SVVVVVVVVVVVVP

andrews
PVVVVVVVVVVVVVVS

Ireland–for its superlative raw

materials, its immensely satisfying
the traditional home cooking, and its new
country cooking wave of artisanal producers and

Colman Andrews was a co-founder of Saveur magazine and

served as its second editor in chief. The recipient of six James
Beard Foundation Awards, among other honors, he is the author
of ireland imaginative but well-grounded chefs–
is simply one of the most exciting
food stories in the world today.
of Catalan Cuisine, Everything on the Table, and Flavors of
the Riviera, and is the co-author of three Saveur cookbooks “Reading this lovely book makes me want to do two things. Get on a plane and go straight to Ireland. And run In The Country Cooking of Ireland, internationally acclaimed
the
published by Chronicle Books. into the kitchen and start cooking. This is an inspired introduction to an overlooked cuisine.” country food and travel writer Colman Andrews brings to life the people,

by Colman Andrews the countryside, and the straightforward earthy fare of Ireland.
–Ruth Reichl, editor in chief, gourmet magazine cooking Fast emerging as one of the world’s hottest food destinations,
Christopher Hirsheimer was the co-founder and executive of Ireland is a country of artisanal bakers, farmers, cheesemakers,
editor of Saveur. A noted food photographer and writer, she is
the co-author of three Saveur cookbooks and The San Francisco “When Colman focuses his gastronomic zeal on a particular cuisine–digging up all its culinary ireland sea coasts rich with fish, and wide green fields, an island where
farm-to-table dining has been the norm for centuries.
Ferry Plaza Farmers’ Market Cookbook, all published by roots–I know not only that he’ll find something delicious down there, but that his vivid and evocative More than 225 recipes range from brown breads to tarts,
Chronicle Books. Her photographs have appeared in more prose will present it to us in an entirely new way.” hearty roasts to a surprising wealth of vegetables—from Nettle
than thirty cookbooks. Soup, a true taste of spring green in County Cork, to the sweet
–Alice Waters, founder, chez panisse, berkeley
Darina Allen runs the internationally renowned Ballymaloe harmony of butter and bite in a Rhubarb-Ginger Crumble
Cookery School in County Cork, and is the author of from County Tipperary. Chapters on breads, eggs and cheeses,
numerous cookbooks, as well as the Slow Food councillor and puddings will dress your table with the simple, honest fare
“Reading this beautiful and inspiring book is like going to Ireland with someone who is both a brilliant cook and an
for Ireland. that puts a pink bloom in Irish country cheeks. This wouldn’t
extraordinary and vivid storyteller. Passionate about food, Colman will take you from fishing villages and market gardens be an Irish cookbook without the foods we most associate
to contemporary restaurants and home kitchens. He will introduce you to recipes handed down for generations, to with Irish cuisine, including Colcannon, Champ, Boxty, Black
Ireland’s abundant and excellent raw materials, and to the men and women who work the land, catch the fish, raise the Pudding with Cabbage and Apples, Irish Stew, and Poached
Whole Salmon. Ireland’s favorite tipple stars in several guises,
meat, make the cheeses and sausages–in short, to a whole delicious culture of food.”
including deeply-flavored Braised Boneless Oxtail in Guinness,
–Ruth Rogers, chef/co-owner, the river café, london fruit-studded Guinness Cake, or Baked Christmas Ham
burnished with the flavorful stout.
Meticulously researched and reported, this sumptuous
“Colman’s excellent book arrived as I was opening a new restaurant called Lutyens on Fleet Street with a very cheerful cookbook contains more than 100 photographs taken by award-
Also Available and talented Irish chef named David Burke. It has been an inspiration to both of us as it will no doubt be to many winning photographer Christopher Hirsheimer, not just of the
The Country Cooking of France irresistible dishes, but of the pubs, the people, and the emerald
hundreds of Irish stomachs who want to get connected again to the Old Country. When they read this book they will
countryside of Ireland. Rich with stories of the food and people
wonder why they ever left. I hope the Irish that remain in Ireland also read and use this book. There is still room for who make Ireland a wonderful place to eat, and laced with
Jacket design by Jacob T. Gardner improvement on the home front and this book is certainly the bible they need.” charming snippets of folklore, song, and poetry, The Country
photographs by
manufactured in china Cooking of Ireland ushers in a new understanding of Irish food.
–Sir Terence Conran, designer and restaurateur Christopher Hirsheimer
www.chroniclebooks.com
$50.00 u.s.
foreword by PVVVVVVVVVVVVVVS
Darina Allen
 0

St. Stephen’s Day Stew Preheat the oven to 200°F/90°C.

Melt 6 Tbsp of the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed

N pot over low heat, then add the onions and cook for 10 to
12 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms and cook
Serves 6 to 8
for about 10 minutes more, continuing to stir frequently.

In her delightful little book The Festive Food of Ireland, Add the turkey and ham to the Dutch oven, stir well, and
Darina Allen summons up the memory of the picnics her cook for about 10 minutes more, continuing to stir frequently.
family would enjoy, when she was a girl, after the local fox
Increase the heat to medium-high, add the stock, and deglaze
hunt every St. Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day), the day after
the pot. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream, parsley,
Christmas: sandwiches of turkey and ham, smoked salmon,
and half the chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper and
or spiced beef; Christmas cake, sponge cake, mince pie, and
continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes.
clementines; flasks of tea and of hot mulled wine. “But the real
favourite,” she writes, “was a bubbling stew transported in a Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter in a small
haybox” (which held fodder for the horses on a journey, and pan over low heat, then gradually whisk in the flour to make
was incidentally a naturally insulated container for hot food). a roux. Continue whisking for 2 to 3 minutes or until the
The main ingredients of this stew, which must have seemed roux thickens. Stir the roux into the stew and cook for about
particularly appealing outdoors on a chilly winter day, were 5 minutes more.
leftover ham and turkey from the Christmas table.
Take the stew off the heat, put the boiled potatoes on top
of the stew, then cover the Dutch oven and let the stew rest
8 tbsp/125 g butter in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes before serving.
2 onions, chopped Garnish with the remaining minced chives.
6 to 8 white mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 lb/1 kg leftover turkey meat, cut into
1-in/2.5-cm cubes
1 lb/500 g leftover ham,
cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes
4 cups/1 l strong turkey or chicken
stock (page 356) or 3 cups/720 ml stock and
1 cup/240 ml leftover turkey gravy
3/4 cup/175 ml heavy cream
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
2 tbsp minced fresh chives
2 tbsp flour
12 small boiled potatoes
(see page 229), peeled
salt and pepper

0
page No. 142

142-143 8/3/09 4:33:33 PM

 0

St. Stephen’s Day Stew Preheat the oven to 200°F/90°C.

Melt 6 Tbsp of the butter in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed

N pot over low heat, then add the onions and cook for 10 to
12 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the mushrooms and cook
Serves 6 to 8
for about 10 minutes more, continuing to stir frequently.

In her delightful little book The Festive Food of Ireland, Add the turkey and ham to the Dutch oven, stir well, and
Darina Allen summons up the memory of the picnics her cook for about 10 minutes more, continuing to stir frequently.
family would enjoy, when she was a girl, after the local fox
Increase the heat to medium-high, add the stock, and deglaze
hunt every St. Stephen’s Day (Boxing Day), the day after
the pot. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the cream, parsley,
Christmas: sandwiches of turkey and ham, smoked salmon,
and half the chives. Season to taste with salt and pepper and
or spiced beef; Christmas cake, sponge cake, mince pie, and
continue cooking for 10 to 15 minutes.
clementines; flasks of tea and of hot mulled wine. “But the real
favourite,” she writes, “was a bubbling stew transported in a Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 Tbsp of butter in a small
haybox” (which held fodder for the horses on a journey, and pan over low heat, then gradually whisk in the flour to make
was incidentally a naturally insulated container for hot food). a roux. Continue whisking for 2 to 3 minutes or until the
The main ingredients of this stew, which must have seemed roux thickens. Stir the roux into the stew and cook for about
particularly appealing outdoors on a chilly winter day, were 5 minutes more.
leftover ham and turkey from the Christmas table.
Take the stew off the heat, put the boiled potatoes on top
of the stew, then cover the Dutch oven and let the stew rest
8 tbsp/125 g butter in the preheated oven for 30 to 45 minutes before serving.
2 onions, chopped Garnish with the remaining minced chives.
6 to 8 white mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 lb/1 kg leftover turkey meat, cut into
1-in/2.5-cm cubes
1 lb/500 g leftover ham,
cut into 1-in/2.5-cm cubes
4 cups/1 l strong turkey or chicken
stock (page 356) or 3 cups/720 ml stock and
1 cup/240 ml leftover turkey gravy
3/4 cup/175 ml heavy cream
1 tbsp minced fresh parsley
2 tbsp minced fresh chives
2 tbsp flour
12 small boiled potatoes
(see page 229), peeled
salt and pepper

0
page No. 142

142-143 8/3/09 4:33:33 PM

 0
Remove the rabbit from the marinade. Strain the marinade,
reserving the cider and vegetables separately. Pat the rabbit dry.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed oven­
proof pot over high heat. Fry the rabbit, turning frequently,
for 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Remove the
rabbit from the Dutch oven and set aside. Reduce the heat to
low, add the reserved vegetables, and cook, stirring frequently,
for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and start-
ing to brown. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir well.
Slowly pour in the reserved cider and then the stock, stirring
well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then return the
rabbit to the Dutch oven, turning it over in the liquid so that
it is well coated. Cover the pot and braise the rabbit in the
oven for 30 minutes. Lower the temperature to 300°F/150°C
(Gas Mark 2), turn the rabbit pieces over in liquid and cook
for another 1½ hours, turning the rabbit every 30 minutes.
Roast Loin of Venison
N rosemary, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute over medium-high
Serves 4 to 6
Legend has it that when St. Patrick died, sometime in the
latter fifth century, two oxen from Finnebrogue, near Down-
patrick, County Down, were harnassed to pull his funeral cart,
and that he was buried where they stopped, unbidden by a
drover. Today, Finnebrogue Estate is famous for animals of a
different kind: red deer, raised for Finnebrogue Ois’in venison,
an excellent meat found on some of the best restaurant tables
of Ireland and the United Kingdom. The Finnebrogue deer,
slaughtered between the ages of nine and twenty-one months
(ois’in is Irish for “fawn”), aren’t exactly wild, but they range
free over a 600-acre/243-hectares property feeding on a natural
diet. Their meat is tender and delicious, if not as gamy as some
connoisseurs would like. Finnebrogue is worth ordering if you
encounter it on an Irish menu. Unfortunately, it is not avail-
able in the United States, though good-quality farmed venison
is (see page 369). This is a classic recipe.
0
page No. 193
192-193
two 12- to 16-oz/375- to 500-g
venison tenderloins
salt and coarsely ground black pepper
4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp crushed juniper berries
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups/360 ml red wine
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp arrowroot
Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C (Gas Mark 4).
Rub venison loins all over with salt and pepper. Tie the loins
together with kitchen twine to make one loin and set aside.
Cook bacon in a heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high
heat until crisp, then remove the bacon and drain on paper
towels. Add the olive oil to the skillet, then add the juniper,
heat. Add the venison loin and brown well on all sides, about
5 minutes.
Roast the venison in the skillet for 25 to 30 minutes, or until
the internal temperature is 125°F/50°C.
Meanwhile, bring the red wine to a boil in a heavy-bottom
saucepan over medium-high heat and continue boiling until
reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce
the heat to low and whisk in the butter 1 Tbsp at a time.
Dissolve the arrowroot in ¹⁄³ cup/80 ml cool water. Stir the
mixture into the red wine sauce and cook for 2 or 3 minutes,
stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken (don’t
allow to boil).
Remove the venison from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
Strain any accumulated juices from the meat into the sauce,
discarding the juniper, rosemary, and thyme. Slice the venison
into thick medallions. Serve garnished with bacon, with the
sauce on the side.
8/3/09 4:35:22 PM
 0
Remove the rabbit from the marinade. Strain the marinade,
reserving the cider and vegetables separately. Pat the rabbit dry.
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or another heavy-bottomed oven­
proof pot over high heat. Fry the rabbit, turning frequently,
for 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned on all sides. Remove the
rabbit from the Dutch oven and set aside. Reduce the heat to
low, add the reserved vegetables, and cook, stirring frequently,
for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and start-
ing to brown. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir well.
Slowly pour in the reserved cider and then the stock, stirring
well. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then return the
rabbit to the Dutch oven, turning it over in the liquid so that
it is well coated. Cover the pot and braise the rabbit in the
oven for 30 minutes. Lower the temperature to 300°F/150°C
(Gas Mark 2), turn the rabbit pieces over in liquid and cook
for another 1½ hours, turning the rabbit every 30 minutes.
Roast Loin of Venison
N rosemary, and thyme. Cook for 1 minute over medium-high
Serves 4 to 6
Legend has it that when St. Patrick died, sometime in the
latter fifth century, two oxen from Finnebrogue, near Down-
patrick, County Down, were harnassed to pull his funeral cart,
and that he was buried where they stopped, unbidden by a
drover. Today, Finnebrogue Estate is famous for animals of a
different kind: red deer, raised for Finnebrogue Ois’in venison,
an excellent meat found on some of the best restaurant tables
of Ireland and the United Kingdom. The Finnebrogue deer,
slaughtered between the ages of nine and twenty-one months
(ois’in is Irish for “fawn”), aren’t exactly wild, but they range
free over a 600-acre/243-hectares property feeding on a natural
diet. Their meat is tender and delicious, if not as gamy as some
connoisseurs would like. Finnebrogue is worth ordering if you
encounter it on an Irish menu. Unfortunately, it is not avail-
able in the United States, though good-quality farmed venison
is (see page 369). This is a classic recipe.
0
page No. 193
192-193
two 12- to 16-oz/375- to 500-g
venison tenderloins
salt and coarsely ground black pepper
4 slices bacon, coarsely chopped
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp crushed juniper berries
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 1/2 cups/360 ml red wine
4 tbsp butter
1 tbsp arrowroot
Preheat oven to 350°F/175°C (Gas Mark 4).
Rub venison loins all over with salt and pepper. Tie the loins
together with kitchen twine to make one loin and set aside.
Cook bacon in a heavy ovenproof skillet over medium-high
heat until crisp, then remove the bacon and drain on paper
towels. Add the olive oil to the skillet, then add the juniper,
heat. Add the venison loin and brown well on all sides, about
5 minutes.
Roast the venison in the skillet for 25 to 30 minutes, or until
the internal temperature is 125°F/50°C.
Meanwhile, bring the red wine to a boil in a heavy-bottom
saucepan over medium-high heat and continue boiling until
reduced by half. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce
the heat to low and whisk in the butter 1 Tbsp at a time.
Dissolve the arrowroot in ¹⁄³ cup/80 ml cool water. Stir the
mixture into the red wine sauce and cook for 2 or 3 minutes,
stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken (don’t
allow to boil).
Remove the venison from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes.
Strain any accumulated juices from the meat into the sauce,
discarding the juniper, rosemary, and thyme. Slice the venison
into thick medallions. Serve garnished with bacon, with the
sauce on the side.
8/3/09 4:35:22 PM
 0

Oatcakes Turn the dough out onto a floured board and firmly roll out the
dough with a floured rolling pin (or press it with floured hands)
into a rectangle about ¼ in/6.5 mm thick. Using a cookie
N cutter or the floured rim of a glass, cut the dough into circles
Makes 20 to 24 2 to 2½ in/5 to 6.5 cm in diameter. With a spatula, trans-
fer the circles to the baking sheet, leaving about 1 in/2.5 cm
Griddle breads and flat cakes made of oatmeal have been between them.
eaten in Ireland for more than a thousand years, and all
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely browned and firm.
through the Middle Ages and into the modern era, almost
Carefully transfer the oatcakes to a wire rack and let them
every traveler to the island from elsewhere has mentioned
cool, uncovered, overnight to harden.
these foods. Today, oatcakes are most popular in the north of
Ireland, where a number of large commercial bakeries turn
them out in great quantity. The best ones, though, are those
made by celebrated baker Robert Ditty of Castledawson,
County Derry (see page 276). He makes traditional oatcakes
but also ones made with smoked flour or flavored with dulse
and sesame, celery and black pepper, or Gubbeen cheese
from County Cork. They’re available in the United States
(see Sources, page 369) and are well worth sampling.

1/2 cup/110 g butter, plus more for greasing

2 cups/320 g irish rolled oats
(see sources, page 369)
1/2 cup/50 g flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C (Gas Mark 4).

Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

Melt the butter with 2 Tbsp of water in a small saucepan or

skillet over low heat.

Mix the oatmeal, flour, salt, and baking soda together in a

medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture, then
pour in the hot butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon
to form a crumbly dough.

0
page No. 351

350-351 8/3/09 4:41:08 PM

 0

Oatcakes Turn the dough out onto a floured board and firmly roll out the
dough with a floured rolling pin (or press it with floured hands)
into a rectangle about ¼ in/6.5 mm thick. Using a cookie
N cutter or the floured rim of a glass, cut the dough into circles
Makes 20 to 24 2 to 2½ in/5 to 6.5 cm in diameter. With a spatula, trans-
fer the circles to the baking sheet, leaving about 1 in/2.5 cm
Griddle breads and flat cakes made of oatmeal have been between them.
eaten in Ireland for more than a thousand years, and all
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely browned and firm.
through the Middle Ages and into the modern era, almost
Carefully transfer the oatcakes to a wire rack and let them
every traveler to the island from elsewhere has mentioned
cool, uncovered, overnight to harden.
these foods. Today, oatcakes are most popular in the north of
Ireland, where a number of large commercial bakeries turn
them out in great quantity. The best ones, though, are those
made by celebrated baker Robert Ditty of Castledawson,
County Derry (see page 276). He makes traditional oatcakes
but also ones made with smoked flour or flavored with dulse
and sesame, celery and black pepper, or Gubbeen cheese
from County Cork. They’re available in the United States
(see Sources, page 369) and are well worth sampling.

1/2 cup/110 g butter, plus more for greasing

2 cups/320 g irish rolled oats
(see sources, page 369)
1/2 cup/50 g flour, plus more for dusting
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda

Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C (Gas Mark 4).

Lightly grease a large baking sheet.

Melt the butter with 2 Tbsp of water in a small saucepan or

skillet over low heat.

Mix the oatmeal, flour, salt, and baking soda together in a

medium bowl. Make a well in the center of the mixture, then
pour in the hot butter mixture and stir with a wooden spoon
to form a crumbly dough.

0
page No. 351

350-351 8/3/09 4:41:08 PM