Lammas Recipes

Boxty* (Potato Griddle Cakes)

If you have mashed potatoes left over, you can turn them into another traditional Irish dish. Makes12 x 3-inch pancakes (4 to 6 servings)

1 cup hot unseasoned mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup grated unpeeled raw potatoes
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup milk

Butter or margarine, for frying In large bowl mix together mashed potatoes and 2 tablespoons butter. Stir in eggs and grated potatoes, then the flour, baking powder, salt, caraway seeds and pepper. Blend in milk. Heat 1 tablespoon butter to sizzling in large nonstick skillet. Drop potato mixture, about 2 1/2 tablespoons at a time, into skillet to form patties. Flatten slightly. Fry over medium-high heat until crisp and browned, turning once.

 

Repeat with remaining potato mixture, adding butter to skillet as needed. Serve hot.

An old rhyme goes:
Boxty on the griddle,
boxty in the pan,
if you can't make boxty,
you'll never get a man.

*Gaelic Coffee*

1 servings-- A wonderful way to end a meal!

Black coffee; freshly made
Scotch whiskey
Demerara (raw brown) sugar
Double (heavy) cream; whipped until slightly thick 

 

Pour the coffee into a warmed glass. Add the whisky and the sugar to taste. Stir well.

Pour some lightly whipped cream into the glass over the back of a teaspoon.

*Noodles in Faery Butter*

4 hard-boiled egg yolks
2 tablespoons orange flower water (optional)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sweet butter, softened
1 lb. noodles (any kind), cooked
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried sweet basil
1 orange, sliced (garnish)

Beat the egg yolks, sugar, butter, thyme, basil, and orange water in a small bowl until smooth. Mix enough of the butter with the hot noodles to coat the noodles with a golden-yellow color. Garnish with orange slices.

Yield: 8 Servings

*Beef Tenderloin with Blackberry Port Wine*

1 large shallot or small onion, finely diced
1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries, divided
2 cups port wine 1 tsp. sugar
2 cups beef stock
1 Tbsp. butter, softened 

 

In a saucepan bring diced shallot, 3/4 cup blackberries, wine and sugar to boil. Boil gently to reduce wine to 1/2 cup. Strain and set liquid aside. Boil beef stock in separate pan to reduce by half. This will take approximately 15 min. Grill steaks or pan broil in a skillet 3-4 min. per side. Whisk blackberry and port wine reduction into reduced beef stock. If sauce is too thin, dissolve 1 tsp.  cornstarch in water, then sir into sauce and bring to boil. Whisk in 1 Tbsp. softened butter. Serve steaks with sauce and garnish with remaining blackberries. Serving Suggestion: Garlic-Horseradish Mashed Potatoes & Zucchini with Thyme. Serves 4.

*Green Dragon Walnut Meatballs*

For the meatballs:

1 large green pepper
1 lb ground beef
2 cloves finely chopped garlic
3 oz weight chopped walnuts
1 tbl tomato paste/puree
1 tbl soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
3-4 pinches chili powder
1 tbl sugar (can be omitted)
oil for frying

For the sauce:
1 1/2 tbl soy sauce
4 1/2 tbl water
3 tsp wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp sugar
4-5 spring/green onions, finely chopped

Cut the pepper in half and remove the seeds and pith. Bring a smallpan of salted water to a boil and put in the pepper halves. Cook until soft (6-8 minutes). Drain and chop finely. Put all of the meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix well. With wet hands, formthe mixture into small balls. Fry until browned all over. Transfer to a serving dish with a slotted spoon. Pour most of the fat out of the pan, but don't wash it yet. Add all the ingredients for the sauce except the onions. Bubble fiercely for a minute or two, until you have a thick, dark, syrupy sauce. Remove from the heat and stir in the onions. Spoon over meatballs and serve at once.

*Perfect Corn Bread*

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup yellow corn meal
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup shortening

Sift flour with sugar, baking powder, and salt; stir in cornmeal. Add eggs, milk, and shortening. Beat with rotary or electric beater till just smooth. (Do not over beat.) Pour into greased 9x9x2 inch pan. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Corn Sticks: Spoon batter into greased corn-stick pans, filling 2/3 full. Bake in hot oven (425) 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 18.

*Oatmeal Bread*

1 cup wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup butter
1/2 cup nuts
3 medium apples, chopped
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1-1/2 cups rolled oats
1 egg, beaten
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla or orange

Mix above ingredients together completely, then place in a greased 9-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until it begins to move away from the sides of the pan. Also, fruits and nuts can be changed for different seasons.

*Brigid's Blackberry Pie*

(Makes one 9 inch pie)
4 cups of fresh blackberries (thawed frozen berries are ok)
11/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a deep pie dish with the pie crust or purchase a commercially-made one. Set aside. Mix all other ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. If it appears too "wet," mix in a little
more flour (about 2 tablespoons). Turn the fruit into the pie shell and dot with butter or margarine. You can bake the pie as is, or cover it with another pie crust. Then score the top several times with a sharp knife. Bake
for 1 hour, or until the top crust is a golden brown.

*Wild berry Cheesecake*

Vegetable cooking spray
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup apple juice with vitamin C Filling:
2 Tbsp. unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup water
2 cups 1% fat cottage cheese
1 cup nonfat ricotta cheese
1 package (8-oz.) lite cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup mixed fruit puree

For crust: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 9" spring form pan with cooking spray and set aside. In medium bowl, stir crumbs and apple juice until well combined. With back of spoon press crumb mixture evenly into prepared pan. Bake 5 minutes. Cool.

For filling: In small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand 5 minutes to soften. Cook over low heat until dissolved, stirring often. Set aside.

In food processor or blender process gelatin mixture and next 5 ingredients until smooth. Stir in fruit puree. Pour into prepared crust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

*Scottish Raspberry Cheesecake Dessert *

6 servings

BASE:
4 oz Butter
1 tbl Scotch whiskey
8 oz Digestive (graham) biscuits crushed

FILLING:
8 oz Cream cheese
2 oz Caster (granulated) sugar
10 fl Double (heavy) cream
1 tbl Scotch whiskey
 

TOPPING:
8 oz Raspberries
2 tbl Honey
3 fl Scotch whiskey
3 ts Arrowroot
1 ts Caster (granulated) sugar
5 fl Whipping cream
1 tbl Scotch whiskey

First, make the base:
 

Melt butter and add the tablespoon of Scotch whisky and the crushed biscuits. Press mixture well down into a greased loose-bottomed 8-inch cake tin. Chill for 30 minutes in fridge.

To make the filling:Beat cream cheese and caster sugar together until smooth. Whip double cream and whisky until softly stiff and fold into cream cheese mixture. Spoon over biscuit base and chill well.

For the topping:Soak the raspberries in honey and whisky. Leave for 30 minutes, then strain raspberries, leaving  approximately 4 fluid oz juice (top up with whisky if necessary). Make a paste with 2 tablespoons of juice blended with arrowroot.

Heat remaining juice with caster sugar until almost boiling. Stir in arrowroot paste and return to a very low heat, continually stirring until glaze is thick. Stir raspberries into glaze, and then leave until cool. Spoon
raspberry glaze over cheesecake.

Decorate: Whip cream with a tablespoon of whisky until softly stiff and use this to decorate the cheesecake.

Sprinkle with malt whisky before serving.

*Rich Whiskey Shortbread*
(Scottish Cookies)

1 batch

 

4 oz Butter
1 1/2 tbl Single malt scotch whiskey
3 oz Caster (granulated) sugar
1 1/2 oz Almonds; blanched
1 oz Mixed peel; chopped
6 oz Plain (all-purpose) flour
2 oz Rice flour

Cut the butter into small pieces. Place in a bowl together with a tablespoon of whisky and the sugar. Cream the mixture until fluffy. Chop two-thirds of the almonds finely and add to the mixture. Stir in the peel and the flours (sieved together). Draw the mixture together and press into a buttered 8-inch sandwich tin. Prick well all over and pinch up the edges decoratively. Halve the remaining almonds and place these on top of the shortbread. Bake at 325º F for 30-40 minutes, until the shortbread is golden in colour. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with the remaining whisky and a little caster sugar. Leave to cool in the tin.

Run a knife carefully around the edge of the shortbread and invert onto a plate. Store wrapped in greaseproof paper in an airtight tin.

  APRICOT WINE

1 pound Dried Apricots
4 quarts Warm Water
6 1/2 cups Sugar
2 1/4 cups Brown Sugar
1 1/2 cups Raisins
1 Tablespoon Ginger, minced
2 each Lemons, thinly sliced
2 each Oranges, thinly sliced
1/2 cup Yeast
 

Wash the apricots in several batches of water and then dry them and cut in halves. Place in a large crock and pour on the warm water, reserving 1/2 cup of it in which to dissolve the yeast cake. Stir in the sugars, fruit, raisins and ginger. Then add the dissolved yeast and mix well. Cover with top of the crock and let stand for thirty days, stirring the mixture every other day. After thirty days strain the mixture and bottle.

 

  IRISH BUTTERMILK BANNOCK
4 cups All purpose/bread flour
3 teaspoons Baking powder
1 teaspoon Salt to taste
3/4 teaspoon Baking soda
1 cup Raisins
2 Eggs
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk
 

Stir flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and raisins together. Separately, fork-blend eggs and buttermilk, then add to dry ingredients. Stir until sticky batter is formed. Scrape batter onto well floured surface and knead lightly. Shape batter into ball, then place in round non-stick casserole that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Mark a cross in the center, using a sharp knife. Bake uncovered in preheated 350 degree oven for about 1 1/4 hours.

 

Wait 10-15 minutes before attempting to remove bread from casserole, then cool on wire rack. If desired, cut loaf into quarters and then slice thinly. 

 

BLACKBERRY COBBLER
4 cups fresh Blackberries
3/4 cups Sugar
3 Tablespoons Flour
1 1/2 cups Water
1 Tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice
   2 Tablespoons melted Butter
   Pastry:
1 3/4 cups All-purpose Flour
2 Tablespoons Sugar
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Shortening
6 Tablespoons Heavy Whipping cream
6 Tablespoons Buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Place fresh berries in a lightly greased 2-quart baking dish. Combine sugar and flour; add water and lemon juice, mixing well. Pour this mixture over berries; bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes while preparing the pastry. Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.

Pastry: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; stir in whipping cream and buttermilk. Knead dough 4 or 5 times; roll to about 1/4" thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut dough to fit baking dish. Place the pastry over hot berries; then brush with melted butter. Cut a few vents in the top of pastry with knife. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown. Serve cobbler warm with vanilla ice cream Servings: 8
 

 

CORN PUDDING
2 cups young, fresh corn
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
 

Melt butter into 12 X 12 glass baking dish. Beat eggs and other ingredients. Mix thoroughly and pour into dish. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Bake for 1 hour, or until firm. A small pan of water in the bottom of the oven prevent drying. Serves 4 - 6 

 

 

GAME HENS WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC  

3 Cornish Game Hens, halved
3/4 cup Olive oil
4 Garlic cloves, crushed
3 Tablespoons Dry sherry
1 Tablespoon Fine chopped fresh rosemary
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

 

Split each bird in half. Set aside.
 

Using a very large bowl mix the remaining ingredients together. Marinate the bird halves in this mixture for 1 hour, turning often. Broil in oven 7 or 8 minutes on a side, or on a charcoal barbecue. I prefer the charcoal, but be sure the coals are not too hot. Cook to your liking.

 

 

PITCAITHLY BANNOCK (Scottish) 8 ounces Flour
4 ounces Butter
2 ounces Caster Sugar
1 ounce Chopped Almonds
1 ounce Mixed Candied Peel
 

Set Oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet. Sift the flour into a bowl. Add the sugar and butter and rub in to form a dough. Add the almonds and mix in the peel, making sure they are evenly distributed.
Form into a thick round on a lightly floured surface and prick all over with a fork. Place on the sheet and bake for about 45-60 minutes. Allow to cool and serve sliced thinly and buttered. 

POTATO, ARTICHOKE & LEEK SOUP
2 Tablespoons Butter Or Margarine
1/2 cup Chopped Onion
1 1/2 cups whole leeks, chopped (whites only)
1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
1 quart Chicken Broth
13 3/4 ounces Can Artichoke Hearts, rinsed & drained, cut into quarters
2 1/2 cups Peeled And Cubed Baking Potatoes
2 small Sprigs Thyme
1 1/2 cups Milk
3/4 teaspoon Tabasco Pepper Sauce
Salt To Taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Chopped Fresh Parsley
 

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter and sautÈ the onion and leeks, covered, for about 10 minutes, or until tender. Uncover and cook until the leeks are very soft, about 5 minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute. Add the broth, artichokes, potatoes and thyme; simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add the milk and Tabasco sauce; simmer for 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and discard the thyme. In a food processor or blender, puree the soup until very smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold, garnished with parsley. 

 

 

BROWN RICE WITH PINE NUTS
1 1/2 cups Long-Grain Brown Rice
3 cups Water
1 medium Onion, chopped
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1 Tablespoon Ground Cumin
Black Pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon Fresh Parsley, minced
1/4 cup Pine Nuts
 

Soak brown rice in water at least 2 hours, or overnight. Heat oil in a heavy skillet with tight-fitting lid. Add chopped onion and sautÈ until golden brown and limp. Add rice and soaking water along with cumin and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Cook at a simmer for about 20 minutes. Rice should be tender and water should be absorbed. When rice is done, add chopped parsley and pine nuts.    

SCOTTISH SHORTBREAD

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups white flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
 

Mix butter and sugar until well blended. Work in the flour and salt. If the dough is too dry, add 1 to 2 Tablespoons (30 ml). more butter. Roll 1/2 inch thick on a slightly floured board. Cut into rectangles approx. 3/4 inch by 2 inch. Prick each rectangle twice with the tines of a fork. Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes. Makes 30 cookies.

   REAL IRISH STEW

1 1/2 pounds Mutton, cut into pieces
Parsley sprigs
6 Carrots, sliced
2 pounds Potatoes
Salt and pepper
1 pound Onions
 

Place meat and vegetables in saucepan and cover with cold water. Add salt and pepper as required and flavor with a few parsley sprigs and add carrot slices. Slowly bring to a boil and skim off the top. Simmer over a very low heat for approximately 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Note: You can probably substitute lamb for the mutton and not need to cook as long.

 

 

SOURCES

Buzzing Bee

MAGICAL MUSINGS