St Patrick's day

[Nicos]

Any good Irish recipies for this evening?? Thinking of Irish stew at the moment. Got Guiness and whiskey in already!
LJ there's a hugh FW recipe on the BBC site for colcannon - ever yried it?

[nick the grief]

Irish Stew - or did you want something a bit more inventive

[Lesley Jay]

I think I'd go for Beef In Guiness with cabbage and mashed potato on the side. My other half wouldn't appreciate fried up cabbage and mash so I haven't tried Hugh's colcannon. There is a nice looking recipe at www.uktvfood.co.uk for Beef and Oxtail Stew which I intend trying on him.

[andrewo]

There is guinness cake: All eyes will be smiling when you serve this cake! The magic ingredient? A cup of Guinness® stout. The beer adds a hint of coffee-like flavor to the cake. If you'd like a non-alcoholic cake, substitute milk for the beer. It's still a great cake!


INGREDIENTS
16 T. butter (1/2 lb.)
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 2/3 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup Guinness® stout
6 eggs
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 pounds confectioner's sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a bowl, cream together the butter and both sugars. In another bowl, mix together the baking powder, spices, salt, flour and cocoa. At the very last moment, add the Guinness to the eggs. (Don't let it sit too long, or the alcohol will begin to cook the eggs!)

Add half of the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture and blend, then add half of the wet ingredients. Repeat this process until all the ingredients are combined.

Pre-heat the oven to 350°, and line the bottom of at least two 9-inch diameter cake pans with wax paper. (Use as many layers as you like for your own cake.) Divide the batter between pans, and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans for about 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack and peel off the wax paper. Let the layers cool completely before frosting.

In a bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until mixed, then beat in the sugar. Finally, add the vanilla.

Place one cake layer, bottom side up, on a platter. Spread with frosting, then top with another layer, bottom side down. Repeat with each layer, then spread the remaining frosting smoothly over the top and sides of the cake.

[nick the grief]

waste of good guinness

Dublin bay prawn cocktail for starters

[andrewo]

There's no such thing as good guinness in the UK

[sewer rat]

There is no such thing as a good Guinness - anywhere !
Don't serve boring old mash, serve Champ - mash made with cream and with chopped scallions (spring onions) through it - tastes divine and is Irish to boot

[Lesley Jay]

I'll have you know that my mash is NOT boring!! You cheeky devil.

[sewer rat]

Wasn't meant as a personal slander LJ - not for one minute would I imagine that your mash is boring, espesh given the recipe sites you are always promoting, but before trying champ, my experience of mash was that it was nothing special.
As a matter of interest, do you have a particular variety of potato that you tend to use depending on how you are cooking your tatties ?

[JennieAtkinson]

Rat - you have to have a guiness at the Blue Bull in Sneem (Kerry), you might change your mind. And with a plateful of Dublin Bay Prawns .... mmm

[andrewo]

Ah, you see that's not the UK.

[Lesley Jay]

Oh yes Rat. I drive him mad when shopping when it comes to buying spuds. I grow Arran Pilot (you do don't you) because the slugs eat the main crop. I prefer these steamed but the tiny ones are thrown in a pan of stew. When they run out I have to buy the local potatoes "Cheshires" but theses are just an all rounder. I like King Edwards for steaming, Maris Piper for my lovely mash, Desiree for chips and wedges and for my gorgeous crispy roast potatoes I prefer Desiree. I cook them longer than most people so the insides are really soft. Baked potatoes is Maris Piper. Really though we are limited by the varieties available. One that I will never buy is Saxon.

[sewer rat]

LJ
Am growing Foremost, Arran Pilot, British Queen, Rooster and Pink Fir Apple this year

[Nicos]

Oh LJ...can I come for xmas dinner next year?? ..I'll do the washing up!!!

[Nicos]

Strangely enough paddy's whiskey and Guinness draught came up tops tonight! every-one else snorring happily as I speak!! hope you all had a fun night? ended up
eating Irish stew, cabbage n mash spuds