Recipes for:

• Traditional Irish Bacon and Cabbage,
• Sausage and Bacon Hot Pie,
• Pasta with Irish Bacon and Broccoli,
• Black Pudding and Vegetable Casserole,
• Sausage and Mushroom Pie,
• Twice-Baked Potatoes Irish Style

TRADITIONAL IRISH BACON AND CABBAGE

INGREDIENTS:

1 Shannon Traditional Slab Bacon (11/4 - 2lb)
1/2 green cabbage and 1/2 white cabbage
8 potatoes (peeled)
Salt and pepper

Remove slab bacon from plastic bag. Cover with cold water. Bring to boil and drain. Cover with fresh cold water. Bring to boil and then simmer for 25 minutes per 1lb plus 25 minutes over. Remove outer leaves of cabbage. Cut in half, add to the saucepan and simmer for the last 20 minutes. Remove bacon to chopping board and carve into thin slices. Drain cabbage, season with salt & pepper, chop and add a knob of butter. Serve the bacon with the cabbage and boiled potatoes and parsley sauce.

SAUSAGE AND BACON HOT PIE

INGREDIENTS:

1lb Shannon Traditional Irish Bacon (Regular or Premium)
1 lb Shannon Traditional Sausages (Bangers)
Salt and pepper to taste
5 large peeled potatoes
1 oz oil
2pts water
Pinch of thyme
1 small sliced onion
Chopped parsley
1 bay leaf

Heat oil in pan, brown sausages and lightly saute bacon. Slice potatoes thinly. Mix potatoes with herbs and onions and season with salt and pepper. Layer an ovenproof dish with potatoes. Place sausages and bacon on top of potatoes. Neatly arrange an overlapping layer of potatoes on top. Pour water over all ingredients. Place a bay leaf on top. Cook in pre-heated oven at 220 C till lightly colored. Reduce heat to 170 C and cook for a further 30 minutes. Press down potatoes occasionally during cooking. Remove bay leaf. Brush potatoes after cooking with melted butter and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Serves 6 to 8

PASTA WITH IRISH BACON AND BROCCOLI

INGREDIENTS:

4 slices Shannon Traditional Irish Bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
8 ounces dried corkscrew or quill-shaped pasta
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup de-fatted chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes
4 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta in large amount of salted boiling water. While pasta is cooking, in non-stick skillet over medium heat, cook bacon strips just until they begin to brown. Stir in garlic and onions; cover and cook for several minutes or until onion is soft. Raise heat to medium-high. Add chicken broth, hot pepper flakes and broccoli. Cover and cook for 7 to 8 minutes until broccoli is crisp-tender and still bright green. Stir in grated Parmesan and salt to taste. Toss with hot cooked pasta. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

BLACK PUDDING AND VEGETABLE CASSEROLE

INGREDIENTS:

2 Shannon Traditional Black Puddings, skinned and sliced
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, pared and sliced
1 large leek, sliced
2 onions, peeled and sliced
1/4 small white cabbage, shredded
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Optional: 1 chicken stock cube
Salt & pepper to taste
2 tablespoonfuls of oil

Put the prepared onions, carrots, potatoes and leek into a large non-stick skillet with about 4 cups of boiling water. Add stock cube if desired. Cover and cook until the vegetables are almost tender, for 25 to 30 minutes. Add the cabbage and the kidney beans and cook for 5 minutes more. Saute the slices of black pudding in oil until they are crisp on the outside. Gently stir into vegetables and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the seasoning and serve hot with bread or rolls.

Serves 4 to 6

SAUSAGE AND MUSHROOM PIE

INGREDIENTS:

1lb Shannon Traditional Sausages (Bangers)
2 oz butter
2 onions sliced
1/2 lb small button mushrooms
11/2 oz plain flour
1/2 pt milk
1/2 pt chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lb puff pastry
1 egg beaten or a little milk

Pre-heat the oven to hot, 200 C, putting in the sausages on a roasting tin to cook. Remove in about 20 minutes and leave to cool. Soften the onions in the melted butter over a low heat. Add the mushrooms and stir for 1 or 2 minutes. Sieve the flour over the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock and milk gradually, stirring continuously. Bring to boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Season to taste, and leave to cool. Roll out the pastry thinly on a floured board, and line a deep pie dish. Put the sausages into the dish, pour the sauce over them and cover with the remaining pastry. Press the edges well together. Brush over with remaining egg or milk. Make one or two small holes in the pastry lid with a skewer. Bake in the pre- heated oven for about 40 minutes, and serve hot.

Serves 4 to 6

TRADITIONAL IRISH BREAKFAST

INGREDIENTS:

8 slices of Shannon Traditional Irish Bacon (Premium)
4 Shannon Traditional Irish Sausages (Bangers)
4 slices of Shannon Traditional Black Breakfast Pudding
4 slices of Shannon Traditional White Breakfast Pudding
4 eggs
4 Medium size tomatoes
Freshly ground pepper

Over low heat, saute bacon, turning frequently until done to taste. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Keep hot. It is important to note that Irish bacon is not cooked crisp hard. Place sausages in pan and cook until brown on all sides. Cut the tomatoes in half and fry with slices of pudding in the bacon fat. Remove and keep hot. All the above items can also be broiled instead of being fried. Cook eggs to order. Serves 4

TWICE-BAKED POTATOES IRISH STYLE

INGREDIENTS:

4 ea. medium baking potatoes
1/4 cup finely diced onion
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced parsley
8 eggs, poached (optional)
4 T butter
2 T cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups shredded corned beef

Bake the potatoes in a hot oven. Let cool. Cut into halves and scrape out the potato leaving about 1/4 inch of potato all around the skin for a bowl effect. Mash the potatoes with the cream. Set aside. Melt the butter in a saute pan and cook the onions and green pepper until the onions are translucent. Add these to the potato mixture with the corned beef and the rest of your seasonings. Mix well.

Stuff the shells with your potato mixture and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. You can serve them with a poached egg on top of the potato if it's for breakfast or a side of green kool-aid for lunch.

Here Are More Articles About Irish Folklore, Recipes and History:

CELTIC PATH

1. IRELAND’S CASTLES & THEIR FASCINATING FACTS 
2. ST. PATRICK
3. THE LEPRECHAUN
4. WHAT IS AN IRISHMAN?
5. HISTORY OF ST. PATRICK
6. THE BLARNEY STONE
7. FACTS ABOUT THE BLARNEY STONE
8. IRISH RECIPES
9. MORE IRISH RECIPES
10. IRISH SYMBOLS - MYSTIC CHARMS, SPELLS, AND INCANTATIONS
11. IRISH PROVERBS
12. IRISH BLESSINGS
13. IRISH BLESSINGS 2
14. ST PATRICK - IRELAND'S PATRON SAINT