St. Patrick's Day Supper
As we were planning our supper this year, the only Sunday that seemed to work out was March 17th. Days and weeks few by and we still hadn't nailed down a menu or a theme. I wanted Mediterranean and Alex wanted Roman. Then my very Norwegian parents reminded me March 17th is St. Patrick's Day. I'm not the biggest fan of Irish fare, but I knew it would be relatively easy and definitely cheaper than a Roman feast. Plus we couldn't deny our Supper Clubbers a St. Patrick's Day feast on St. Patrick's Day.
To set the scene, 15 Adults and 7 Children RSVPd yes! Say what? Definitely Irish, but in a Manhattan apartment, pretty challenging.
The Wednesday before our supper Alex bought the fresh cut brisket and started brining it. I bought the St. Patrick's Day swagger on Thursday, Friday we rested and Saturday we shopped and started cooking.
This year I didn't want to make a million trips to the stores so we decided to drive up to Fairway in Harlem. They had everything! They had fancy organic, not fancy basics, gallons of organic milk, fish and cheese galor and most importantly EVERYTHING on our list. Other years I would start at Trader Joes and then pick up specialty items at Whole Foods and Garden of Eden. However, always in a panic and close to supper time, Alex would pay $10 a couple of tomatoes at Gristedes because it's the closest grocery store to us but also the most expensive and crappiest. We saved so much money and time going to Fairway. It is definitely a must for years to come.
Alright let's get down to business. The goal was to make Irish food taste good. I think we accomplished this. Great pictures of food...not so much. Sorry non-readers we (corrine & alex) had to cook and set everything. I only had time for a few iphone pictures with a smashed big toe. Long story short, I dropped a oak table leaf on my big toe at 2PM, guests arrived at 5pm. I screamed like I was going into active labor and I did not have an epidural for either births.
MENU
Appetizers
Mini shepherds pies
Smoked white fish with crackers (left over from Smoked Chowder)
Guinness
Starters
Smoked white fish chowder
Soda bread
Main Course
Corned beef
Root vegetables
Creamy roasted cauliflower
Champ
Crunchy cabbage salad
Dessert
Shamrock shakes
Mini Shepherd's Pies
Recipe - Mini Shepherd's Pie (we did not follow completely see below)
Ingredients
Bisquick (follow recipe for biscuits)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup beef stock
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
2 cups shredded Cheddar (get the REAL cheddar)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Butter muffin pan. Drop Bisquick mix each muffin cup. Par-bake biscuits for 6 to 8 minutes until light golden. Remove from oven and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and brown. Stir in the onions, salt, pepper and garlic and allow to cook together for a couple of minutes.
Mix flour into the meat mixture and stir until a paste consistency is reached. Add beef stock to pan and stir in vegetables and herbs, the last few minutes, until combined.
Reheat mashed potatoes in a microwave for 5 to 6 minutes (I made extra mashed potaotes when making the Champ, but added sour cream to this portion so keep them moist).
Spoon equal amounts (approximately 2 tablespoons) of warm potatoes on the bottoms of each par-baked biscuit. We actually put the mashed potatoes on top and they turned out great. Then top with equal amounts of beef mixture (approximately 2 tablespoons). Finally top with equal amounts of Cheddar. Return to oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before popping individual pies out with a knife.
Corrine's NOTE: We doubled this recipe, but had enough meat/veggie mixture left over to make a large shepherd's pie. I'm not exactly sure why, but it was kind of a nice surprise since I didn't feel like cooking the week after supper club.
Smoked White Fish Chowder
Recipe Link - Smoked haddock chowder
Since the recipe above is in crazy English measurements, here it is below in AmEERican. I also almost doubled the recipe.
5 leeks, sliced
2 onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves diced
4 Tablespoons of butter
6 medium potatoes , diced
3 1/2 cups of milk
3 1/2 cups of vegetable stock
2 pounds skinless smoked white fish fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound cooked, peeled prawns
1 small bunch parsley, roughly chopped
Cook the leeks and onions in a large pot with a 4 tablespoons of butter for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Season with salt and pepper and add garlic. Toast until fragrant. Add the potatoes, milk and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook gently for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Drop in the haddock and prawns and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes to cook the haddock and heat the prawns. Season, add the chopped parsley.
Like suggested, on the website I made the base first the night before and added the fish the day of. If I make this soup again, I will not do this. The creamy consistency was lost. Luckily the taste still remained and there was not an ounce left.
Soda Bread
Recipe Link - Martha Stewart's Soda Bread
I think soda bread is kind of like eating a hard sweet rock so I decided to just do what Martha would do. I followed the recipe above and it turn out like...soda bread. People ate it, I ate it. Irish food is just a little weird.
Corned Beef
I made most of sides because Alex made the corned beef. The recipe is a bit elaborate, but it turned out really really good. Alex said that is was better than Katz deli, which I responded "yeah, right," sarcastically, but later on agreed because it was less fatty. Instructions below courtesy of Alex.
This is a recipe is a knockout. If you are entertaining and need to make several pounds of beef this will get you there. Corned Beef fit for St. Patricks Day at the in-laws. I used the following to make 13 lbs for 17 people, the same amount could make up to 16 lbs or so without adjustment. If you are going smaller (like 5 -8 lbs) then halve. The process is 4 steps but it takes around 5 days to complete. It's actually easy but patience is key.
Meat
First cut brisket 10-16 lbs.
Pickling Spice Ingredients
2 Tbsp allspice berries
2 Tbsp mustard seed (I used yellow but brown would be better)
2 Tbsp whole coriander seed
2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp whole cloves
2 Tbsp black peppercorns
1 Tbsp powdered mace
20-ish cardamon pods
20-ish dried juniper berries
4 bay leaves (break them up)
1 Tbsp Ground Ginger
2 Cinnamon sticks
Brine
water to cover meat (around a gallon)
2 cups Kosher Salt
1 cup sugar (brown sugar is best)
1 Tbsp Pink Curing Salt #1 (not the same as Himalayan rock salt)
1 head of garlic (minced or smashed)
1 small onion, quartered
1 large or 5 small carrots, coarsely chopped
3 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
4 Tbsp of the above Pickling Spice
Stock
5 carrots coarsely chopped
1 head of garlic coarsely chopped or smashed
1 onion quartered
3 stalks of celery coarsely chopped
any other fresh vegetable you would add to make an awesome stock.
4 Tsp of the Pickling Spice (from the jar)
1 cup of the Brine Liquid (strained)
Marmalade and Whiskey Glaze
1 jar of Marmalade
1 cup of whiskey, maybe more
1 shot of whiskey
Make the spice
Toast everything that you can in a dry skillet (no oil) this is everything above except the powdered spices, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Over medium heat keep pan moving (like you are making popcorn). When the mustard seeds start popping but before everything starts smoking remove from heat to a mortar. Grind all together making sure to smash berries, seeds, pods, etc and add powdered ingredients. Store in a jar.
Make the Brine
Combine all of the Brine ingredients into a large stock pot and bring to a boil on high heat. Bring to a simmer and stir until all sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool. You can even be smart and use half the water and then dump in ice or pour over ice. i'm not that smart so I just let it sit. It needs to be at least room temperature but the colder the better. You don't want to cook your meat you want to pickle it. Add your meat once brine is chilled.
Meat Logistics
The brisket will be pink and fatty. It may not all fit in the stock pot. If you have a tiny stove and your stock pot covers two burners you will need to make some adjustments. The fat is good you want fat for good corned beef, but you may want to remove some of the excess, I would wait until after it's brined to do this. I would cut into manageable pieces. This meat and the requisite water will be in your fridge for the better part of a week so you'll need to cut the pieces to sizes you can deal with. You want to make sure the meat is totally submerged, use 2+ gallon zip-locks, or basting trays or the stockpot if you have the fridge space.
Wait 5 days, check the meat daily and rotate. When you are ready remove the meat, rinse over cold water and let reach room temperature. Strain and reserve 1 cup of the Brine.
Cook the Meat
I know you are thinking corned beef and cabbage with potatoes, well boil your potatoes first, don't salt the water. Fish them out of the water and use that water for the stock. You can keep the potatoes submerged in cold water until later. Add your stock ingredients and any additional water you will need to cover the meat plus 1-2". Cover and bring to a boil. After boiling then reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 hours, low and slow.
Finishing Up
When meat is done remove from the stock. Save the stock! Make the glaze, dump the jar of marmalade into a sauce pan and add whiskey. Bring to a boil over medium heat and reduce by half until it's glaze consistency. Don't burn the sugar in the marmalade. Take a shot to congratulate yourself. brush or pour onto the meat. Place meat under the broiler until glaze melts and slightly caramelizes. Remove from heat and let rest for 20 minutes, cut and serve.
The Gift that Keeps Oon Giving
WAIT! Don't pour out the stock! Add some cut large carrots, turnips, parsnips and other prepped root vegetables to the stock. Boil until tender enough to piece with a fork. Strain and serve.
Creamy Roasted Cauliflower
I followed this recipe, except we were running out of space on the stove so I steamed the cauliflower by putting a drying rack on top of the corned beef and covered it with tinfoil. It took a bit longer, but was infused with some of the corned beef flavor, which did not hurt!
One tip I have for this is, buy a GOOD cheddar cheese like, Australian cheddar.
Champ
I'm really not sure what the big deal is about champ, but it's basically just mashed potatoes with scallions. So instead of following a recipe online make your favorite kind of mash potatoes with things like butter, whole milk, sour cream, salt and pepper and add a whole lot of scallions to make it looks little green. If you follow a champ recipe online you will get dry potatoes with a bit of green, which I guess is more irish, but...sometimes it's just better to have better tasting food.
Crunchy Cabbage Salad
This was the last thing I made before we sat down to eat. Our living room was getting full, kids were running around screaming and it was hot. First floor apartments in New York are always hot no matter what time of the year it is. I managed to follow this recipe, but it was slow going for me. I literally had to look at the minimal recipe about 20 times and could barely chop up the veggies to put in the food processor. Luckily, Alex helped me finish it and luckily we did. It is sort of a zingy cabbage salad that really helped pull everything together.
Dessert
Shamrock Shake
Wait! Don't leave. I know your kids have to sleep, but take a shamrock shake with you! Supper clubbers who had to put their kids to bed either downed their shake or happily took it with them out the door. Rachael, fellow supper clubber, forwarded us this recipe and it was perfect. Just make sure you buy great vanilla ice cream (not the stuff with all the junk in it) and pour in a generous amount of whisky. It is St. Patrick's Day after all.
To set the scene, 15 Adults and 7 Children RSVPd yes! Say what? Definitely Irish, but in a Manhattan apartment, pretty challenging.
This year I didn't want to make a million trips to the stores so we decided to drive up to Fairway in Harlem. They had everything! They had fancy organic, not fancy basics, gallons of organic milk, fish and cheese galor and most importantly EVERYTHING on our list. Other years I would start at Trader Joes and then pick up specialty items at Whole Foods and Garden of Eden. However, always in a panic and close to supper time, Alex would pay $10 a couple of tomatoes at Gristedes because it's the closest grocery store to us but also the most expensive and crappiest. We saved so much money and time going to Fairway. It is definitely a must for years to come.
Alright let's get down to business. The goal was to make Irish food taste good. I think we accomplished this. Great pictures of food...not so much. Sorry non-readers we (corrine & alex) had to cook and set everything. I only had time for a few iphone pictures with a smashed big toe. Long story short, I dropped a oak table leaf on my big toe at 2PM, guests arrived at 5pm. I screamed like I was going into active labor and I did not have an epidural for either births.
MENU
Appetizers
Smoked white fish with crackers (left over from Smoked Chowder)
Guinness
Starters
Smoked white fish chowder
Soda bread
Main Course
Corned beef
Root vegetables
Creamy roasted cauliflower
Champ
Crunchy cabbage salad
Dessert
Shamrock shakes
Mini Shepherd's Pies
Recipe - Mini Shepherd's Pie (we did not follow completely see below)
Ingredients
Bisquick (follow recipe for biscuits)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1/2 onion, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup beef stock
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
2 cups shredded Cheddar (get the REAL cheddar)
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Butter muffin pan. Drop Bisquick mix each muffin cup. Par-bake biscuits for 6 to 8 minutes until light golden. Remove from oven and set aside.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add ground beef and brown. Stir in the onions, salt, pepper and garlic and allow to cook together for a couple of minutes.
Mix flour into the meat mixture and stir until a paste consistency is reached. Add beef stock to pan and stir in vegetables and herbs, the last few minutes, until combined.
Reheat mashed potatoes in a microwave for 5 to 6 minutes (I made extra mashed potaotes when making the Champ, but added sour cream to this portion so keep them moist).
Spoon equal amounts (approximately 2 tablespoons) of warm potatoes on the bottoms of each par-baked biscuit. We actually put the mashed potatoes on top and they turned out great. Then top with equal amounts of beef mixture (approximately 2 tablespoons). Finally top with equal amounts of Cheddar. Return to oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes until cheese is melted and browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly before popping individual pies out with a knife.
Corrine's NOTE: We doubled this recipe, but had enough meat/veggie mixture left over to make a large shepherd's pie. I'm not exactly sure why, but it was kind of a nice surprise since I didn't feel like cooking the week after supper club.
Smoked White Fish Chowder
Recipe Link - Smoked haddock chowder
Since the recipe above is in crazy English measurements, here it is below in AmEERican. I also almost doubled the recipe.
5 leeks, sliced
2 onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves diced
4 Tablespoons of butter
6 medium potatoes , diced
3 1/2 cups of milk
3 1/2 cups of vegetable stock
2 pounds skinless smoked white fish fillet, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound cooked, peeled prawns
1 small bunch parsley, roughly chopped
Cook the leeks and onions in a large pot with a 4 tablespoons of butter for about 5 minutes until they start to soften. Season with salt and pepper and add garlic. Toast until fragrant. Add the potatoes, milk and vegetable stock. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook gently for about 10-15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Drop in the haddock and prawns and simmer for a further 2-3 minutes to cook the haddock and heat the prawns. Season, add the chopped parsley.
Like suggested, on the website I made the base first the night before and added the fish the day of. If I make this soup again, I will not do this. The creamy consistency was lost. Luckily the taste still remained and there was not an ounce left.
Soda Bread
Recipe Link - Martha Stewart's Soda Bread
I think soda bread is kind of like eating a hard sweet rock so I decided to just do what Martha would do. I followed the recipe above and it turn out like...soda bread. People ate it, I ate it. Irish food is just a little weird.
Corned Beef
I made most of sides because Alex made the corned beef. The recipe is a bit elaborate, but it turned out really really good. Alex said that is was better than Katz deli, which I responded "yeah, right," sarcastically, but later on agreed because it was less fatty. Instructions below courtesy of Alex.
This is a recipe is a knockout. If you are entertaining and need to make several pounds of beef this will get you there. Corned Beef fit for St. Patricks Day at the in-laws. I used the following to make 13 lbs for 17 people, the same amount could make up to 16 lbs or so without adjustment. If you are going smaller (like 5 -8 lbs) then halve. The process is 4 steps but it takes around 5 days to complete. It's actually easy but patience is key.
Meat
First cut brisket 10-16 lbs.
Pickling Spice Ingredients
2 Tbsp allspice berries
2 Tbsp mustard seed (I used yellow but brown would be better)
2 Tbsp whole coriander seed
2 Tbsp red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp whole cloves
2 Tbsp black peppercorns
1 Tbsp powdered mace
20-ish cardamon pods
20-ish dried juniper berries
4 bay leaves (break them up)
1 Tbsp Ground Ginger
2 Cinnamon sticks
Brine
water to cover meat (around a gallon)
2 cups Kosher Salt
1 cup sugar (brown sugar is best)
1 Tbsp Pink Curing Salt #1 (not the same as Himalayan rock salt)
1 head of garlic (minced or smashed)
1 small onion, quartered
1 large or 5 small carrots, coarsely chopped
3 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
4 Tbsp of the above Pickling Spice
Stock
5 carrots coarsely chopped
1 head of garlic coarsely chopped or smashed
1 onion quartered
3 stalks of celery coarsely chopped
any other fresh vegetable you would add to make an awesome stock.
4 Tsp of the Pickling Spice (from the jar)
1 cup of the Brine Liquid (strained)
Marmalade and Whiskey Glaze
1 jar of Marmalade
1 cup of whiskey, maybe more
1 shot of whiskey
Make the spice
Toast everything that you can in a dry skillet (no oil) this is everything above except the powdered spices, bay leaves and cinnamon sticks. Over medium heat keep pan moving (like you are making popcorn). When the mustard seeds start popping but before everything starts smoking remove from heat to a mortar. Grind all together making sure to smash berries, seeds, pods, etc and add powdered ingredients. Store in a jar.
Make the Brine
Combine all of the Brine ingredients into a large stock pot and bring to a boil on high heat. Bring to a simmer and stir until all sugar and salt are dissolved. Let cool. You can even be smart and use half the water and then dump in ice or pour over ice. i'm not that smart so I just let it sit. It needs to be at least room temperature but the colder the better. You don't want to cook your meat you want to pickle it. Add your meat once brine is chilled.
Meat Logistics
The brisket will be pink and fatty. It may not all fit in the stock pot. If you have a tiny stove and your stock pot covers two burners you will need to make some adjustments. The fat is good you want fat for good corned beef, but you may want to remove some of the excess, I would wait until after it's brined to do this. I would cut into manageable pieces. This meat and the requisite water will be in your fridge for the better part of a week so you'll need to cut the pieces to sizes you can deal with. You want to make sure the meat is totally submerged, use 2+ gallon zip-locks, or basting trays or the stockpot if you have the fridge space.
Wait 5 days, check the meat daily and rotate. When you are ready remove the meat, rinse over cold water and let reach room temperature. Strain and reserve 1 cup of the Brine.
Cook the Meat
I know you are thinking corned beef and cabbage with potatoes, well boil your potatoes first, don't salt the water. Fish them out of the water and use that water for the stock. You can keep the potatoes submerged in cold water until later. Add your stock ingredients and any additional water you will need to cover the meat plus 1-2". Cover and bring to a boil. After boiling then reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 hours, low and slow.
Finishing Up
When meat is done remove from the stock. Save the stock! Make the glaze, dump the jar of marmalade into a sauce pan and add whiskey. Bring to a boil over medium heat and reduce by half until it's glaze consistency. Don't burn the sugar in the marmalade. Take a shot to congratulate yourself. brush or pour onto the meat. Place meat under the broiler until glaze melts and slightly caramelizes. Remove from heat and let rest for 20 minutes, cut and serve.
The Gift that Keeps Oon Giving
WAIT! Don't pour out the stock! Add some cut large carrots, turnips, parsnips and other prepped root vegetables to the stock. Boil until tender enough to piece with a fork. Strain and serve.
Creamy Roasted Cauliflower
One tip I have for this is, buy a GOOD cheddar cheese like, Australian cheddar.
Champ
I'm really not sure what the big deal is about champ, but it's basically just mashed potatoes with scallions. So instead of following a recipe online make your favorite kind of mash potatoes with things like butter, whole milk, sour cream, salt and pepper and add a whole lot of scallions to make it looks little green. If you follow a champ recipe online you will get dry potatoes with a bit of green, which I guess is more irish, but...sometimes it's just better to have better tasting food.
Crunchy Cabbage Salad
This was the last thing I made before we sat down to eat. Our living room was getting full, kids were running around screaming and it was hot. First floor apartments in New York are always hot no matter what time of the year it is. I managed to follow this recipe, but it was slow going for me. I literally had to look at the minimal recipe about 20 times and could barely chop up the veggies to put in the food processor. Luckily, Alex helped me finish it and luckily we did. It is sort of a zingy cabbage salad that really helped pull everything together.
Dessert
Shamrock Shake
Wait! Don't leave. I know your kids have to sleep, but take a shamrock shake with you! Supper clubbers who had to put their kids to bed either downed their shake or happily took it with them out the door. Rachael, fellow supper clubber, forwarded us this recipe and it was perfect. Just make sure you buy great vanilla ice cream (not the stuff with all the junk in it) and pour in a generous amount of whisky. It is St. Patrick's Day after all.
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