pandjlocke - Posted - 03/11/2011:  10:47:04

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With St. Patrick's day less than a week away, it's time to plan dinner. Here is my traditional menu, with recipes:

Appetizers:

Cream of Potato Soup

3 Tblsp butter
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped celery
4 cups peeled, diced potatoes
1 10 3/4 oz can chicken broth
1 soup can water
1 cup cream
1/2 cup milk
2 Tblsp flour
Chopped chives or crisp bacon for garnish

Melt butter in large saucepan. Saute onion and delery until onion is transparent. Add potatoes, chicken broth and water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, covered, 40 - 45 minutes or until veggies are very tender. Add cream. Simmer 20 minutes.

Combine flour and milk with whisk. Add to soup; cook, stirring constantly, until soup is thick and creamy.

Serve soup hot, garnished with chives/bacon.

6 - 8 servings


Dublin Prawn Cocktail

1 lb large shrimp or prawns
1 cup water
1/2 cup vinegar
2 tsp seafood seasoning (like Old Bay)
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder

Wash shrimp under cold running water. Drain.

Combine water, vinegar, seafood seasoning, salt and garlic powder in large saucepan; bring to boil. Add shrimp; stir well. Return to boil; cover. Reduce heat to low; cook approx. 10 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. Drain; rinse in cold water. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving last joint of tail intact.

Arrange shrimp on a bed of Bibb lettuce or crushed ice. Serve with Dublin Cocktail Sauce. 4 servings.


Dublin Cocktail Sauce

1/4 cup tomato catsup
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 1/2 Tblsp prepared horseradish
1/2 tsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients; mix well. Chill until serving time.


Entree:

Rabbit (or chicken) Cooked in Stout

1 2 1/2 - 3 lb Rabbit (or chicken), cut up
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1/4 lb salt pork, diced
1 pound pearl onions, cleaned, peeled (I have used frozen; sometimes fresh aren't available)
1/2 lb button mushrooms, stems removed
1 1/2 cups stout (I'm pretty loyal to Guinness)
2 Tblsp chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
1/2 tap dried thyme
2 Tblsp butter
2 Tblsp flour

Wash meat; pat dry.

Combine flour, paprika, salt and pepper on piece of waxed paper. Dredge meat in flour; shake off excess.

Cook salt pork in heavy skillet until lightly browned. Remove with slotted spoon; reserve.

Add meat to pan drippings; brown well on all sides. Place meat in large casserole. Add onions, mushrooms, and salt pork to casserole.

Combine stout, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper; pour over meat. Cover; bake at 350 deg F 1 1/2 hours.

Remove meat from dish. Place casserole on burner if it is stove-top safe or transfer juice to a saucepan. Cook on medium 2 to 3 minutes; whisk in butter and flour stirring until thickened. Pour over meat. Serve with mashed potatoes. 4 servings.


Sides:

Mashed Potatoes

4 Russet potatoes, peeled
Water
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup cream
Salt and pepper

Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Place potatoes in a large bowl. Add chicken broth, cream salt and pepper. Mash together until smooth. 4 servings.


Minted Peas

1 10 oz package frozen green peas
1 tsp dried mint
1 tsp sugar
Boiling salted water
1 Tblsp butter
Salt and pepper

Cook peas, mint and sugar in boiling water 5 - 7 minutes or until peas are tender. Drain, stir in butter, salt and pepper. 4 servings.


Soda Bread

4 cups unsifted all-purpose flour
2 Tblsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup seedless raisins
1 to 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
2 Tblsp softened butter

Combine flour, sugar, soda, salt and raisins in mixing bowl; stir well. make a well in the center of mixture. Add buttermilk; stir until blended. Use only enough buttermilk to make a stiff dough. Turn out onto lightly floured board; knead approx 5 times. Form into ball. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Pat into 8 inch circle, approx. 1 1/2 inches thick. With floured knife, make a large cross on top of loaf to let the demons escape while baking. (OK, it helps prevent the loaf from cracking; just seeing if you were paying attention). Spread softened butter on top of loaf. Bake in preheated 37f deg F oven 40 to 50 minutes or until golden and loaf sound hollow when tapped. Serve with plenty of butter.


Dessert:

Madigan's Velvet Trousers

1 package (1/4 oz) unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup light cream
1 1/2 Tblsp honey
2 Tblsp Irish whiskey

Soak gelatin in cold water in small measuring cup. Set measuring cup in saucepan of gently boiling water. Stir until gelatin dissolves (about 3 minutes). Remove from pan of water; set aside.

Combine creams in small well chilled bowl; whip until light and thick. Slowly add honey and whiskey, mixing well. Place bowl in pan of ice water; fold in dissolved gelatin. Continue to mix and gently ffold mixture until it begins to set. Spoon into 4 small glass serving dishes; cover. Refrigerate several hours before serving. 4 servings.


-------- or ---------

Stuffed Baked Apples

4 large baking apples (example: Rome Beauty, Granny Smith)
1/2 cup prepared mincemeat
1 cup apple cider
2 Tblsp butter

Wash and core apples. Cut top off to prevent splitting. Place apples upright in small baking dish and fill cavities with mincemeat. Pour apple cider around apples and dot the tops with butter. Bake at 375 deg F 30 to 40 minutes, basting with pan juices several times while baking. 4 servings.


This is a fun meal for a get-together. Enjoy.

On April 2nd, we will be cooking corned beef and cabbage with parsley buttered red potatoes and soda bread for the church. We will prepare that meal on the Paddy Wagon.

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Edited by - pandjlocke on 03/11/2011 10:47:28

Mopick - Posted - 03/11/2011:  10:58:06

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This sounds FANTASTIC. You could have stopped with the potato soup. I love potato soup. And my neighbor is raising rabbits for meat. He said I could have one and now I know what I'm going to do with it. I never heard of putting chicken broth in mashed potatoes but it sounds so good. I didn't have lunch today and I'm hungry. This has got my mouth watering for sure.


Randy

KE - Posted - 03/11/2011:  12:24:45

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I may not wait. Thanks!

trapdoor2 - Posted - 03/11/2011:  12:37:23

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Set a seat for me at dinner. The 17th's my birthday...no green b'day cakes, please!

pandjlocke - Posted - 03/11/2011:  12:43:47

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Just make sure you have lots of butter, cream, buttermilk Guinness and Irish whiskey on hand.

Old Irish proverb: What butter and whiskey won't cure, there's no cure for!

dat - Posted - 03/11/2011:  12:49:39

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what about green eggs and ham?

KE - Posted - 03/11/2011:  13:00:36

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I do not like them, Sam-I-Am.
I do not like green eggs and ham.

Now, minted peas and rabbit in stout,
I will most definitely check them out.
Cocktail sauce and Dublin's prawn,
Make my socks go up and down.

feldspar1333 - Posted - 03/11/2011:  16:08:08

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Mmmmmmmmmmm Mmmmmmmm Mmmmmmmmmm

Paul R - Posted - 03/11/2011:  21:58:55

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Not the rabbit, thank-you. We had pet rabbits. At the time we had the first one, we'd often go food shopping at St. Lawrence Market (Toronto) on Saturdays. One of the vendors had rabbits in the display case. Skinned, they grossed us out. Having our furry pet at home disabused us of the notion of eating one of his cousins.

Nice menu, though. It's been a while since I've had a baked apple.

pandjlocke - Posted - 03/11/2011:  22:11:22

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quote:

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Originally posted by Paul R

Not the rabbit, thank-you. We had pet rabbits. At the time we had the first one, we'd often go food shopping at St. Lawrence Market (Toronto) on Saturdays. One of the vendors had rabbits in the display case. Skinned, they grossed us out. Having our furry pet at home disabused us of the notion of eating one of his cousins.

Nice menu, though. It's been a while since I've had a baked apple.

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Some folks are turned off at the thought of eating rabbit. That's OK. Chicken works just as well, and I have used chicken when I couldn't find or afford rabbit.

kc8tby - Posted - 03/12/2011:  02:17:50

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Being a transplanted Irishman I have to agree that your menu looks pretty well arranged.
In a pinch, however, just serve a shortened version of a traditional Irish meal;
A sixpack and a spud!
:)

pandjlocke - Posted - 03/12/2011:  07:20:15

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quote:

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Originally posted by kc8tby

Being a transplanted Irishman I have to agree that your menu looks pretty well arranged.
In a pinch, however, just serve a shortened version of a traditional Irish meal;
A sixpack and a spud!
:)

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That's what we're having Wednesday!

Micki - Posted - 03/12/2011:  07:22:56

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TRAPDOOR, AND I WILL PROBABLY COOK SOMETHING GREEN FOR ST. PADDY'S Day. Micki

quote:

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Originally posted by trapdoor2

Set a seat for me at dinner. The 17th's my birthday...no green b'day cakes, please!

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trapdoor2 - Posted - 03/12/2011:  07:30:21

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quote:

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Originally posted by Micki

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO TRAPDOOR, AND I WILL PROBABLY COOK SOMETHING GREEN FOR ST. PADDY'S Day. Micki[quote]Originally posted by trapdoor2

Set a seat for me at dinner. The 17th's my birthday...no green b'day cakes, please!

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My mother attempted a green German Chocolate Cake one year. It turned out a sickly brown-green with lighter-green brown frosting. It was actually hard to eat if you looked at it. Tasted fine. Not too sure if all that green food-coloring was good for us though.

The best were the green cheese-cakes. Mom made New York style cakes that were tall, dense and exquisite. Hmmm...I have her old springform pans around here somewhere.

The menu here sounds wonderful. I'm soooo tired of the corned-beef 'n' cabbage routine (I never thought I'd ever, ever say that!).

Micki - Posted - 03/12/2011:  08:12:27

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How far do you travel with the Paddy Wagon and what time will you be arriving? Micki

michael6 - Posted - 03/12/2011:  08:33:44

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Great eats! Thanks

rinemb - Posted - 03/14/2011:  08:36:34

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We did St Pats last night because I will leave for a jobsite before the 17th. We served "vegetairan" Irish stew. I had some Irish black pudding on the side. We served the stew with homemade soda bread, half whole wheat-half white flour, with lots of butter. Irish theme "1rst place" sugar cookies and Irish coffee for dessert.

Brad