From the humble Irish stew to creamy Bailey’s Irish cheesecake, there are plenty of Irish recipes to tempt your taste buds. Most Irish food is healthy as it’s mainly fresh meat and vegetables boiled together in a large pot. The two main exceptions are probably the Irish fry-up and Baileys Irish cheesecake, but what the heck when it tastes this good!

You can enjoy a taste of Ireland, no matter where you are, by cooking a traditional Irish meal. Whether you’re trying to impress your friends or you just want something that’s nutritious, filling and wholesome, a traditional Irish recipe ticks all boxes.

As winter is approaching, the days getting shorter and colder, you might like to try one of these Irish recipes to warm the cockles of your heart.

Irish Stew Recipe

4 lamb chops or pieces of stewing beef
5 potatoes
4 large carrots
2 parsnips
4 medium onions
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoons of oil
Water

All the fat and gristle is removed and the meat is cut into strips or cubed
Heat the oil in a large saucepan
Chop and saute the onions in the oil
Add the cubed meat
Wash and chop the carrotts and parsnips and add to the onions and meat
Stir well and add water
Add salt and pepper to taste
Bring to the boil and simmer until the meat and vegetables are tender.

Take a look at our blog article on Irish cuisine.

Boiled Bacon & Cabbage

2.5 lb joint of Bacon (smoked or unsmoked)
1 whole green cabbage
1 turnip
Pepper to taste
Water

Put the bacon/gammon in a large saucepan
Cover with cold water, add the pepper (it doesn’t need salt as the bacon is quite salty) and bring to the boil
Reduce the heat and allow to simmer
After about an hour - hour and a half add the cabbage. Firstly wash the cabbage and break off the leaves, then tear each leaf in half
Add the turnips. This needs to be peeled and chopped
Allow to simmer for another half an hour or so until the vegetables are tender
Serve with mashed potatoes. The juice (decicious!) can be poured over the meat and vegetables.

 

Irish Breakfast

1 pack of bacon
1 packet of pork sausages
1 black pudding (Clonakilty black pudding is delicious)
1 white pudding
3 large tomatoes
4-5 eggs (preferably free range and it’s usually one fried egg for each person)
1 tin of beans
A little bit of oil

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the bacon. Cook the bacon until crispy.
You can remove the bacon, place in a warm oven
Cook the sausages until they are brown
Add the sliced black & white pudding and cook
Chop the tomatoes in half and slightly cook
Remove everything from the pan and again place in a warm oven
Fry the eggs in the pan
Heat the beans in a separate saucepan
Serve on a warm plate with Irish soda bread and butter and a pot of tea

Irish Soda Bread

500g whole wheat flour or a mixture of whole wheat flour and plain white flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of salt
Approximately 450ml (3/4 pints) of buttermilk

Place the flour, salt and baking soda into a bowel and mix together
Add the buttermilk. Work lightly with hands to make a soft dough
Knead the dough lightly; remember you can add in more flour if it’s too sticky
Make into a circular shape and place on a floured tin. Flatten with palms of hands
Using a sharp knife mark a cross on the top of the dough
Bake for around 40 minutes or so in a preheated oven at 200°C / 400°F / Gas 6
Cut into slices while still warm

For more information on Irish soda bread, have a look at our blog article.

Smoked Salmon on Brown Bread

This is really simple and is perfect for lunch.

For each person you need 2 slices of homemade brown soda bread
Butter each slice
Place a few slices of finely sliced smoked salmon on the bread
Serve with a slice of lemon

Bailey’s Cheesecake

100g of butter
250g of digestive biscuits, crushed
600g of Philadelphia cream cheese (other brands will do as well)
1 generous measure of Bailey’s Liqueur
100ml of icing sugar
300ml of double cream, whipped

Add the crushed digestive biscuits to the melted butter in a saucepan (you can also melt the butter in the microwave)
Use a wooden spoon to mix
Place the mixture into a lined 18cm tin (the tin has to have a removable bottom)
Flatten down with the palm of your hand and place in the fridge until cool
Use a wooden spoon to beat the cream cheese
Add the measure of baileys and the icing sugar
Fold in the cream
When everything is mixed add the mixture to the biscuit base
Cool in a fridge for at least two hours

 

Irish Coffee

1 generous measure of Irish Whiskey
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 dessertspoon of cream
Fresh strong black coffee

Pre warm a glass as above
Add the whiskey and ¾ fill the glass with the coffee
Stir in the sugar
Whip the cream an spoon it on top of the coffee/whiskey mixture
Don’t stir it after the cream has been added

We also have a blog on Irish coffee.

Irish Hot Whiskey (Punch)

1 generous measure of Irish Whiskey
A few cloves
A slice of lemon
2 teaspoons of white/brown sugar
Boiling water

Pour the whiskey into a heat proof glass. If the glass isn’t heat proof, it’s a good idea to put a teaspoon into the glass and rinse it out with the hot water first. This pre warms the glass and the spoon prevents the glass from cracking
Add the cloves into the fresh lemon place in the glass
Add the hot water and stir until the sugar has dissolved

Also, why not take a look atour blog article on Irish whiskey?

If you have any other recipes you’d like to share, or have any questions on any of the above Irish recipes just give us a shout. If you leave your message in the comment box below, we’ll get back to you.