My nephew Kristofer Hall now calls Ireland home. He fell in love with Emer Lang, married her, and moved to the Emerald Isle. So I have another excuse to eat Irish butter on potatoes, soda bread, and everything else butter is good with!
Ireland has the most beautiful dairy country—bright green grass carpeting gently undulating pastureland—the polar opposite of the golden brown hills and valleys of my California summers. It is also home to countless foragers in search of a wealth of wild greens, such as borage, sorrel, dandelions, garlic scapes, and arugula. They collect vegetables at the seaside, too, including carrageen, used primarily for desserts; dulse, which is transformed into a crisp snack food; and sea lettuce, which is tossed into salads or used as a garnish. Irish waters also deliver pristine oysters, scallops, salmon, turbot, Arctic char, and more, which made my decision on what to serve here difficult. For dessert, I crossed the border into Scotland and borrowed a classic scone recipe, knowing that the Irish are as crazy about scones as the Scots are, and dressed it up with Irish rolled oats.
Oysters With Irish Soda Bread
OYSTERS WITH IRISH SODA BREAD
AND GUINNESS STOUT
I like to eat this combination on the patio if it is a nice day, which in Ireland often means wearing a winter jacket. I have wonderful memories of being on holiday in Ireland and eating oysters with my family at picnic tables while looking out at the crashing waves. You can dress up the oysters in individual porcelain oyster plates or lay them on crushed ice on a big platter and have everyone gather around. Either way, make sure you shuck the oysters as close as possible to the time of serving. The soda bread is great with any Irish meal—or any other dish, for that matter.
Because I live on the West Coast, I use Skookum or Sweetwater, but every oyster region has its stars. For the mignonette, use the best-quality malt or cider vinegar you can find. Oddly enough, cheap malt vinegar is invariably either too high in acid and harsh or too bland. You want one that is bright and refreshing with medium acidity. My favorite brand is Sarson’s, which is made in England and is 100 percent malted barley. The best cider vinegars are aromatic and taste like apples. Try as many as you can until you find one that suits your palate. | SERVES 6
2½ CUPS WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
½ CUP ALL-PURPOSE OR PASTRY FLOUR
1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
1 TEASPOON SALT
2 CUPS BUTTERMILK
1 EGG
1 TABLESPOON VEGETABLE OIL
1 TEASPOON HONEY
1 CUP MALT OR CIDER VINEGAR (OR CHAMPAGNE VINEGAR OR RED WINE VINEGAR IF YOU CANNOT FIND THE OTHERS)
¾ CUP MINCED SHALLOT
¼ TEASPOON SEA SALT
1 TO 1½ TABLESPOONS COARSELY CRACKED BLACK PEPPERCORNS
CRUSHED ICE, FOR SERVING
36 FRESH OYSTERS, SCRUBBED
LEMON WEDGES, FOR SERVING
TABASCO SAUCE, FOR SERVING
½ CUP BUTTER, FOR SERVING WITH THE SODA BREAD
GUINNESS STOUT, FOR SERVING
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan.
To make the soda bread, in a large bowl, stir together the flours, baking soda, and salt, mixing well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, oil, and honey until well blended. Pour the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until a dough forms.
Pour the dough into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top as well as you can. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and dry. Alternatively, protecting your nondominant hand with a hot pad, invert the loaf onto the pad and tap the bottom with your other hand. If the loaf sounds hollow, it is ready. Let the loaf cool completely on a rack.
To make the mignonette, in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, shallot, salt, and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
To prepare the oysters, line a large platter with a layer of crushed ice. Using an oyster knife, shuck each oyster carefully: protect the hand that is holding the oyster with a thick towel and position the oyster with the flatter side up, the rounded end pointing toward your thumb and fingers, and the pointed end—the hinged end—pointing toward you. Insert the knife at the oyster’s hinge and twist sharply to snap the hinge. Slip the knife along the inside of the top shell and lift off and discard the shell. Then slide the knife under the oyster to sever the adductor muscle, freeing the oyster from the shell. Leave the oyster in the bottom (deeper) shell and try not to spill any of the oyster liquid. Check for shell fragments and remove any that you find. Nest the oyster in the bed of ice and shuck the remaining oysters the same way.
Serve the oysters with the lemon wedges and Tabasco on the side. Demitasse spoons are handy for spooning on the Tabasco. Seafood forks are optional, as the oysters have been freed from the shells. Slice the soda bread and place in a bread basket or let your guests slice their own pieces, as you see fit. Serve with plenty of Irish butter and Guinness Stout!
Irish Butter–Poached Scallops
IRISH BUTTER–POACHED SCALLOPS
WITH LEEKS AND SWEET GARDEN PEAS
Irish butter is much richer and has fewer milk solids than the everyday butter sold in the United States. You can substitute the more widely available European-style butter, which, like Irish butter, is higher in butterfat than standard U.S. butter. Kerrygold brand is my favorite, and Plugrá is a popular brand. I like to use big scallops for this dish because they are easier to cook all at once in a couple of big pans. While looking for a vegetable to go with the scallops, I found two recipes, one for butter-cooked leeks and one for milk-cooked leeks, both of them in Coleman Andrews’s excellent
The Country Cooking of Ireland. They were so similar to my mom’s creamed peas—butter, salt, and pepper—that I went in the kitchen and made this combination of leeks and peas with what I had on hand. Use some
Irish Soda Bread to mop it all up.
| SERVES 6
1 CUP COARSELY SHREDDED DRIED BREAD CRUMBS
2 TO 3 TABLESPOONS OLIVE OIL
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
1 CLOVE GARLIC, FINELY MINCED
GRATED ZEST OF 1 LEMON
½ CUP CHOPPED FRESH FLAT-LEAF PARSLEY OR CHIVES
1 LARGE LEEK, WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY, OUTER LAYERS DISCARDED AND THINLY SLICED (3 TO 3½ CUPS)
2 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER
3 TABLESPOONS CRÈME FRAÎCHE OR HEAVY CREAM
¼ CUP WATER
½ TEASPOON SEA SALT
7 GRINDS OF BLACK PEPPER
1¾ TO 2 CUPS SHELLED FRESH OR FROZEN ENGLISH PEAS
12 TO 18 JUMBO SCALLOPS, DEPENDING ON EVERYONE’S APPETITE
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
GRATED ZEST AND JUICE OF 2 LEMONS
WATERCRESS SPRIGS, FOR GARNISH
To make the
gremolata, preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the bread crumbs in a small bowl, drizzle with the olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat evenly. Spread in a pie pan or small baking sheet and toast for 7 to 8 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Just before serving, stir in the garlic, lemon zest, and parsley.
To prepare the leeks and peas, in a saucepan, combine the leek, butter, crème fraîche, water, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the leeks are a little tender and the sauce is reducing. Use your best judgment as to when to add the peas. If they are fresh but starchy they may take some time, so add them as soon as the leeks start to soften. If they are frozen, they may take just 2 to 3 minutes, so add them at the end. Shake the pan occasionally during cooking to change what is on the bottom of the pan with what is on the top. Cook until the vegetables are tender.
Once the vegetables are cooking, season the scallops on both sides with salt and pepper. In a big sauté pan (large enough to hold all of the scallops in a single layer), melt the butter over medium heat. When the butter is hot and foamy, add the scallops and poach gently for 3 to 5 minutes, basting as needed, until just done. They are ready when they feel just firm to the touch.
To serve, spoon the vegetables into individual deep plates or shallow soup bowls and top with the scallops. Add the lemon zest and juice to the butter from the scallop pan, then drizzle over the scallops. Sprinkle with some of the gremolata and garnish with the watercress.
The Irish climate is perfect for cultivating many different kinds of wonderful greens, but foraging for wild greens is also a national tradition, and many of the Irish cookbooks I have describe how to make delicious salads and other dishes from them. I know we cannot all go out into the woods and meadows to find our greens, but I do want to encourage you to put on the forager’s cap to find new additions to your salads. Even if you never leave the island of Manhattan, you can find interesting salad candidates at local farmers’ markets, upscale produce shops, and everyday grocery stores.
Have fun when you prepare this salad. Go for a variety of flavors and textures to keep it interesting, and be creative when you cut the vegetables: chop some small, leave some in big, dramatic pieces, shred some on a box grater, and so on. A Japanese mandoline-style slicer, a Mouli Julienne slicer (hard to find nowadays, except in secondhand stores), or the grater-slicer attachment of a stand mixer makes quick work of cutting the ingredients. | SERVES 6
2 TABLESPOONS CIDER, RED, OR WHITE WINE VINEGAR OR FRESHLY SQUEEZED LEMON JUICE
1 TABLESPOON DIJON MUSTARD (OPTIONAL)
1 SHALLOT OR CLOVE GARLIC, MINCED
SEA SALT AND FRESHLY GROUND BLACK PEPPER
6 TABLESPOONS EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
4 TO 6 CUPS GREENS (SUCH AS BABY BEET GREENS, KALE, AND CHARD; WATERCRESS; ARUGULA; DANDELION GREENS; BUTTER LETTUCES; MUSTARD GREENS; AND CHICORIES)
CARROTS, PREFERABLY A MIX OF COLORS, PEELED AND SLICED
TURNIPS, PEELED AND GRATED
FENNEL BULB, THINLY SLICED, AND FRONDS
CELERY, THINLY SLICED
BEETS, COOKED AND SLICED OR FINELY SHAVED OR JULIENNED RAW
FINELY SHAVED CUCUMBER
GREEN ONIONS, WHITE AND LIGHT GREEN PARTS ONLY, SLICED
SUGAR SNAP PEAS, BLANCHED AND SLICED
BOILING POTATOES, COOKED AND CUBED OR SLICED
PEA SHOOTS, TRIMMED
SOFT HERBS SUCH AS TARRAGON, BASIL, MINT, AND CHIVES, SMALL LEAVES LEFT WHOLE AND LARGE LEAVES STEMMED AND CHOPPED
FLOWERS SUCH AS BORAGE, VIOLETS, NASTURTIUMS, AND CHIVE BLOSSOMS, FOR SPRINKLING
1 CUP WALNUTS OR HAZELNUTS,
TOASTED, FOR GARNISH
6 OUNCES ARTISANAL IRISH OR AMERICAN BLUE CHEESE, CRUMBLED, FOR GARNISH
To make the vinaigrette, in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mustard, shallot, and a pinch each of salt and pepper until the salt dissolves. Gradually whisk in the olive oil in a slow, steady stream and continue to whisk until well emulsified. Set aside.
Select an assortment of 3 to 5 greens and place in a large mixing bowl. Select a few of the vegetable suggestions and a few of the herbs suggestions and add to the bowl. Whisk the vinaigrette briefly to recombine, drizzle over the greens and vegetables, and toss to coat lightly and evenly. Sprinkle a handful of flowers over the top, garnish with the nuts and cheese, and serve right away.
WITH STRAWBERRY SAUCE
This recipe makes more than you need for your dinner party guests, because I like to eat leftover shortcakes the next morning. Split them, toast them, and eat ’em with butter and jam or jam and whipped cream, as my stepkids do. For a perfect dessert make these oat-rich shortcakes and top them with the ruby red
strawberry sauce and crème fraîche.
| SERVES 10 TO 12
3 CUPS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR
1 CUP WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
½ CUP ROLLED OATS
¼ CUP WHEAT GERM
6 TABLESPOONS GRANULATED SUGAR
4 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
1 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
1 TEASPOON SALT
1½ CUPS COLD UNSALTED BUTTER, CUT INTO ½-INCH PIECES
2¼ CUPS SOUR CREAM, OR 2 CUPS SOUR CREAM AND ¼ CUP WHOLE MILK OR HEAVY CREAM
2 EGG YOLKS
2 EGG WHITES MIXED WITH 2 TABLESPOONS WATER, FOR AN EGG WASH
CRYSTAL SUGAR (OPTIONAL)
2 PINTS FRESH STRAWBERRIES, HULLED
¼ CUP GRANULATED SUGAR
JUICE OF 1 ORANGE
SEEDS SCRAPED FROM ½ VANILLA BEAN
2 CUPS CRÈME FRAÎCHE OR WHIPPED CREAM
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, stir together both flours, and the rolled oats, wheat germ, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Scatter the butter over the top and, using a pastry blender or a pair of knives, cut in the butter until it is the size of peas.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream and egg yolks until blended. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the sour cream mixture. Using a wooden spoon, stir until a rough dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead gently a few times until it comes together. Form the dough into a disk about 10 inches in diameter and 1½ to 2 inches thick. Cut the disk in half and then cut each half into 6 wedges. Transfer the wedges to the prepared baking sheet. Brush lightly with the egg wash. Sprinkle with the crystal sugar, if desired.
Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden. Transfer the cakes to a rack and let cool.
To make the sauce, halve or quarter lengthwise 1 pint of the berries, depending on their size. In a food processor or blender, combine the remaining 1 pint of berries, the granulated sugar, and the orange juice. Using the tip of a knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the processor. Process until a smooth puree forms. Transfer to a bowl. If you prefer a very smooth sauce, pass it through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl. (Sometimes, I just put the berries in a bowl, mash them with the back of a fork, and then mix in the sugar, orange juice, and vanilla seeds.) Add the cut berries to the puree, stir to mix, and reserve until needed.
To serve, preheat the oven to 350°F. Return the cakes to the baking sheet and place in the oven for about 5 minutes, until hot and just beginning to get toasty. Remove from the oven, and when cool enough to handle, split each cake horizontally with a fork. Place the bottom of each cake on a dessert plate and top with a liberal amount of the strawberry sauce and a healthy dollop of the crème fraîche. Cover with the cake tops and spoon the remaining strawberry sauce on top. Finish with a dollop of crème fraîche. Serve right away.
