Simply Irish
Ireland has always been on my travel bucket list. I’ve never been to Europe, a continent that seems so different culturally from America. I know about Ireland only from books and movies -- in particular, the lush greenery and seemingly tranquil Irish lifestyle piqued my interest from a very young age. I’ve always wanted to visit the peaceful Irish countryside, so I thought a great way to experience the culture without actually stepping foot in the country would be through my cooking!
Irish Stew
Origin:
Ireland is known for a few staple dishes, Irish stew included. Potatoes, a major ingredient in the soup, were brought to Ireland in the 16th century and the crop soon thrived amongst the poor.In fact, potatoes grew so popular, that they were incorporated into multiple Irish meals each day. However, in the mid-19th century, The Great Famine ravaged through Ireland following the failure of countless potato crops. Irish dependency on the crop has lowered since, but many recipes still include it.
Irish stew is now a popular Irish dish, here in the US, and especially around Irish holidays. The stew is fairly hearty and often enjoyed with soda bread on the side.
Process:
The recipe for the stew called for fresh herbs, which I was able to pick from our small herb garden. First, I cut and seasoned the meat (the recipe called for lamb meat but I used beef instead) into cubes. I then sauteed the meat, adding the chunks in with some vegetables over heat.
Next, I mixed in all the ingredients with the broth until simmering. I had peeled and cut potatoes earlier, which I then placed on top of the stew, to finish it off. I covered the soup pot and transferred it to the oven, for the soup to stew.
Taste:
The dish was extremely filling and warmed me up from being cooked so long. It was delicious and I can see why it’s such a popular Irish comfort food. The meat was a great addition and added a lot of flavor and body to the soup. All of the ingredients created a delicious broth as well. Overall the soup served as a wonderful, aromatic, hearty late dinner along with the tough soda bread.
SODA BREAD
Origin:
Soda bread has become synonymous with all things Irish. Unlike Irish stew, however, soda bread wasn’t invented by the Irish. Instead, the bread is thought to have originated in 19th century England. It soon became popular for it’s quick baking time and simple bread-making process. However, the simplicity also reflects on the taste, making the bread a common side dish with soups and stews.
Because it is so simple to make, the bread was popularized in Ireland around the time of the Great Famine. Around this time it became associated with Ireland, hence the name. It is often thought of as an Irish bread and is commonly served with butter or other spreads during Irish festivities or as a traditional Irish appetizer/side dish.
The bread is recognizable by its circular shape and a cross that’s cut into the top of the bread. The cross is believed to have religious connotations and was believed to ward off demons. Although, there is another reasoning behind this. The bread is cut into wedges when served, so the cross is also incorporated in order to make slicing of the bread easier.
Process:
The bread is named after its rising agent: baking soda. Most recipes also contain flour, eggs, and buttermilk. And a common sweet variation also incorporates raisins and sugar.
Since I was planning to serve the soda bread alongside the Irish stew, I decided to stick with the savory version of the bread.
It was extremely simple to put together -- only taking up to 15 minutes. I mixed all the ingredients together to form a dough, then kneaded it into a round, oval shape.
Then I scored the bread with a cross pattern and placed it inside the oven to bake. After a mere 15 minutes, I took it out and immediately set it to cool on a wire rack. Overall the recipe was very easy, and a great introduction to baking bread.
Taste:
The cross on top of the bread made it perfect to cleanly cut through and produce wedges. The crust was flaky and light, and the bread itself was dense, yet spongy. It complemented the soup, but was also great with butter, on its own. It was a great accompaniment because it didn’t take away from the flavor of the stew and was easy to make. The simple taste worked well with the rich flavor of the stew.
POTS DE CREME
Origin:
The literal translation of the French word pots de creme is pots of cream, referring to the cream-based desserts that are typically served in small cups, bowls, or ramekins. There are even pots de creme cups, specifically made for the dessert, that are lavishly decorated with intricate designs.
Pots de creme can be compared to chocolate mousse, creme brulee, and custards, amongst other desserts. It is most similar to the mousse, the ingredients are almost the same, along with the process and time that goes into making it.
There are many variations on the dessert. Often, it is served with a layer of fruit underneath/covering the custard and served with whipped cream, fruit, and a mint leaf to top it off. Irish chocolate pots de creme is served with chocolate custard. What distinguishes Irish pots de creme from other recipes, however, is the Irish liquor that gives the cream dessert it’s distinct flavor.
Process:
Although Irish liquor is typical of the recipe, I decided not to use liquor for the dessert and found a recipe that didn’t contain it. While this small tweak may have affected its authenticity as an Irish dessert, I followed through with each step in the process (albeit the addition of the liquor).
This recipe was yet another simple one, with the setting of the chocolate cream taking up the most time. I combined the cream with a few other ingredients in a saucepan and stirred until almost boiling. This was then poured over semi-sweet chocolate chips, melting and mixing them together to create a thick, chocolate mixture.
I then divided this amongst ramekins and placed them inside the refrigerator to allow the dessert to set and develop a mousse-like consistency.
Once they finished setting, I prepared the toppings, starting with the whipped cream. There was a little bit of cream left over from the pots de creme, so I mixed the cream with sugar until the mixture showed stiff peaks. Unfortunately, I overmixed the cream, but the taste was the same, even without the same shape and texture. A dollop of whipped cream was used to garnish the dessert alongside previously cut strawberries and chocolate-dipped biscuit-sticks (similar to Pocky sticks).
Taste:
The pots de creme was an excellent end to the evening and left us all very satisfied with the Irish meal. The mousse was very dense, thick, and extremely filling. The rich taste matched wonderfully with the tangy sweetness of the strawberries and the light, airy texture of the whipped cream. Every bite was perfect and left you eager for more.
The meal reflected all that I’d heard of the Irish countryside. It was simple, yet delicious. I could see how these dishes would be dinner staples. Easy to make, yet filling and delicious, these only made me want to visit Ireland even more. The time spent in the kitchen was rewarding and enlightening to learn how you can make so much out of so little.
