Cooking Irish can also be found at The Petit Chef and Pinterest.
This just might be the Irish version of Eggs Benedict. Since seafood and fish are so plentiful in Ireland, it seems an obvious choice to start the day when a more elegant meal than the traditional Irish breakfast fry is needed. We had this breakfast entrée in County Derry in the Province of Ulster in Northern Ireland. We stayed in a B&B just outside Derry. You can tell my allegiance since I refer to the city as Derry and not Londonderry. Served with asparagus and mushrooms, it was delicious.
Derry in County Derry is my favorite town in Northern Ireland. It is the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe. The walls constitute the largest monument in state care in Northern Ireland and, as the last walled city to be built in Europe, stands as the most complete and spectacular. Derry is one of the few cities in Europe that never saw these fortifications breached. The Walls were built during the period 1613-1618.
Derry is not only a pretty town, it is rich in Irish history as the city has long been a focal point for important events including the 1688-1689 siege of Derry and Bloody Sunday on 30 January 1972.
In 1921, with the partition of Ireland, Derry unexpectedly became a border city. Amelia Earhart gave the city a much needed boost when she landed there in 1932 becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Her connection with the city is reflected in a display at the Amelia Earhart Cottage at Ballyarnett. Less well-known is its reputation voted by the Civic Trust in London as one of the ten best cities of its kind to live in the United Kingdom. Derry is an old, beautiful city, set in a surrounding landscape of unparallelled natural beauty and diversity. In more recent times the city has become known worldwide on account of the "troubles."
The town perhaps more than any other represents the struggle between Protestants and Catholics today. The nationalists and the Republic call Derry, Derry. The Northerners and Unionists call it Londonderry--town and county. A traveler knows when he has crossed the border for the sign posts change from Derry to Londonderry. Phil Coulter wrote a song about it in the 1980s: "The Town I Love So Well." It is one of my favorite songs. He ends the song with the "troubles" ending with the Irish giving up the fight for a united Ireland and the north ever becoming one with Ireland. If you hear this song played today, you can tell the political persuasion of the band performing. Many end the song dramatically refusing to sing the last stanza. I will not go hear a band that plays that last stanza. The song also has special meaning for me because it describes so well life in Ireland during the eighties: the way my son walked to school in the dark passing some of the same landmarks.
My daughter Erin Megan in her school uniform. She attended the convent school run by the Sisters of Mercy in Trim, County Meath in '84 and '85.
My son Eli Zachary in his school uniform. He attended St. Michael's, a Christian Brothers' School also in Trim in '84 and '85.
Some lyrics:
"...In the early morning the shirt factory horn called women from Creggan, the Moor and the Bog. While the men on the dole played a mother's role, fed the children and then walked the dog. And when times got tough there was just about enough. But they saw it through without complaining. For deep inside was a burning pride in the town I loved so well. There was music there in the Derry air, like a language that we all could understand..."
—Phil Coulter, "The Town I Loved So Well"
Irish Eggs with Crab
Ingredients: Serves 3
6 eggs
3 buttermilk biscuits [recipe included]
1 lb. of fresh crab heated in lemon butter
Salt and pepper
Cheese sauce [recipe included]
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
1/4 cup of white wine
1 lb. of fresh asparagus
12 fresh mushrooms, sliced
Fresh dill or chive for garnish
Buttermilk Biscuits:
Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1/4 tsp. of salt
2 tsp. of baking powder
3 tbsp. of shortening
Milk
Preparation:
Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder. Work in the shortening. I always use my hands to work the dough. Add enough milk to make a soft, workable dough. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter and place on baking sheet with edges barely touching. Bake in a preheated 400° oven until puffy and golden brown.
Cheese Sauce:
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. of butter
3 tbsp. of flour
1 tsp. of chicken-flavored gravy base like Croyden House if you can find it or Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
3/4 tsp. of dry mustard
1/4 tsp. of salt
1 3/4 cups of milk
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Blend in the flour, chicken-flavored gravy base, dry mustard, and salt. Stir in the milk all at once. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove sauce from heat, and add the cheese stirring to melt.
Final Preparation:
Poach the six eggs. Heat the fresh crab in butter with some of the fresh lemon juice and wine. Salt and pepper to taste. After removing the crab from the skillet, cook the asparagus and mushrooms in the butter and wine. Add more if needed. Do not overcook.
Assembly:
Cut the warm biscuits in half, butter each half, and place both on a small china platter. Using a slotted spoon, top with one-third of the warm crab. Place a warm poached egg on each biscuit half and cover with the cheese sauce. Place the asparagus and mushrooms on the side and pour covering with the buttered liquid. Another variation is to place the asparagus and mushrooms on top of the crab before the eggs. Either makes a beautiful presentation. Garnish with fresh dill or chive. I hope your family enjoys this wonderful Irish breakfast.
[To save time: instead of making biscuits, you could toast English muffins to use as the base for this dish.]
I am happy to say that Cooking Irish has been accepted on the American version of the French website: www.petitchef.com.
This just might be the Irish version of Eggs Benedict. Since seafood and fish are so plentiful in Ireland, it seems an obvious choice to start the day when a more elegant meal than the traditional Irish breakfast fry is needed. We had this breakfast entrée in County Derry in the Province of Ulster in Northern Ireland. We stayed in a B&B just outside Derry. You can tell my allegiance since I refer to the city as Derry and not Londonderry. Served with asparagus and mushrooms, it was delicious.
Derry in County Derry is my favorite town in Northern Ireland. It is the only remaining completely walled city in Ireland and one of the finest examples of a walled city in Europe. The walls constitute the largest monument in state care in Northern Ireland and, as the last walled city to be built in Europe, stands as the most complete and spectacular. Derry is one of the few cities in Europe that never saw these fortifications breached. The Walls were built during the period 1613-1618.
Derry is not only a pretty town, it is rich in Irish history as the city has long been a focal point for important events including the 1688-1689 siege of Derry and Bloody Sunday on 30 January 1972.
In 1921, with the partition of Ireland, Derry unexpectedly became a border city. Amelia Earhart gave the city a much needed boost when she landed there in 1932 becoming the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. Her connection with the city is reflected in a display at the Amelia Earhart Cottage at Ballyarnett. Less well-known is its reputation voted by the Civic Trust in London as one of the ten best cities of its kind to live in the United Kingdom. Derry is an old, beautiful city, set in a surrounding landscape of unparallelled natural beauty and diversity. In more recent times the city has become known worldwide on account of the "troubles."
The town perhaps more than any other represents the struggle between Protestants and Catholics today. The nationalists and the Republic call Derry, Derry. The Northerners and Unionists call it Londonderry--town and county. A traveler knows when he has crossed the border for the sign posts change from Derry to Londonderry. Phil Coulter wrote a song about it in the 1980s: "The Town I Love So Well." It is one of my favorite songs. He ends the song with the "troubles" ending with the Irish giving up the fight for a united Ireland and the north ever becoming one with Ireland. If you hear this song played today, you can tell the political persuasion of the band performing. Many end the song dramatically refusing to sing the last stanza. I will not go hear a band that plays that last stanza. The song also has special meaning for me because it describes so well life in Ireland during the eighties: the way my son walked to school in the dark passing some of the same landmarks.
My daughter Erin Megan in her school uniform. She attended the convent school run by the Sisters of Mercy in Trim, County Meath in '84 and '85.
My son Eli Zachary in his school uniform. He attended St. Michael's, a Christian Brothers' School also in Trim in '84 and '85.
Some lyrics:
"...In the early morning the shirt factory horn called women from Creggan, the Moor and the Bog. While the men on the dole played a mother's role, fed the children and then walked the dog. And when times got tough there was just about enough. But they saw it through without complaining. For deep inside was a burning pride in the town I loved so well. There was music there in the Derry air, like a language that we all could understand..."
—Phil Coulter, "The Town I Loved So Well"
Irish Eggs with Crab
Ingredients: Serves 3
6 eggs
3 buttermilk biscuits [recipe included]
1 lb. of fresh crab heated in lemon butter
Salt and pepper
Cheese sauce [recipe included]
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
1/4 cup of white wine
1 lb. of fresh asparagus
12 fresh mushrooms, sliced
Fresh dill or chive for garnish
Buttermilk Biscuits:
Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1/4 tsp. of salt
2 tsp. of baking powder
3 tbsp. of shortening
Milk
Preparation:
Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder. Work in the shortening. I always use my hands to work the dough. Add enough milk to make a soft, workable dough. Roll out the dough onto a floured surface to a 1/2-inch thickness. Cut with a biscuit cutter and place on baking sheet with edges barely touching. Bake in a preheated 400° oven until puffy and golden brown.
Cheese Sauce:
Ingredients:
3 tbsp. of butter
3 tbsp. of flour
1 tsp. of chicken-flavored gravy base like Croyden House if you can find it or Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
3/4 tsp. of dry mustard
1/4 tsp. of salt
1 3/4 cups of milk
1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Preparation:
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat. Blend in the flour, chicken-flavored gravy base, dry mustard, and salt. Stir in the milk all at once. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture bubbles. Cook for 2 minutes. Remove sauce from heat, and add the cheese stirring to melt.
Final Preparation:
Poach the six eggs. Heat the fresh crab in butter with some of the fresh lemon juice and wine. Salt and pepper to taste. After removing the crab from the skillet, cook the asparagus and mushrooms in the butter and wine. Add more if needed. Do not overcook.
Assembly:
Cut the warm biscuits in half, butter each half, and place both on a small china platter. Using a slotted spoon, top with one-third of the warm crab. Place a warm poached egg on each biscuit half and cover with the cheese sauce. Place the asparagus and mushrooms on the side and pour covering with the buttered liquid. Another variation is to place the asparagus and mushrooms on top of the crab before the eggs. Either makes a beautiful presentation. Garnish with fresh dill or chive. I hope your family enjoys this wonderful Irish breakfast.
[To save time: instead of making biscuits, you could toast English muffins to use as the base for this dish.]
I am happy to say that Cooking Irish has been accepted on the American version of the French website: www.petitchef.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment