St. Patrick's Day

No Photos, sorry!

Slow Cooker Corned Beef and Cabbage

From Food Network Magazine, March 2010 issue

Ingredients

• 4 pounds lean raw corned beef brisket
• 3 tablespoons pickling spice (often included with brisket)
• 1 medium rutabaga, halved and cut into wedges
• 1 pound large carrots, cut into 4-inch pieces
• 1 1/4 pounds large fingerling potatoes
• 1 leek, white and light-green parts only, cut into 3-inch pieces
• 1/2 head Savoy cabbage, cut into wedges
• 1/3 cup horseradish, drained
• 1/3 cup creme fraeche or sour cream

Directions

Place the corned beef in a large slow cooker and scatter the pickling spices on top. Layer the rutabaga, carrots, potatoes and leek in the cooker (in this order for even cooking). Add enough hot water (4 to 5 cups) to cover the meat by at least 1 inch, put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high, 7 to 8 hours.

Remove the meat and vegetables from the slow cooker and keep warm. Put the cabbage in a microwave-safe dish with 2 cups cooking liquid from the slow cooker, cover and microwave until tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, boil another cup of cooking liquid in a small skillet until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Mix with the horseradish and creme fraeche in a small bowl.

Slice the corned beef and serve with the slow-cooked vegetables, cabbage and sauce; reserve about a quarter each of the meat and vegetables and 1 1/2 cups cooking liquid for Corned Beef Hash.

Traditional Irish Stew

from DiscoverIreland.com

Photo courtesy DiscoverIreland.com

Richie Wilson’s Traditional Irish Stew

Preparation time 25 minutes; cooking time 40 minutes; serves 4

Ingredients:

500g (17.6 oz) diced shoulder of lamb

1 liter (34floz) of cold water

1 liter (34floz) chicken or lamb stock

120 ml (4floz) of Guinness stout (optional)

Yummy Traditional Irish Stew from the Burlington Hotel

1 sprig thyme

2 bay leaves

4 large peeled potatoes, cubed

2 medium white onions, cubed

2 large carrots, cubed

6 sticks of celery, cubed

1 bunch of fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

Firstly, remove the impurities from the lamb to ensure the stock is clear and grease free by doing the following:

Put the lamb into a large pot along with the cold water and place over a moderate heat until it begins to boil.

Once it has begun to boil, empty the contents of the pot through a large colander allowing the liquid to run off.

Rinse the lamb under cold running water until all the residue has been removed – now you have refreshed the lamb.

Place the pot over a moderate heat and add in the chicken/lamb stock with the Guinness stout, if using, and the refreshed diced lamb.

Add the thyme, bay leaves and season with salt and milled white pepper.

Allow to simmer for 20 minutes until lamb becomes tender.

Now add the diced potatoes, onions, carrots and celery, and continue to simmer for a further 10 minutes. (Keep the lid off the pot during the cooking process to allow water to evaporate for a more intense flavour.)

Add the freshly chopped parsley and serve in large bowls.