IRISH TRIFECTA
Although Ireland has never been noted for having a sophisticated eating tradition at any stage of its history, it nonetheless has an enviable reputation for good wholesome dishes made from a wide range of unadulterated, indigenous products, most of which still off the finest quality to be found in Europe. ~Clare Connery, In An Irish Country Kitchen (1993)
In anticipation for St Partick’s Day the grocery had corned beef, cabbage and potatoes on sale. Those of you who have been with me since the beginning may remember the New England Boiled Dinner aka Corned Beef & Cabbage back in January. If you haven’t had it since, now is the time because the price is right. Save some pennies on dinner fit for an Irish god, and lunch of corned beef sandwiches. You’ll make your coworkers cabbage green with longing to be able to eat as well as you. I hope you’ll tell them how. With the cooking liquid, make a pot of hearty Vegetable Soup that will last for days. Alternating CB& C with vegetable soup will get you through the better part of the week.
I plan on getting another corned beef on Thursday because it is just that good. And easy. And I need to put up some Beef Stock in the freezer; I’m all out!
YAM FRIES?
My blogfriend, Shelly, has passed along a preparation for fried sweet potatoes that I tried last night with success. Can you call them ‘fries’ if you don’t fry them? I had a sweet potato, I told her; I would try them. Well, that sweet potato turned out to be a yam. No matter, they’re quite similar.
I cut them into small julienne strips with a sharp chef’s knife. First cut the potato in half, slice, then turn and slice again. Repeat with the other half, slicing them as thin or thick as you like. Keep the skins on for added nutrients, or peel prior to slicing.
Put a bit of olive oil into a covered bowl or pot; swirl around to coat the bottom. Put the potato into the bowl, cover and shake to oil the potatoes. Add salt, cover and shake again to distribute the salt. Use vegetable oil on the baking sheet; no sense using good olive oil just to prevent sticking. Arrange potato strips on baking sheet and bake in a hot oven. They will be a little flabby upon first taking them off the sheet and will stiffen a little as they cool. The thick grains of the kosher or sea salt a nice counterpoint to the potato.
They don’t taste substantially different from sweet potatoes baked in their skins, but it’s a fun shape and an interesting variation. Sweet potatoes are especially good with roast lamb,these babies would go well with a hamburger. How’s that, Shelly? Thank you for the idea!
Girl, I use the olive oil, because I don’t consider it wasted, but I’m glad you tried them. I’m considering experimenting with all those different spices you try on popcorn. Maybe use some cinnamon so it will taste like Thanksgiving?
I hadn’t thought of getting corned beef and cabbage. It’s been a long time since I have had that. No wonder this Scotts-Irish lassie seems to have thin blood!
This Eclectic Life´s last blog ..My Expensive Dish Drying Rack
Olive oil on the potatoes, corn oil on the baking sheet. I tried sesame oil, but it didn’t impart any of the nuttiness, & I think it degraded the yam flavor a little. Olive oil it is!
Pop with abandon! Cinnamon makes everything smell divine & it really works on popcorn, if with delicacy. Add as much as you like. Thyme, sage & mint brought nothing to the party. I bet you’d come up with new spices or flavorings I’d never think of! Let’s find a way to infuse those kernels with cilantro!
Talk about comfort food, CB&C invented the term. Easy to make, high on flavor & impressive to serve to the Meat & Potato crowd & those who don’t believe that cooking can be easy, satisfying & make the house smell like home. Do try it; Dijon mustard makes it interesting, hot mustard makes it spicy.