While many of us associate St. Patrick’s Day celebrations with green beer, Irish music and corned beef and cabbage here in our own United States, it is fun to know that this day is also celebrated in Italy.  Expats from Ireland and the US have even created a tradition of Irish celebrations across Italy.  Some cities go all out to get into the mood with great festivities. Of course, there are even Irish pubs in Italy and one of the most authentic Irish pubs in Italy is in Bolzano where you will find lots of Guinness and Irish music and good Irish grub. In various parts of Italy, the Feast Day is celebrated over multiple days of drinking, dining and dancing. In Florence and Bologna, they celebrate all things Irish with Irlanda Festivals which feature live concerts, bar crawls and other festivities lasting over three days. Of course, none of this can take away from the huge parade in New York City that starts in lower Manhattan and ends, where else but in the Eastside 70’s which at one time was a sort of Irish central with food and pubs and where many Irish immigrants felt at home on a Saturday night and especially on St. Patrick’s Day.

You may be surprised to know that there are some Irish churches in Italy. If in Rome, for instance on St Patrick’s Day you can experience a traditional St. Patrick’s celebration in the Basilica of San Clemente, San Patrizio or Sant’Isidoro, all associated with Ireland.

While corned beef and cabbage might be the norm for dinner for many on this day you can also celebrate at home with a fine Irish stew and a few bottles of Guinness Stout.

BUON MANGIATA!

DUBLIN CODDLE STEW

Dublin Coddle Stew is a great comfort stew and

one of the easiest that you can make for a

St. Patrick’s Day Dinner.

Bacon – 6 Slices, thick
2 Onions – Sliced fairly thin
3 Carrots – thinly sliced
Kosher Salt – or more to taste
2 C. Chicken Broth
4 Potatoes – peeled, sliced fairly thin
1 1/2 Lbs. Pork Sausage – sliced*
Black Pepper – freshly ground
2 C. Beer – a good quality and maybe even stout

PREHEAT OVEN TO 400º

Cut bacon into ½-inch pieces and cook in a heavy duty or cast iron skillet just until the bacon starts to get a little crisp. Remove to a paper lined plate but leave the drippings in the pan.

Add onions and carrots to the pan, cook over medium heat until they are all softened. You don’t want to cut the onions and carrots too thin or they will not hold up.

Add the sliced sausage* (Irish Bangers, if you can find them or Bratwurst, if you can’t or a plain pork sausage) and cook for about 5 minutes. Then remove 2/3 of the sausage and vegetables from the pan leaving a very thin layer on the bottom. Top this layer with sliced potatoes, season, to taste, with salt and pepper as you layer. Repeat the layers two times more, ending with the potatoes.

Top with the bacon and slowly pour the liquid over the layers trying not to disrupt the layers.

Cover with a lid or foil and cook for 45 minutes. Uncover and quickly check for liquid adding more broth or beer, as necessary. Replace lid, return to oven and cook for an additional 20-30 minutes. Try not to overcook!

Enjoy with some Irish Soda Bread to sop up any juice and also a nice cold beer or Stout.

BUON MANGIATA!

IRISH SODA BREAD MUFFINS

Slainte is Tainte!

A PERFECT WAY TO START YOUR ST. PATRICK’S DAY.

2 1/4 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 Egg
1/4 C. Vegetable Oil
Extra Sugar – for dusting the tops
1/2 C. Sugar
1 tsp. Caraway Seeds
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
1 C. Buttermilk
3/4 C. Dried Currants
1/4 C. Butter – melted

Preheat oven to 400º.  Butter 12 muffin cups or use paper liners.

Place the flour, sugar, salt, caraway seeds*, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Using a whisk, stir all the ingredients until they are well combined. In a separate medium bowl add the egg, buttermilk and oil. Whisk all together until they are all joined together.  Pour the liquid into the dry mixture and stir using a spatula or wooden spoon until the mixture has just started to come together. A few lumps may remain and that is ok – don’t over mix.

Lastly, gently fold the melted butter into the batter and stir until there are no traces of any butter to be seen.  Finish by folding in the currants and then let the batter rest for about 30 minutes or up to an hour in the refrigerator.

Fill each muffin cup ¾ of the way up.  Sprinkle a little sugar on top of each muffin.

Bake for 15 minutes.  Let cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 

*Caraway seeds are traditional, but some people are not fans. If you want, you can just eliminate.

NOTE: Add a drop of green food coloring and you are all set to start your celebration! These are delicious served warm with butter or honey.

BUON MANGIATA!