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St Patrick’s Day Supper

SALT-BAKED POTATO WITH CRÉME FRAICHE & IRISH TROUT CAVIAR

SODA-BREADED BACON CHOPS WITH IRISH HONEY & WHISKEY DIP & COLCANNON

GUINNESS CARAMEL TIRAMISU

SALT-BAKED POTATO WITH CRÉME FRAICHE & IRISH TROUT CAVIAR

One of my all-time favourite dishes to make, this combination of fluffy hot potato filling with silky créme fraiche and peppery flat-leaf parsley, topped with jewels of trout caviar and held within a crispy potato skin, is utterly delicious! I first came up with this recipe when I was curating an Irish menu for Fortnum & Mason in London, and for me it sings of Ireland and it’s oh so beautiful… I often make it for a cosy fireside supper on a Friday with a delicious glass of white Burgundy – utter heaven.

4 small baking potatoes, unpeeled and washed

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

200ml créme fraiche

1 tablespoon rapeseed oil

40g trout caviar

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 200ЃC/gas mark 6.

Place the potatoes on a baking tray and bake for 40 minutes.

Remove the baked potatoes from the oven and leave until cool enough to handle, then cut them in half lengthways and scoop out the potato flesh into a bowl, leaving the skins intact.

Season the potato flesh with salt and pepper, mash with a fork and then mix in the parsley and 120ml of the créme fraiche. Spoon the potato mixture back into the potato skins, place on the baking tray and brush the skins with the rapeseed oil so that they crisp.

Bake for 15 minutes until the filling is heated through and the skins are crispy.

Remove the filled potato skins from the oven and spoon the remaining créme fraiche on top, followed by a spoonful of the trout caviar. Serve.

SODA-BREADED BACON CHOPS WITH IRISH HONEY & WHISKEY DIP & COLCANNON

I made this dish a few years back for a party I was hosting at Soho House in New York to celebrate St Patrick’s Day. For me it’s real comfort food, as I grew up in Ireland, and bacon chops with colcannon were a staple at home. You can use regular fresh white breadcrumbs if you don’t have soda bread.

SERVES 4

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 small shallots, finely chopped

200g fresh soda breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

70g plain flour

2 eggs, beaten

4 French-trimmed bacon chops on the bone

50g butter

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE COLCANNON

1kg potatoes, unpeeled and washed

100ml milk

4 spring onions or 100g cabbage, finely chopped

50g butter

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

FOR THE IRISH HONEY & WHISKEY DIP

150g clear Irish honey

100ml cider vinegar

100g brown sugar

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

100ml Irish whiskey

Begin preparing the colcannon. Place the whole potatoes in a large saucepan, with the largest ones at the bottom, and fill the pan halfway with water. Cover the pan with a lid and place over a high heat. When the water begins to boil, drain off about half so that there is just enough left in the pan for the potatoes to steam. Leave to steam, covered, for 30–40 minutes, depending on the size of the potatoes, until soft.

Preheat the oven to 200ЃC/gas mark 6.

Add the garlic, shallots, breadcrumbs, mustard and thyme leaves to a foodprocessor. Season with salt and pepper and process for 30 seconds. Transfer the mustard breadcrumb mixture to a bowl. Place the flour and beaten eggs in two separate bowls (or on plates). Dip each bacon chop in the flour, followed by the beaten egg, then turn in the mustard breadcrumb mixture to coat.

Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a high heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, place the breaded chops in the pan and brown on each side, then transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

While the potatoes finish cooking, pour the milk for the colcannon into a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Stir in the spring onions or cabbage, butter and nutmeg, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 4 minutes.

Once the potatoes are cooked, hold them in a tea-towel while you peel them and place in a warmed bowl. Mash the potatoes while you gradually add the warm milk and spring onion or cabbage mixture.

To make the dip, whisk the honey, vinegar and sugar together in a bowl until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan, place over a medium-high heat, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until the mixture begins to boil and thicken. Whisk in the mustard and whiskey and cook for a further minute, continuing to stir constantly. Remove the pan from the heat.

Spoon the colcannon around a large warmed platter, place the breaded bacon chops in the centre, then pour the honey and whiskey dip over the chops.

GUINNESS CARAMEL TIRAMISU

Ever since living in Italy a few years back, I have a real soft spot for tiramisu. The Guinness caramel brings a fun twist to the original recipe as well as a delicious depth of flavour, and makes it a great Irish dessert to serve on St Patrick’s Day. But you can simply leave out the Guinness if you prefer, or skip the caramel completely for a classic tiramisu.

I like to make my tiramisu in individual vintage cocktail glasses, but you could easily double up the recipe and make it in a glass trifle bowl for a spectacular centrepiece. This is a dessert that you can make ahead the night before.

SERVES 4

3 egg yolks

90g caster sugar

400g mascarpone cheese

14 Savoiardi sponge fingers (lady fingers or boudoir biscuits)

100ml cold strong coffee or espresso

120g cocoa powder

FOR THE GUINNESS CARAMEL

180g caster sugar

100ml water

60g unsalted butter

100ml single cream

100ml Guinness

Place the egg yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl and use an electric hand whisk to whisk together until pale and thick. Add the mascarpone and whisk slowly until the mixture is pale and smooth.

To make the Guinness caramel, add the sugar and water to a saucepan, place over a low heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Then increase the heat to high and cook for 12–14 minutes or until the syrup is light golden brown in colour. Stir in the butter and cook for a further 2–3 minutes or until the mixture is a caramel consistency. Stir in the cream and Guinness, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until the caramel is a thick consistency.

Dip the sponge fingers into the cold coffee and then place straight into four cocktail glasses to create the base layer. Alternatively, arrange the coffee-dipped sponge fingers in a large glass bowl to make one large tiramisu.

Spoon half the mascarpone mixture over the sponge fingers, followed by a layer of the Guinness caramel and a sprinkle of cocoa and then another layer of the remaining mascarpone mixture and Guinness caramel. Finish with a layer of cocoa on top.

Cover and chill for an hour before serving.

Recipes from Clodagh’s Suppers by Clodagh McKenna, publihsed by Kyle Books