Top of the day to you! And an early St. Patrick’s Day greeting. Corned beef, cabbage and soda bread bring the luck of the Emerald Isle. And who couldn’t use a little luck? I thought I would give you easy recipes to make a traditional Irish dish. And this crockpot corned beef and cabbage recipe is just the thing.
Crockpot Corned Beef and Cabbage
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into matchstick pieces
- 5 baby red potatoes, quartered
- 1/2 onion, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 (4 pound) corned beef brisket with spice packet
- 3 ounces beer
- 1/4 head cabbage, coarsely chopped
Directions:
- Place the carrots, potatoes, and onion into the bottom of a slow cooker, pour in the water, and place the brisket on top of the vegetables.
- Pour the beer over the brisket. Sprinkle on the spices from the packet, cover, and set the crockpot on high.
- Cook the brisket for about 8 hours.
- An hour before serving, stir in the cabbage and cook for 1 more hour.
Soda Bread
Soda bread is a common Irish bread. It is actually more of a sweetbread and there are many different ways to make it and shape it.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
Instructions:
- Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, soda, and salt.
- Cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs (I use my fingers to do this, but you could use a pastry cutter if you had one).
- Stir in the raisins and make a well in the center of the mixture.
- Pour the buttermilk and the egg white into the well and stir in until just moistened.
- On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough 10-12 strokes, until it just comes together and is almost smooth. Do not over-knead! Shape into a round loaf.
- Score the top of the loaf with a sharp knife, making an ‘x’.
- Place the loaf on a greased baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
For a change, substitute the raisins with dried cranberries or cherries.
The Irish wouldn’t have a meal without saying a little blessing so, here is one for you:
May you always have walls for the winds,
a roof for the rain, tea beside the fire,
laughter to cheer you, those you love near you,
and all your heart might desire.
photo credit: Kodamakitty via photopin cc