With St. Patrick’s Day coming up on March 17th, I thought I’d get a jump start on the festivities and do my part to make sure that everyone knows this fine day is about more than green beer.
Please, for the love of all that his holy and good in the world, don’t make your beer green.
Instead, let’s celebrate the Irish in all of us with some really *good* cookery from the emerald isles.
For the next two weeks, I’ll be posting my favorite Irish-inspired recipes. Today’s recipes:
Irish Cheddar & Stout Fondue with Mini Walnut Soda Bread
Start by turning on “Celtic Radio” on Pandora (free internet music station – huzzah!) and pin a clover to your collar. Can’t find a 4-leafer? No worries, St. Patrick preferred the Holy Trinity anyway.
Now roll up your sleeves to make Irish Soda Bread – this recipe comes from the Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork, Ireland, on 100 acres of organic farmland (if you find yourself in Cork, be sure to sign up for a cooking class!).
Ballymaloe Mini Walnut Soda Breads
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 cup walnuts, toasted, chopped
• 1 cup chilled buttermilk
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons mild-flavored (light) molasses
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly flour large baking sheet. Whisk first 5 ingredients in large bowl to blend well. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until mixture resembles coarse meal. Mix in toasted, chopped walnuts. Whisk buttermilk, egg and molasses in small bowl to blend. Gradually add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring until medium-firm dough forms. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead until dough comes together, about 6 turns. Flatten dough into disk. Cut into 6 wedges. Shape each wedge into ball. Place on prepared sheet, spacing evenly apart. Flatten each to 3-inch round. Using sharp knife, cut shallow X in top of each round.
Bake breads until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer to rack. Serve warm or at room temperature, and definitely use to dip into the delicious fondue below!
Irish Cheddar and Stout Fondue (with some changes from Bon Appétit March, 2006)
For dipping:
• Sausages, chopped
• 1 cups cauliflower florets
• 1 cups broccoli
• 1 apples, cored, cut into wedges
Fondue:
• 1 pound Irish cheddar cheese (or sharp white cheddar), grated
• 2 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup (or more) Irish stout (such as Guinness)
• 6 tablespoons frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• A dash of lemon juice with a dash of Worcestershire at the end
Preparation
Arrange raw vegetables and apples around edge of large platter.
Toss the grated cheese with flour in large bowl. Bring 3/4 cup stout, juice concentrate, and mustard to simmer in large saucepan over medium heat. Gradually add cheese mixture, stirring constantly, until cheese is melted and smooth, thinning with more stout, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper, worcestershire and lemon juice.
Lactose intolerant, or on a diet that doesn’t permit bowls of cheese? Check out Ballymaloe’s recipe for Blackberry Colcannon for a healthier option (well, healthier if you skimp on the butter and milk, and don’t add bacon bits like I always do…).
Photo by WanderFood.