Nobody knows how to party like the Irish, and St Patrick’s Day is fast becoming one of the liveliest days of the year.
St Patrick's Day on Female First
In Chicago breweries will be dying the beer green and there’ll be big city parades throughout the rest of America. In Britain we’re catching on fast and many local pubs, restaurants and food shops will have special menus and special offers that will showcase the finest products Ireland has to offer. Like all the best parties St Patrick’s Day revolves around good food and drink… plus a sprinkling of that indefinable Irish magic dust that’s known as the “Craic”!
St Patrick’s Day is the perfect time to enjoy the wealth of delicious Irish food and drink: everything from magnificent grass-fed beef, to farmhouse cheeses, artisan chocolates, speciality butters, honeys and of course Irish whiskies. Just what you need to make St Pat’s go with a swing.
St. Patrick’s Pasties
Serves 4
Prep: 30 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
400g Grass- fed rump steak from Ireland
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion chopped
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
400ml beef stock
2 large red potatoes peeled
50g frozen peas
500g shortcrust pastry
1 egg beaten for brushing
Preheat oven 200°c. In a large frying pan with a fitted lid, heat 1 tbsp of the oil. Season the beef and sear on all sides. Remove from the pan and add the onion, thyme and some seasoning. Sauté for 5 minutes and then add the beef, coriander, Worcestershire sauce, balsamic vinegar, and stock. Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat with a lid on. Remove the lid and let it reduce another 15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate to cool down.
Cut the potatoes into 2cm cubes and blanch in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Drain and rinse in cold water. Add to the beef and pour the peas in. Gently mix together.
Slice the pastry into 8 pieces. Roll out each into a 5 inch circle on a floured surface. Divide the cold filling into the centre of each and brush the edges with egg. Bring the pastry around the filling and pinch it in the centre. Press the edges tightly together, sealing it completely. Use your fingers to create a ruffled seam. Brush them all with egg when done and place on a baking tray.
Bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
Tomato and Fastnet Mussels Linguine with Lemon and Parsley
Serves 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
600g Fastnet Mussels
2 anchovies rinsed
large pinch of crushed red chili
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 X 400g tins peeled plum tomatoes
400g linguine
1 lemon zested
15g flat leaf parsley chopped
Clean the mussels in cold water then cover cold water and a tablespoon of salt. This helps them to burp up any sand they have inside. In a large saucepan with a fitted lid, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the anchovy and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes or until golden. Add the tomatoes and break up with a spoon. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes or until slightly thickened and reduced.
Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. In the last 5 minutes of boiling the pasta, add the mussels to the tomato sauce, keeping them mostly on top of the sauce and place the lid on. Let them steam open and then drain the pasta and add to the tomato sauce. Heat it together for a few minutes and then toss the lemon and parsley through.
Bacon wrapped Chicken stuffed with Crozier Blue Cheese
Serves 4
Prep: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
4 chicken breasts
100g Crozier Blue Cheese
4 rashers of thinly sliced bacon
1 tbsp olive oil
15g flat leaf parsley finely chopped
Gravy
2 shallots thinly sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp plain flour
250ml cider
250ml chicken stock
1 tbsp cider vinegar
Colcannon
2lbs large red potatoes
50g butter
2 tbsp milk
200g savoy cabbage
4 spring onions
Preheat oven to 200°c. Peel and chop the potatoes into 2.5cm/1 inch chunks. Boil in a large pot of salted water. Cook for 15 minutes until tender and then drain. Return the potato pan, add the butter and roughly mash until combined. Season with salt and pepper, add the milk and mash again until fluffy and light. Add the spring onions and mix to combine. Blanch the savoy cabbage in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, drain, rinsed in cold water and then drain again. Add to the potatoes and cook until heated through.
Make a small incision into the side of each chicken breast. Slice the cheese into 4 pieces. Push the cheese inside, season with salt and pepper. Wrap the bacon around the outside and secure with a toothpick. Heat the oil in a frying pan. Sear the breasts until browned on both sides. Place in a baking tray and cook for 15 minutes.
Using the same frying pan as chicken breasts, add the oil, shallots and salt and pepper. Sauté for 5 minutes and then add the flour. Whisk for 1 minute and then add the vinegar, cider and stock. Keep whisking for 5 minutes until it becomes thick and glossy. Serve the chicken with the potatoes, gravy and parsley sprinkled over