Cooking Irish can also be found at PETITCHEF and Pinterest.
This is decadent! We had this creamed scallop tart--really a pie--at a pub where we stopped for lunch as we were traveling to visit Blarney Castle. It was just delicious and typical Irish fare. We were once again not disappointed. We were well fortified to walk the castle grounds and enjoy the afternoon touring the site. Blarney Castle is a must visit in Cork for any tourist--one must make the obligatory stop to kiss the Blarney Stone. The Irish laugh and say the locals urinate on the stone every night. This could be very true for up until a few years ago the Irish did not always protect their antiquities and historical sites.
Government and historical society oversight was rare at all but the most common tourist attractions. I have pictures of my children climbing all over cannons and castles now roped off! Here's one of my son Eli on the third floor of Trim Castle in Trim--the largest Norman castle in Ireland. Even adults were known to bring a pint of Guinness and fags [Irish/English for cigarettes] up and sit in the empty, crumbling chambers of the castle in the center of town.
Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold, and the castle originally dates from before AD 1200. It was destroyed in 1446, but subsequently rebuilt by Cormac MacCarthy, the King of Munster. It is currently a partial ruin with some accessible rooms and the battlements. At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone. Tourists visiting Blarney Castle may hang upside-down over a sheer drop to kiss the stone, which is said to give the gift of eloquence. Photographs are taken of the "magic moment." There are many legends as to the origin of the stone, but some say that it was the Lia Fáil--magical stone upon which Irish kings were crowned.
Surrounding the castle are beautiful and quite extensive gardens. There are paths touring the grounds with signs pointing out the various attractions such as several natural rock formations which have been given fanciful names, such as Druid's Circle, Witch's Cave, and the Wishing Steps. Blarney House, also open to the public, is a Scottish baronial-style mansion that was built on the grounds in 1874.
Blarney Castle near Blarney Village, County Cork. [Note: my sister Paige visited with my cousin Ellen in 2014 and said the grounds were beautiful--almost Disney-like.]
Yours truly--with tummy full of yummy creamed scallops tart--getting ready to kiss the Blarney Stone. Unfortunately, I don't think my kiss was successful. I do so admire the Irish fluidity of speech and wit. And surprisingly, most have no idea how lyrical and wonderful their conversation is whenever they speak. I wish I could bottle it!!
Irish Creamed Scallop Tart
[Note: I never buy the more expensive sea scallops unless I am pan searing them as an entrée. If a recipe calls for cutting up sea scallops into chunks, I purchase the much less expensive bay scallops. For this recipe though, I would make an exception and cut up sea scallops.]
Ingredients:
Crust:
8 oz. of cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter, softened
2 tbsp. of flour
2 eggs
Filling:
16 oz. of sea scallops
3 tbsp. of butter
Fresh garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp. of fresh flat parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Juice from fresh lemon
¼ cup of sherry
Sauce:
1 tsp. of minced garlic
4 oz. of butter
16 oz. of heavy cream
2 oz. of milk
4 oz. of romano cheese, grated
2 oz. of fontina cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
½ stick of butter
½ cup of bread crumbs
½ cup of romano cheese, grated
Preparation:
Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°. Beat the cream cheese, softened butter,
flour, and eggs until smooth. Place in 9" pie pan or quiche dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the slightly golden. Set aside while preparing seafood filling.
Filling:
Cut scallops into bite-sized chunks. Cook minced garlic and chopped parsley in butter until soft but not browned to avoid bitterness. Add the scallops coating with the butter; add salt and pepper, lemon juice, and sherry. Cook until translucent. Avoid overcooking scallops. Set aside while preparing sauce.
Sauce:
In a saucepan soften garlic in butter for about a minute or two. Stir in remaining ingredients on medium-high heat until sauce thickens. Turn off heat and continue to stir.
Topping:
Mix the bread crumbs and cheese. Melt the butter and mix with the dry ingredients.
Final Assembly:
Add enough sauce to well coat the scallops and fold into the crust in the baking pan. Top with bread crumb mixture. Place under broiler for 5 minutes until the topping is golden. Let set for a few minutes before serving. This dish is actually better the next day. If I have time, I make it the night before and let it set to room temperature the next day. Then add the topping and broil. Or you could reheat in the oven and then put the topping on to broil. Top each serving piece with sauce and fresh parsley sprig or fresh chive. As with any of these Irish dishes, one could substitue any seafood--replacing the scallops with crab, shrimp, lobster, any white fish, or any combination.
If you make this for your family, perhaps they will receive the gift of eloquence of speech. You never know! Stranger things have happened. Enjoy.
Government and historical society oversight was rare at all but the most common tourist attractions. I have pictures of my children climbing all over cannons and castles now roped off! Here's one of my son Eli on the third floor of Trim Castle in Trim--the largest Norman castle in Ireland. Even adults were known to bring a pint of Guinness and fags [Irish/English for cigarettes] up and sit in the empty, crumbling chambers of the castle in the center of town.
My son Eli on the third floor of Trim Castle
Blarney Castle is a medieval stronghold, and the castle originally dates from before AD 1200. It was destroyed in 1446, but subsequently rebuilt by Cormac MacCarthy, the King of Munster. It is currently a partial ruin with some accessible rooms and the battlements. At the top of the castle lies the Stone of Eloquence, better known as the Blarney Stone. Tourists visiting Blarney Castle may hang upside-down over a sheer drop to kiss the stone, which is said to give the gift of eloquence. Photographs are taken of the "magic moment." There are many legends as to the origin of the stone, but some say that it was the Lia Fáil--magical stone upon which Irish kings were crowned.
Surrounding the castle are beautiful and quite extensive gardens. There are paths touring the grounds with signs pointing out the various attractions such as several natural rock formations which have been given fanciful names, such as Druid's Circle, Witch's Cave, and the Wishing Steps. Blarney House, also open to the public, is a Scottish baronial-style mansion that was built on the grounds in 1874.
Blarney Castle near Blarney Village, County Cork. [Note: my sister Paige visited with my cousin Ellen in 2014 and said the grounds were beautiful--almost Disney-like.]
Yours truly--with tummy full of yummy creamed scallops tart--getting ready to kiss the Blarney Stone. Unfortunately, I don't think my kiss was successful. I do so admire the Irish fluidity of speech and wit. And surprisingly, most have no idea how lyrical and wonderful their conversation is whenever they speak. I wish I could bottle it!!
Irish Creamed Scallop Tart
[Note: I never buy the more expensive sea scallops unless I am pan searing them as an entrée. If a recipe calls for cutting up sea scallops into chunks, I purchase the much less expensive bay scallops. For this recipe though, I would make an exception and cut up sea scallops.]
Ingredients:
Crust:
8 oz. of cream cheese, softened
1 stick of butter, softened
2 tbsp. of flour
2 eggs
Filling:
16 oz. of sea scallops
3 tbsp. of butter
Fresh garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp. of fresh flat parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper
Juice from fresh lemon
¼ cup of sherry
Sauce:
1 tsp. of minced garlic
4 oz. of butter
16 oz. of heavy cream
2 oz. of milk
4 oz. of romano cheese, grated
2 oz. of fontina cheese, grated
Salt and pepper to taste
Topping:
½ stick of butter
½ cup of bread crumbs
½ cup of romano cheese, grated
Preparation:
Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°. Beat the cream cheese, softened butter,
flour, and eggs until smooth. Place in 9" pie pan or quiche dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the slightly golden. Set aside while preparing seafood filling.
Filling:
Cut scallops into bite-sized chunks. Cook minced garlic and chopped parsley in butter until soft but not browned to avoid bitterness. Add the scallops coating with the butter; add salt and pepper, lemon juice, and sherry. Cook until translucent. Avoid overcooking scallops. Set aside while preparing sauce.
Sauce:
In a saucepan soften garlic in butter for about a minute or two. Stir in remaining ingredients on medium-high heat until sauce thickens. Turn off heat and continue to stir.
Topping:
Mix the bread crumbs and cheese. Melt the butter and mix with the dry ingredients.
Final Assembly:
Add enough sauce to well coat the scallops and fold into the crust in the baking pan. Top with bread crumb mixture. Place under broiler for 5 minutes until the topping is golden. Let set for a few minutes before serving. This dish is actually better the next day. If I have time, I make it the night before and let it set to room temperature the next day. Then add the topping and broil. Or you could reheat in the oven and then put the topping on to broil. Top each serving piece with sauce and fresh parsley sprig or fresh chive. As with any of these Irish dishes, one could substitue any seafood--replacing the scallops with crab, shrimp, lobster, any white fish, or any combination.
If you make this for your family, perhaps they will receive the gift of eloquence of speech. You never know! Stranger things have happened. Enjoy.
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