How to Cook Irish Cuisine

When I learned how to cook the Irish cuisine, I found that it evolved through great political and social changes as it did in most countries. Today, here in the United States, the words simply mean our famous St Patricks Day to most of us. In the early times of Irish food, milk, cheese, meat, cereals and some vegetables formed the main part of the Irish diet. Then in the late sixteen hundreds, the potato was introduced to the Irish people and eventually became the staple crop of the poor. The potato gained recognition for its great nutritional values and as an energy producing food.


When you learn how to cook the Irish cuisine you will see like most other countries of the world, it has expanded to include many more great recipes. As travelers have visited Ireland, they have brought with them recipes and ingredients from other parts of the world. These have been adapted in one way or another into the Irish cuisine. The popular and plentiful Irish potato has been utilized in other Irish recipes like breads, cakes, candies and even blended with vegetables like cabbage in the creation of newer recipes.

As you learn how to cook the traditional Irish cuisine, you will find that it is not quite the same as how we celebrate St Patricks Day here in the United States. Actually, we are told that “traditionally” St Patricks Day is an “American holiday” having been created in New York. We all come up with recipes which we think should be Irish trying to use the ingredients which we are told were used in the Irish cuisine.

Many claim that the traditional lamb stew in the Irish cuisine is only made with mutton chops, onions, parsley, potatoes and water. Today, many people making it with additional ingredients like turnips, carrots and peas seasoned sometimes with garlic are still making the traditional Irish stew. I am sure that my recipe blow and being served in the bread bowl is an excessive American twist to the traditional lamb stew recipe.

I have always said about my Irish sugar cookies that the only thing Irish about them is that they look like shamrocks. The same goes for the following Jello cake recipe; it is Irish to me. It is a delicious white cake recipe with the pretty “green Irish” filling of lime jello. When topped with shamrocks, it appears Irish to most of us Americans.

IRISH SCONE RECIPE

  • ½ Cup sugar
  • 3 Cups self rising flour
  • 4 Tablespoons butter
  • 2 Cup raisins
  • 1 ½ to 2 Cups milk

Combine flour and sugar; cut in butter with pastry cutter.
Add raisins; stir in milk until biscuit consistency.
Roll out to about ½ inch thick and cut with round biscuit cutter.
Bake in preheated oven at 400F degrees 10 to 12 minutes.
Cut in half and serve with jam and a dollop whipped cream.

IRISH BROWN BREAD RECIPE a staple of Irish cuisine

A very important recipe of the Irish cuisine is the Irish soda bread.  This Irish brown bread recipe is actually made with a soda bread recipe but has whole wheat flour and ground nuts added. 

  • 3 Cups all purpose flour
  • 1 Cup whole wheat flour
  • 2 Tablespoons finely ground walnuts
  • 1 Teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 1 ¾ Cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350F degrees.
Combine and mix both flours, walnuts, soda, and salt in bowl.
Make a hole in center of dry mixture; pour in buttermilk.
Using a large spoon quickly stir liquid into flour mixture.
Place in a well oiled loaf pan for 60 minutes or until loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
NOTE: I am baking this loaf in small single serving bowls in which to serve my recipe for lamb stew. Cut a lid from the top and hollow out the bread, (The bread which you take out is great with butter and jam.)

RECIPE FOR LAMB STEW

How to Cook Irish CuisineLamb Stew served in an Irish Brown Bread Bowl
  • 4 Lamb chops
  • 1 Cup sliced potatoes
  • 1 Cup green peas
  • 1 Cup diced carrots
  • 1 Cup white wine
  • 1 Cup catsup
  • 1 Can tomato soup
  • 1 Medium chopped onion
  • 1 Clove minced garlic
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 1 Teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 Teaspoon rosemary

For cooking lamb chops, place 2 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven; brown chops on both sides.
Remove chops to platter; brown onion in drippings.
Add remaining ingredients to pan and blend; return lamb chops to pan.
Cover with lid and bake in preheated oven at 375F degrees for about 1 hour or until meat is tender.
NOTE: Do not overcook lamb chops; they should hold together.
Serve stew in Irish brown bread recipe; stand lamb chop up and spoon vegetables around it (See above)

JELLO CAKE RECIPE

This Jello cake recipe fits right in the Irish cuisine for St Patricks Day; the pretty green Jello filling with the shamrocks. It is also very delicious and so fitting to the Irish.

Jello Cake Decorated for St Patricks DayJello Cake Decorated for St Patricks Day
  • ¾ Cup softened butter
  • 1 ½ Cups sugar
  • 1 Cup sweet milk
  • 3 Cups cake flour
  • 2 Teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 Teaspoon vanilla
  • 6 Egg whites

Preheat oven to 350F degrees; lightly grease and flour 2 (8 or 9 inch) round cake pans.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Measure and sift flour and baking powder; combine with creamed mixture alternating with milk.
Blend in vanilla; beat egg whites until stiff and fold into cake batter.
Divide batter evenly between 2 prepared pans; bake about 25 minutes or until pick comes out clean.

Jello Cake Decorated for St Patricks DayJello Cake Decorated for St Patricks Day

To Assemble Cake You Will Need:

  • 1 Small package lime Jello (3 ounces)
  • 1 Cup boiling hot water
  • ½ Cup fruit juice
  • ½ Cup drained crushed pineapple
  • ¼ Cup chopped nuts
  • ¼ Teaspoon lemon juice
  • Whipped cream or frosting for sides

Dissolve gelatin in hot water; stir until dissolved.
Thoroughly drain pineapple and reserve ½ cup of the juice.
Add reserved juice to Jello and chill until almost firm.
Add the pineapple, nuts and lemon juice to Jello and stir in.
Place two strips of foil across the bottom of each layer pan letting strips extend over the edge.
Replace cake layers in pans; one upside down and one right side up.
Spoon Jello gelatin mixture over the 2 layers; chill until firm.
Lift layers out of pans using extender foil; stack layers with Jello side up on both.
Frost sides with sweetened whipped cream or frosting.