I am hoping to find a great traditional recipe from every country to post that way you can try these things that I am enjoying at home for yourselves. Enjoy!
One of the craziest things about Ireland was how much we ate. We literally sat down to four meals a day with snacks and tea available throughout the day (just in case you were to get hungry in the two hours since you last ate). The women who ran the kitchen at the camp were amazingly joyful servants and were so good to us. I asked Jennifer about a traditional Irish meal and she prepared this meal for us on one of the last days at camp. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did. (Banoffie is one of the greatest things in all creation, definitely try it out)
Bacon & Cabbage:
- 3 pounds Irish boiling bacon (shoulder or collar)
- 1 small head cabbage, cored and quartered
- Parsley Sauce
- Boiled potatoes for serving
1. Put the bacon in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring the water slowly to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer, skimming the water occasionally to remove the foam, for 1 1/2 hours (about 30 minutes per pound), or until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork.
2. About 20 minutes before the bacon is cooked, add the cabbage. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender, but not soggy. Transfer the bacon to a serving dish, and let cool for so minutes before slicing. Drain the cabbage, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid for the Parsley Sauce or 1/2 cups for the Whole-Grain Mustard Sauce, and transfer to a serving dish.
3. To serve, slice the meat and serve it with the cabbage, potatoes, and sauce.
Parsley Sauce:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup bacon cooking liquid
- 1 1/4 cups hot milk
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
To make parsley sauce:
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Gradually stir in the flour. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until blended. Slowly stir in the cooking liquid, then the milk. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Add the salt, pepper, and parsley and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 to minutes more, or until the sauce is smooth. Serve warm.
Banoffie:
· 1 250 gram / 8 oz packet of malt biscuits (sub in graham crackers or graham cracker pie crust)
· 115 grams / 4 oz of butter
· 1 400 gram / 14 oz can of condensed milk or nestle caramel
· 2 bananas
· 1 300ml / 9 fluid oz bottle of cream
· 2 tablespoons of Baileys Irish Cream Liqueur (optional)
· 1 Cadbury Flake (a grated Hershey’s bar will do)
If you are using a plain tin of sweetened condensed milk, you will need to first boil the can in a deep saucepan of boiling water for 2 to 3 hours to caramelize. Warning: the can must be covered with water the entire time, to caramelize evenly and to prevent the can from exploding! The longer you boil it the darker the caramel. Thoroughly cool the caramel for a few hours or overnight.
Crush the biscuits (around ten at a time) with a rolling pin or in a food processor and transfer to a large stainless steel bowl. Shake the bowl and crush any large pieces that rise to the top. Melt the butter and mix with the biscuits until all crumbs are coated. Empty into a cake tin and press against the sides and bottom of the tin with the outer surface of a clean glass. Refrigerate.
Whip the cream thickly, fold through 2 tablespoons of Bailey Irish Cream Liqueur or any other favorite cream base liqueur.
When the biscuit base has set hard, pour the caramel over the base, spreading it evenly. Slice the banana over the top of the caramel. With a star nozzle pipe the Baileys and whipped cream mixture over the bananas. Finally garnish the dessert by breaking up the chocolate flake and sprinkling decoratively over the cream. Refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
