Irish Soda Bread

you will need

2 pound flour (1 kilo)
2 teaspoons (10ml) bircarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons (10ml) salt
12 fluid ounces (350ml) milk or buttermilk

Sift the four, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large, warmed bowl. Add the milk or buttermilk and mix to a smooth dough. Shape it into a large deep circle. Transfer to a well greased baking sheet, then cut a deep cross in the middle.
Bake in a preheated oven: 220°C, 425°F, Gas 7 for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Irish Griddle Bread

you will need:

8 ounces ( 240g) wholemeal flour
8 ounces(240g) plain flour
1 dessertspoon (10ml) sugar
1 teaspoon (5ml) bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon (5ml) salt
1 dessertspoon (10ml) dripping
milk

Mix together flours, and add sugar, soda and salt. Rub in the dripping and mix in enough milk, to make a dough which is stiff but will roll easily.
Roll out into a round one inch thick, and cut into 4 sections. Cook on a hot griddle for 10 minutes on each side

Potato Scones

you will need:

8 ounces (240g) boiled potatoes
2 ounces (60g) flour
1/2 ounce ( 15g) butter or margarine
pinch of salt

Mash the potatoes smoothly adding butter and beat well. Gradually work in as much flour as the potatoes will absorb. Turn on to a floured board and roll out till thin. Cut into squares, then into triangles. Bake on a hot griddle for about 5 minutes, turning once.

Colcannon

you will need:

8 ounces (240g) shredded green cabbage or kale
8 ounces (240g) mashed potatoes
2 ounces (60g) sliced green onions or leeks
pepper
butter or margarine

Heat half inch water to boiling. Stir in cabbage or kale, cover and heat to boiling, cook 5 minutes, drain. In a frying pan, heat a little butter and cook the onions or leeks until soft. Prepared mashed potates, fold in cabbage and onions and add pepper to taste. Dot with butter and serve at once.

Leftovers can be cooked the next day.
Turn into a hot frying pan and continuously chop and stir until the entire mash turns light golden brown, and there are little crispy bits.
Or form into potato cakes and cook until brown in a frying pan or on a griddle.

Irish Stew

you will need:

2 pounds (1 kilo) potatoes, peeled and sliced
2 large onions peeled and sliced
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon (15ml) dried thyme
2 pound (1 kilo) lamb chops or neck of lamb

Put about half the potatoes at the bottom of a large casserole dish. Cover with half the onions, then sprinkle with salt and pepper and half the thyme. Add the chops or neck of lamb, then continue to make layers with the remaining onions, salt and pepper, tyme and the remaining potatoes. Add just enough water to cover. Cover tightly and cook in a preheated oven: 170°C, 325°F, Gas 3 for 2 - 21/2 hours or until the meat is cooked through.

Beef with Guinness

you will need:

4 ounces (120g) butter
1 pound (480g) chuck beef cut into 2 inch pieces
1 large sweet onion sliced thin
a bouquet garni (thyme, sage, parsley, bay leaf)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup beef stock
1 pint Guinness stout
1 pound (480g) peeled potatoes quartered
2 large sweet carrots sliced

Heat butter in skillet and brown the beef in batches - set aside. Cook the onion in same skillet for 5 minutes until just softened, return meat to pan, add bouquet garni, salt, pepper, stock and stout and bring mixture to the boil. Cook stew uncovered in preheated oven: 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4 for about an hour. Add potatoes and carrots bake for 45 minutes till all is tender.

Dublin Coddle

you will need:

454g packet thick pork sausages (bangers)
12 ounces (350g) gammon steak de rinded and cut into chunks
2 pounds (1 kilo) potatoes peeled
1 pound (500g) onions, peeled and thinly sliced
4 level tablespoons freshly chopped parsley
salt and pepper

Prick the sausages and place in a pan with the gammon chunks. Cover with water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 5 minutes. Drain the meat, reserving the cooking liquor. Cut each sausage into 3.
Thickly slice the potatoes and arrange with the onion, meats and parsley in rough layers in an ovenproof dish, seasoning each layer generously with pepper and just a little salt (gammon is salty).
Pour in 1 1/2 pints (900ml) reserved liquer, if there is not enough, make up with water. Cover the dish with lid or foil. Cook in a pre heated oven: 200°C, 400°F, Gas 6 for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until the potatoes are tender.

Irish Whiskey Cake

you will need:

2 tablespoons (30ml) Irish whiskey
1 orange
6 ounces (180g) sultanas
6 ounces (180g) butter
6 ounces (180g) sugar
3 eggs
8 ounces (240g) plain flour
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon (5ml) baking powder

Put the whiskey into a small bowl. Peel the orange thinly and soak the rind in the whiskey for a few hours. Discard the peel. Leave the sultanas to soak in the whiskey while preparing the rest of the cake.
Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time with a teaspoon of flour for each one, beating well between each addition. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together and fold into the egg mixture. Fold in the whiskey and sultanas.
Line a greased 7 inch round cake tin with greased paper. Put in the mixture and bake in a preheated oven: 180°C, 350°F, Gas 4. Cool on a wire rack

note: this recipe did not tell how long the cake should be cooked for in the oven,
so use your own experience for this

Guinness Cake

you will need:

1 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/4 cups Guinness
1 1/2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cups currants
1 1/2 cups sultanas
3/4 cup mixed candied citrus peel
5 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3 eggs

Butter and line a 9 inch cake pan with wax paper.
Place the butter, sugar and Guinness in a pan and bring slowly to the boil stirring all the time until the sugar and butter have melted. Mix in the dried fruit and peel and bring mixture back to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. remove from heat and leave until cold.
Sift flour, spices and baking soda into a large mixing bowl, stir in cooled friut mixture and beaten eggs. Turn into cake pan and bake in center of preheated oven: 170°C, 325°F, Gas 3 for 2 hours. Cool in pan before turning out.

Conemarra Tart

you will need:

1 cup self raising flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 large apples
1 beaten egg
2 ounces butter
1/4 cup milk
pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
FOR THE TOP
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Sift flour, ginger, salt and sugar. Rub in the fat. Add milk and eggs to make a soft dough. Roll out on a floured board. Cover the base of a greased pie dish with the pastry. Grate the apples into the pastry. Dot with butter. Sprinkle cinnamon and nutmeg over the top. Bake in a moderate oven for 1/2 hour.

Irish Coffee

you will need:

4 sugar lumps (or 4 teaspoons of sugar)
6 fluid ounces (180ml) Irish whiskey
10 fluid ounces (300ml) strong boiling coffee
4 fluid ounces (120ml) double cream
4 stemmed, heatproof glasses about 7 fluid ounces (200ml) in capacity

Put a sugar lump (or teaspoon of sugar) in each glass. Pour over the whiskey, then top up with the hot coffee. Pour cream over the back of a teaspoon into each glass so it floats on top.