5 Traditional Irish Dishes
I recently discovered that my DNA is a third Irish! This came as a bit of a surprise as we always thought our family was more a mix of northern Europe, England and Scotland. With this realisation came a sudden increase in my wish to learn more about Ireland – and what better way than to get to know traditional dishes (some of which I’d love to try on a visit to the emerald isle one day)? Here are 5 of the best.
Soda Bread
Remember back in March 2020 when we were told to stay at home.. and suddenly everyone wanted to start making bread? Well, you can’t beat a beautiful loaf of soda bread as traditional Irish fare. Soda bread is quick to make, this is due to the lack of yeast in the recipe. Instead, it uses baking soda to make the dough rise.
The ingredients of traditional soda bread are soft wheat flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk but butter, oil or egg, raisins, or nuts can also be added along with adaptations that use sweeteners like molasses, sugar, treacle, or honey. Some people even like to add Guinness! The crust should be nice and crisp and inside the bread should have a soft texture and a tight crumb. It’s eaten in slices and liberally spread with butter.
Colcannon
You can’t go to Ireland without eating spuds! Potatoes transformed the Irish diet when they were introduced from the New World in the late 16th century. Colcannon is a twist on the classic comfort food: mashed potatoes. It’s a delicious, light and fluffy dish made from mashed potatoes and cabbage (or kale), with butter (or cream), flavoured with spring onions. Top with chives, or add a hint of mustard to add some luxury to this steaming plate of yum!
If you prefer your potatoes to have a smoother texture try using a ricer, this removes any lumps! Why not try your Colcannon served on the side of a beer-braised Irish stew? Or ham hock colcannon, topped with a fried egg?
Boxty
Another traditional dish featuring the humble potato is Boxty, which can come in the form of a potato pancake, a dumpling or bread. The Boxty recipe sees grated raw potato mixed with mashed potato and then either it is mixed with flour and salt and boiled before being sliced and fried in butter to produce dumplings, or the mix is added to a pancake style batter and fried on a griddle pan, or the pancake batter – mix can be baked in a loaf tin and then sliced and fried to resemble bread.
It is not unusual to see boxty on the menus of restaurants outside the areas with which it is traditionally associated. Try the SquareMeal website to find the perfect chef. There is an old Irish rhyme that goes “Boxty on the griddle; boxty on the pan. If you can’t make boxty, you’ll never get a man!” so now you know how to solve your dating troubles!
Coddle
No, we’re not talking about eggs here. Coddle is an Irish dish often made up of leftovers with roots as a working-class Dublin dish. The name coddle comes from the slow simmering or ‘coddling’ of ingredients in a one-pot stew. Traditionally, there is no specific recipe for this dish, however, it is usually made up of layers of roughly sliced pork sausages and bacon with chunky potatoes, sliced onion, barley, salt, pepper and herbs.
The ingredients are braised in the juices produced by boiling the meat, and it is cooked in a pot with a tight lid to allow the stew to steam. Not only is this a great way to use up leftovers but it’s also a great comfort dish, especially when served with a large wedge of homemade soda bread!
Barmbrack
Yippee, finally, something sweet! Barmbrack is a lovely fruity tea loaf that comes in flattened rounds, made and enjoyed all year round. It’s particularly delicious when served toasted and smothered in butter with a cup of tea.
However, to really get into the Irish spirit, wait for Halloween when it’s sad that you will find a charm in your slice foretelling the future! A pea, a stick, a piece of cloth, a small coin, a ring, and a bean – each one with its own meaning. Raisins, candied peel (often steeped overnight in black tea and whiskey) and mixed spice are included in the recipe, so this is one rich, satisfying treat!
