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Bacon and cabbage, the Irish breakfast, soda bread, and the classic Corkonian tripe and drisheen - plus the "best-ever" Irish coffee
Mon, 11 Dec, 2023 - 12:25
Irish Examiner Food Writers - see irishexaminer.com/iefood for more
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
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.
Cover with hot water and the lid of the pot and simmer until almost cooked, allowing 20 minutes for every 2.2kg (1lb).
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.
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.
Stir, cover and continue to boil gently until both the cabbage and bacon are cooked — about 1¾ hours.
Lift the bacon onto a plate and remove the rind if you like. When the bacon is fully cooked it will peel off easily.
Strain the cabbage and discard the water (or, if it’s not too salty, save it for soup).
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.
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
First fully preheat your oven to 230ºC/Gas Mark 8.
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.
When it all comes together, turn it out onto a well-floured work surface. WASH AND DRY YOUR HANDS.
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!
Transfer to a baking tray.
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.
Cool on a wire rack.
Tripe and onions, with drisheen
recipe by:Farmgate
The Farmgate Cafe at the English Market, Cork has been serving traditional tripe and drisheen for over 30 years.
Servings
4
Preparation Time
10 mins
Cooking Time
2 hours 0 mins
Total Time
2 hours 10 mins
Course
Main
Cuisine
Cork
Ingredients
1 lb (450g) tripe
1 large onion, peeled and sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Cold milk (full fat!) - sufficient to cover
Thyme
Bay leaf
Irish (English) Mustard – to taste
Corn flour or roux
Parsley – chopped
Drisheen – optional
Method
Put the tripe into a saucepan, cover with water and a lid, then bring to the boil then simmer for around 1 hour (approx.).
Discard the liquor in the pot, add the sliced onion and cover with cold milk, bay leaf and thyme.
Simmer gently for 1 hour approx. until the tripe is tender.
At this stage remove thyme, bay leaf etc, season with salt and pepper and mustard.
To thicken the sauce, use either some corn flour, or roux. If using cornflour, approximately a dessert spoon, made into a paste with some water, add to pot, and stir.
Serve with a knob of butter and some chopped curly parsley, and either some buttered white soda bread, or steamed jacket potatoes on the side.
See AlsoEasy Flapjacks RecipeWith drisheen
We add drisheen at the end to our tripe and onions.
Peel and slice drisheen, as much or a little as you want, add it to the tripe, and heat through before serving. Sprinkle with generous amount of chopped curly parsley and a knob of butter.
Full Irish Breakfast Bap
recipe by:Donal Skehan
This breakfast bap is messy business but an instantly memorable breakfast - perfect for Christmas day
Servings
4
Preparation Time
5 mins
Cooking Time
30 mins
Total Time
35 mins
Course
Main
Ingredients
4 large butcher sausages
100g black pudding, crumbled
4 tbsp olive oil
8 slices streaky bacon
4 free-range eggs
4 blaa buns
Butter, softened
Tomato ketchup, to serve
Baked beans, to serve
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Arrange the bacon on a baking tray lined with parchment. Sprinkle with black pepper and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until crispy and golden.
Remove the sausages from their casing and place in a large mixing bowl with the black pudding. Mix until well combined. Season and divide into four. Shape into patties. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low to medium heat. Add the patties and fry for 3-4 minutes each side until golden.
While they’re cooking, heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil in a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat. Crack the eggs into the pan. Baste as they cook for 2-3 minutes until the white turns opaque but the yolk is still runny.
Butter the blaa buns, spread tomato ketchup on the base of the blaa, top with the sausage patties, bacon, fried egg and beans.
Donal's Family Kitchen Christmas Special airs on RTE1 on December 22.
Best ever Irish coffee
recipe by:Neven Maguire
I’ve perfected this recipe over time and believe it really is the best ever Irish coffee
Servings
2
Preparation Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
Course
Side
Ingredients
75 ml double cream (well chilled)
2 tbsp light muscovado sugar
2 tbsp whiskey
2 tbsp baileys
2 tbsp kahúla (coffee liqueur)
300ml freshly brewed piping hot espresso coffee
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg, to decorate
Method
I’ve perfected this recipe over time and believe it really is the best ever Irish coffee. Heat the glasses if you can be bothered (to keep the coffee hot for longer), by pouring boiling water over them from a kettle, and turning them carefully so that they do not crack. Or you could take glasses straight from the dishwasher while still piping hot.
Place the cream in a bowl and whip lightly, then chill until needed. Heat a small, heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Sprinkle the sugar over the base of the frying pan and heat for 1 minute, without stirring - the sugar will caramelise.
Pour in the whiskey and quickly light with a match or flambé - the sugar will seize and harden, but don’t worry as it will melt again once the flames die down. Stir in the Baileys and Kahúla and cook over a high heat for 3-4 minutes until smooth, stirring constantly to help the sugar dissolve.
Divide the alcohol mixture between two hefty, thick-stemmed glasses, (both about 250ml/9fl oz in capacity) and then carefully pour in the coffee.
Then, over the back of a metal spoon, carefully pour a layer of cream on top (the spoon trick really is worth doing as it helps prevent the cream from sinking). Add a tiny grating of nutmeg and serve at once.
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