Can you send me your Irish recipes?

Barmbrack

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cup Mixed dry fruit--currants, dates & raisins

• 1 cup Boiling black tea

• 1 Egg, slighty beaten

• 1 Mixed spice

• 4 tsp Orange Marmalade

• 1 1/3 cup superfine/castor sugar

• 2 1/2 cups Self-raising flour

• 1 ring (optional)

Directions:

Place dried fruit in a bowl, cover with the hot and let soak overnight.

The next day, add the remaining ingredients. and mix well. Add ring wrapped in greaseproof paper(optional)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Pour batter into greased 7" square pan and bake in the center of oven for 1 1/2 hrs.

Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Slice and serve buttered with tea.

Whoever gets the ring ( make sure not to swallow it) is prophesised to be the next person to get married.

Irish Stew

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds lamb or beef, cubed

• 3 medium carrots

• 2 medium potato

• 1 onion

• 1/2 small can of stewed tomatoes

• 2 oz/ 1/3 cup of flour

• 1 oz fat

• 1 cup beef stock

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 oz fresh thyme

• 1 bay leaf

salt and pepper and/or some red wine to taste

Directions:

Coat beef/lamb with flour, salt & pepper and brown in oil in a large pot. Add sliced vegetables and thyme. Add the beef stock and water. Add bay leaf for taste.

Simmer for 2 to 3 hours until meat and veggies are tender. You can add more water if necessary and some salt and pepper and/or wine to taste.

Chicken, Ham, and Leek Pie

- By Margaret Johnson

Ingredients:

Shortcrust Pastry

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 2 cups flour

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup ice water

Filling:

• 1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds

• 1 cup diced cooked ham

• 4 leeks (white and pale green parts only), washed and chopped

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 1 onion, finely chopped

• 4 tablespoons flour

• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock

• 1/2 cup half and half

• salt and pepper, to taste

• pinch ground nutmeg

Serves 4

Directions:

To make the pastry, in a bowl, combine the salt and flour. Add the butter, and with your fingers, work the butter into the flour to a consistency of crumbs. Add the water slowly, and continue working it into the flour. Knead the dough with your hands until you can form a ball. Cover with waxed paper and refrigerate 20 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot over medium heat, boil the chicken for 45 minutes. Strain and cool slightly. Joint the chicken, then cut the meat into thick slices or chunks. In a 1 1/2 quart deep-dish pie plate, alternate layers of chicken, ham and leeks. Season the layers with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

While the chicken is cooking, in a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in the flour and mustard. Add the chicken broth and cream slowly, and with a wooden spoon, stir until thickened. Pour sauce over meat and leeks.

Remove dough from refrigerator and roll out on a lightly floured board, or on a sheet of waxed paper, 1-inch larger than the size of the plate you're using. Dampen the edges of the dish, cover with pastry, and press the edges down well. Crimp with a fork. Make cuts in the crust to let the steam escape.

Bake in a preheated 350°F oven until crust is lightly browned, 25 to 30 minutes. Cover the pastry with waxed paper if the top browns too quickly.

Irish Stew

********************

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds lamb or beef, cubed

• 3 medium carrots

• 2 medium potato

• 1 onion

• 1/2 small can of stewed tomatoes

• 2 oz/ 1/3 cup of flour

• 1 oz fat

• 1 cup beef stock

• 1/2 cup water

• 1 oz fresh thyme

• 1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Coat beef/lamb with flour, salt & pepper and brown in oil in a large pot. Add sliced vegetables and thyme. Add the beef stock and water. Add bay leaf for taste.

Simmer for 2 to 3 hours until meat and veggies are

**********************************

Chocolate Mousse Cake

*************************

Ingredients:

• 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons superfine sugar

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup ground almonds

• 5 eggs, separated

• Confectioners’ sugar for dusting

• Chocolate shavings and seasonal fruits (optional) for garnish

Directions:

All cooks have a favorite recipe for a chocolate dessert, and flourless, or "fallen," chocolate cake - the kind that simply oozes onto the plate - is one of the most popular. Serve it with chocolate shavings and slightly warmed seasonal fruits.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour a 10-inch springform pan.

In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate and superfine sugar, and butter. Cook over low heat until the butter and chocolate melt. Stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and add the almonds. Stir in the egg yolks, one at a time.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites or until stiff, glossy peaks form. Stir 2 to 3 spoonfuls of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then gently fold in the rest until well blended. Turn into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the top is firm. The cake will rise, form a crust, then fall again. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on a wire rack. Run a knife around the inside edges of the pan and remove the metal ring.

To serve, dust the cake with the confectioners’ sugar and garnish with chocolate shavings and fresh fruit, if you wish. Serves 8 to 10

**************************************************************