Feast on Irish pub fare this St. Patrick’s Day

St. Patrick’s Day celebrations were different in 2020. Due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, many communities were forced to cancel their annual St. Patrick’s Day festivities. Typically lively, jovial gatherings of good-spirited revelers, St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are beloved by Irish and non-Irish people alike.
Though the COVID-19 vaccines figure to help people across the globe return to a semblance of normalcy at some point in 2021, that long-awaited return to life as the world once knew it is unlikely to occur before mid-March. That means St. Patrick’s Day celebrations in 2021 will likely have to take place at home.
With no parade to attend, would-be Patty’s Day revelers may have to take matters into their own hands this March 17. Cooking up some traditional Irish fare, such as this recipe for “Bacon and Cabbage” from Margaret M. Johnson’s “The Irish Pub Cookbook” (Chronicle Books) is a great way to bring a taste of your favorite Irish pub into your home this St. Patrick’s Day.

BACON AND CABBAGE
3 lbs. Irish boiling bacon
1 small head cabbage, cored and quartered
Parsley Sauce or Whole-Grain Mustard Sauce for serving (see below)
Boiled potatoes for serving
1. Put bacon in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring water slowly to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, skimming the water occasionally to remove foam, for 1½ hours (about 30 minutes per pound), or until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork.
2. About 20 minutes before the bacon is cooked, add cabbage. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes, or until cabbage is tender, but not soggy. Transfer bacon to a serving dish, and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Drain cabbage, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking liquid for the Parsley sauce or 1½ cups for the Whole-Grain Mustard Sauce, and transfer to a serving dish.
3. To serve, slice meat and serve it with cabbage, potatoes and sauce.
Serves 4 to 6

PARSLEY SAUCE
4 Tbsp. unsalted Irish butter
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
¼ cup bacon cooking liquid
1¼ cups hot milk
½ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Gradually stir in flour. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until blended.
Slowly stir in cooking liquid, then the milk. Bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes, or until slightly thickened. Add salt, pepper and parsley, and cook, whisking constantly, for 3 to 5 minutes more, or until the sauce is smooth.
Serve warm.

WHOLE-GRAIN MUSTARD SAUCE
2 Tbsp. unsalted Irish butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tsp. whole-grain mustard
2/3 cup dry white wine
1¼ cups bacon cooking liquid, plus more as needed
1¼ cups half-and-half, plus more as needed
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes, or until soft.
Stir in mustard and wine, and cook for 2 minutes. Add cooking liquid and half-and-half and cook, whisking constantly, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the mixture has a creamy consistency. Add more boiling liquid or half-and-half, if needed, to make a smooth sauce.
Serve warm.
Makes about 2 cups

Here is an appetizer recipe for Irish Pub Cheese from aspicyperspective.com.

IRISH PUB CHEESE
14 oz. Irish cheddar
4 oz. cream cheese
½ cup light Irish-style beer
1 clove garlic
1½ tsp. ground mustard
1 tsp. paprika
Break cheddar into chunks and place in a food processor.
Pulse to break cheddar up into small pieces.
Add cream cheese, beer, garlic, ground mustard and paprika. Puree until completely smooth.
Scrape the sides of the bowl and puree again if needed.
Serve with pita chips, bread, crackers, veggies or apple slices.

Don’t forget to try cottage pie. Here is a recipe from 31daily.com

EASY IRISH COTTAGE PIE
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. lean ground beef
8 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 carrots, diced small
3 Tbsp. flour
½ cup beef stock
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
Salt and black pepper
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp. dried)
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 egg, lightly whisked
Preheat oven to 400 F and thaw one sheet of puff pastry.
Place olive oil in a 12-inch skillet set over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add onion and carrots; saute just until they begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add ground beef and mushrooms; cook until browned, about 3 minutes.
Sprinkle meat with the flour and toss to coat, continue cooking for another minute, stirring constantly. Then add tomato paste, stock, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, pepper and thyme; stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.
Meanwhile, roll out the thawed puff pastry until it fits the size of your baking dish. Try tracing the baking dish on the sheet of puff pastry so that it fits perfectly cutting it out using a sharp knife or pastry cutter.
When the beef filling is cooked, transfer it to the baking dish. Top with puff pastry, making sure it that it comes to the edges. The pastry will shrink slightly when baked.
Whisk egg slightly and brush over the pastry.
Place the cottage pie on a parchment-lined sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes or until the puff pastry is nicely browned. Let cool slightly before serving.