Irish cuisine goes beyond the pub favorite.
It is said that everyone is a wee bit Irish on St. Patrick’s Day. The holiday, which evolved from a feast day for Saint Patrick to a celebration of Irish culture, is so popular that some fans celebrate “Halfway to St. Patrick’s Day” on Sept. 17.
Why limit the fun, and especially the flavors, of the Emerald Isle to just two days a year? We’re not saying you have to eat corned beef and cabbage every week (unless you really want to, but check with your doctor first). There’s so much more to Irish cuisine than the pub favorite.
To prove our point, we’ve rounded up some recipes from renowned Irish chefs. So, enjoy the corned beef, fish and chips, Irish soda bread and green beer — if you must — on March 17 (and maybe again in September). But be sure to make time to try these alternatives to the cliche beef, fish and quick bread dishes of St. Patrick’s Day. You’ll think you found a culinary pot of gold — no leprechaun required.
Beef Fillet and Brisket with Morels and Mushroom Puree
This recipe is by chefs Derry Clarke and Tom Doyle. Clarke opened the l’Ecrivain Restaurant in Dublin in 1989 and Doyle is the eatery’s head chef. Makes 4 servings.
For the brisket:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
21/4 pound beef brisket
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 onion, diced
1 stick celery
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 small leek, diced
5 ounces red wine
31/2 ounces balsamic or red-wine vinegar
15 ounces beef or chicken stock
For the fillet:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces beef fillet
For the morels and mushrooms:
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil
8 morels
Scant 1/2 pound button mushrooms
31/2 ounces cream
1/2 teaspoon truffle oil
1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat in pan large enough to hold brisket. Add brisket and sear on both sides. Season with salt and pepper, and add onion, celery, carrot, garlic and leek. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine, vinegar and stock. Cover and cook over low heat for 3 hours until tender.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in pan over high heat. Season fillet with salt and pepper on both sides and brown on each side for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and leave to rest.
3. Fry morels and mushrooms in vegetable oil in pan until golden brown. Remove morels, set aside. Strain out liquid, put mushrooms back in pot. Add cream and reduce over low heat until almost evaporated. Puree in food processor, season with salt and pepper, and add truffle oil.
4. Serve beef brisket and fillet with mushroom puree. Garnish with morels.
Chef’s note: “For a very special occasion, heat a knob of butter in a pan, add truffles and toss for 1 minute. Season and serve.”
— All recipes from “The New Irish Table: Recipes From Ireland’s Top Chefs” (Imagine, 240 pp., 2017)
Ballyknocken Tea Scones
Catherine Fulvio, who is a celebrity chef and proprietor of Ballyknocken House and Cookery School in County Wicklow, on the eastern coast of Ireland, provides this quick bread recipe. Makes about 17 scones.
Ballyknocken tea scones from Catherine Fulvio, who is a celebrity chef and proprietor of Ballyknocken House and Cookery School in County Wicklow, (Chris Hill) 41/2 cups cake flour
2 very heaping teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
8 tablespoons chilled Irish salted butter
Approximately 10 ounces whole milk
Beaten egg and sugar, to glaze
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Sift all dry ingredients together. Rub in chilled butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in center and add most of milk. Mix to a soft dough, adding all of milk, if required.
2. Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead lightly. Roll out to about 1 inch thickness. Dip scone cutter into flour and cut dough into 11/2-rounds.
3. Place beaten egg in one bowl and sugar in another. Dip tops only of scones into egg first and then sugar. Place on floured baking pan, sugar side up. Put scones immediately into hot oven for about 15 minutes, or until they rise and have golden tops. Enjoy them warm with Irish butter and homemade jam.
Chef’s note: “Prior to kneading, add cranberries or orange zest to the scone dough for a delicious treat.”
Poached Salmon with Irish Butter Sauce
This recipe was created by chef Darina Allen, co-founder of the world-renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School in County Cork, the largest and southernmost county in Ireland. Allen has been called “the Julia Child of Ireland.” Makes 8 servings.
Poached salmon with Irish butter sauce, paired with leeks, from chef Darina Allen. She has been called “the Julia Child of Ireland.” (Carsten Krieger) 21/2 pounds center cut of fresh salmon
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons cold water
8 tablespoons Irish butter, diced
Approximately 1 teaspoon lemon juice
Sprigs of flat parsley or watercress, for garnish
1. Half-fill pan with salted water and bring to boil. Put in fish, just covering it with water, and bring back to boil. Simmer gently, adjusting heat as necessary, for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and allow fish to sit in water. Serve within 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, make sauce. Put egg yolks into heavy-bottomed stainless-steel saucepan on very low heat. Add cold water and whisk thoroughly.
3. Add butter bit by bit, whisking constantly. As soon as one piece melts, add the next. Mixture will gradually thicken, but if it shows signs of becoming too thick or “scrambling” slightly, remove from heat immediately and add a little cold water, if necessary. Do not leave the pan or stop whisking until sauce is made. Finally, add lemon juice to taste. Pour into bowl and keep warm over hot, but not boiling, water.
4. Lift cooked salmon carefully out of poaching liquid and place on platter. Cut poached salmon into individual servings. Gently peel off salmon skin. Put few tablespoons of butter sauce on plate, add portion of salmon and finish with more sauce. Garnish with sprigs of parsley or watercress.
Chef’s note: “For maximum flavor, we cook the salmon in the time-honored way, by poaching it gently in well-salted boiling water. The proportion of salt to water is very important. We use one rounded tablespoon of salt to every 5 cups of water. The fish or piece of fish should be just covered with water, using the minimum amount of water to preserve the maximum flavor, so one should use a saucepan that will fit the fish exactly. An oval cast-iron saucepan is usually perfect.”