“A staple in Irish and Irish American households, fish pie is usually topped with a puree of white potatoes,” former F&W senior food editor Mary-Frances Heck writes in her cookbook Sweet Potatoes. “But swap white potatoes for sweet potatoes, and it turns out that the mild brininess of the fish is fantastic with the slightly sweet topping.”
Bread Pudding with Irish Whiskey
Andrew Zimmern’s decadent bread pudding just might be the ultimate St. Paddy’s Day dessert. It features rich brioche in a warmly spiced custard that’s studded with whiskey-soaked raisins and served with whiskey-spiked crème anglaise. Zimmern recommends using Jameson — you’ll need a third of a cup.
Irish Buttered Carrots
Here, steamed carrots are tossed in butter along with thyme and either parsley or celery leaves for a simple side that can easily accompany a variety of mains. Seek out good-quality Irish butter to make the dish really sing.
Irish Potato Boxty
Classic Irish boxty are made from a combination of mashed and grated potatoes to yield soft-centered cakes with crisp exteriors. Infinitely versatile, they can be incorporated into any meal of the day.
Irish Brown Bread
Irish brown bread is the whole-grain cousin of Irish soda bread, replacing a portion of the white flour with whole wheat flour for an especially hearty and complex-tasting quick bread loaf that’s equally effortless to pull together.
Braised Lamb with Herb-Scented Jus
Chef David Mawhinny’s tender braised leg of lamb serves eight, but don’t worry about having too many leftovers if you’re not feeding guests — the extra meat and meat juices make terrific sandwiches when layered onto focaccia with pickled veggies.
Porter Bundt Cake with Whiskey-Caramel Sauce
Deep, dark, and delicious, this warmly spiced cake leans on porter, molasses, and maple syrup for its rich flavor and hue. A simple whiskey caramel sauce blankets each slice for added dimension.
Slow Cooker Corned Beef with Cabbage, Carrots, and Potatoes
Corned beef is one of the most popular dishes to eat on St. Patrick’s Day and originated during the time when refrigeration didn’t exist and foods were likely pickled or cured to preserve them. This modern version lets your slow cooker do the bulk of the work — it requires just 15 minutes of active time in the kitchen.
Smoked Salmon Toasts with Mustard Butter
Instead of smoked salmon’s usual partner of cream cheese, these crostini from chef David Tannis are smeared with a softened Dijon and dill butter.
Irish Potato and Corned Beef Cakes
This meaty version of Irish boxty is perhaps the dish to make the day after St. Paddy’s — it’s a wonderful use for your leftover corned beef. You’ll need a cup of shredded meat.
Irish Soda Bread Pudding
Irish soda bread is denser than yeasted bread, so it’s able to soak up even more custardy goodness for an especially tender dessert — use a day-old loaf if possible.
