Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with Traditional Food: Irish Soda Bread with Raisins, Boxty, Coddle, and Colcannon

St. Patrick's Day Food

It’s time to get out the green suit and eat some traditional Irish food because St. Patrick’s Day 2017 is around the corner. The annual religious celebration has a traditional, fixed menu, with corned beef and cabbage as the center dish. So, if you are planning to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Irish style, then here are the recipes of the some traditional St. Patrick’s day food, take a look.

Traditional Irish Food Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day

1. Irish Soda Bread with Raisins Recipe

Ingredients:

  • Nonstick vegetable oil spray
  • 2 cups of all purpose flour
  • 5 tablespoons of sugar, divided
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ teaspoon of baking soda
  • 3 tablespoons of butter, chilled, cut into cubes
  • 1 cup of buttermilk
  • ²⁄3 cup of raisins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Mix flour, four tablespoons sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in large bowl. Add butter to the dry mixture and rub in until a coarse meal forms.

Make a well in center of the flour mixture and add the buttermilk. Mix the ingredients well. Next, add raisins and mix well again.

Shape the dough into ball with floured hands. Oil spray a cake pan and transfer the dough to it. Press the dough lightly and sprinkle 1 tablespoon of sugar on it.

Put the pan into oven and bake until brown, about 10 minutes. Let it cool for 10 more minutes. Transfer to a rack and serve warm.

2. Irish Boxty Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds (3 to 4 large) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled
  • ¾ cup of whole milk
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons of fine salt, plus more for seasoning
  • 1 large egg
  • ¹⁄3 cup of all-purpose flour
  • ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 200°F.

Cut half of the potatoes in large dices and put them in a saucepan. Sprinkle some salt and add cold water up to 1 inch of the pan. Broil the potatoes until tender.

Meanwhile, grate the remaining potatoes, and add a pinch of salt. Place it in a mesh strainer and press it with a spatula. Remove all the water and set aside.

Transfer the boiled potatoes to a bowl, add ¼ cup of the milk, and mash until smooth. Mix the grated potatoes with the mashed potato mixture. Whisk egg, remaining ½ cup milk, flour, pepper, and remaining teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Add the potato mixture and blend well.

Grease a non-stick pan over medium heat. Put three dollops of batter into the pan and spread it with a spatula. Cook for four to five minutes and flip. Repeat the process.

Place on a baking sheet and set in the oven to keep warm.

3. Dublin Coddle Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 4 ½ pounds of potatoes, peeled
  • 500 ml of boiled water
  • 1 pound of good quality pork sausages
  • 1-pound piece of thick-cut bacon
  • 2 large onions, sliced
  • 1 tablespoon of finely chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 ham, chicken, or beef stock cube (optional)
  • Salt and coarse ground pepper to serve
  • Fresh soda bread

Directions

Preheat oven to 300 °F.

Chop the potatoes into large pieces. If you’re using stock cubes, dissolve it in boiled water.

Grill the sausages and bacon carefully—do not dry them out. Drain them and chop them up into small pieces.

Layer an ovenproof casserole with the onions, bacon, sausages, and potatoes. Season each layer with pepper and parsley. Top it with the bouillon mixture.

Place it on heat and bring the liquid to boil. As the liquid bubbles, instantly cover it with the lid. Put the casserole in the oven and cook it for four to five hours. Keep checking the liquid quantity. Add more if needed.

Serve warm with fresh soda bread.

4. Irish Colcannon Recipe

Ingredients:

  • 3 pounds of potatoes, scrubbed
  • 2 sticks of butter
  • 1 ¼ cups of hot milk
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 head of cabbage, cored and finely shredded
  • 1-pound piece ham or bacon, cooked the day before
  • 4 scallions, finely chopped
  • Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

First, boil the potatoes. Transfer them to a bowl and add butter. Mash thoroughly. Stir in hot milk and add a few grinds of black pepper. Mix well.

Boil cabbage in unsalted water. Add two tablespoons of butter and cover it with a lid for two minutes. Drain the water and cut them into small pieces.

Meanwhile, boil the ham for 45 minutes. Remove fat and chop into small pieces. Add the chopped cabbage, scallions, and ham to mashed potatoes. Blend the ingredients thoroughly.

Garnish with a dollop of butter and finely chopped parsley.


Sources:

Earle, A., “IRISH SODA BREAD WITH RAISINS,” Epicurious, February 2005 (Bon Appétit); http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/irish-soda-bread-with-raisins-231580, last accessed March 16, 2017

Gallary, C., “Boxty (Irish Potato Pancake),” Chowhound; https://www.chowhound.com/recipes/boxty-irish-potato-pancake-28172, last accessed March 16, 2017

“DUBLIN CODDLE,” Epicurious, February 2014 (Irish Country Cooking); http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/dublin-coddle-51224810, last accessed March 16, 2017

“Colcannon,” Food Network; http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/colcannon-recipe, last accessed March 16, 2017