Getting ready for St. Patrick's Day by BumbleBeeBoogie

3 CORNED BEEF DINNERS FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY
3 CORNED BEEF DINNERS FOR ST. PATRICK'S DAY
By BumbleBeeBoogie

When I was a young bride, I planned my first dinner party in my new home. The guests were to be my parents and some relatives visiting from another state. The menu included Corned Beef and Cabbage. On the morning of the event, I carefully prepared the ingredients and calculated the amount of cooking time necessary. Every hour, I looked in the oven to see how the corned beef was cooking. As the dinner hour approached, I began to panic. I telephoned my mother, in tears. With anguish only a bride can muster, I sobbed, "I've been cooking the corned beef for nearly five hours and it won't get brown; what do I do?"

Bumble Bee Boogie
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GLAZED CORNED BEEF, POTATOES AND CABBAGE
Adapted by Bumble Bee Boogie

Corned Beef:
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 garlic cloves, peeled and cut in half
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1/4 to 1/2 cup dry sherry
3 to 4 pound lean corned beef
4 to 6 red new potatoes, cut in half if large, leave whole if small
1 head of cabbage, quartered

Glaze:
1 cup orange marmalade
1 tablespoon bottled horseradish
3 tablespoons granulated brown sugar
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Place the corned beef in a large stock pot on the stove-top burner. Pour in enough water to cover the corned beef. Add the bay leaf, garlic, peppercorns and dry sherry. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer the corned beef for 2 ½ hours. Add the potatoes and cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes (do not over cook the potatoes).

Preheat oven at 375 degrees F.

In a small sauce pan over low heat, combine the glaze ingredients. Simmer until the marmalade is melted.

Remove the corned beef from the pot and place it in a shallow baking dish. Pour the warm glaze over the corned beef and bake for 20 minutes.

While the corned beef is baking, add the cabbage to the stock pot with the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender.

Slice the corned beef against the grain and serve it surrounded with the vegetables.
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The custom of imbibing alcohol on St. Patrick's Day comes from an old Irish legend. As the story goes, St. Patrick was served a measure of whiskey that was considerably less than full. St. Patrick took this as an opportunity to teach a lesson of generosity to the innkeeper. He told the innkeeper that in his cellar resided a monstrous devil who fed on the dishonesty of the innkeeper. In order to banish the devil, the man must change his ways. When St. Patrick returned to the hostelry some time later, he found the owner generously filling the patrons' glasses to overflowing. He returned to the cellar with the innkeeper and found the devil emaciated from the landlord's generosity, and promptly banished the demon, proclaiming thereafter everyone should have a drop of the "hard stuff" on his feast day. This custom is known as Pota Phadraig or Patrick's Pot. The custom is known as "drowning the shamrock" because it is customary to float a leaf of the plant in the whiskey before downing the shot.
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CORNED BEEF BRISKET IN BEER
Adapted by Bumble Bee Boogie

Prepare a 9 pound brisket of beef the day before serving:

Cut the brisket in half and thoroughly rinse. Place the brisket in a large pot and cover it with cold water. Place the pot on a stove top burner over high heat and bring the water to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove the brisket from the pot and empty the water from the pot.

Place the following into a cheesecloth garni bag tied with string:

2 tablespoons pickling spice (add any spice that comes with brisket, too)
10 whole peppercorns
7 whole cloves
3 bay leaves crumbled
Flat Italian parsley, chopped
(you may substitute spices from a package of pickling spice blend, if desired)

Tie the garni bag. Return the brisket to the pot with the garni bag, and add to the pot:

2 cans of beer (not lite beer)
cold water to cover the brisket
2 large yellow unpeeled onions, halved
5 cloves of unpeeled garlic
3 tablespoons dry mustard powder
1/4 cup granulated brown sugar, packed

Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer over low heat for 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Retain the liquid and the garni bag in the pot with the brisket, cover, and refrigerate until ready to serve within five days.

Vegetables:

Fresh young carrots, peeled and cut in quarters
Red new potatoes, left whole if small, cut in half if large
Head of cabbage

When ready to serve, place the carrots and potatoes in a pot and ladle enough liquid from the brisket pot to cover. Cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Cut the cabbage into quarters and add to the pot. Cook for another 10 minutes.

Horseradish-Mustard Sauce:

1/2 cup sour cream
1- 1/2 to 2 teaspoons dry mustard powder
1 to 2 teaspoons bottled horseradish, to taste
1/4 teaspoon onion salt

Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and serve on the side with the brisket surrounded by the vegetables on a serving platter.
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CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE IN ALE
Adapted by Bumble Bee Boogie

2 to 3 pound cut of corned beef
24 ounces ale (Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale)
2 fresh young carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
12 small red new potatoes
4 large yellow onions, peeled and quartered
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1 large sprig fresh thyme
1 head cabbage, quartered

Place the beef in a large pot with the ale, carrots, potatoes, onions, mustard and thyme. Add just enough cold water to cover the beef. Bring to a boil on a stove top burner and simmer gently for 1-1/2 to 2 hours.

After one hour, check the vegetables and, if tender, remove them and set aside.

When the meat is tender, add the cabbage quarters to the pot and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Return all of the vegetables to the pot and reheat.

Serve the meat in slices (cut across the grain) on a large serving platter, surrounded by the vegetables and some of the pot broth. Makes 4 servings.

Real Irish Coffee
Real Irish Coffee
Courtesy of Bumble Bee Boogie

Irish coffee was invented in the 1940s at an Irish port to give a little warmth and cheer to exhausted travelers in the middle of their long transatlantic journeys.

To make a proper Irish coffee, start by warming up a stemmed glass with a swirl of hot water, then empty out the water.

Fill the glass 3/4 full with strong brewed hot coffee. Stir in 1 tablespoon of granulated brown sugar. Pour a shot glass (1 ounce) of Irish whiskey into the glass.

Whip some fresh cream, just a little bit so that it's fluffy, but still pourable. Slowly pour the whipped cream over the back of a spoon into the coffee so the cream
floats on top of the coffee; DON'T STIR THE CREAM!

Serve the Irish Coffee immediately and enjoy sipping the hot, sweet spiked coffee through the fluffy cream.

Irish Pub Grub
IRISH PUB GRUB
Recipes adapted by Bumble Bee Boogie

SPICY SALMON
Adapted from a recipe at Fado Irish pub, this is a Cajun/Asian take on British fish and chips.

2 tablespoons Cajun seafood seasoning
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Salt, optional to taste
3 6-ounce salmon fillets, skin removed, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch strips
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Asian red chili paste
1 large egg
1 cup cake flour, sifted
Vegetable oil for deep frying

In a small bowl, blend together the mayonnaise and chili paste; set aside in the refrigerator.

In a small bowl, combine the Cajun seasoning, flour and salt. Coat the salmon pieces in the flour mixture, shaking off any excess coating; set aside on a piece of foil or waxed paper.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg and pour the egg into a 2-cup measuring cup. Add enough cold water to make 3/4 cup of liquid. Return the egg and water mixture to the bowl and whisk. Sift the cake flour into the egg mixture; stir, but do not overmix.

Heat the oil in a wok or a deep fryer at 350 degrees F.

Dip the flour-coated salmon fillets into the egg batter to coat. Fry the salmon fillets in small batches until cooked through, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove the salmon fillets from the hot oil and drain on paper towels.

Serve immediately with mayonnaise dip on the side. Makes 4 servings.


BOXY WITH CORNED BEEF, CABBAGE AND CHEESE
Adapted from a recipe from The Kerry Piper Irish Pub in Willowbrook.

2 large russet potatoes, peeled, shredded, squeezed dry
1/4 cup instant mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons fresh or frozen reconstituted lemon juice
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup white Cheddar cheese, grated
4 ounces corned beef, thinly sliced and chopped

Preheat the oven at 200 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, mix together the potatoes, instant mashed potatoes, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper.

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high stove-top heat. Add 1/4 of the potato mixture; flatten to form a round. Cook the potato mound until the bottom is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle 1/4 of the cabbage, cheese and corned beef over the potato; cook for an additional 1 minute. Fold the potato over into a half-round, using a spatula. Place the potato half-round on an oven-proof plate; keep it warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Serves 4.

FISH AND CHIPS
Adapted from a recipe from Fitzers Pub in the Fitzpatrick Hotel Chicago. You can use the oil for both the fish and the potatoes if you fry the potatoes first.

Chips:
3 large Idaho baking potatoes, peeled, sliced 1/4-inch thick
Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Salt to taste

Place the potatoes in a bowl of cold water until ready to cook.

Pour the oil into a deep-fryer or Dutch oven until two-thirds full. Heat at 375 degrees F.

Drain the potatoes; pat dry. Fry in batches until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Drain the potatoes on paper towels. Sprinkle with salt to taste; keep warm in a 200-degree F. oven.

Fish:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 bottle (12 ounces) lager beer, such as Harp
1 pound boneless cod fillets, cut into 3-inch pieces
Tartar sauce, lemon wedges

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cornstarch, salt, black pepper and crushed red pepper. Stir in the beer to make a batter. Set aside at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Heat the oil at 375 degrees F. Dip the cod pieces into the batter; fry in batches until golden brown, about 4 minutes per batch. Transfer the fish to paper towels with slotted spoon to drain. Season to taste. Keep warm.

Serve with potatoes, tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

BREAD PUDDING WITH WHISKEY SAUCE
Adapted from a recipe by Tim Dowling, executive chef of Molly Malone's.

Pudding:
5 large eggs
1 quart whipping cream
1/2 cup dark brown granulated sugar, packed
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
3 tablespoons Irish whiskey
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pound day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups white chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups golden raisins

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, sugar, whiskey, vanilla and cinnamon until sugar dissolves. Stir in the bread cubes, white chocolate chips and the raisins. Set aside 1 hour, stirring twice.

Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F. Spread the egg-bread mixture into a greased 13-by-9-by-2-inch baking pan; cover with foil. Bake 1 hour. Remove the foil; bake an additional 30 minutes until the top is golden brown. Cool 15 minutes.

Whiskey sauce:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown granulated sugar, packed
1-1/3 cups whipping cream
3 tablespoons Irish whiskey

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the sugars, whisking constantly, until the sugars dissolve. Whisk in the cream; heat to a boil. Remove the saucepan from the heat; stir in whiskey.

Cut the pudding into squares into 12 servings; top with the whiskey sauce.