Saint Patrick’s Day Recipes

Saint Patrick’s Day is the last bastion of hope for those of us who love winter holidays. Easter follows closely behind, but that’s more of a spring holiday. I’m thinking more along the lines of those that rest in cooler weather; Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, Valentine’s Day. And for some folks, Saint Patrick’s Day. That’s depending on where you live, of course. If you reside in the Carolinas, you’ve likely got leaves on the trees by the time this holiday rolls around. Here in Maine, we may be under four feet of snow.

Saint Patrick’s Day isn’t my favorite. I’ll tell you that up front. I’m partial to Thanksgiving and Christmas, but after all the excitement of those two wears off, it’s nice to have the opportunity to cook up some interesting recipes and enjoy some beverage. Laura and I have been cooking what seems like the same dishes for years and I thought it was high time to share them here. What I show you down below is a sampling of the entirety of what we prepare. Perhaps I’ll add more recipes as time goes on. For now though, these are a few of our favorites.

St. Paddy’s Day Irish Soda Bread Recipe

It’s a good idea to tackle a few loaves of this bread first thing on the morning of. There’s nothing like drinking a hot cup of coffee or tea to a fat piece of soda bread that’s been doused with butter. Soda bread is easy enough to prepare and there are endless varieties. I’ve tried many of them and have settled on this one as our yearly tradition. I may mix the ingredients up here and there, but this recipe is the perfect base.

Ingredients

Makes: 1 Loaf

3 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Cake Flour
1/4 Cup Granulated White Sugar
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Soda
1 1/2 Teaspoons Cream of Tartar
1 1/2 Teaspoons Regular Table Salt
5 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened in 1 Tablespoon Pieces
1 1/4 Cups Buttermilk
1 Large Egg, Lightly Whisked
1 Cup Raisins
1 Tablespoon Caraway Seeds

Instructions for Making Irish Soda Bread

1. Preheat oven to 400° and set a rack to the middle position.
2. Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer for a minute or so.
3. Add the chunks of softened butter to the bowl. Mix the butter in until you don’t see any lumps anymore.
4. Add remaining ingredients and mix them into what’s in the bowl – just until the entire mixture isn’t dry anymore. Don’t overmix here. You don’t want to create a tough dough – just a soft one that’s easily pulled apart by hand.
5. Grease a 7″-8″ pan and then add the dough to it. Pat the dough down so it looks like a 2″ thick disk. Then lightly cut an X across the dough’s surface.
6. Bake the bread for 45 minutes, checking on it at 35 minutes. Check whether it’s done by using a toothpick. Stick the center of the bread with the toothpick and if it comes out clean, the bread is done.

Colcannon (Irish Mashed Potatoes) Recipe

Another staple of Saint Patrick’s Day is a mashed potato dish that’s referred to as Colcannon. Like soda bread, there are many varieties of this dish and as time goes on, you may refine a simple recipe like the one I share below to your liking. I’ll warn you though – you may not want to alter anything. This is a nearly perfect recipe for a wonderful dish. If you like mashed potatoes, you’ll love colcannon.

Ingredients

Serves: 4

4 Large Russet Potatoes, Peeled and Cut Into Large Pieces
Salt
6 Tablespoons Butter, Plus Some For Serving
3 Cups Packed Kale, Cabbage or Chard
3 Scallions, Chopped
1 Cup Whole Milk

Instructions for Making Colcannon

1. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with water. Then, add two tablespoons of salt to the pot and bring the water to a boil. Boil the potatoes for about 15 minutes. You’ll know they’re ready when you can easily slide a fork into each potato. Strain the potatoes in a colander when tender.
2. Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large pot. Then, add in the greens (except for the scallion) and cook down for about 10 minutes. Add in the scallion and cook for one more minute. Stir all of this as it’s cooking.
3. Add the potatoes and the milk to the pot and stir everything together well. Season to taste. To plate, you may add some additional pieces of scallion, butter, pepper, and salt.

Roasted Cabbage with Caraway Seeds & Lemon Recipe

You may have never heard of roasted cabbage before. It wasn’t until a few years ago that it was introduced to me. I believe I found this recipe in one of my wonderful cookbooks while searching for other St. Paddy’s Day dishes. Since I enjoy cabbage and since I imagined biting into a salty soft piece of it with just a hint of char from the cast iron skillet, I went ahead and made some. I’m glad I did because this dish has been a staple in our house ever since. It’s relatively easy to put together and the ingredients are few, so I’d be delighted if you took advantage of this recipe as well. I think you’ll like it.

Ingredients

Serves: 6

1 Head Green Cabbage
6 Tablespoons Water
2 Tablespoons Regular Olive Oil
Regular Table Salt
Ground Black Pepper
4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
4 Tablespoons Parsley, Chopped
1 Teaspoon Caraway Seeds
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice

Instructions for Making Roasted Cabbage

1. Cut the cabbage into six pieces, making sure to keep each piece attached to the core. This way, each piece will stay together. Then, warm a large skillet (over 12″) over medium heat and add the cabbage to it. Add four tablespoons of water and the olive oil to the skillet and sprinkle one teaspoon of salt over the cabbage pieces.
2. Cook the cabbage over medium heat for about 15 minutes. During this time, the bottoms should turn golden brown and the water should evaporate. Don’t let the cabbage burn, so keep a careful eye on it by gently checking underneath every so often with a fork.
3. Carefully flip each piece of cabbage over in the pan. Add two more tablespoons of water to the pan and let this side cook for another 10 minutes.
4. Cut the butter into pieces and sprinkle it across the bottom of the skillet. Add the caraway seeds and parsley too. Then add some ground pepper over everything.
5. Tilt the skillet so the melted butter collects on one side. Using a spoon, baste each wedge with the butter a few times. Then, drizzle the lemon juice over everything.

I hope you enjoyed these recipes. Saint Patrick’s Day offers ample opportunity to create some very creative dishes, so I encourage you to try some of these. And again, as I prepare more of them, I’ll add them to this page. Thanks!

PS – If you have any comments or suggestions, please add them down below in the comment section.