Midweek Meals: Classic Irish recipes - with a modern twist

Bacon and cabbage, the Irish breakfast, soda bread, and the classic Corkonian tripe and drisheen - plus the "best-ever" Irish coffee

Classic Irish recipes - with a modern twist

Traditional Irish Bacon, Cabbage and Parsley Sauce

recipe by:Darina Allen

Is there anything more quintessentially Irish than bacon and cabbage?

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 2 hours 0 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 10 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• About 2.25kg (5lb) loin, collar or streaky bacon, either smoked or unsmoked with the rind on and a nice covering of fat

• 1 Savoy or 2 spring cabbages

• 50g (2oz) butter

• Freshly ground pepper

• For the parsley sauce:

• 600ml (1 pint) full-cream milk

• A few parsley stalks

• Sprig of thyme

• A few slices of carrot (optional)

• A few slices of onion (optional)

• Salt and freshly ground pepper

• 50g (2oz) roux (50g of melted butter mixed with 50g of plain flour)

• About 50g (2oz) curly parsley, freshly chopped

Method

1. Cover the bacon in cold water in a large pot and bring slowly to the boil. If the bacon is very salty there will be a white froth on top of the water, in which case it is preferable to discard the water and start again.

2. Cover with hot water and the lid of the pot and simmer until almost cooked, allowing 20 minutes for every 2.2kg (1lb).

3. Meanwhile, trim the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut it into quarters, removing the core. Discard the core and outer leaves. Slice the cabbage across the grain into thin shreds.

4. If necessary, wash it quickly in cold water. About 20 minutes before the end of cooking the bacon, add the shredded cabbage to the water in which the bacon is boiling.

5. Stir, cover and continue to boil gently until both the cabbage and bacon are cooked — about 1¾ hours.

6. Lift the bacon onto a plate and remove the rind if you like. When the bacon is fully cooked it will peel off easily.

7. Strain the cabbage and discard the water (or, if it’s not too salty, save it for soup).

8. Add a generous lump of butter to the cabbage. Season with lots of ground pepper; it’s unlikely to need more salt, but add some if necessary.

9. You can make the parsley sauce while the bacon is cooking.  Put the cold milk into a saucepan and add the herbs and vegetables (if using). Bring the mixture to simmering point, season and simmer for 4–5 minutes. Strain the milk, bring it back to the boil and whisk in the roux until the sauce is a light coating consistency. Season again with salt and freshly ground pepper. Add the chopped parsley and simmer on a very low heat for 4–5 minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning.

Traditional Irish White Soda Bread

recipe by:Darina Allen

Soda bread only takes 2 or 3 minutes to make and 30 - 40 minutes to bake, scones will be ready in just 10 minutes. It is certainly another of my 'great convertibles'. We have had the greatest fun experimenting with different additions and uses.

Servings

1

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 5 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 450g plain white flour

• 1 level tsp salt

• 1 level tsp bread soda sour milk or buttermilk to mix – 350-400ml approx.

Method

1. First fully preheat your oven to 230ºC/Gas Mark 8.

2. Sieve the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour most of the milk in at once. Using just one hand to mix with your fingers stiff and outstretched, like a claw, mix in a full, circular movement from the centre to the outside of the bowl, adding more milk if necessary. The dough should be softish, not too wet and sticky.

3. When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. WASH AND DRY YOUR HANDS.

4. Then with floured hands, tidy it up and flip over gently. Pat the dough into a round, about 4cm deep and cut a cross on it (the traditional blessing), then prick in the four corners to let the fairies out of the bread, otherwise they will jinx it!

5. Transfer to a baking tray.

6. Bake in a hot oven, 230ºC/Gas Mark 8 for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200ºC/Gas Mark 6 for 30 minutes or until cooked. If you are in doubt, tap the bottom of the bread, when it is cooked it will sound hollow.

7. Cool on a wire rack.