Recipes affirm the range of good food from the Emerald Isle

Joyce Brennan might credit the luck o' the Irish for a recent trip to North Carolina.

She'd received a gift certificate to a cooking class at A Southern Season, a gourmet market in Chapel Hill. She combined a visit with her daughter, Cathy, who lives in nearby Durham, with a chance to attend "A Taste of Ireland," taught by cookbook author Sheri Castle.

"Everything was outstanding," Mrs. Brennan said. "We got all the recipes and lots of tips. Sheri is a clear and entertaining teacher. I even came home and made everything for a St. Patrick's Day dinner."

Mrs. Brennan has been to Ireland twice, the first time with her husband, Michael, whose ancestry is Irish.

"There's no surname in my husband's family that isn't Irish," she said.

Their visit to Ireland was one of the Brennans' favorite trips abroad.

"We really enjoyed the food," she said. "They have wonderful salmon, and there are potatoes in everything -- even the salads. They are nothing like salads here. They have more vegetables, like potatoes, peas and maybe green beans."

Here is the menu Mrs. Castle prepared, and Mrs. Brennan continues to enjoy.

Irish Brown Bread With Smoked Salmon

2 cups whole-wheat flour

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

1/2 cup toasted wheat germ

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

4 ounces (8 tablespoons) Irish butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and chilled, plus more for the pan

1 1/2 to 2 cups well-shaken buttermilk

Toppings:

8 ounces (1/2 cup) Irish butter, at room temperature

8 ounces thinly sliced smoked salmon

1 bunch fresh chives, trimmed

Freshly ground black pepper

Position an oven rack in the center of the oven and heat to 400 F. Butter a 9- by 2-inch round cake pan.

Whisk together the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, wheat germ, salt, sugar, baking soda and cream of tartar in a large bowl until combined well. Blend in butter with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Make a well in the center and gradually add the buttermilk, stirring until a dough forms. Gently knead on a floured surface until smooth, adding just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, about 3 minutes.

Press the dough into the prepared cake pan. With a sharp knife, cut a 1/2-inch deep "X" across the top of the dough. Bake until the loaf is lightly browned and sounds hollow when bottom is tapped, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool the loaf in a pan on a rack for 10 minutes then turn it out onto a rack and cool, right side up, for at least two hours before slicing.

Make-ahead note: You can serve the bread the day it is made, but it slices more easily when it's at least one day old. Store in plastic wrap at room temperature. It keeps well this way up to four days. Makes 1 (9-inch) round loaf.

To make the canapés: Spread slices of bread with the softened butter. Top with salmon and chives. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Makes 8 servings.

Beef and Guinness Pie

2 to 3 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 2-inch pieces

2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

3 tablespoons water

1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 cup beef broth

1 (12-ounce) bottle Guinness Extra Stout (not Guinness Draught)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons drained, brined, green peppercorns, coarsely chopped

2 teaspoons dried thyme

4 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 300 F. Pat beef dry. Season the meat generously with salt and pepper. Heat a wide, 6-quart heavy, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches to not crowd the pan, brown the meat on all sides, turning with tongs. Transfer the browned meat to a large bowl.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion, garlic and water to pot and cook, scraping up the browned bits from bottom of the pot and stirring frequently, until the onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Stir in the broth, Guinness, Worcestershire, peppercorns and thyme. Add the beef and any juices accumulated in bowl. Increase the heat to high and bring just to a boil. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Braise until the beef is fork tender, about 4 hours. Add the carrots during the last hour of cooking. When the meat is done, remove it from the oven and let it sit uncovered until it cools to room temperature (see note).

When ready to serve, put a shallow baking pan on middle rack of oven and heat to 425 F. Divide the cooled stew among six oven-proof bowls that are 4 to 5 inches wide, and top with the puffed pastry crust, as described below. Place the bowls on the shallow baking pan in the oven. Bake the pies until pastry is puffed and golden brown, about 20 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 F and bake 5 minutes more to fully cook dough.

Very important make-ahead note: Like most braises, this will taste better if made at least one day and up to two days ahead. Cool to room temperature uncovered, then cover and refrigerate. When you are ready to bake the pies, remove the layer of fat that will have congealed on the surface of the meat. Return the stew to room temperature before proceeding.

Puff Pastry Crust

1 package all-butter puff pastry dough (such as Dufour brand)

All-purpose flour, for rolling

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon water

Roll out the puff pastry dough on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 13-inch square, about 1/8-inch thick. Trim the edges and cut the dough into quarters.

Stir together the egg and water and brush a 1-inch border of egg wash around each square. Invert 1 square over each bowl and drape, pressing sides lightly to help adhere.

Brush the pastry tops with some of remaining egg wash and freeze 15 minutes to thoroughly chill the dough. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note: As a quick alternative to topping the ramekins with puff pastry, you can simply serve the stew inside baked puff pastry cups, such as those from Pepperidge Farm.

Colcannon

4 pounds russet potatoes

1 tablespoon salt

8 cups thinly shredded cabbage

1/4 cup chicken stock or water

1 1/2 cups milk, warmed

8 tablespoons Irish butter, at room temperature, divided

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Place the potatoes and 1 tablespoon of salt in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook only until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the cabbage and stock in a large skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium and cook the cabbage, stirring often, until it wilts and becomes tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.

When the potatoes are done, drain them well in a colander and then return them to the still-warm pot so that they can steam dry. Push the warm potatoes through a ricer or food mill fitted with a medium disk. Collect the potato in a large bowl. Add the warm milk and 6 tablespoons of the soft butter and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the cabbage. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve warm, topped with the remaining butter. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

1 3/4 cups packed pitted Medjool dates (about 10 ounces)

2 cups water

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) Irish butter, softened, plus more for the pan

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

Toffee Sauce (recipe below)

Vanilla ice cream

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 375 F. Butter and flour an 8- by 2-inch square baking pan and set it aside. The pudding bakes in a water bath, so have ready a pan large enough to hold the square baking pan.

Coarsely chop the dates. Combine the dates and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until the dates begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. (The mixture will foam.) Let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, sift the flour, baking powder, ginger and salt into a large bowl. In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour in thirds, beating just until combined after each addition. Add the date mixture and mix the batter with a wooden spoon just until combined.

Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan. Place the smaller baking pan inside the large pan. Add enough hot water to the larger pan to reach halfway up the sides of the smaller baking pan. Bake until a tester inserted into the middle of the pudding comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove the pudding from the water batch and cool on a wire rack. While the pudding cools, make the Toffee Sauce. To serve, cut the warm pudding into squares and top with Toffee Sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Toffee Sauce

1 3/4 sticks Irish butter

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Stir in the cream and vanilla. (It will bubble vigorously.) Cook the sauce, stirring occasionally, until the sauce slightly thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly, but serve warm.

Follow this link to read a Q&A with cookbook author Sheri Castle

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