country cookingof

the

ireland

by Colman

Andrews

photographs by

Christopher Hirsheimerforeword by

Darina Allen

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St. Stephens Day StewNServes 6 to 8In her delightful little book The Festive Food of Ireland, Darina Allen summons up the memory of the picnics her family would enjoy, when she was a girl, after the local fox hunt every St. Stephens Day (Boxing Day), the day after Christmas: sandwiches of turkey and ham, smoked salmon, or spiced beef; Christmas cake, sponge cake, mince pie, and clementines; flasks of tea and of hot mulled wine. But the real favourite, she writes, was a bubbling stew transported in a haybox (which held fodder for the horses on a journey, and was incidentally a naturally insulated container for hot food). The main ingredients of this stew, which must have seemed particularly appealing outdoors on a chilly winter day, were leftover ham and turkey from the Christmas table.

Preheat the oven to 200F/90C. Melt 6 Tbsp of the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over low heat, then add the onions and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 10 minutes more, continuing to stir frequently. Add the turkey and ham to the Dutch oven, stir well, and cook for about 10 minutes more, continuing to stir frequently. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the stock, and deglaze the pot. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream, parsley, and half the chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper and continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter in a small pan over low heat, then gradually whisk in the flour to make a roux. Continue whisking for 2 to 3 minutes or until the roux thickens. Stir the roux into the stew and cook for about 5 minutes more. Take the stew off the heat, put the boiled potatoes on top of the stew, then cover the Dutch oven and let the stew rest in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes before serving. Garnish with the remaining minced chives.

8 tbsp/125 g butter 2 onions, chopped 6 to 8 white mushrooms, thinly sliced 2 lb/1 kg leftover turkey meat, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes 1 lb/500 g leftover ham, cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes 4 cups/1 l strong turkey or chicken stock (page 356) or 3 cups/720 ml stock and 1 cup/240 ml leftover turkey gravy 3/4 cup/175 ml heavy cream 1 tbsp minced fresh parsley 2 tbsp minced fresh chives 2 tbsp flour 12 small boiled potatoes (see page 229), peeled salt and pepper

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0Remove the rabbit from the marinade. Strain the marinade, reserving the cider and vegetables separately. Pat the rabbit dry. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed ovenproof pot over high heat. Fry the rabbit, turning frequently, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Remove the rabbit from the Dutch oven and set aside. Reduce the heat to low, add the reserved vegetables, and cook, stirring frequently, for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and starting to brown. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir well. Slowly pour in the reserved cider and then the stock, stirring well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then return the rabbit to the Dutch oven, turning it over in the liquid so that it is well coated. Cover the pot and braise the rabbit in the oven for 30 minutes. Lower the temperature to 300F/150C (Gas Mark 2), turn the rabbit pieces over in liquid and cook for another 1 hours, turning the rabbit every 30 minutes.

two 12- to 16-oz/375- to 500-g venison tenderloins salt and coarsely ground black pepper 4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp crushed juniper berries 1 sprig fresh rosemary 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 1/2 cups/360 ml red wine 4 tbsp butter 1 tbsp arrowrootPreheat oven to 350F/175C (Gas Mark 4). Rub venison loins all over with salt and pepper. Tie the loins together with kitchen twine to make one loin and set aside. Cook bacon in a heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until crisp, then remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Add the olive oil to the skillet, then add the juniper, rosemary, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute over medium-high heat. Add the venison loin and brown well on all sides, about 5 minutes. Roast the venison in the skillet for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 125F/50C. Meanwhile, bring the red wine to a boil in a heavy-bottom saucepan over medium-high heat and continue boiling until reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the butter 1 Tbsp at a time. Dissolve the arrowroot in cup/80 ml cool water. Stir the mixture into the red wine sauce and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken (dont allow to boil). Remove the venison from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Strain any accumulated juices from the meat into the sauce, discarding the juniper, rosemary, and thyme. Slice the venison into thick medallions. Serve garnished with bacon, with the sauce on the side.

Roast Loin of VenisonNServes 4 to 6Legend has it that when St. Patrick died, sometime in the latter fifth century, two oxen from Finnebrogue, near Downpatrick, County Down, were harnassed to pull his funeral cart, and that he was buried where they stopped, unbidden by a drover. Today, Finnebrogue Estate is famous for animals of a different kind: red deer, raised for Finnebrogue Oisin venison, an excellent meat found on some of the best restaurant tables of Ireland and the United Kingdom. The Finnebrogue deer, slaughtered between the ages of nine and twenty-one months (oisin is Irish for fawn), arent exactly wild, but they range free over a 600-acre/243-hectares property feeding on a natural diet. Their meat is tender and delicious, if not as gamy as some connoisseurs would like. Finnebrogue is worth ordering if you encounter it on an Irish menu. Unfortunately, it is not available in the United States, though good-quality farmed venison is (see page 369). This is a classic recipe.

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OatcakesNMakes 20 to 24Griddle breads and flat cakes made of oatmeal have been eaten in Ireland for more than a thousand years, and all through the Middle Ages and into the modern era, almost every traveler to the island from elsewhere has mentioned these foods. Today, oatcakes are most popular in the north of Ireland, where a number of large commercial bakeries turn them out in great quantity. The best ones, though, are those made by celebrated baker Robert Ditty of Castledawson, County Derry (see page 276). He makes traditional oatcakes but also ones made with smoked flour or flavored with dulse and sesame, celery and black pepper, or Gubbeen cheese from County Cork. Theyre available in the United States (see Sources, page 369) and are well worth sampling. 1/2 cup/110 g butter, plus more for greasing

Turn the dough out onto a floured board and firmly roll out the dough with a floured rolling pin (or press it with floured hands) into a rectangle about in/6.5 mm thick. Using a cookie cutter or the floured rim of a glass, cut the dough into circles 2 to 2 in/5 to 6.5 cm in diameter. With a spatula, transfer the circles to the baking sheet, leaving about 1 in/2.5 cm between them. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely browned and firm. Carefully transfer the oatcakes to a wire rack and let them cool, uncovered, overnight to harden.

2 cups/320 g irish rolled oats (see sources, page 369) 1/2 cup/50 g flour, plus more for dusting 3/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking sodaPreheat the oven to 350F/175C (Gas Mark 4). Lightly grease a large baking sheet. Melt the butter with 2 Tbsp of water in a small saucepan or skillet over low heat. Mix the oatmeal, flour, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture, then pour in the hot butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to form a crumbly dough.

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