[1] Boxty, Irish potato pancakes. Here’s the recipe (photo © Veggie Desserts).

[2] Coddle, or Dublin coddle, is somewhat like a potato and sausage stew. Here’s a recipe (photo © Wholefully).

[3] Colcannon consists of otatoes mashed with either cabbage or kale. Here’s a recipe (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

[4] Irish coffee in a traditional stemmed glass. Here’s a recipe (photo © Sarah Power | Unsplash).

[5] Irish lamb stew. Here’s a recipe (photo © Guinness).

[6] The original Irish soda bread had no currants or raisins. Here’s the recipe (photo © The Baker Chick).

While the modern generation of chefs has created sophisticated fare in the Emerald Isle, Irish cuisine has long been known for its hearty comfort food dishes. If you’d like to make something new for St. Patrick’s Day, here are some of the classics.

> Also see our 100+ recipes for Irish-themed breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and drinks.

> The history of St. Patrick’s Day.
 
 
10 CLASSIC IRISH DISHES

Some of these will sound familiar, some not. We present them in alphabetical order.

All are considered food for the working class.

How about a potluck, so you can assign all of these comfort-food dishes?

Barmbrack: A sweet quick bread filled with sultanas and raisins, barmbrack is an Irish tea bread. Barm is a type of yeast and brack is a loaf of bread. Called it brack for short. During Halloween the loaf is used in a fun fortune-telling game, with coins and other talismans baked the bread. Here’s a recipe. The history of barmbrack.

Boxty: A type of potato pancake made with grated potatoes, mashed potatoes, and sometimes flour—a bit like a cross between a hash brown and a potato pancake. It can be served as a side dish or as a breakfast item. Regional variations exist. The name originates in the 1700s, possibly from the Irish ‘arán bocht tí’, meaning “poor house bread,” due to its humble ingredients. Here’s a recipe (photo #1).

Boxty Dumplings: Similar to boxty pancakes, boxty dumplings are potato-based dumplings that are often served with stews or other hearty meals.

Coddle: A Dublin specialty, coddle is a one-pot dish made with layers of sausage, bacon, onions, and potatoes (photo #2). It is often referred to as a potato and sausage stew. Often cooked to use up leftovers, the only seasonings are usually salt, pepper, and occasionally, parsley. The ingredients are braised in the stock produced by boiling the pieces of bacon and sausage, then simmered slowly for a long time.

Coddle is traditionally eaten as a main meal with bread. The word “coddle” derives from the French caudle which means to boil gently, parboil, or stew. Coddle dates back to the first Irish famine in the late 1700s where anything got thrown into the pot. Here’s a slow cooker recipe.

Dubliners will tell you that coddle is best enjoyed with a pint of Guinness and plenty of soda bread to soak up the juices. Coddle was reputedly a favorite dish of the writers Seán O’Casey and Jonathan Swift, and it appears in several references to Dublin, including the works of James Joyce [source].

Coddle vs. Stew: While both are hearty one-pot meals, coddle is cooked in layers of vegetables, meat, and potatoes with just a small amount of liquid. A stew is much more like a thick soup with cubed meats, vegetables, or both.

Colcannon: Mashed potatoes mixed with either cabbage or kale, and typically flavored with butter, milk, and sometimes scallions or leeks (photo #3). It’s a classic side dish, especially popular during festive occasions. Here’s the history of colcannon, and here’s a recipe.

The variation called champ includes spring onions (scallions), onions, and chives.

Guinness Pie: A savory pie made with a filling of beef or lamb, vegetables, and a rich Guinness-based gravy. The filling is enclosed in a pastry crust and baked until golden brown. Here’s a modern recipe with puff pastry on top of the filling. Here’s the history of Guinness.

Irish Breakfast: A hearty breakfast that typically includes bacon, sausages, black and white pudding*, eggs, tomatoes, and often, baked beans. It’s a substantial meal designed to keep you fueled throughout the day. Irish breakfast tea is a blend of several black teas, most often a combination of Assam teas and Ceylon teas. It is stronger than English breakfast tea. Due to the strength of the brew, it is usually drunk in the morning (with a considerable amount of milk and sugar).

An Ulster Fry is a breakfast plate served throughout the day: bacon, baked beans, black and white pudding (types of sausage), fried eggs, Irish sausage (bangers), potato bread, soda bread, and tomatoes.

Irish Coffee: Irish coffee is a famous drink that consists of hot coffee, Irish whiskey, and sugar, topped with a layer of cream. Here’s how it was invented, and the original recipe.

Irish Stew: A traditional stew made with lamb or mutton, potatoes, carrots, onions, and sometimes barley. It’s often seasoned with herbs like thyme and parsley, and is slow-cooked to develop rich flavors and tenderize the meat. Here’s a recipe.

Soda Bread: A quick bread made with basic ingredients like flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk, and optional raisins. It has a dense texture and a slightly tangy flavor. Traditional soda bread may be either brown or white. It has no raisins or currants. Over time, family recipes evolved to include the addition of currants or raisins, caraway seeds, and/or honey. Here’s the history of soda bread, a classic recipe, and a modern recipe with chocolate and peanut butter!
 
Want dessert? Eat the barmbrack, or:

 
Plus:

 
 
 
________________
 
*Black pudding and white pudding are traditional oatmeal-based sausages that originated as a way for butchers to use offal (animal organs) after slaughter. Black pudding is made with pig’s blood, but other animal blood can be used (duck, goose, ox, venison). The blood gives it a darker color, like dark red or dark brown. The flavor is earthy. White pudding contains no blood, which is why it’s light brown or beige in color, similar to oatmeal. White pudding typically has light flavors of onions and spices. Modern recipes for both consist of suet or fat, oatmeal or barley, breadcrumbs, and in some cases, pork and pork liver, in a natural or cellulose sausage casing.
 
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

A tasty new way to serve crab, we present this Garlic Noodles with Crab recipe (photo #1) for National Crab Day, March 9th.

Thanks to the California Wine Institute for the recipe, which was developed by Sarah Gim. You can find many more delicious recipes with wine pairings at DiscoverCaliforniaWines.com.

Says Sarah:

“Garlic Noodles with Crab, like many iconic California dishes, is a dish that was born out of the creative fusion of the many different cultures that coexist here in the Golden State.

“In 1970s San Francisco, Vietnamese chef Helene An was inspired by her surrounding Italian neighborhood and cooked noodles using ingredients that were locally available to her.

“She came up with Garlic Noodles and Roast Crab, using umami-rich Asian sauces, Italian Parmesan cheese and Dungeness crab*, a type of crab that lives in the cold waters off the coast of California and the rest of the West Coast.

“Garlic Noodles and Roast Crab are now famous at both Chef An’s original Thanh Long restaurant as well as sister restaurant Crustacean, with locations in both the Bay Area and Los Angeles.

“The restaurant prepares whole Dungeness crab by roasting it, but we’re skipping that step and simply re-warming Dungeness crab that your fishmonger has already steamed for you.

“Look for cooked Dungeness crabs that are bright orange-red and heavy for their size. Dungeness crab is considered a good choice for sustainable seafood.”

Wine Pairing: “A full-bodied California Chardonnay is a perfect pairing for the buttery noodles. For something to balance out the rich flavors, try a bright California rosé.”

The recipe follows.

> The history of crab.

> Crab types and grades of crab meat.

> There are more crab recipes below.
 
 
RECIPE: GARLIC NOODLES WITH DUNGENESS CRAB

Prep time is 10 minutes, and cook time is 15 minutes.

But before you start, watch this video showing how to remove the meat from a Dungeness crab. If you don’t want to do it, consider using soft shell crabs or lump crab meat.

You can make the Garlic Noodles with whatever long, thin noodles you like—spaghetti, linguine, etc. If you have access to fresh pasta (photo #2) or to Asian-style fresh noodles**, use them because they have a subtle bouncy texture that you don’t get from dried pasta.

Similarly, although “Parmesan-style cheese” is an ingredient, you can use any strong grating cheese***.

 
Ingredients For 4 Servings

For The Dungeness Crab

 
For The Garlic Noodles

 
Preparation

1. PREPARE the Dungeness crabs: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Turn the heat off. Carefully slide the Dungeness crabs into the hot water and let them sit for 10 minutes to warm the crabs.

2. REMOVE the crabs from the hot water to a colander or bowl to drain off the excess water. Rinse out the pot; you will use it for the Garlic Noodles.

3. MELT the butter in a wok or large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add both warmed Dungeness crabs to the pan. Spoon the garlic butter over the crabs, and using a pair of tongs, gently turn the crabs over a few times to make sure they are entirely coated in the garlic butter. Add salt and pepper to taste (note that the soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce all have salt).

4a. REMOVE the Dungeness crabs to a serving plate, and drizzle the remaining garlic butter from pan over them. Set the crabs aside while you make the Garlic Noodles.

4b. WIPE out the pan or wok.

5. BRING a large pot of water to a boil, add the noodles and cook according to package directions until al dente. Depending on the type and brand of noodles, the cooking time can be anywhere from 90 seconds for fresh to 12 minutes for dried.

6. SAVE 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the noodles. Do not rinse them.

While the noodles are cooking, prepare the remaining ingredients.

7. MINCE the garlic cloves very finely.

8. COMBINE in a small bowl the soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, Parmesan cheese, and optional sugar.

9. HEAT the olive oil in a wok or large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the butter and stir until it is melted into the olive oil. Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 90 seconds. Do not allow the garlic to brown.

10. STIR the soy sauce mixture into the olive oil-melted butter in the pan. Add the cooked noodles to the pan and toss with the sauce to coat the noodles, about 1 minute. If the noodles and sauce become too dry in the pan, add reserved cooking water to the pan a few tablespoons at a time to loosen the noodles.

11. TRANSFER the Garlic Noodles to a serving platter. Garnish with sliced scallions. Serve immediately alongside the Dungeness Crabs. Each person gets four legs and one claw, i.e., half a crab.

12. STORE any leftover Dungeness Crab and Garlic Noodles separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. The Dungeness crabs will keep for one day. The Garlic Noodles will keep for two days.
 
 
20+ MORE CRAB RECIPES

 
 
________________
 
*Dungeness crabs can weigh anywhere from 2-4 pounds (1-2 kilograms) per crab. About 30% of that will be actual crab meat. Allot ½ a large Dungeness crab per serving.

Dungeness crab has been compared by some to the flavor of Maine lobster, but more tender. The meat is perhaps the sweetest of the Pacific crabs, flavorful and semi-nutty. Perhaps it’s because of its fine diet: It enjoys clams, other crustaceans and small fish. The crab is named after Dungeness, Washington, but is found from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska south to Santa Cruz, California. Its Latin name, Cancer magister, means “master crab” because it can measure as wide as 10 inches.

**Asian noodles are made with flour milled from common wheat, rice flour, or starch from a tuber or bean. Because traditional Asian noodles use softer flours and starches than pasta, most noodles employ salt as a binding agent, whereas Italian pasta typically forgoes salt. See the different types of pasta.

***Grating cheeses are aged, hard cheeses. Italian grating cheeses include Grana Padano, Pantaleo (goat’s milk, from Sardinia), Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, Pecorino Sardo, Pepato (sheep’s milk, Sicily), Provolone (aged), and Ricotta Salata. Other European grating cheeses include Cheddar, Cheshire, Edam, Gouda (aged), Gruyère (aged), Red Leicester, and Queijo de São Jorge (from the Azores).

There are also American hard cheeses, such as Uplands Cheese’s Pleasant Ridge Reserve, America’s most award-winning cheese. Your cheesemonger may have others as well.

†Fish sauce is a liquid sauce made from fermented fish and salt. Though fish sauce can have an intense fragrance directly from the bottle, the final dish does not actually smell or taste strongly “fishy.” Fish sauce adds umami and salt. You can find fish sauce in the condiments or the Asian food section of grocery stores, or online. If you cannot find fish sauce, substitute additional soy sauce or miso paste mixed with water.

‡Oyster sauce is a thick sauce made primarily from oysters. It adds umami and a subtle sweetness to final dishes. Look for a brand that has “oyster” as the first ingredient. Of all the Asian fish sauces, oyster sauce has the lowest salt per tablespoon—but it’s still 492 mg. If you can’t find oyster sauce, substitute an equivalent amount of a mix of half soy sauce and half sugar.

[1] The pièce de résistance: Garlic Noodles with Dungeness Crab (photo and recipe © Sarah Gim | Discover California Wines).

[2] If you have access to fresh spaghetti, it has a bouncier texture than dried boxed pasta (photo © Jakub Dziubak | Unsplash).

[3] French pink garlic is sweeter and milder in flavor than white garlic varieties (photo © Wesual Click | Public Domain).

[4] Use low-sodium soy sauce (photo © Webstaurant Store).

[5] Red Boat is a top-quality Vietnamese fish sauce. Here’s more about Asian fish sauce (photo © 177 Milk Street).

[6] Parmigiano-Reggiano. You can use any domestic Parmesan or any strong grating cheese. Here’s the difference between Parmigiano-Reggiano and Parmesan (photo © London Deposit | Panther Media).

[7] Measuring the olive oil (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

Sticks Of Butter[/caption]
[8] If you like your food saltier, use salted butter. Otherwise, use unsalted butter (photo © Go Bold With Butter).

[9] Garnish with chopped scallions [we cut ours with scissors] (photo © Karolina Grabowska | Pexels.

[10] Enjoy a glass of California Chardonnay or rose with your meal (photo © Zwiesel Glas | Facebook).

[1] Banana pound cake Bundt.
> The recipe is below. (photos #1, #3, and recipe © Imperial Sugar).

[2] Use ripe (speckled) or very ripe bananas (photo © Jude Infantini | Unsplash).

[3] Before you get ready to bake, check the freshness of your butter: Cut a very small piece and taste it (photo © Go Bold With Butter).

[4] Imperial Sugar Extra Fine Granulated Sugar.

[5] Very fresh eggs will sink to the bottom of a bowl of water and lie on their sides. If an egg stays at the bottom but stands on its small end, it’s still good—just not as fresh. If it floats: It’s not fresh at all (photo © C.A. Creative | Unsplash).

March 4th is National Pound Cake Day, and we have a special treat: a Banana Pound Cake recipe.

Pound cake is one of our favorite cakes, as is banana cake. Put them together and it’s a lovely marriage.

The recipe was created by By Chef Eddy Van Damme, affectionately known as the “Prince of Pastry”. Chef Eddy is a world-renowned chef, instructor, TV host and author.

Thanks to Imperial Sugar for the recipe. See all of their splendid recipes here.

> Check below for more about Imperial Sugar.

> The recipe is below.

> More pound cake recipes.

> The history of cake.

> The history of pound cake.

> The history of banana bread.

> The history of bananas.

> The different types of cake: a photo glossary.

 
 
RECIPE: BANANA POUND CAKE

Make this cake in a 9- or 10-inch tube or Bundt pan.

Prep time is 20 minutes, and bake time is 2 hours.
 
Ingredients

 
 
________________
 
*If you prefer a less sweet cake, use only 2 cups of sugar. For deeper flavor and softer texture, you can substitute half of the sugar with brown sugar.

†Use the Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill the measuring cup with flour until the required amount is obtained. Scooping a measuring cup directly into a bag of flour will firmly pack the flour. This results in in too much flour for recipe. You can substitute cake flour for a finer crumb.

________________
 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 325°F. Butter and flour a 9- or 10-inch tube or Bundt pan. Set aside. Using a stand or hand mixer…

2. CREAM the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and mix to combine.

3. ADD the eggs one at a time, waiting for the previously added egg to be fully incorporated. Scrape the bowl often. Whip until mixture is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla.

4. SIFT together the flour, baking powder, and salt. At low speed, add the dry ingredients alternately with banana purée to the butter and egg mixture. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.

5. PLACE the pan in the oven and bake until the center of cake bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger, or a toothpick comes out clean. Test at 65 minutes.

Depending on your oven and the size of the pan, some ovens may take 65-70 minutes, others 90-120 minutes.

6. REMOVE the cake and let it sit in the pan for 15 minutes before removing.

 
 
ABOUT IMPERIAL SUGAR

Imperial Sugar, established in 1843, is a major U.S. sugar producer based in Sugar Land, Texas. The city itself is named for the company, and the company’s crown logo is featured in the city’s seal!

Imperial Sugar’s family of top-quality products includes extra-fine granulated sugar, light and dark brown sugar, free-flowing sugar, powdered sugar, sugar shakers, and sugar cubes.

There’s also Steviacane®, an all-natural sweetener that’s a blend of high-quality stevia and non-GMO pure cane sugar. Steviacane looks and tastes just like granulated sugar, at only 5-calories a serving.

The products are 100% pure cane sugar and non-GMO and provide consistently delicious results.

Look for the brand at Costco stores across the U.S., at Walmart, and at retailers throughout Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

Some items are available online from Amazon and Walmart.

None of the eight FDA listed major food allergens are stored, processed, or used on-site at the United States Sugar Savannah Refinery facilities: no milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, or soybeans (also, no gluten).

The line is non-GMO, Allergen-Free*, Vegan, Halal, Feingold® Association listed, and certified Kosher by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America. Here’s more about the certifications.

For more information and great recipes, visit the company website.

Cookbook author, chef, and restaurateur Judith McLoughlin calls the recipe below “St. Patrick’s Colcannon & Corned Beef.” It’s an alternative approach to the traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage.But we wouldn’t want to limit this delicious dish to just one day a year (St. Pat’s).

Judith adds: “Most Americans are shocked when I tell them that my first meal exposure to the…St. Patrick’s meal of corned beef and cabbage was when I moved to the USA. What we refer to as corned beef in Ireland comes in a tin and is a rather unsavory entrée choice, but in America, corned beef is a brined, cured beef that is delicious.”

Our mother was a big fan of corned beef and cabbage, and cooked a corned beef in her pressure cooker monthly or so, serving it with parsley potatoes. Whole grain or Dijon mustard was our condiment of choice.

But Mom never made colcannon. Instead, she went traditional-American: boiled white-jacket potatoes in parsley butter.

Judith Loughlin’s recipe (photo #1) is below.

> The history of corned beef.

> What makes the beef “corned?”

> The history of potatoes.

> The different types of potatoes: a photo glossary.

> The history of kale and the different types of kale.

> The history of St. Patrick’s Day.

> 100+ St. Patrick’s Day recipes.

>The history of colcannon is below, after her notes on the potatoes and butter.
 
 
ABOUT FLOURY POTATOES

Colcannon requires floury potatoes. In the U.S. the best-known are the Burbank russet and Idaho® Potato* (although there are more than 40 varieties of russets).

Russets are the best potato for baking, mashing, and French fries. That’s because by the time of harvest, most of their sugar has converted to starch and they are low in water content.

Floury potatoes also fry well, as their low sugar levels mean less excessive browning.
 
 
ABOUT IRISH BUTTER

The recipe calls for Irish butter. The Kerrygold brand Irish butter is relatively easy to find in American stores.

Why Irish butter? Irish—and most European—butter is richer (82% butterfat or higher) than American brands (80% butterfat, regulated by the USDA).

The 2% difference in butterfat may not seem like much, but it makes a big difference in taste and texture.

If you need convincing, split your potatoes into two parts and make an “Irish batch” and an “American batch.” Let your palate choose the winner.
 
 
RECIPE: ST. PATRICK’S COLCANNON & CORNED BEEF

Colcannon is made from potatoes plus cabbage or kale. This recipe uses kale, and turns the colcannon into a lovely, green-flecked bed for the slices of corned beef (photo #1).

The recipe is from Judith McLoughlin’s Book, A Return To Ireland (photo #10). There’s more about the author below.

For another side dish, carrots are traditional. For wine pairings, see the caption under photo #9.
 
Ingredients For The Colcannon Potatoes

 
Ingredients For The Corned Beef

 
Ingredients For The Parsley Cheese Sauce

 
Preparation

1. COOK the brisket. It can be slowly boiled or baked in the oven. Low and slow is the key. For the oven method, preheat the oven to 300°F, then wrap up the brisket inside a sheet of foil, fat side up, like a parcel. But first…

2. DRIZZLE a little olive oil over the brisket. Next, wrap the brisket with the foil and roast for 1 hour per pound, leaving 15 minutes for the meat to rest before carving.

3. MAKE the colcannon. Place the potatoes in a large pan of cold, salted water with milk, adding just enough water to cover the potatoes.

4. BRING the potatoes to a boil and then reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until they are soft when pierced with a fork.

5. DRAIN the potatoes with a metal strainer, then set the potatoes back in the empty pan on the warm stove top to allow them to dry out a little.

6. BLANCH the kale. In a large saucepan, bring some water to a roaring boil. Blanch the kale for 1 minute. SAVE 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid.

7. DRAIN the kale, roughly chop, and place it in a blender, pulsing for a few seconds.

8. MELT the butter with the cream and ¼ cup of the retained cooking liquid from the kale. Infuse the spring onions, cooking for 30 seconds to soften.

9. MASH the potatoes and slowly add the butter-and-cream liquid from the previous step. Fold in the blanched kale, salt, and pepper. You now have colcannon.

10. PREPARE the parsley sauce by melting the butter in a small saucepan. Add the flour and allow to cook gently for 1 minute, stirring constantly.

11. Whisk in the milk and chicken stock and bring the sauce to a simmer and cook for 3–4 minutes. Stir in the cheese and mustard and cook for 1 more minute. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chopped parsley.

To serve:

12. SPOON the colcannon onto a warm plate for each serving (if you can microwave your plates, warm them in the microwave for 30 seconds). Place slices of corned beef on top. Drizzle the dish with about 2 tablespoons of parsley sauce.

13. GARNISH with a small crown of curly parsley (see photo #1) and serve immediately.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF COLCANNON

Colcannon is a traditional Irish side dish, often served during festive occasions such as Halloween and St. Patrick’s Day.

The name is derived from the Gaelic cal ceannann, meaning “white-headed cabbage.”

The dish typically consists of mashed potatoes mixed with either chopped kale or cabbage, along with butter, milk, and sometimes a member of the allium family‡‡: spring onions, green onions/scallions, or leeks.

The origins of colcannon date to the late 16th-century Ireland, when potatoes were introduced.

Sir Walter Raleigh, an English adventurer, writer, and explorer, is often credited with bringing the potato to Ireland during his time as an estate owner in County Cork.

He is said to have obtained the potatoes from the Canary Islands and planted them on his estate in the late 1580s or early 1590s. (Potatoes originated in Peru. Here’s the history of potatoes.)

The potato quickly adapted to the Irish climate and soil conditions, becoming a staple crop for the population. Its high yield, nutritional value, and versatility made it an essential part of the Irish diet.

Over time, the potato became a crucial element in Irish agriculture and cuisine, playing a significant role in the country’s history and development.

Colcannon emerged as a way to make boiled and baked potatoes more flavorful and nutritious by combining them with local vegetables such as cabbage and kale—or essentially, whatever ingredients were readily available.

The dish evolved over time, with regional variations and personal preferences influencing the recipe.

Its predecessor was a dish called champ (also called poundies): mashed potatoes with chopped spring onions or green onions/scallions and milk.

Potatoes and cabbage or kale remain the core ingredients of colcannon, along with butter, milk, and a member of the onion family such as scallions, leeks.

Modern takes include bacon or ham, Dijon mustard, grated Cheddar, herbs, red pepper flakes, and chopped jalapeños.

You can even make colcannon with sweet potatoes! Experiment as you like.

Colcannon has become a signature dish of Irish cuisine. It has also gained popularity in other parts of the world as a tasty comfort food.

A related recipe is the “Bubble and Squeak” of British cuisine: mashed leftover potatoes and chopped cabbage mixed together and fried in a round cake, then sliced and served at breakfast.
 
 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Judith McLoughlin is an Irish chef and owner of a gourmet food business in Georgia called The Shamrock and Peach. Specializing in Irish cuisine, Judith has created her own unique food fusion by blending the techniques of her homeland with the newfound flavors of the South.

Growing up in County Armagh in Northern Ireland and setting down roots in the South, over the past decade Judith has become one of the most recognized Irish faces and brands in Atlanta, throughout the American South and abroad. She regularly contributes to food columns in national newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic and leads numerous discovery tours from the U.S. to Ireland each year.

Before A Return To Ireland, she published a cookbook entitled The Shamrock and Peach.

[1] A beautiful presentation: corned beef and colcannon. The recipe is below (photo © Hatherleigh Press).

[2] Corned beef begins as a brisket. This USDA Prime beauty is available from Lobel’s (photo © Lobel’s).

[3] The colcannon uses russet-type potatoes, a.k.a. baking potatoes (photo © Good Eggs).

[4] A conventional corned beef and cabbage recipe. Here’s a recipe made in a slow cooker (photo © Idaho Potato Commission).

[5] Curly kale† is one of four different varieties (photo © Good Eggs).

[6] Spring onions are bulbous, green onions a.k.a. scallions are more oblong. Here’s a discussion about the differences (photo © Christine Gallary | The Kitchn).

[7] Dubliner cheese is an Irish version of Dutch Gouda (photo © Kerrygold).

[8] Curly parsley. Italian (flat-leaf) parsley has a more robust flavor and is better in recipes. Curly parsley has a more mild flavor and is more attractive as a fresh garnish (photo © Good Eggs).

[9] For a wine pairing, choose a lighter red wine with good body: Beaujolais, a French Côtes Du Rhone, an Italian Chianti, or a light Pinot Noir or Zinfandel. If you want a white wine, try Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio, Riesling, or most Spanish or Italian whites (photo © Rebelle | NYC | Alas, Permanently Closed).

[10] A Return To Ireland is a delicious gift for people who are of Irish descent, of course, and also every cook who likes to cook the gastronomy of Europe (photo © Hatherleigh Press).

†Curly kale is also known as dinosaur kale, lacinato kale, black kale, Tuscan kale, and cavolo nero, which is Italian for “black cabbage.”

‡Spring onions and green onions are both immature onions, but they are not the same thing. Spring onions have a white, very round bulb at the end. Green onions, also called scallions, have a narrow, longer white tip—oblong rather than round.

Spring onions are slightly stronger in flavor than scallions/green onions because they are left in the ground longer. However, they still have a gentler flavor than regular onions, which have been left in the ground much longer and grow much larger.

To substitute for spring onions, use scallions or shallots.

‡‡The Allium botanical family, also called the onion family, includes chives, garlic, leeks, onions, scallions/green onions, shallots, and spring onions.

If there’s a 5 Napkin Burger near you, now’s the time to grab a limited-edition Blarney Burger (photo #1).

It’s one of our favorites of their seasonal burgers, and we’ll enjoy it several times before the St. Patrick’s Day holiday is over—along with their delicious sweet potato pies, pickles, and an IPA.

If that sounds good, you can easily make this St. Pat’s treat at home. Five Napkin Burger calls it their “Blarney Burger”—and believe us, you don’t need any blarney* to convince us to have another.

> The history of St. Patrick’s Day.

> The history of the burger.

> 100+ St. Patrick’s Day recipes.
 
 
RECIPE: 5 NAPKIN BURGER’S BLARNEY BURGER
 
Ingredients

 
Plus:

 
Preparation

1. COOK the cheeseburgers, place on buns.

2. TOP with corned beef, then mustard, then slaw, then top bun. Skewer with toothpicks as necessary.

3. SERVE with pickles, beer, optional French fries, etc.
 
 
GUIDE TO IRISH CHEESE

Thanks to iGourmet for this information. The cheeses can be found online.

A brief history of Irish cheese:

Irish cheese making is a relatively young industry. Economic factors in centuries past dictated that most dairy production in Ireland be focused on milk and butter.

By the 1900s most of Irish cheese production came from large manufacturers whose main focus was Cheddar cheese.

It wasn’t until the 1970s that Ireland became known for farmhouse cheese making. Today, Ireland is ninth in cheese exportation globally.

Thanks to Ireland’s naturally rich and lush pastures, Irish cheese often contains a higher level of beta-carotene.

This gives the milk used to make their Cheddars and other cow’s milk cheeses a natural yellow color.

Most other Cheddars, including American Cheddars, use annato, a natural orange-red dye derived from a tropical tree, to give the naturally white cheese its yellow-orange color.

Today, farmhouse cheeses made in Ireland are of high quality and unique to each farm thanks to the dedication of the families that produce them.
 
Some Of The Best-Known Irish Cheeses

Ardrahan: Ardrahan is an award-winning semi-soft vegetarian† Irish Cheese made from pasteurized cow’s milk. Ardrahan has a pungent aroma with a buttery and complex flavor. This unique Irish Cheese is a washed rind type made by the Burns family in the lush countryside of Duhallow, County Cork in Southern Ireland.

Blarney Castle: Blarney Castle is a semi-soft Irish Cheese made from cow’s milk (photo #6). Available plain or smoked, Blarney Castle is made from the milk of grass-fed cows, which gives this Irish Cheese a mild and creamy flavor similar to a young Dutch Gouda. This popular Irish Cheese is ideal for sandwiches and pairs well with fresh fruit and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Cashel Blue: The first Irish blue cheese, Cashel Blue (photo #7) is modeled after the great French blue, Fourme d’Ambert. Developed by the Grubb family in the 1980s, Cashel Blue, a semi-soft farmhouse cheese, is an award-winning cow’s milk product made on the Grubb family’s Beechmount Farm in Tipperary Ireland. It is named after a nearby landmark, the Rock of Cashel.

This creamy tangy Irish Cheese has a pale buttery interior streaked with blue veins. Cashel Blue is wonderful in leafy green salads, with fresh fruit or spread atop a piece of French crusty bread.

Cahill’s Farm Cheddar: Cahill’s Farm Irish Cheddar is an artisan cow’s milk cheese made in County Limerick in Ireland. This unique handmade Irish Cheese starts life as a tangy Irish cheddar, which is chopped into bits before aging, blended with a flavoring, then hooped, lightly pressed and aged to perfection.

Cahill’s Farm Cheddar has a veined appearance due to this production method. Flavors of this Irish Cheddar include Irish Whiskey, Porter Ale, and Elderberry Wine. This vegetarian Irish Cheese makes a stunning presentation on cheese platter or when offered as an hors d’oeuvre.

Dubliner: Named after the city of Dublin, Dubliner Cheese is often described as a combination of Cheddar and Parmigiano Reggiano. Dubliner is an aged cow’s milk Irish Cheese with the texture of Irish Cheddar but the flavor of Parmesan. It uses the same rennet used in Parmigiano Reggiano production, imported from Italy, married to a modified Irish Cheddar production method.

Sweet and nutty, Dubliner is aged over twelve months to create a full flavored cheese that is perfect for salads or sandwiches (photo #8). Dubliner is also available flavored with Irish stout (think Guinness) which combines the caramel and bitter notes of Irish stout with the complex flavors of Dubliner Cheese.

Irish Cheddar: There are many excellent brands of Irish Cheddar: Kerrygold, Shamrock, Tipperary, and Wexford to name a few. Aged Irish Cheddars have rich, sharp and strong flavors of Ireland’s lush pastures. The grass, which is rich in beta-carotene, also provides a natural yellow color color.
 
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*Blarney: Talk that aims to charm, flatter, cajole, or persuade, designed to gain favor. It is also used in the sense of deceptive or misleading talk: nonsense or hooey. The word appeared in the late 18th century, named after the Blarney stone of Blarney Castle outside of Cork, Ireland. A large block of carboniferous limestone stone set into a tower of the castle in 1446 the stone said to give the gift of gab (persuasive speech) to anyone who kisses it.

†A vegetarian cheese means that the cheese uses plant rennet—made from cardoon thistle, artichokes, or nettles—instead of the animal rennet, made from the stomach lining of a calf, ewe, or kid. Animal rennet was traditionally been used to make cheese.

Vegan cheese, on the other hand, is made with zero animal product, neither animal milk nor rennet. Instead, it can be made from soy, nuts such as cashews and macadamias, and vegetable oils, such as coconut oil. Agar, arrowroot, peas, and tapioca are other options.

‡Why a lamburger? Sheep are abundant in Ireland, for cheese, meat, and wool. More lamb is eaten than beef.
 
 

[1] The Blarney Burger, an Irish cheeseburger for St. Patrick’s Day (photo © 5 Napkin Burger).

[2] Plan on three slices of corned beef for each burger (photo © Omaha Steaks | Facebook).

[3] Irish Cheddar cheese enveloped in green wax is mature, aged for 12 months or longer. This is from iGourmet (photo © iGourmet).

[4] Stout mustard, made by a brewer of craft stout, available on Amazon (photo © Sierra Nevada).

[5] An Irish stout or other Irish beer is a perfect pairing with the Blarney Burger (photo © Carlow Brewing).

[6] Blarney Castle is a Gouda-style cheese, similar to a young Dutch Gouda cheese (photo © Kerrygold).

[7] Cashel Blue Cheese, a scrumptious, creamy blue (photo © Murray’s Cheese).

[8] This Dubliner cheese from Kerrygold has an bonus: Irish whiskey is added to the cheese (photo © iGourmet).