Kim made potato, leek & smoked bacon soup
Potato, Leek and Smoked Bacon Soup
Serves: 6
Ingredients for the soup:
1 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
4 slices (rashers) bacon, diced
2 tbsp. (25g) butter
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 large leek, trimmed and diced
2 large potatoes (about 1lb/450g) (I cubed them since there is no mention of cutting them up in the recipe)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
Ingredients for the Parsley Pesto:
1/2 oz (15g) fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp. pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 tbsp. finely grated Parmesan cheese
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions:
Heat the oil in a larger saucepan over high heat, add the bacon and saute for about 1 minute, or until crisp and golden. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels. (Kim's note: I cooked the bacon over low heat to allow the fat to render out and the bacon to brown and crisp without flabby bits of fat).
Decrease the heat a little and add the butter to the oil in the pan. When it has melted, add the onion, leek, and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and cook gently for 8-10 minutes without browning. Pour in the stock and simmer gently for 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely cooked through.
Meanwhile, make the parsley pesto. Discard the stems from the parsley and put the leaves in a bowl with the garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and olive oil. Using a handheld blender, puree to a fairly smooth paste, adding a little more oil, if necessary, so that it is a thick but drizzling consistency. Alternatively, crush the parsley, garlic and pine nuts using a mortar and pestle and stir in the Parmesan and olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
Puree the soup until smooth in a blender or using a handheld blender. Return to the pan and stir in all but 1 tbsp of the reserved bacon pieces. Check the seasoning, adjusting if necessary, and heat for a minute before serving.
Ladle the soup in to warm bowls. Drizzle over the parsley pesto and scatter the remaining bacon pieces on top.
Lauren made an 'Irish flag' salad. https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/irish-flag-salad/amp/
Katharina made beef braised in Guinness.
Beef Braised with Guinness from 'West of Ireland Summers Cookbook' by Tamasin Day-Lewis:
2 tbsp olive oil
3 lb chuck steak, cut into large cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb carrots, cut into fingers
6 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 1/2 cups Guinness
1 bouquet garni: 3 bay leaves, 2 sprigs each of rosemary, thyme, parsley, 3 strips of orange peel, tied together
salt and pepper
7 oz prunes
Preheat oven to 300F. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole and seal the meat on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add onions, garlic, carrots and let them begin to colour. Sprinkle with flour. Add tomato paste, stir, then return the meat to the casserole. Pour in the Guinness slowly, stirring and allowing the liquid to thicken. Bury the bouquet garni in the liquid and bring to boiling point. Season and put in oven for 1 1/2 hours. Add prunes and cook another 30 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni.
2 tbsp olive oil
3 lb chuck steak, cut into large cubes
1 large onion, chopped
1 lb carrots, cut into fingers
6 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 1/2 cups Guinness
1 bouquet garni: 3 bay leaves, 2 sprigs each of rosemary, thyme, parsley, 3 strips of orange peel, tied together
salt and pepper
7 oz prunes
Preheat oven to 300F. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed casserole and seal the meat on all sides. Remove and set aside. Add onions, garlic, carrots and let them begin to colour. Sprinkle with flour. Add tomato paste, stir, then return the meat to the casserole. Pour in the Guinness slowly, stirring and allowing the liquid to thicken. Bury the bouquet garni in the liquid and bring to boiling point. Season and put in oven for 1 1/2 hours. Add prunes and cook another 30 minutes. Discard the bouquet garni.
Sara made Colcannon.
Rebecca made soda bread.
Christiane made scones.
I found this recipe a few years ago on Gemma's Bigger Bolder Baking site. They are delicious and easy to make.
Ingredients
3 ½ cups all purpose flour
5 teaspoon baking powder, leveled
1 generous pinch of salt
¼ cup sugar
1/2 cup salted butter, cold
1 egg
1/4 cup double cream
3/4 cup whole milk
milk to glaze
In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients together. Rub in the cold butter with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs.
If adding dried fruit eg. Raisins, berries, citrus rind, chocolate chips add them now before you add liquid.
Mix the egg with the milk and cream and pour into the flour mix (if you don’t have cream you can use only milk). With an open hand mix loosely until the dough forms. The bowl should be clean from the dough.
Turn the dough onto a floured work surface. Knead lightly to give it a smooth surface.
Pat the dough down with your hand until around 1 inch thick. With a scone cutter [I don't have a scone cutter, but found that a glass works just as well.] cut out scones. You will have around 12.
Put on a baking tray, glaze the tops of the scones with some milk to give them a golden top when baked. Bake at 350F/180C for 35 minutes.
Enjoy with Irish butter, jam and freshly whipped cream. Scones are best eaten the day they are baked but the next day you can pop them back in the oven to freshen them up again.
