This special holiday has evolved into a celebration of Irish-American culture with the integration of music, dancing, special foods, drinks, and a whole lot of greens. Starting your meal with green appetizers or a festive dessert could be a fun way to participate in the American version of St. Patrick’s Day. However, the best part of it would be to have a plate piled high with creative dishes that celebrate Irish cuisine. This article discusses a few St. Patrick’s Day catering ideas that embrace Irish cuisine.
- Irish whiskey Cured Salmon
It is said that Ireland is well-renowned for its smoked salmon. It is can be served throughout the day from breakfast buffets to afternoon tea, as well as dinner. You need to remove all bones from the salmon and let the skin-side face down on a tray, lined with cling film. You can add more than half the whisky to a bowl and mix it with pepper, salt, sugar, and dill.
- Irish Seafood Chowder
Both fish chowder and stew are very popular in Ireland. Most of them feature cream while some also include wine and an array of shellfish like clams, prawns, scallops, pollock, and haddock. Others also include some sort of vegetables like onions, potatoes, and leeks. This dish is most delicious when served with brown bread or soda bread dressed in butter. You will not regret every bite when it is prepared to perfection.
- Shepherd’s Pie
The Irish Shepherd’s pie recipe calls for ground lamb rather than ground beef. Nothing is as comforting as a baked meat pie topped with a layer of thick and fluffy mashed potatoes. You can always find it on the menu in every Irish-American pub but its roots originated in Scottish sheep country and northern England. Although Shepherd’s pie is traditionally made with minced or diced lamb, most American versions would replace it with ground beef.
- Cottage Pie
The beef version of Shepherd’s pie is known as Cottage pie. Replacing ground lamb with ground beef makes turns this Irish classic from a Shepherd’s pie to a Cottage pie. However, the type of meat you use in your pie is based on personal preferences. Other people may choose to substitute it with ground turkey or ground chicken. If you still find one meat choice boring, you can combine both beef, ground veal, and ground pork.
- Irish Boxty
The Irish boxty originates from the northern midlands of Ireland. It is an Irish potato pancake comprised of mashed and grated potatoes, fried in butter or baked in a pan. The mashed potatoes are usually fried until they take a crisp and brown appearance. Irish boxty earned its name from Irish words, “bácús” which means “bakehouse”. You can also serve them as a side dish rather than boiled or mashed spuds.
- Irish Bacon & Cabbage
Irish bacon is a lean, smoked pork loin, more similar to Canadian bacon. Traditionally, Irish bacon used to be the most popular meat on the table in Ireland, probably because it was considered cheap. However, the first Irish immigrants to the United States found pork prices in the country to be prohibitively expensive, and that is when they switched to using beef. In summary, bacon and cabbage are more traditional while corned beef and cabbage are the Irish-American variants.
- Traditional Irish Colcannon
Potatoes could be one of the first foods that click in mind when someone thinks of Ireland – with good reason. In the 18th century, potato used to be a staple crop in Ireland because of its nutritious and calorie-dense qualities. It was also durable against the elements. Colcannon is a common dish for St. Patrick’s Day, comprised of Irish mashed potatoes mixed with kale or cabbage.
- Berry Fool
Berry fool is a feathery fruit dessert that can be made with nearly any kind of berry. The name fool originates from the French word ‘fouler’, which means to mash. Although it is popular in England and Ireland, it is both a delicious treat to occupants of Europe as a whole. The berries are mashed and combined with chilled heavy cream to create a refreshing dish for a special occasion.
St. Patrick’s Day is only a few days away and everyone is getting prepared with some of the above delicious treats for this special holiday. Whether you want to be more traditional or want a slight twist of the Irish-American variant, you can always find a mouth-watering dish to try on St. Patrick’s Day.