On St. Patrick’s Day, we all get a wee bit of the Irish in us. Guinness, Irish stew and corned beef & cabbage are common in the U.S., but they aren’t the only things you would have when traveling through Ireland.
Ireland’s cuisine is very traditional and hearty, ensuring every meal is satisfying and delicious. Discover the home-style, comforting foods of Ireland. Listed here are Irish must-order specialties including Irish stew, Irish potato griddle cakes called boxty, coddle, and the components of a traditional Irish breakfast. An Irish breakfast will include farm fresh eggs served with sausage, eggs, bacon, grilled tomatoes and black or white pudding (a type of sausage.) There is usually also Irish brown bread served with sweet Irish butter and the famous Irish preserves. The Irish are famous for their potatoes. Baked, regular mashed potatoes of Colcannon, made by mashing garlic, kale and cabbage with potatoes. Champ, which is native to Northern Ireland, is made by blending mashed potatoes, eggs and scallions. Other popular foods include baked ham, salmon, oysters, and lamb.
To drink? Guinness, Irish whiskey, Irish coffee and Irish breakfast tea. Guinness is sometimes added to stews, soups and sauces to give it an extra kick or enhance the flavors but it brings out the best quality in Irish cooking. Not to worry, you can also pick up a burger, wings and steak in just about any restaurant.
Ireland is one of the cheapest places to travel. Airfare is always reasonable, and you can take an 8 day tour of Ireland from just $1,079 pp, including hotel accomodations at first class hotels, full Irish breakfast daily, 3 dinners, as well as sightseeing tours (see Introduction to Ireland for more details.) If you’re feeling adventurous, a self-drive vacation allows you to plan your own itinerary, select your overnight stops and choose your B&B location on a day-to-day basis. Start your vacation in Dublin, where you will pick up your car on arrival. For the balance of your vacation, the choice is yours to discover Ireland with your B&B vouchers for each overnight stay, accommodation directories and a road map. Prices start at $549 pp for a 5 night/6 day package.
Here’s our favoriate Corned Beef and Cabbage recipe from Paula Deen and the Food Nework:
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Cook Time: 12 min
- Level: Easy
- Serves: 4 to 6 servings (If serving 6, use 2 cans corned beef)
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 head green cabbage, coarsely chopped
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 1 can corned beef
Directions
Cook the bacon in large pot over medium heat until almost crisp. Remove the bacon from the pot and set aside. Melt the butter in the pot with the bacon grease. Add the cabbage, stirring well to coat the cabbage in fat. Add about 1/3 cup water, and salt and pepper, to taste. Cover pot with a lid, and cook over medium heat for about 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the bacon into small pieces.
Remove the lid from the pot, and scatter chunks of corned beef and chopped bacon over top of the cabbage. Cover and cook until desired doneness. I personally like a little bit of crunch left to the cabbage.
Tip: Cabbage is one of those vegetables that naturally contains water in its leaves. Begin by adding just a small amount of water. As cabbage cooks, if it needs more liquid, then add more water
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
