By Craig T. Kojima, Star-Bulletin
Marion Murphy offers up an intoxicating slice of Irish whiskey cake.
For St. Patrick's Day, cook up
By Catherine Kekoa Enomoto
some real Irish fare instead
Star-BulletinJ ust as there's no French toast in France and little Hawaiian punch in isle homes, there's not much corned beef and cabbage in Ireland.
So says Peter Herman, former Honolulu lawyer turned personal chef in Charleston S.C. He's savored Irish cuisine on half a dozen stays in Ireland, for periods up to three months.
"I've never, ever eaten corned beef and cabbage in Ireland," Herman said. "I've rarely seen it."
Nevertheless, on Tuesday isle palates will seek a St. Patrick's Day fix of the boiled supper at establishments cooking in the spirit of Irish ayes.
For example, from 11 a.m. Tuesday Murphy's Bar & Grill will serve up corned beef and cabbage, Gaelic steak, salmon, shamrock-shaped biscuits and orange-pistachio-vanilla ice cream in the orange, green and white colors of the Irish flag. The piece de resistance is luscious Irish whiskey cake based on Bistro Kinsale's original recipe.
"It's so rich that a small slice is more than enough," said the cake baker, Marion Murphy, wife of pub owner Don Murphy. "We ate it the other night and -- hooo -- we went to bed after that."
Author Bob Dye, a blue-eyed Hawaii resident of Irish descent, confirmed that there is culinary life beyond corned beef and cabbage. He cataloged freshly raised and caught Irish delectables -- beef, pork, lots of lamb; pheasant, wild duck and other game birds; famed Irish salmon and other salt- and freshwater fish.
Dye, who owns a home in Kinsale, Ireland, also relishes sweet carrots, wild garlic, splendid Irish soups, earthy grain-filled breads, plenty of apple desserts and, of course, Irish potatoes.
"It's not unusual to go into a restaurant and have potatoes done in three different ways," Dye said, "French fries, mashed and creamed ones. Or, to be served potato soup, and on the luncheon plate will be potato salad and French fries."
Despite all the potatoes, Dye said, "The Irish have discovered again their own cuisine, or reinvented it, and they're doing splendidly."
One reason is more and better produce grown on small, family-run farms. Dye said Irish agriculture has leapfrogged as experts have been recruited to teach local farmers how to produce all kinds of new foods. Estate-style mushrooms, honeys, herbs and cheeses are examples of this policy and these items are being exported.
"Now Ireland is the host for the European Union's Ministry of Agriculture, which is located up in Dublin," he noted.
Herman, in an interview from Charleston, agreed that fresh Irish produce, meats and seafoods make a delicious difference.
"Irish cuisine is not complicated like in a French bistro. There's nothing very exotic," he said. "But food tastes good because of the quality of the ingredients. The bacon is unbelievably better than in the United States. It's meatier."
Herman said even with the same recipe and the same ingredients, one can't replicate in America the special savoriness of Irish dishes. It's a matter of that Eire air, water, dirt and tender, loving cultivating, he said.
"It's just like how a laulau made by cooks on the mainland doesn't taste the same," Herman said. "People say how the Irish potatoes taste better, how the pork is better. It's what the pigs are fed. It's the ground, air and water . . . It's just unique."
Herman noted recent breakthroughs: The Irish have learned not to overcook and oversauce. European Union ties have introduced mangoes and other exotics into supermarkets. And cooking schools are turning out a new generation of chefs.
"I think Dublin is one of most the most exciting food Meccas for a lot of restaurants and chefs. Food is still done in the continental style; so if you look at an Irish cookbook, the food won't hit you between the eyes like French or Hungarian cuisine. Irish cuisine is not that circumscribed. It's similar to our standard meat-fish-potato type of approach.
"But it's not corned beef and cabbage," he said, "and it's not green beer."
Do something different for St. Patrick's Day. Try a savory stew or a refreshing salmon salad, instead of boiled beef. Meat, potatoes and more
Staff and wire reports
Irish stew is full of winter vegetables, and flavored with beer.
Beef and winter vegetable stew
National Cattlemen's Beef Association2 pounds stew beef, in 1-inch piecesIn a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef and onions, half at a time, and brown evenly; stir occasionally. Pour off drippings. Return beef mixture to pan. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in broth and beer. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and simmer 1-1/4 hours.2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cups chopped onions
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
13-3/4 to 14-1/2 ounce beef broth
1 cup dark beer, such as Guinness stout, or nonalcoholic beer
1 pound small red potatoes, quartered
3 medium carrots, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in 3 tablespoons water
Chopped fresh parsley, optional
Add potatoes and carrots. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Cover tightly and continue cooking 20 to 30 minutes or until beef and vegetables are tender.
Stir in cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil; cook and stir 1 minute or until thickened. Garnish with chopped parsley, if desired. Makes 6 servings.
Approximate nutritional analysis per serving: 570 calories, 34 grams total fat, 12 grams saturated fat, 100 milligrams cholesterol, 510 milligrams sodium.*
Irish smoked salmon salad is topped with goat cheese.
By chef James O'Shea of West Street Grill, Litchfield, Conn. Irish smoked salmon salad
12 ounces Irish smoked salmon (see note) or smoked salmonOn each chilled salad plate, spread 3 ounces of salmon.4 cups mesculin salad mix (baby greens)
1 lemon, peeled and sectioned
1 lime, peeled and sectioned
1 orange, peeled and sectioned
6 ounces soft goat cheese log, sliced into fourths
1/2 day-old baguette, cut into 1/2-inch cubes and toasted (croutons)
4 tablespoons combined lemon, lime and orange juices
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped chives
Salt and pepper, to taste
Whisk together the citrus dressing ingredients. Toss the greens with the dressing until lightly coated. Mound about 1 cup of the greens in the center of each plate. Place fruit sections on top. Divide and place goat cheese log and croutons around mound of greens. Makes 4 servings.
Note: Irish smoked salmon is $13.50 per pound at Strawberry Connection.
Conan O'Brien's Irish-style potato-chive pancakes
From Milk Processor Education Program2 pounds potatoes, cut in 1-inch chunksPlace potatoes in saucepan; cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain potatoes, return to saucepan. Turn heat under saucepan to medium-low. Cook potatoes until dry, about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add milk. Mash potato mixture until fairly smooth. Remove from heat, stir in chives, salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate. (Potatoes will thicken.)1 cup fat-free or 1 percent low-fat milk
1/3 cup chopped chives
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 teaspoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup fat-free or low-fat sour cream
Form potato mixture into 12 patties about 3-1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot and sizzling. Add 3 or 4 patties to skillet, cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Keep warm in a 200-degree oven. Serve warm with sour cream. Serves 4.
Bistro Kinsale Irish whiskey cake
From Bob Dye and Marion MurphyWhipped creamCombine all cake ingredients. Pour batter into small bundt pan (7 inches in diameter), lightly sprayed with nonstick vegetable oil cooking spray. Bake 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup self-rising flour
1/2 tablespoon coffee essence
3/4 cup strong coffee
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon Irish whiskey
3 squares semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup cream
To prepare syrup: In a pot, heat coffee and sugar until syrupy; add whiskey. Spoon whiskey syrup over cake and let it seep in; repeat every 5 minutes until all syrup is used up.
To prepare chocolate sauce: Melt chocolate, adding cream until sauce is of desired consistency.
To serve, flip cake onto a plate and slice. Garnish each slice with 2 tablespoons chocolate sauce and 2 tablespoons whipped cream. Serves 6.
Asterisk (*) after nutritional analyses in the
Body & Soul section indicates calculations by Joannie Dobbs of
Exploring New Concepts, a nutritional consulting firm.
