St. Patricks Day Recipes

Try some authentic Irish food this year with these tasty dishes.

Irish Pot-Roasted Chicken

Chicken, about 4.5 lb
4 oz Oatmeal
Medium onion, chopped
2 T Butter
3 T Stock
Salt and pepper
6 oz Bacon
3 Med. onions, sliced
2 lb Potatoes
Seasoned flour
3 T Dripping or oil
4 Med. carrots, sliced

If there are giblets with the bird, take them out, wash all but the liver (reserve that for another use), and cover with water, add salt and pepper, bring to the boil and simmer for half an hour. Wipe the bird inside and out and remove any lumps of fat from the inside; sprinkle with salt. Mix together the oatmeal, chopped onion, butter or suet, stock, and seasoning, stuff the bird with this mixture and secure well. Heat the dripping or oil and lightly fry the bacon, then chop and put into a casserole. Quickly brown the bird in the same fat and put on top of the bacon. Soften the onion and briefly saute the carrots, then add to the casserole.

Strain the giblet stock and make it up to about 1/2 liter. Heat and pour over the chicken. Cover and cook in a moderate oven (350C) for about an hour.

Meanwhile, cut the potatoes into thick slices and blanch them in boiling water, or steam them for about 5 minutes. Toss them in seasoned flour and add them to the casserole, adding a little more of the giblet stock if needed. Cover with buttered wax paper and continue cooking for another 1/2 hour, taking off the paper for the last few minutes for browning.

Servings: 4
_________________________________________________________________________________

Corned Beef Potato Salad

1 can corned beef (the kind you have to open with the attached key), chilled, fat scraped off, and cut into 1/2" cubes
3 large potatoes, any kind, about 1 1/2 lbs.
4 green onions, minced
1 can (about 1 1/2 c.) sauerkraut, drained and rinsed and chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped/diced
1/3 c. minced dill pickles (Clausen brand is the best)
1 small jar diced pimientos (optional, for color)

Dressing:
1/2 c. low-fat mayo or salad dressing
1 c. low-fat sour cream
2-4 T. prepared mustard (we like the spicy brown mustard)
1-2 T. horseradish
1/4 c. milk or broth or pickle juice
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 tsp. salt

Combine last 7 ingredients in a large bowl. Boil whole potatoes in skins until barely tender. Peel and cut into large pieces (2" x 2"), and place in dressing mixture while still warm. Toss to coat thoroughly. Stir in other ingredients. Refrigerate. Taste and adjust for salt several hours later.

Serve cold on lettuce. Garnish with cherry tomatoes, sliced.

YIELD: 4-6 Servings as a Main Dish
__________________________________________________________________________________

Corned Beef and Cabbage with Horseradish Sauce

5 lb. corned beef brisket
1 large onion stuck with 6 whole cloves
6 carrots, peeled and halved
8 medium potatoes, washed and quartered
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 small bunch parsley
1 head cabbage (about 2 lbs), quartered

Horseradish Sauce:
1/2 pint whipping cream
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2-4 tablespoons prepared horseradish
(Whip cream until it stand in peaks. Fold in mayonnaise and horseradish.)

Put beef in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil with the lid off the pot. Add thyme, parsley and onion.

Turn to simmer and cook for 3 hours. Skim fat from top as it rises. Add cabbage, potatoes, and carrots. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until cabbage is cooked.
Remove the meat and cut into pieces. Place on center of a large platter. Strain the cabbage and season it heavily with black pepper. Surround the beef with the cabbage, carrots and potatoes.

Serve with horseradish sauce. 
__________________________________________________________________________________

Irish Green Velvet Cake

1 1/2 cups oil
2 eggs
1/2 tsp green food coloring
1 Tbs vinegar
1 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

FLUFFY WHITE FROSTING

3 Tbs meringue powder
1/2 cup cold water
2 cup sugar
1/4 cup white corn syrup
1/2 cup water

Combine eggs, sugar, oil and vinegar in bowl. Mix well. Sift flour and soda together. Add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. Blend in vanilla and food coloring. Pour into 3 greased and floured 8 " cake pans.

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes. Cool. Frost between layers, top and side of cake. Sprinkle chopped pistachio nuts on top. For frosting, beat meringue powder and 1/2 cup of cold water til stiff, about 4 minutes.

Mix sugar, corn syrup and 1/2 cup of water in a 2 qt. saucepan. Bring to a boil. Cool slightly.

Slowly add syrup to meringue mixture while beating on low. After adding all syrup to the mixture, turn beaters on high.
Beat for about 4 minutes until stiff and glossy.