Thirsty Thursdays: Irish Edition

Coming up with an Irish themed cocktail for the week has thrown me for a loop. The grim prospect of Bailey's Irish Cream, and noxiously green drinks made with creme de menthe, nearly put me off the whole idea altogether. And heaven knows you don't need a recipe to make green beer. I wouldn't drink it and I'm not going to post about it either.

I don't know that I've ever even had an "Irish" cocktail. I know they must exist, but none have come my way and when I'm in Ireland, I usually stick to Jameson Irish Whiskey. So Whiskey it is today ... and none of its going to be green.

Irish Creamsicle:

• 2 oz. Irish Whiskey (Jameson or Tullamore Dew)
• 1 oz. Navan (vanilla cognac)
• 3/4 oz. fresh orange juice
• dash or two of orange bitters
• orange peel for garnish

Fill a martini shaker with ice and over it pour the whiskey, Navan, fresh orange juice and bitters. Cover and shake well until the outside of the shake frosts. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with some strands of orange peel. Serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

Ok, so I know there's no cream in my creamsicle, but the vanilla notes of the Navan combined with the oj, really do put one in mind of a creamsicle. A decidedly adult creamsicle, at that, since the whiskey lends a nice punch. Be forewarned, this little beauty goes down smooth so it might just sneak up on you. I loved it and I hope you will too.

If you're not in possession of the Navan, and don't want to buy it, I'll offer a simple classic ...

Jameson and Ginger:

• 2 oz. Jameson Irish Whiskey
• ginger ale
• wedge of lime

Fill a highball glass with ice and over it pour the Jameson. Top up the drink with ginger ale and squeeze in the juice from a wedge of lime. Stir. Garnish with a wheel of lime. Serve and enjoy, repeat as necessary!

Armed with these two recipes, you're sure to be celebrating St. Patty's Day in fine fashion next week. And, bonus, not a green drink in sight!

So, what are you planning to drink next Wednesday? Have any Irish cocktails of your own to share? Thirsty Diva wants to know.

Sláinte!

Irish Foods Week: Basic Brown Scones Edition

No exploration of Irish foods would be complete without a bread of some sort. Irish bread is legendary and my love of soda bread in particular is complete and everlasting.

I'll never forget my first bite of brown soda bread. The year was 1977 and my family was traveling through Ireland for the first time. That trip marked the first plan ride for all four of us and the flight seemed endless. It was a bumpy trip. As I said in my post about soda bread last year, we were all fairly green around the gills upon landing and it was only the small meal of brown soda bread and good strong tea that saved us. I'm convinced Irish brown bread has magical, healing properties.

Since I've already posted two recipes for brown soda bread in the past, today I thought we'd try some scones. And, I'll be honest, these aren't the scones of my dreams. They look gorgeous and have a lovely, tender crumb, but the flavor is rather simple. Not bad, mind you, but they didn't knock my socks off either.

This recipe comes from the Irish Baking Book by Ruth Isabel Ross - the same book from which I adapted my Hearty Brown Bread recipe. I've mainly changed the method of preparation and technique here, providing more instruction than as does the book ... because I think its necessary. I decided to top the second batch with a bit of coarse sugar and this proved a wonderful improvement indeed.

Think of this recipe as a starting point, a place to jump off, a basic template. Add in some raisins, currants or nuts if you like, and perhaps a bit of sugar if you prefer a sweeter scone. The original recipe contains no sugar, but I will add an option for those who wish.

Basic Brown Scones:

• 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour)
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 2 tablespoons of steel cut oats (pinhead oats, not rolled oats)
• 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar, if desired (alternately, you could use 1 tablespoon of honey)
• 1/2 stick (2 oz.) of cold butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of buttermilk
• some additional buttermilk for glazing
• some rolled oats for topping
• some coarse sanding sugar for topping

In a large mixing bowl combine the flours, baking soda, salt, cream of tartar, steel cut oats, and sugar, if using. (If you choose to add honey, do not add at this point, that will come later.) Whisk well to combine. Add the cold butter and using your hands, or a pastry cutter, cut in the butter until the mixture forms a coarse meal. (I like to use my hands.)

Add the buttermilk, and honey, if using, and stir to combine. The mixture will be dry. Use your hands to knead the dough while still in the bowl and knead until the mixture can be formed into a ball. Turn out onto the counter and knead well, until the dough becomes smooth, about 3 minutes or so.

Pre-heat your oven to 425 degrees F.

Cut the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rest for at least 15 minutes and up to 1/2 hour. Working with one half of dough at a time, knead until smooth then roll out, using a rolling pin, into a 1/2 inch thick circle or square. Use a small biscuit cutter or drinking glass to cut out scones. Place cut scones on a cookie sheet and brush the top of each with a bit of buttermilk. Dust the wet scones with some rolled oats and some coarse sugar to coat the tops. Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 425 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light golden brown and cooked throughout. Serve immediately with some butter and jam.

As written this recipe will yield 24 to 26 scones, depending on size.

They are excellent with the butter and jam. I suggest KerryGold butter and some lovely strawberry jam.

Do you have a killer scone recipe? If so, link it up in the comments. Hungry Diva wants to know!

Bon appetite!

Irish Foods Week: Beef and Guinness Edition

Or, to be exact, Diva's Crock-pot Beef and Guinness!

Beef and Guinness is a classic Irish stew that usually contains chunks of beef stewed together with onions and carrots, sometimes mushrooms, and bottle of Guinness Stout. The Guinness acts as tenderizing agent, helping to break down the meat and lends a wonderful, malty flavor to the sauce.

In many recipes, the stewing liquid contains Guinness and Guinness alone. It will come as no surprise, I'm sure, that I've gilded the lily a bit here. I'm 1/4 Italian, so I'm culturally obligated to use some tomato paste. I combined it with some beef broth to bump up the flavor and I've switched up the meat a bit too. Translated literally, Diva's Beef and Guinness means: I'm too lazy to season and brown a bunch of stew meat ... so I've used a roast instead. Ok, so this is really a pot roast of sorts - but an Irish one at heart!

Diva's Crock-pot Beef and Guinness:

• one 3 to 3 1/2 pound bottom round or rump roast, tied
• scant 1/3 cup of flour
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon Essence of Emeril seasoning blend
• olive oil
• 1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, cleaned and chopped
• 1 large onion, peeled, cut in half and sliced
• 6 carrots, peeled and cut into rough chop
• 1 large parsnip, peeled and cut into 2 inch sticks
• 1 medium white turnip, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• bouquet garni made from: 1 stalk of celery (leaves included), 5 sprigs of fresh thyme, 4 sprigs fresh parsley. Mash together and tied securely with some kitchen twine
• 1 bay leaf (I used dried)
• one 12 ounce bottle of Guinness Stout
• 3/4 cup of beef broth
• 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
• 2 two inch pieces of orange peel from a fresh orange

1. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, paprika and Emeril's Essence on a large plate. Mix together with a fork. Roll the bottom round roast around in the flour to coat, patting so the mixture will adhere, and shake off the excess.

2. Heat a large cast iron pan over high heat and slick the bottom of it with some olive oil to coat. When it is hot, but not smoking, add the roast and brown quickly on all sides. Remove from pan.

3. Place the chopped leeks in the bottom of a large oval crock-pot and place the roast atop the leeks. Scatter the sliced onions, chopped carrots, parsnips and turnips around the meat in alternating layers. Scatter the garlic over the vegetables and nestle the bouquet garni into the veggies. Add the bay leaf and pour the entire bottle of Guinness Stout over the meat and vegetables.

4. Mix 3/4 of a cup of beef broth or stock with 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, whisking well to combine, and pour over the meat and vegetables. Tuck the strips of orange peel into the mix somewhere, cover and cook on low until the meat is fork tender, about 8 to 9 hours.

5. Remove the roasts and slice for serving. Remove the bouquet garni, orange peel and bay leaf from the crock-pot and discard. Serve the sliced meat along with the veggies, topped off with the luscious sauce. If desired, you may garnish with some chopped fresh parsley or a sprig of thyme. Enjoy!

As written, this recipe will serve 6.

Please don't be put off by the long list of ingredients here. A few minutes of chopping and browning and your crock-pot will do the rest. Its ridiculously easy and ridiculously delicious. The broth is so flavorful, the carrots a revelation - in fact, they might be my favorite part - and the meat is so tender it will literally fall apart.

So much so that it was hard to get a picture of it. I had visions of thick, even slices ... what I got instead was shreds. Richly flavored shreds to be sure, and you can't beat the flavor of the veggies that have been simmering in that beer based broth all day.

Lastly, please note that because this is cooked in a crock-pot, it yields a thin, brothy sauce. Its so yummy you could drink it with a spoon - but if you're looking for a thicker, gravy-like consistency, you'll need to thicken it with a roux. Do as you see fit. I hope you'll try it!

Come back tomorrow for another Irish classic.

Bon appetite!

Irish Foods Week: Boxty Edition

Boxty, Boxtie, Boxtea, there are as many ways to make it as there are to spell it. No, strike that, there are probably a million more ways to make boxty than spell it. There are boxty dumplings, boxty pancakes, boxty crepes and even boxty breads! So idiosyncratic is this most Irish of dishes, that I venture there's a different recipe for every Irish household in which its found. But what the heck is it? Basically, its a potato pancake that can be made and served in a myriad of ways.

The first time I had boxty was sometime in the late 1970's, at the annual Feis in New Haven. (Pronounced fesh, a Feis is a field day, celebrating Irish culture. Generally it includes dancing exhibitions, games of hurling and Irish Football, music, food and traditional Irish crafts. Its one big outdoor party and a hell of a good time.) On that day at the Feis, the boxty was dense with shredded potatoes, almost like a hash-brown ... and it was also black. Or, more precisely, a deep charcoal gray. Gray because the boxty committee that year decided to get a jump on things by making the batter in advance; perhaps forgetting that uncooked potatoes have a tendency to discolor. Ah well, we ate them anyway, and they were delicious.

The second time I had boxty, I was at Gallagher's Boxty House in Dublin. The year was 1991 and the husband (my boyfriend at the time) and I were traveling through Ireland. Budding foodie that I was, I made a special point of stopping for a meal at Gallagher's in order to sample some non-black boxty. On this day, the boxty was thinner, a crepe actually, still made with potatoes, but clearly the batter was much different. I had the bacon and cabbage boxty; a delicate crepe enfolding a center of ham and cabbage in a rich, creamy sauce. It was spectacular!

The third time I had boxty, I made them myself. Just yesterday, in fact, and its all because of The Daily Spud. Last week, The Spud announced that in honor of St. Patrick's Day this year, The Daily Spud will host a Paddy's Day Food Parade ... and we're all invited! Not content to fix just one Irish themed dish, I've decided to offer a week of Irish foods, beginning with my boxty post today. Get out your green tiaras, folks, we're hopping the pond this week!

Diva's Boxty:

• 2 large russet potatoes, at least 10 oz. each
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated onion
• 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• scant 3/4 cup flour (I used white whole wheat flour)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup of buttermilk (I used low-fat)
• 1/4 cup of buttermilk mixed with 2 tablespoons milk
• olive oil
• butter
• some chopped fresh chives for garnish

1 . Place the grated onion and minced parsley into a large mixing bowl. Set aside and reserve.

2. Peel one of the potatoes and cut it into quarters. Place cut potato into a small saucepan, cover with water, add a pinch of Kosher salt and bring to a boil. Cook until tender, but not mushy, about 12 - 14 minutes. Drain, return potatoes to pan and stir over medium-high heat for about a minute, until potatoes are dry. Mash well with a potato masher until smooth. Add mashed potatoes to the grated onion and parsley. Mix well, set aside and reserve.

3. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a small mixing bowl and whisk well to incorporate. Set aside and reserve.

4. Peel the second potato and, using a box grater with large holes, grate the potato. Measure out 1 1/4 cups of shredded potato, place in the middle of a clean tea towel, and twist the towel, tightly, to wring out the water. Squeeze as much of the water from the shredded potatoes as you can, then add the potatoes to the reserved potato and onion mixture. Stir with a fork to combine. Immediately add 1/2 cup of buttermilk and stir well. (The acid in the buttermilk will help to keep the potatoes from discoloring.)

5. Add the reserved flour mixture and stir well with a spatula. At this point, the mixture will appear dry. Add the additional 1/4 cup of buttermilk that has been mixed with 2 tablespoons of milk, and stir well to combine. Your batter should be thick, but not dry.

6. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of butter to the pan. Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons into the pan and flatten slightly with the back of the spoon to form a round cake. Cook over medium heat until the boxty is golden brown on the bottom, about 3 to 4 minutes, then flip. Cook the second side until golden brown and until the batter is fully cooked, approximately 3 to 4 or minutes. Remove and keep warm in the oven while making the rest of the cakes. Repeat, adding more oil to the pan if necessary, until all of the batter has been cooked.

7. Serve the boxty with butter and a sprinkling of chopped fresh chives if desired. Traditionally, boxty is served with bacon - good, Irish, bacon. Its also delicious when served with a fried egg. As written this recipe will yield 12 - 16 pancakes. Immediate leftovers can be re-heated in the microwave, 30 seconds or so should do it, but do not make these in advance! They must be made and eaten on the same day or they will turn black.

No one is going to accuse boxty of being the most flavorful food out there. Its simple stuff, peasant fare really, born out of the desire to make more out of less. Traditional recipes would not include the grated onion and parsley as I've done here. I can't leave well enough alone and I rather like the additional boost of flavor they bring to the mix. If you're seeking a more traditional experience, leave them out.

Incidentally, if you'd like to see a really traditional boxty recipe, hop on over to The Daily Spud and read about her day making boxty with a real Irish mammy.

By all means, serve them with bacon. The creamy potato cakes are the perfect foil for some crisp, salty bacon. And, if like me you're unable to get your hands on good Irish bacon, opt for some Canadian bacon instead. Boxty is delicious for breakfast, or lunch, but since I've already ventured outside the boxty box ... tomorrow I'm going to use them as the base on which to serve some beef and Guinness stew. Stay tuned, I think its going to be spectacular!

I hope you'll enjoy the rest of our Irish explorations this week, and that you'll join The Daily Spud's Paddy's Day Food Parade. Come hungry, its bound to be delicious!

Bon appetite!

The Ethnic Diva: Soda Bread Redux

Come closer, I want to tell you a secret ... I like bread. I don't just like it, I love it. It is a love that knows no bounds ... well, with the exception of Wonderbread and the like. I have standards. Not much of a secret, huh? Well, then here's another ... I baked this loaf solely as an excuse to slather it with Kerrygold butter.

Hearty Brown Bread:

• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2 cup of steel cut oats, such as McCann's Irish Oatmeal*
• pinch of salt
  
• 1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 tsp. of honey
  

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F and lightly butter a 9 inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, whole wheat pastry flour and steel cut oats. Stir with a wire whisk to mix thoroughly. Add the salt and baking soda and whisk again to combine well. Add the buttermilk and honey, then stir with a wooden spoon until the buttermilk is fully incorporated and the dough has formed. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and kneed gently, approximately 12 to 15 turns.

Place the dough into the prepared loaf pan and press slightly so as to fit the dough to the pan and into the corners. Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until light golden brown. The finished bread will sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. (Mine was finished at exactly 30 minutes.) Do not over-bake. Remove the finished loaf from the pan immediately and wrap it in a clean tea towel (dish cloth) - this will ensure that the loaf will not harden as it cools.

As written this recipe will yeild one loaf.

*You must use the steel cut oats in this recipe, not rolled oats. And, yes, you use them raw. Don't ask me why, just know that its OK. The oats will not be hard, but they will add a marvelous, chewy texture to the bread.

This is another variation of Irish soda bread and its perfect for those who wish to eschew the more traditional, butter laden variety. I encountered this bread several times on my last trip to Ireland and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what gave it that nutty, chewy texture. Somewhere on that trip I bought a copy of the Irish Baking Book by Ruth Isabel Ross, and finally I had my answer. This recipe is adapted from that book.

The bread is so simple, so hearty and delicious, its become one of my all time favorites. It takes all of five minutes to prepare, yet tastes like you've spent the day crafting it. As a vehicle for the spectacular Kerrygold, it excels ... but don't just take my word for it, get in the kitchen and get baking!

Bon appetit!

The Ethnic Diva: Emerald Isle Edition ...

... one day late. I had grand plans for St. Patrick's Day here on Beach Eats, but circumstances being what they were, I'm one day late. No matter, really, I'm Irish every day of the year and its never too late to strut my heritage and bake up a loaf of soda bread. The boxty will have to wait until next year. Stay tuned.

While the raisin bedecked white soda bread may be more common here in the US, that's not what comes to mind when I think of Irish bread. The hearty brown stuff is the bread I fancy. It captured my attention on my first trip to Ireland, back in 1977, and I've never looked back. My family and I arrived in Ireland more than a little green around the gills from the over-night flight on that day long ago. Sensing our collective malaise, our gracious hostess at the B&B quickly healed all ills by serving us gallons of dark, hot tea and the most luscious brown bread imaginable. I'm convinced that bread had magical properties and it has been my favorite Irish delicacy - no, that's not an oxymoron - ever since. I'm happy to present my version of it here for you today.

Brown Soda Bread:

• 2 cups of whole wheat flour
• 3/4 cup wheat germ
• 1 and 3/4 cups of all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 stick of cold, unsalted, butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 cups of buttermilk
• 1 tsp. pure honey

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, wheat germ, white flour, salt, sugar, cream of tartar and baking soda. Mix well with a wire whisk until well combined. Add the butter and using your hands, or a pastry cutter, blend until the mixture forms a coarse meal. (I like to use my hands and rub the butter and flour together between them until the mealy texture is achieved.) Make a well in the center of the bowl and add the buttermilk and honey. Stir with a wooden spoon until all of the buttermilk has been incorporated and a stiff dough begins to form.

Turn the mixture out onto a well-floured surface and knead gently until smooth, roughly 2 to 3 minutes or so, adding a bit more flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. Transfer the dough to a buttered, 9 inch, cake pan, pressing down and flattening the dough slightly to fill the pan. Using a sharp knife, cut a large X across the top of the dough. (As seen below.) Bake in the middle of a pre-heated 400 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes or until the loaf has browned and middle of the X no longer looks wet. The fully baked loaf will sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. (Mine baked for @ 42 minutes.) Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and continue cooling the loaf on a wire rack.

Slice and serve immediately, slathered with good, fresh butter. As written this recipe will yield one, 9 inch round loaf ... and it won't last long. I just dare you to keep your hands off it!

So, how did you celebrate St. Paddy's Day? Curious Diva wants to know.

Bon appetit!

On Edit: Careful viewers will note that this bread is not in a cake pan ... my cake pans seem to have disappeared. Curious that. I threw it into a glass pie dish and it baked off just fine. :)