Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day With These Delicious Recipes Inspired by Ireland

Food is an essential part of the St. Patrick’s Day celebration, with traditional Irish dishes like corned beef, cabbage and Irish soda bread being served in homes and in restaurants around the U.S. Guinness is also a talisman of the Irish heritage that runs through the history of the U.S., and many a pint of that hearty and delectable brew are purchased and poured every March 17.

If you’re looking to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in style this year, these mouthwatering meals are sure to add some Irish flair to your celebration. 

Featured in A Return to Ireland: A Culinary Journey from America to Ireland by renowned Irish chef Judith McLoughlin (available here in The Beer Connoisseur Store), these dishes are sure to provide the “meat-and-potatoes” quality that Irish cuisine is so renowned for.

Chef McLoughlin’s book features over 100 recipes and gorgeous photos of Irish landscapes, and it aims to take you on a culinary journey from the Irish-American immigrant recipes to the flavors of modern Ireland. Read on to explore the first excerpted recipe.

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Padraig’s Roasted Potato Cups

Serves 4

Potato Cups Ingredients
1¼ pound baby potatoes (red and gold varieties)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper

Mushroom Filling Ingredients
1½ tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons shallots (finely chopped)
8 ounces portobello mushrooms (finely chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1½ ounces aged Irish cheddar cheese (1 tablespoon grated/the remaining shaved)
Salt and pepper to season

Garnish Finishing Ingredients
1 tablespoon truffle oil (to drizzle)
Chives (cut in to ½-inch pieces for a garnish)

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
2. Cut each potato in half. Using a melon baller, scoop out a hole in the center in the cut side of each potato half. Use a knife to slice a small piece of the skin side of each potato so they will stand straight when plating and serving.
3. Brush potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake on a roasting pan, cut side down, for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
4. To make the mushroom filling, sauté the finely chopped mushrooms and shallots in olive oil until the mushrooms are a deep brown and the shallots have caramelized. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of finely grated aged cheddar. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Use a small teaspoon to fill each warm potato cup. Before serving drizzle a little truffle oil and top each potato with a piece of chive and shaving of aged Irish cheddar cheese.

Crispy Shallot Topped Greens with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Serves 4-6

Salad Greens Ingredients
2½ ounces (5 cups) organic spring greens

Dressing Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 slices uncured applewood smoked bacon (finely chopped)
8 tablespoons (½ cup) olive oil
3 garlic cloves (finely sliced)
¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sugar
Freshly ground black pepper

Fried Shallots Ingredients
2 shallots (finely sliced)
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup vegetable oil
Kosher salt and pepper

Directions
1. Heat the oil in skillet and crisp bacon. Remove bacon from the pan and set on plate lined with a paper towel. Drain bacon fat from skillet leaving 1 tablespoon for a little flavor.
2. Add the slivered garlic and cook for 1 minute to soften but not brown. Remove from heat and add vinegar (being careful as pan may splutter some). Gently shake the saucepan to mix. Use as whisk to mix the mustard, sugar. Add ground black pepper. Finally whisk in the olive oil and gently heat on low.
3. Toss the sliced shallots in flour. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan or fryer to 360°F. Add the shallots in small batches so they do not stick together cooking for 10–12 minutes until they are crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain. Season the shallots with a little salt and pepper.
4. To serve, toss the greens in the warm vinaigrette with the bacon.
5. Serve right away and top each salad serving with a small handful of fried shallots and enjoy!

Aged Gaelic Steaks with an Irish Whiskey Cream Sauce

Serves 4

Steak Ingredients
4 New York steaks or 2 porterhouse cut steaks (aged and cut 1-inch thick)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of butter
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Sauce Ingredients
1 tablespoon of salted butter
1 shallot (finely chopped)
¼ cup of Irish whiskey
¼ cup chicken stock
¾ cup of heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon fresh parsley (finely chopped)

Directions
1. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and oil on medium high heat in a large skillet and season the room temperature steaks liberally with freshly ground black pepper and sea salt. When the butter is foaming, add the steaks one at a time to the pan and turn them after 20–30 seconds to sear both sides (do not overcrowd to get a nice sear if not using a large size skillet). Lower the heat to medium heat (3–4 minutes for rare, 4–5 minutes for medium rare, 4–5 minutes for medium, 5–6 minutes for well done) turning each steak halfway.
2. Wrap the steaks in aluminum foil and transfer the steaks to a low temperature oven or covered in a warming drawer.
3. To make the Irish whiskey sauces, add the butter to the pan with the shallots and cook for about a minute scraping the flavorful brown bits. Deglaze the pan adding the Irish whiskey and chicken stock and reduce slightly on a low simmer. Add the cream to the pan cooking to reduce and gently simmer until the cream begins to thicken.
4. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the fresh chopped parsley.
5. To serve, pour the sauce over the pan seared steaks.

We hope you enjoyed these three recipes that are perfect for St. Patrick’s Day or any occasion when you’re craving hearty and delicious Irish-inspired dishes. From the crispy shallot-topped greens with warm bacon vinaigrette to the aged Gaelic steaks with an Irish whiskey cream sauce, there’s something for everyone here. So why not add some Irish flair to your cooking with these tasty recipes?