As soon as I say Irish, what are the things that come to your mind?
St. Patrick's day?
Irish coffee? Baileys?
May be more... after researching a bit about Ireland, I came to know that its the birthplace of good music. Heard about Trinity college which certifies Music learners, thats in Ireland. Even folk music is famous, their landscapes, not to mention their beer & whiskey, etc. Their cuisine uses a lot of potato in their dishes after 16th century. It was the cheapest vegetable they could get in times of war and draught. It's a simple, hearty, seasonal and comfort cuisine. So let's have a look at some of their famous dishes, so next time you go to Ireland or a restaurant, you could give these a try.
I wanted to try these recipes:
Irish tea cake
Bailey's cheesecake
Potato pancakes (Boxty)
Irish coffee
Champ
Soda bread
Irish mutton stew
And finally decided to try the Irish soda bread and mutton stew for dinner. I know desserts have always been my calling, but I'm trying to go low on sweets. I'm even cutting down carbs... dunno where this will lead. But don't worry, I will still share yummy recipes for you to try. This was really yummy and comforting!
Recipe:
(Time: 40 mins, Serves: 4)
Ingredients:
1 cup All purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour (you can use 2 cups of APF too)
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp Butter (cold)
3/4 cup buttermilk (or milk with a tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar set aside)
1/2 cup raisins (oprional)
1 tbsp oats (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 190*C. Prepare a baking tray with aluminium or parchment paper greased with butter.
2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter in small cubes. Work the dough with your hands like rubbing the butter and flour together. The mixture should like a wet sand texture.
3. Stir in the buttermilk and raisins if adding. Bring it together but not too much stirring. The dough will be sticky, do not worry.
4. Flour the work surface, and dump the dough. Gently bring it into a round shape, don't worry about the imperfections.
5. Place the ball sized dough on the baking tray. Make a cross shaped slit in the dough with a knife, deep enough for the dough to cook all through.
6. Bake 30 mins or until the dough is cooked and golden brown on the top. When you turn the bread over and tap, you will get a hollow sound. That's when its fully cooked.
Let it cool down a bit. Slice them up and serve with butter and jam. Or a hot stew would also be great for hard breads.
Happy Cooking!