Irish Recipes
Traditional White Soda Bread
- 4 cups (16 oz) of all purpose flour.
- 1 Teaspoon baking soda
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- 14 oz of buttermilk
Method:
Preheat the oven to 425 F. degrees. Lightly crease and flour a cake pan.
In a large bowl sieve and combine all the dry ingredients.
Add the buttermilk to form a sticky dough. Place on floured surface and lightly knead (too much allows the gas to escape)
Shape into a round flat shape in a round cake pan and cut a cross in the top of the dough.
Cover the pan with another pan and bake for 30 minutes (this simulates the bastible pot). Remove cover and bake for an additional 15 minutes.
The bottom of the bread will have a hollow sound when tapped so show it is done.
Cover the bread in a tea towel and lightly sprinkle water on the cloth to keep the bread moist.
Raisin-Caraway Soda Bread
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
- 2 tablespoons treacle or molasses
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons rolled oats
Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Place the raisins in a bowl and cover with 1 cup boiling water. Let sit and rehydrate for 10 minutes, then drain well in a sieve.
Into a large bowl sift together the flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter into the dry ingredients and work with your fingertips until it resembles dry crumbs. Add the caraway seeds, treacle, buttermilk and raisins and work with your fingers until just mixed and a wet dough is formed, being careful not to over mix. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and form into a round. Press down on the dough with the palm of your hand and press to form a flat round about 1 1/2-inches high.
With a knife, cut a 1/4-inch deep cross in the center of the dough. With a pastry brush paint the dough with the cream and sprinkle the top with the oats. Place on a baking sheet and bake until light brown and cooked through, about 30 to 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven and cool slightly on a wire rack before slicing. Serve warm with plenty of sweet butter.
NANNY GILSENAN’S IRISH SODA BREAD
(FROM KEN WALSH)
Ingredients:
- 4 cups of Flour
- 3 Tsp. of Baking of Soda
- 1 1/2 of Salt (Toss)
- 1 Tblsp of Sugar
- 1 stick of Butter
- 1 Handful of Carraway Seeds (optional)
- 1/2 pound of raisins
- 2 1/3 cups of ButterMilk
Method:
Mix together by hand and toss on floured board
Bake @ 350 degrees for about 1hr test w/ knife.
Boxty (from Tara Doyle)
Boxty is a traditional potato dish, celebrated in the rhyme.
Boxty on the griddle, boxty in the pan, If you can’t make boxty, you’ll never get your man
Ingredients:
- 8 oz/ 250 g/ 1 cup raw potato
- 8 oz/ 250 g/ 1 cup mashed potato
- 8 oz/ 250 g/ 2 cups plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- large knob of butter, melted
- about 1/4 pt/ 125 ml/ 1/2 cup milk
Method:
Grate the raw potatoes into a bowl. Turn out onto a c loth and wring, catching the liquid. This will separate into a clear fluid with starch at the bottom. Pour off the fluid and scrape out the starch and mix with the grated and mashed potatoes. Sieve the dry ingredients and mix in along with the melted butter. Add a little milk if necessary to make a pliable dough. Knead lightly on a floured surface. Divide into four and form large, flat cakes. Mark each into quarters but do not cut right through, and bake on a griddle or in a heavy pan.
