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When traveling through County Kerry, we stopped at a little pub near Killarney for an afternoon respite. The menu listed an offering of assorted baked seafood and cheese dips. They were served in individual crocks with a variety of crackers and breads for spreading. When I think back on it now, it reminds me of the dessert selection on many restaurants' current menus: the trio of local and imported farmhouse cheeses--soft, semi-soft, and hard--served with sauces, breads, and crackers. I wish restaurants would add this assortment of baked seafood spreads to their appetizer list.
County Kerry is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Munster in the Republic of Ireland. It is bordered by County Limerick to the east and County Cork to the southeast. The county town is Tralee while one of Ireland's most famous towns, Killarney, is also located in County Kerry. The Lakes of Killarney, an area of outstanding natural beauty, are located in Killareny National Park. The tip of the Dingle Peninsula is the most westerly point of Ireland. Likewise, Fenit, the port of Tralee, is the most westerly commercial shipping port in Europe.
Kerry, with its mountains, lakes, and Atlantic coastline is among the most scenic areas in Ireland and is among the most significant tourist destinations in Ireland. Killarney is the center of the tourism industry, which is a large element of the economy in Kerry. The Kerry Way, Dingle Way, and Beara Way are walking routes in the county.
Attractions include: Lakes of Killarney, Ring of Kerry, Mount Brandon, Blasket Islands, Fenit Harbor, Uragh Stone Circle, and Carrauntoohil. Among the historical sites are: Eightercua, Muckross House, Ross Castle, Gallarus Oratory, Skellig Michael which is a World Heritage site famous for the medieval monastery clinging to the island's cliffs, Scotia's Grave, the ecclesiastical sites at Ardfert, and Rattoo Round Tower.
As a region on the extremity of Ireland, culture of Kerry was less susceptible to outside influences and is associated with the Irish language, Irish traditional music, song, and dance. Perhaps this is why the Kerryman jokes are so famous. They are comparable to our Polish jokes. If you make a joke about an Irishman in Ireland, it would be directed at the Kerryman. My son Eli had many Kerryman joke books. They were quite the rage when we lived in Ireland. I found a few on the internet as examples:
Now the recipes: All these baked spreads can be served with your favorite crackers, bread cubes, bread sticks, bagel bites, veggies, etc. I found these specific recipes in a cookbook published where I worked for many years. They are very, very similar to the assortment of baked dips we enjoyed that day in Killarney.
Irish Hot Crab Dip
Ingredients:
8 oz. of cream cheese, softened
½ cup of heavy cream
½ cup of mayonnaise
2 tsp. of onion, minced
1 tsp. of chive, minced
1 clove of garlic, mashed
Pinch of salt
2 cans of lump crab meat
½ cup of fresh lemon juice
4 drops of tobasco sauce
¼ cup of Worcestershire sauce
Preparation:
Marinate the crab in the lemon juice for 1 hour. Whip softened cream cheese until smooth. Beat in mayonnaise and seasonings and blend thoroughly. Drain the marinated crab, fold into mixture, and heat. Place in ovenproof dish such as a serving shell and run under broiler until slightly browned.
Irish Baked Cheddar Cheese Dip
Ingredients:
2 cups of white extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 small onion, grated very fine
1 cup of mayonnaise
½ tsp. of thyme
½ tsp. of marjoram
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients well. Place in ovenproof serving dish. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 15 minutes until hot.
Irish Hot Shrimp Dip
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter, softened
8 oz. of cream cheese
4 heaping tbsp. of mayonnaise
1 tbsp. of onion, minced
2 4 oz. cans of shrimp, mashed
Preparation:
Blend all the ingredients together and bake in an ovenproof dish in a preheated 350° oven for 15 minutes until hot.
When traveling through County Kerry, we stopped at a little pub near Killarney for an afternoon respite. The menu listed an offering of assorted baked seafood and cheese dips. They were served in individual crocks with a variety of crackers and breads for spreading. When I think back on it now, it reminds me of the dessert selection on many restaurants' current menus: the trio of local and imported farmhouse cheeses--soft, semi-soft, and hard--served with sauces, breads, and crackers. I wish restaurants would add this assortment of baked seafood spreads to their appetizer list.
County Kerry is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Munster in the Republic of Ireland. It is bordered by County Limerick to the east and County Cork to the southeast. The county town is Tralee while one of Ireland's most famous towns, Killarney, is also located in County Kerry. The Lakes of Killarney, an area of outstanding natural beauty, are located in Killareny National Park. The tip of the Dingle Peninsula is the most westerly point of Ireland. Likewise, Fenit, the port of Tralee, is the most westerly commercial shipping port in Europe.
Kerry, with its mountains, lakes, and Atlantic coastline is among the most scenic areas in Ireland and is among the most significant tourist destinations in Ireland. Killarney is the center of the tourism industry, which is a large element of the economy in Kerry. The Kerry Way, Dingle Way, and Beara Way are walking routes in the county.
Attractions include: Lakes of Killarney, Ring of Kerry, Mount Brandon, Blasket Islands, Fenit Harbor, Uragh Stone Circle, and Carrauntoohil. Among the historical sites are: Eightercua, Muckross House, Ross Castle, Gallarus Oratory, Skellig Michael which is a World Heritage site famous for the medieval monastery clinging to the island's cliffs, Scotia's Grave, the ecclesiastical sites at Ardfert, and Rattoo Round Tower.
As a region on the extremity of Ireland, culture of Kerry was less susceptible to outside influences and is associated with the Irish language, Irish traditional music, song, and dance. Perhaps this is why the Kerryman jokes are so famous. They are comparable to our Polish jokes. If you make a joke about an Irishman in Ireland, it would be directed at the Kerryman. My son Eli had many Kerryman joke books. They were quite the rage when we lived in Ireland. I found a few on the internet as examples:
Did you hear about the Kerryman who saw
a notice reading: "Man wanted for Robbery and Murder"?
He went in and applied for the job.
| ||
 | ||
Have you heard about the Kerryman who damaged his health
by drinking milk?
The cow fell on him!
| ||
| | ||
Why do Kerry dogs have flat faces?
From chasing parked cars.
| ||
| | ||
How do you recognise a Kerry pirate?
He has a patch over each eye.
| ||
| |
Eli with our neighbor's dog Lass in Trim, County Meath 1984.
Now the recipes: All these baked spreads can be served with your favorite crackers, bread cubes, bread sticks, bagel bites, veggies, etc. I found these specific recipes in a cookbook published where I worked for many years. They are very, very similar to the assortment of baked dips we enjoyed that day in Killarney.
Irish Hot Crab Dip
Ingredients:
8 oz. of cream cheese, softened
½ cup of heavy cream
½ cup of mayonnaise
2 tsp. of onion, minced
1 tsp. of chive, minced
1 clove of garlic, mashed
Pinch of salt
2 cans of lump crab meat
½ cup of fresh lemon juice
4 drops of tobasco sauce
¼ cup of Worcestershire sauce
Preparation:
Marinate the crab in the lemon juice for 1 hour. Whip softened cream cheese until smooth. Beat in mayonnaise and seasonings and blend thoroughly. Drain the marinated crab, fold into mixture, and heat. Place in ovenproof dish such as a serving shell and run under broiler until slightly browned.
Irish Baked Cheddar Cheese Dip
Ingredients:
2 cups of white extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 small onion, grated very fine
1 cup of mayonnaise
½ tsp. of thyme
½ tsp. of marjoram
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients well. Place in ovenproof serving dish. Bake in a preheated 350° oven for 15 minutes until hot.
Irish Hot Shrimp Dip
Ingredients:
1 stick of butter, softened
8 oz. of cream cheese
4 heaping tbsp. of mayonnaise
1 tbsp. of onion, minced
2 4 oz. cans of shrimp, mashed
Preparation:
Blend all the ingredients together and bake in an ovenproof dish in a preheated 350° oven for 15 minutes until hot.
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