What St. Patrick’s Day Means to Me
For some people, St. Patrick’s Day means corned beef and cabbage with green beer. In Chicago, they dye the river green. I’m not much of a drinker, so the green beer doesn’t do much for me. I’m not crazy about corned beef either. Shepherd’s Pie is more to my liking… ha ha.
I came from Irish stock on my mother’s side. My name came from that heritage- Patricia Ann. My feisty outlook likely had some origins from the Irish lineage, as well. My dad’s background was German and Norwegian; His dad’s family were from German stock, his mom’s family were all Norwegian. Stubborn comes naturally to me, but I like to listen and learn from people who came from different backgrounds.
I was raised Roman Catholic, a stipulation of the church when my dad, a Lutheran, proposed to my mother. I left the church in junior high school when the teachings at the parochial school I attended announced that anyone “not of the faith” would be damned to hell. As a tolerant and observant child, I knew that statement was flawed, because my father was a good man. I convinced my parents to allow me to attend public schools.
What I loved most about my Irish heritage had nothing to do with how it’s celebrated here in the US… Coming from a long line of alcoholism, the drink was a gift from the devil. I loved the stories and the music!! Traditional Irish music will always get my toes tapping and find me singing a little harmony.
You can find ancient Celtic crosses and markers throughout the countryside of Ireland
My favorite Irish cuisine revolves around potatoes. Boxties, Shepherd’s Pies, Bangers and Mash; who knows if the potato famine imprinted my brain before birth, but I never me a potato I didn’t love! The simple hearty foods are the ones I gravitate towards. Please click on the link below for the recipes for my favorite Irish meals. You won’t find any Corned Beef and Cabbage, though!
Pub-Style Irish Shepherd’s Pie
No need to wait for St. Patrick’s Day to enjoy this traditional Shepherd’s Pie. Tender lamb and vegetables bathe in a rich stout beer gravy, blanketed in creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes and baked to perfection.
Prep time: 25 minutes Cook time: 1hr 35 minutes Total time: 2 hours
Servings: 8 servings Calories: 469kcal/serving
Equipment
Dutch oven or stock pot
Hand mixer
13” x 9” baking dish or 8 ramekins
Stew Ingredients
· 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
· 2 pounds boneless lamb leg or shoulder, cut into 1/2-3/4 inch pieces (you can substitute beef if lamb is not available- this is a Cottage Pie)
· 1/3 cup flour
· Salt and pepper
· 2 ½ cups leeks, chopped, white and pale green parts only
· 1 ½ cups diced carrots
· 1 cup diced celery
· 1 tablespoon minced garlic
· ¼ cup tomato paste
· 1 cup stout beer
· 2 cups chicken or beef broth
· 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
· 1 bay leaf
· 6 springs fresh thyme
· 4 springs fresh rosemary
· 1 cup frozen peas, thawed
· 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
Mashed Potatoes Ingredients
· 3 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
· 4 thyme springs
· 2 rosemary sprigs
· 2 garlic cloves, peeled
· 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature or melted
· 1 cup white cheddar cheese, shredded, plus extra for topping
Instructions
Lamb stew
1. Heat 2 tablespoons o oil in a large Dutch oven or stockpot over medium-high heat.
2. In a medium bowl, combine lamb (or beef) with flour. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add coated meat to pot and brown all over, about 7 minutes, stirring frequently. With a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a clean bowl, cover with foil to keep wrm. Set aside.
4. Heat remaining tablespoon oil in the pot. Add leeks, celery and carrots. Season with salt an pepper. Cook until vegetables are soft, about 7 minutes, stirring frequently.
5. Add garlic and tomato paste. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
6. Add stout beer to deglaze the bottom of the pot, scraping with a wooden spoon. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
7. Return the meat to the pot, stir in stock and Worcestershire sauce.
8. Tie thyme and rosemary sprigs together with kitchen twine. Toss the bundle and bay leaf in the pot.
9. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Partially cover, and simmer 40 minutes. Meat should be tender and gravy thickened. (If you are using ground meat you can simmer for 20 minutes. Stew meat takes longer to get tender)
10. Remove bay leaf and herb bundle. Stir in peas and corn. Remove from heat. Let cool before spreading on mashed potato topping.
11. Meat mixture should be thick like a stew. (Can be made 1 day ahead of assembling. Cover and refrigerate.)
Mashed Potatoes
1. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover by 1 inch with tap water.
2. Toss in thyme, rosemary and garlic.
3. Generously season the water with salt and bring to a boil.
4. Lower heat to a gentle boil and cook potatoes until they are fork tender, 12-15 minutes.
5. Drain potatoes and transfer to a large bowl.
6. Warm the milk and add to the drained potatoes Add the butter and cheese.
7. Season with salt and pepper. Mash or whip until fluffy and creamy.
Assemble and Bake
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Transfer the stew into lightly greased ramekins for individual portions, or a 13’ x 9” baking dish. Let stew cool before topping with potatoes.
2. Top with mashed potatoes. Place prepared dishes onto a rimmed cookie sheet in case any of the stew bubbles over. Bake for 20 minutes.
3. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before serving with Irish soda bread or a peasant loaf, with butter.
NOTES
Recipe Tips
· Let filling cool and thicken up before spreading the mash on top so the potatoes don’t sink.
· Make sure your mash is fluffy. Firm mash is hard to spread.
· The filling can be made 1 day ahead of assembling, but not the mashed potatoes- they will be impossible to spread if refrigerated.
· Place baking dish or ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet so catch any stew that may bubble over while baking. You don’t want to have to clean the oven afterwards.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 5 days. Reheat in an oven-safe dish, uncovered, at 375 degrees F until hot. Time will depend on the portion size and if you had time to let the pie come to room temperature before popping in the oven. If in a pinch, microwave.
Freezing Shepherd’s Pie
I highly recommend freezing assembled Shepherd’s Pie before baking. Cover tightly withfoil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and bring to room temperature before baking in a 400 degrees F oven. Because of the density of the pie, I don’t recommend baking from frozen.
Nutrition
Calories: 469kcal Carbs: 53g Protein: 26g Fat: 15g Cholesterol: 64mg
Sodium: 497mg Potassium: 1431mg Fiber 7g Sugar 9g Calcium: 219m
Individual baking dishes with Shepherd’s Pie, served with Guinness Stout
Traditional Irish Boxty
A pan-fried potato pancake made rom mashed and grated potatoes, flour, milk and fried in butter or bacon grease.
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 40minutes Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 9 pancakes Calories: 188 kcal
Equipment
· Food processor with grating attachment or box grater
· Cast iron skillet
· Mixing bowl
· Cheesecloth
· Potato ricer or masher
· Pot
· Collander
Ingredients
· 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled
· 1 cup all purpose flour
· ¾ cup buttermilk
· ½ cup butter or bacon grease
· ½ teaspoon salt
· 1 teaspoon white pepper
· 1 teaspoon baking powder
Instructions
1. In a small bowl whisk the salt, pepper, flour and baking powder together and set aside.
2. Chop 1 pound of the potatoes and place them into the pot. Cover with cold water. On medium-low heat, making sure the water doesn’t boil, cook the potatoes until tender and a knife can pass through easily, about 15-20 minutes, depending on how large the pieces are.
3. Once the potatoes are done, drain the water and using a ricer or masher, mash the potatoes.
4. While potatoes are cooking, start shredding the remaining pound of potatoes. If you are using a food processor, make sure you grate them after you have mashed the cooked potatoes.
5. Using cheesecloth or a thin towel, wring out as much water from the grated potatoes as possible. Keep the starchy water, if possible.
6. In a large mixing bowl, combine the mashed potatoes, grated potatoes, buttermilk, and flour mixture together. If you have reserved some of the starchy water from the grated potatoes, you can add that as well. Mix to combine evenly. If the batter is too thick, add buttermilk a couple of tablespoons at a time.
7. In a cast iron skilled, heat 2 tablespoons of butter (or bacon grease) on medium heat. Add about 1/3 cup of batter per pancake and spread evenly in pan; cook 3 minutes on each side. Set pancakes on a heat proof dish and place in a warm oven or cover with foil to keep warm. Repeat until all the batter has been used.
NOTES
You will want to grate the potatoes as late as possible to help prevent them from darkening.
Boxty pancakes can be stored in an air tight container for a week.
Can be frozen in an air tight freezer bag for up to 3 months.
Serve with sour cream and minced green onion.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 pancake Calories: 188 kcal Carbohydrates: 30g
Protein: 4 g Fat: 6 g Saturated fat: 4g
Polyunsaturated fat: 0.3g Monounsaturated fat: 1g Trans fat: 0.2g
Cholesterol: 16mg Sodium: 271 mg Potassium: 467 mg
Fiber: 2 g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 192 IU
Vitamin C: 6mg Calcium: 68 mg Iron: 2 mg
