Midweek Meals: Beat the winter cold with these comforting, classic Irish recipes

Bia blasta from the comfort of your own kitchen, with vegetable soup and soda bread; steak and Guinness pie; Corkonian tripe and drisheen; and a no-cook cream tart

Modern takes on some Irish classics

Irish country soup

recipe by:Darina Allen

Rich, hearty and filled with vegetables, this soup is the perfect solution for a cold winter evening - enjoy with homemade bread

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Starter

Cuisine

 Irish

Ingredients

• 175g un-smoked streaky Irish bacon

• olive or sunflower oil

• 150g potatoes, peeled and chopped into 5mm pieces

• 50g onions, finely chopped

• 1 small garlic clove (optional)

• 450g very ripe tomatoes, peeled and diced or 400g tin of tomatoes and juice

• salt

• freshly ground pepper

• ½-1 tsp sugar

• 750ml homemade chicken stock or vegetable stock

• 50g cabbage, finely chopped

• chopped parsley, to garnish 

Method

1. Remove the rind from the bacon if necessary.

2. Prepare the vegetables

3. Cut the bacon into 5mm dice approx. Blanch the bacon cubes in cold water to remove some of the salt. Drain and dry on kitchen paper.

4. Sauté in a little olive or sunflower oil until the fat runs and the bacon is crisp and golden. Add potatoes, onions and crushed garlic. Sweat for 10 minutes and then add diced tomatoes and any juice. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Cover with stock and cook for five minutes.

5. Add the finely chopped cabbage and continue to simmer just until the cabbage is cooked. Taste and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with lots of chopped parsley and serve.

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.