. Meanwhile, Irish stew showcases the mingled flavors of a bountiful harvest. Taken together, these simple, hearty dishes will put a spring in your step and help fend off the final chills of winter.
We invite you to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day—or any day the spirit takes you—with this filling feast, courtesy of our Vice President of Contracting for Europe, Tom Horgan, a native of the Emerald Isle who helps develop our popular Ireland in Depth vacation.
Irish Soda Bread
Depending on where in Ireland you get your soda bread, it may come in one of two shapes: a “cake” or a “farl.” This recipe is for a cake, which is simply a round loaf of soda bread with a cross cut into the top before baking. If you were to cut the cross all the way through the dough and bake the resulting triangular pieces separately in a griddle on the stovetop, you’d have four farls.
Ingredients:
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, preferably unbleached
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ¾ cups buttermilk
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl, make a well in the center, and pour in the buttermilk. Using the fingers of one hand, stir from the center to the edge of the bowl in concentric circles. The dough should be soft, but not too wet and sticky—add additional flour if necessary. When it all comes together, lay out onto a well-floured work surface.
- Wash and dry your hands. Pat the dough into a tidy shape and flip over gently, then form it into a round about 1 ½ inches thick. Gently transfer to a floured baking tray. With a sharp knife, cut a deep cross into the loaf and prick the center of each quarter to “let the fairies out.”
- Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes or until fully baked. (If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread: It should sound hollow.)
- Cool on a wire rack. Soda bread is best eaten on the day it is made.
Servings: Serves 4-6
Irish Stew
This traditional Irish dish has a thin broth (somewhat uncommon for a stew) and is best served in a deep bowl with a fresh piece of Irish soda bread.
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs lamb neck or shoulder, bone-in
1 bouquet of parsley, thyme, and bay leaf (tied together with twine)
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 large carrots, chopped into bite-sized pieces
½ small turnip, chopped into bite-sized pieces
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3-4 large potatoes (or around 8 new potatoes), peeled and chopped
½ cup shredded cabbage
1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped
Worcestershire sauce
Preparation:
- Remove the lamb meat from the bone (setting the bones aside), trim off any fat, and cut into cubes. Place the meat into a medium pot and cover it with cold, salted water. Bring the water to a boil, then drain and rinse the lamb.
- In a large pot, place the meat, bones, bouquet of herbs, onions, carrots, turnip, and salt and pepper. Fill the pot with water until all ingredients are covered, and simmer gently for 1 hour, skimming off the foam as it rises.
- Add the potatoes and continue simmering for 25 minutes, then add the cabbage and simmer for an additional 5 minutes.
- When the meat and vegetables are cooked, remove the bones and the bouquet of herbs, and stir in the chopped parsley and a dash of Worcestershire sauce.
Servings: Serves 4-6
Enjoy the hearty cuisine—and warm hospitality—of the Emerald Isle on our Ireland in Depth vacation.