Tired of the same old boiled this and that for St. Patrick’s Day? We’ve got a few game-changing recipes right here. From the oven-braised corned beef (which will wake you up to what corned beef should taste like), to the booze-infused desserts, you will be the hero of your St. Patrick’s Day celebration. No luck necessary!
Put away the pot of boiling water. The technique for the most flavorful and tender corned beef is roasting it in the oven. Start with the recipe found here, then end with the mustard glaze found in step 3 of the directions here. Be sure to soak your corned beef in cold water for a couple of hours or overnight to reduce the saltiness of the dish. Once the slow-cooked beef is done, slather on the brown sugar mustard glaze, pop it under the broiler until it caramelizes, and you are ready to rock every last Irish-food-lovin’ lad and lass.
Creamed kale
And now for the creamed kale. I’ve never been a creamed spinach fan—too mushy. But creamed kale, as I have discovered, is a different story. This recipe was inspired by a recipe I found on Real Simple‘s site, but as I was putting it together I didn’t think it had enough “creamy” so I added cream (duh) and a little Parmesan and garlic powder. I also didn’t have shallots, but half an onion worked just fine.
Here’s my version: 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 bag of chopped kale (16 ounces), thick stems removed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces (about 10 cups)
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 tsp garlic powder
kosher salt and black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
2 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 cup coarse fresh bread crumbs
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Follow the cooking instructions from Real Simple, adding the cream and Parmesan when you add cream cheese and sour cream. With these additions, bake it a little longer than the original recipe suggests: 20 to 30 minutes or until bubbly.
Next up is the Irish cauliflower cheese. This traditional Irish and English dish was a big hit at my personal St. Patty’s Day preview. I followed this recipe, from Creating Nirvana, except that I added some bright green dried parsley before serving. It’s a pretty bland looking dish, but offered great flavor. I also used an aged Irish cheddar (of course).
Clearly it’s time for the garlic herb beer butter roasted potatoes. Say NO to boiled potatoes and give these luscious beer-and-butter-soaked spuds a try. Once again, just follow the recipe, this one from one of our favorites, The Beeroness.
Fried cabbage: Say goodbye to the bland boring boiled or steamed cabbage and say hello to actual flavor. Fry your chopped cabbage (1/2 medium sized cabbage) in the fat of 6 bacon slices after you’ve caramelized one chopped onion in said fat and added a chopped garlic clove. I like to sprinkle on about a teaspoon of smoked paprika. After the cabbage is good and wilted add a tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Toss the chopped bacon back in and mix. Absolutely delicious and makes the best addition to corned beef hash the next morning.
Fried cabbage with bacon
If you absolutely must use a serious recipe, here’s a good one. Fried Cabbage.
For the oven-baked carrots, I present my go-to method for cooking carrots. It is embarrassingly easy. Peel the desired amount of carrots, then dice into 1-inch pieces. Line a glass or metal baking dish with aluminum foil, large enough to seal up into a handmade foil packet. Toss in your carrots and about a 1/4 cup of water. Add salt and pepper to taste. Seal up the packet and bake. This time I baked them alongside the corned beef. In 2 hours they were perfect. If your oven temp is higher, it will obviously take less time. The carrots are sweet and tender and always a hit.
Whether you need a single item to prepare or want to add to your feast, give this Irish soda bread recipe a try, from Terry Krongold’s blog, The Cook’s Tour.
And top it all off with a serving of Irish soda bread pudding with whiskey caramel sauce. This recipe is the perfect end to a perfect meal. Follow the instructions here, but replace the French baguette with Irish soda bread. Cut into 1-inch cubes and dry out in the oven on a cookie sheet until the cubes are golden brown.
