Irish recipes, Colcannon recipe, Traditional Irish recipes

A few Irish recipes are included in most of our cooking. When St Patricks day rolls around each year, I always say we all have a little Irish in our blood. The celebrating and partying way of life is in the blood and we all love a little excitement in our life. When it comes to St Patricks day recipes, we all think about corn beef and cabbage. Actually, I have been told that this dish is America-Irish. Anyway, I have cooked corned beef and cabbage for many years.

Irish recipes are influenced mostly by the crops grown and the animals raised. The early introduction of the potato to their cuisine has had a great influence. Cattle, pigs and sheep were raised through much of Irelands history. Until the nineteenth century this meat was a luxury reserved only for the wealthy. Of course the making of alcoholic beverages has had a great impact on Irelands culture also.

Potato recipes are the basis of most Irish meals. After beginning as small crops, the potato became the main food crop of the poor. It soon became the staple crop of Ireland. You will find potatoes in dishes like mulligan stew, lamb stew, Irish bread recipes and many dessert recipes.

This year I will be making my Colcannon recipe for St Patricks Day. It is my version so I don’t claim it as one of the traditional Irish recipes.

Colcannon with Sausage

The local production of the popular Guinness beer is felt throughout the culture. Besides drinking, it is also used in the cooking of Irish cuisine. The beer is characterized by its unique flavor and dark color. The Guinness Cake has been made popular by this unusual beer.

Ireland is also famous for its Irish whiskey. It is believed to be one of the oldest distilled beverages in Europe. Like the beer, the whiskey is also used in the cooking. Many of us are familiar with the delicious Irish cream. This cream liqueur has 15 to 20 percent alcohol in it and is good for flavoring many drinks and foods. The Irish whiskey has made the Irish Whiskey Cake popular which is also known as the Irish Wedding Cake.

Most of the Irish recipes contain the locally produced Irish butter. I must add that their butter is the best I have eaten. We actually did a taste test between several butters here at the farm with friends and the Irish butter won hands down. I have used it in Irish cookies like the lace cookies. I have made cookies for many years, especially for St Patricks Day for my children and their school classes. I call them Irish but they are only Irish because they are green shamrocks made from a sugar cookie recipe.

Many of the other Irish desserts are apple recipes. Apples have been grown in Ireland for thousands of years. It makes good sense why many of the delicious dessert recipes have apples in them. Much like here in the United States they have apple pie, apple crumble, apple fritters and apple dumplings.

Among the Irish recipes, I must mention the Irish soda bread. You might remember in one of my newsletters I wrote about the Raglan Road Irish Pub at Downtown Disney. They serve this bread with a Guinness dipping sauce. It is so delicious! This wonderful bread is enjoyed any time of the year but is a tradition on St Patricks day. It is crusty on the outside but cake-like on the inside. It is great with any meal or anytime of the day.

I hope this gets you started on your St Patricks Day celebration and you have a wonderful time.

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