More Traditional Irish Dishes

Continuing with the Irish theme, my research brought up some really fun recipes and dishes that are not only tasty but totally budget friendly. Total comfort food! What a great way to usher winter out the door and invite spring.

One of the more interesting sounding dishes, to me, is called Coddle. This is a dish that is part boiled and part steamed on the stove top. The traditional version of this dish contained layers of roughly sliced pork sausages and rashers. What are rashers? I wondered that too. Rashers are a thinly sliced, somewhat fatty back bacon. Sounds good to me.

The meat was layered in a pot with sliced potatoes and onions. Barley is also included sometimes, but for those of us that can't have gluten, this would be an ingredient to avoid. The only seasoning is salt, pepper and sometimes parsley. Some water is added and a well fitting lid is put on the pot to hold in the steam. This steams the ingredients that are not covered in water. One version I read about said that a small amount of Guinness can be added to the pot, but that it was a rare ingredient and not used often. Using a gluten-free beer in its place would work well, if you are looking for that added flavor.

Another simple dish is bacon and cabbage. It consists of boiled bacon, the bacon that this dish calls for is not sliced bacon, but a piece of slab bacon that has been cured and smoked. This is served with boiled cabbage and potatoes. This dish was common in Irish homes because the ingredients were readily available, historically. Many families raised their own pigs and vegetables. Though there seem to be many versions and variations of bacon and cabbage, the most common version has the bacon sliced after boiling and served along side the vegetables. Sounds good to me, filling and total comfort food!

Are you hungry? This next dish will have you heading to your kitchen for sure! Irish stew is the ultimate in comfort food for most anyone. Traditionally made with either lamb, beef or mutton. Also included in this stew are potatoes, carrots, onions and parsley. When cooking this stew, you do not brown your meat first, this is a big difference from traditional "American" versions of the same.

This last dish may not be "traditionally Irish" but it sure is tasty and had to be included in this Irish food fair! Many of us feel that it is a traditional Irish dish, but my reading did not confirm this. I'd love to know the real story, but they seem to be conflicting so I'll just throw it in here because it "feels" Irish. How's that?

What is this dish? The Reuben sandwich, so tasty and seems to be a common favorite of many! Have you missed this flavor since you had to avoid gluten? I have got good news for you. The bread that makes this sandwich for me is the rye bread. Yes, rye is not safe for us, but the flavors can still be found. So tasty and as good as the original wheat version!

Now that you have the bread, the rest is up to you. Find your favorite Reuben sandwich ingredients and enjoy! Traditionally this sandwich contains, rye bread, mayonnaise or Thousand Island dressing, corned beef, sauerkraut and swish cheese. Such a tasty combination!

So whether you go for true tradition or the Americanized spin on tradition, enjoy the flavors of St. Patrick's Day! Feel the luck of the Irish, even if for one day. Have fun with some new flavors, perhaps you'll find a new favorite in the mix I have discussed. The food of Ireland is hearty and filling and so comforting! Simple flavors and easy dishes to create on a budget. What could be better?