by Jennifer Anderson

Whether you’re Irish all the way or just Irish for a day, raise your glass and fill your plate with these irresistible culinary gems from the Emerald Isle.

Irish cuisine offers us so many good things to eat that it's a shame to wait until St. Patrick’s Day to sample them all. Dig into bushels of fresh seafood like salmon, haddock and scallops; dense wedges of soda bread; rich lamb stew fortified with root vegetables and savory bacon; tangy artisanal cheeses; stout beers and well-aged whiskeys; cakes and pies made from robust, tart apples. Are you hungry yet? Then throw another piece of turf on the fire and hunker down with our recipes and tips for planning your St. Patrick’s Day festivities.

Prolong the Corned Beef Feast
In many parts of the world (though, oddly, not in Ireland) a corned beef feast is the thing to serve for St. Patrick’s Day.

• Corned beef will be on sale this month so take advantage and stock up! Cook a few slabs of it at once, then slice or dice the meat, wrap it securely and tuck it into the freezer for the next time you’ve got a hankering for a Reuben sandwich or corned beef hash.
• Cooked corned beef will keep in the freezer for three months.

Fish for Supper
Want to try something besides corned beef this year? Irish salmon, whose season actually opens on March 17th, is famous the world over. No complicated preparations are needed for this fresh, flavorful fish. And what are they going to be devouring in the pubs and on the streets in but fish and chips!

• For perfect fried fish, dip it in thick beer batter and make sure the oil is hot enough before you begin! Any white fish, like cod or haddock, will work.
• Serve simply with salt and malt vinegar.

Real Irish Coffee
Irish coffee was invented in the 1940s at an Irish port to give a little warmth and cheer to exhausted travelers in the middle of their long transatlantic journeys.

• To make a proper Irish coffee, start by warming up a stemmed glass with a swirl of hot water. Dump out the water and pour in a shot of Irish whiskey.
• Fill the glass 3/4 full with strong coffee and stir in a tablespoon of brown sugar.
• Next, whip some fresh cream just a little bit so that it’s fluffy but still pourable. Slowly pour the whipped cream over the back of a spoon into the coffee, so that the cream remains floating on top.
• Don’t stir! Serve the drink immediately so that everyone can enjoy the sensation of sipping the hot, sweet bite of the spiked coffee through the layer of cool, fluffy cream.

Related Links

Prolong the Corned Beef Feast

• Corned Beef Recipes
• Corned Beef in Brief

Fish for Supper

• Collection of Salmon Recipes
• Collection of Tuna Recipes

Real Irish Coffee

• Irish Coffee

Related Links

• St. Patrick’s Day Recipes