It’s believed that Irish cuisine dates back 8,000 years, though “cuisine” may be a bit too modern a term. Corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and soda bread are anything but fancy, but in the kitchen of a master chef, they are delicious.
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award-winning chef and author of The Chef Within, visited with Morning Edition host George Prentice to share some mouth-watering new ideas for these St. Patrick’s Day favorites.
“I wanted to do something different for this St. Patrick’s Day instead of the usual corned beef that’s brined.”
Listen to the full conversation; plus here are a few extra details from Chef Doughty!
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For the beef, the day before, take a fresh beef brisket and rub it generously with dijon mustard. Then rub the spice mixture into the entire brisket. Place the whole brisket (fat side up) on a baking sheet and take it to a low oven (250 degrees), uncovered. Plan on baking the meat for 5-8 hours or until the meat pokes tender. Cooking time is completely dependent on the size and weight of the meat. The brisket will develop a wonderful crust as it roasts. If you need to turn up the heat to speed up cooking you can do so. When the brisket is done, get a large piece of foil and set the meat inside with all the roasting juices and drippings. Wrap tight and hold until ready to serve. This method will produce an authentic corned beef flavor without brining in nitrates. We were stunned at the results.
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For the skillet country potatoes, here are the ingredients:
- Russets or any other potato on hand, sliced as thin as you are able
- Yellow onions, 1/4 inch slices
- Combination of cheeses. I happened to use jack, feta, parmesan and swiss. Honestly, any combination will work.
- Olive oil for drizzling
- Salt and pepper
The quantities of each ingredient is based on the size of your pan. This dish is to your taste!
Round up a 10- or 12-inch skillet (can be cast iron or anything with a nice, thick bottom.
- Drizzle generously with olive oil.
- Cover with onion slices.
- Shingle potato slices (overlapping slightly) on top of the onions.
- Sprinkle with some of the cheese.
- Salt and pepper.
Repeat the five steps until the pan is fairly full, cutting more potatoes and onions as needed.
Take to the stovetop over lowish heat. Cover with lid. Allow to cook for 10 minutes and then check the onions on the bottom. If they are browning too quickly, reduce the heat. Check every once in a while to see if the heat needs to be adjusted either higher or lower. The potatoes will cook in 20-30 minutes, depending on how thick they are. Be patient and continue to cook until they poke tender. When they are done, remove from heat and allow to rest for a few minutes with the lid on. The potatoes will stay warm for quite a while when they are off the burner with the lid on.
For Irish Soda Bread, I try a new recipe every year in search of the “”ideal”. This is the best one yet. I think next time I make it, I will double the butter amount. The family loved it and we gobbled it all up.
Find reporter George Prentice on Twitter
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