Top 10 Traditional Irish Foods To Try

Ireland does not only boast with world-renowned drinks but they’re also doing well in the food department. Irish love their meals tasty and warm- the kind of meal that will make you experience fireworks in your tastebuds.

If you’re excited to devour Irish dishes, you can start with these top 10 traditional Irish foods to try.

Top 10 Traditional Irish Foods To Try

VIEW STORY: TRADITIONAL IRISH FOODS

Irish Foods for Main Course

1. Irish stew

Popular in every Irish restaurant, this classic Irish dish deserves the top spot in this list. This traditional Irish dish is most preferred for its rich taste, nutritional value, and low-cost. Typically, lamb serves as the main ingredient for this stew but beef also sounds like a good alternative.

Recipe for Irish Stew:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 lb lamb cutlets

2 tbsp plain flour

2 lbs potatoes

1 cup onion

1 cup leeks

1 cup carrots

1 ½ pint dark beef stock

2 or 3  cabbage leaves

Salt

Pepper

How to make Irish Stew:

1. Heat the oven to 350 F/ 180 C.

2. Heat the half of the oil in a large frying pan then add the lamb cutlets until brown.

3. Transfer the cutlets in a casserole.

4. Add the potatoes, onions, leeks, and carrots in the casserole then pour the remaining oil.

5. Create a lump-free sauce by adding the flour to a frying pan and stir well in a gentle heat for 3 minutes.

6. Pour sauce over the lamb and vegetable.

7. Cook in the oven for 1 hour.

8. Make sure the stock isn’t reducing too much. If so, add boiling water so that the meat and the vegetables are always covered by liquid.

9. Season the salt and pepper.

2. Irish Pork Stew

You can also call this as the ‘“Irish Stew’s cousin” but with pork as the main ingredient. It also has carrots, potatoes, and onions but it is usually added with Ireland’s Guinness beer for a special and flavorful broth.

Recipe for Irish Pork Stew:

2 lbs boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

⅓ cup flour

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp vegetable oil

8 quartered baby red potatoes

4 peeled and chopped carrots

4 large onions, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick

1 minced garlic clove

¼ cup parsley, chopped

1 tsp caraway seed

1 bay leaf

1 (10 ½ -oz) can chicken broth

1 (12 oz) bottle imported stout or beer

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar

How to make Irish Pork Stew:

1. Combine salt, pepper, and flour in a bowl.

2. Coat pork cubes

3. Heat oil in a Dutch oven and brown meat in medium-heat

4. Add the garlic and onion

5. Cook and stir for 5 minutes.

6. Add remaining ingredients, sit, and bring to a boil.

7. Stir occasionally until meat is very tender.

3. Bangers and Mash

Bangers and Mash is a classic in the Irish cuisine. This easy to prepare dish works well with lamb, pork, or beef sausages.

Recipe for Bangers and Mash:

2 lbs fresh veal or chicken sausages (8 large sausages)

2 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

Kosher salt

4 tbsp (½ stick) unsalted butter, diced

4 oz creme fraiche

½ cup whole milk

2 tsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp whole-grain or coarse mustard

1 tsp dry mustard

How to make Bangers and Mash:

1. Prepare oven by preheating to 425 F.

2. Place a baking rack over a sheet pan and arrange 1 layer of sausages on the baking rack.

3. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes

4. Place the potatoes and 1 tbsp salt in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil then simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.

5. Drain the water then add butter, creme fraiche, milk, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, 1 tbsp salt, and pepper.

6. Using a handheld mixer, beat potatoes in the pan until smooth and creamy.

7. Serve by mounding the mashed potatoes and top with the sausages.

4. Galway Oysters

Thousands of tourists visit Ireland for the Oyster Festival and the Galway Oysters. But even if you’re not in time for the festival, you can try this recipe using these exceptionally large oysters from Galway.

Recipe for Galway Oysters:

3 finely chopped bacon rashers

2 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs

12 oysters

1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

4 tbsp double cream

How to make Galway Oysters:

1. Heat the frying pan.

2. Once heated, add bacon and fry gently on its own fat.

3. Add breadcrumbs and brown briefly.

4. Mix Worcestershire sauce with the double cream.

5. Pour the mixture on the oyster then top with bacon and breadcrumb.

6. Grill until brown and crisp.

5. Dublin Coddle

This coddle has no specific recipe as long as it has potatoes, spices, and everything nice— usually from leftovers.

Recipe for Dublin Coddle:

2 kg peeled potatoes

500 ml of boiled water

450 g good quality pork sausages

2 sliced large onions

450 g thick-cut bacon

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

How to make Dublin Coddle:

1. Preheat oven to 300F

2. Cut potatoes to smaller pieces.

3. Grill the sausages and bacon but make sure not to dry them out.

4. Layer onions, bacon, sausages, and potatoes in a large casserole dish. Season with parsley and pepper.

5. Pour the boiled water then bring the liquid to a boil on a stove.

6. Once boiled, reduce heat and cover the pot

7. Place inside an oven for 3 hours. Check liquid level after 2 hours and add more water if necessary.

6. Irish Shepherd’s Pie

The name of the dish speaks a lot for itself. This meal used to be a good choice of food for peasants and farmers but now, it has become popular in Ireland where it is served in every table during St. Patrick’s Day.

Recipe for Irish Shepherd’s Pie:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp black pepper

1 lb ground beef or lamb

1 finely diced large onion

3-4 finely diced large carrots

1 cup frozen peas

2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp butter

1 glass red wine

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1 cup chicken stock

6 cups mashed potatoes

1 beaten egg

How to make Irish Shepherd’s Pie:

1. Preheat oven to 400 F

2. Saute carrots and onion then add meat.

3. Season with black pepper and thyme

4. Cook meat until browned then drain fat

5. Add butter, peas, and flour then stir

6. Add chicken stock, Worcestershire sauce, red wine, and tomato paste until you have a thick meaty gravy

7. Remove from heat.

8. Add the sauce in a dish then pipe the mashed potatoes on top.

9. Bake for 20 minutes.

Irish Foods For Side Dish

7. Mushy Peas

Mushy Peas are also every-foodie-in-Ireland’s favorite. It is usually paired with chips and fried battered fish or as a side dish to a nicely roasted lamb.

Recipe for Mushy Peas:

12 oz fresh English peas

2 oz salted butter

¼ tsp salt

2 tbsp heavy whipping cream

¼ tsp pepper

How to make for Mushy Peas:

1. After rinsing, pour peas in a large saucepan with a steaming basket and add ½ inch water to the bottom of the pan.

2. Bring water to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Melt butter in the saucepan then add the tender peas and mash.

4. Add the whipping cream and mix.

5. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Colcannon

Irish love potatoes and you can really tell since a lot of these traditional Irish foods have potatoes in the ingredients. Colcannon is also one of these potato dishes mixed with green vegetables and creamy milk.

Recipe for Colcannon:

2 to 2 ½ pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

5-6 Tbsp unsalted butter (with more butter for serving)

Salt

3 cups of chopped kale, cabbage, chard, or other leafy green

3 minced green onions

1 cup milk or cream

How to make for Colcannon:

1. Boil the potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes until fork tender.

2. Set the pot to medium-high heat and cook the leafy green with butter for 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Add the green onion to the pot and cook together for 1 minute.

4. Pour milk to the pot then add the potatoes in medium heat.

5. Mash the potato to mix them up with the green.

6. Add salt and serve hot

9. Irish Champ

Irish Champ is yet another flavorful mashed potato dish popular in Ireland. This tasty meal is another St. Patrick’s Day favorite and it is just easy to make.

Recipe for Irish Champ:

22 oz potatoes

1 cup green onion

2-3 oz milk

2 oz salted butter

Sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper

How to make Irish Champ:

1. In salted water, simmer potatoes until cooked.

2. Drain potatoes once cooked.

3. Melt butter and add milk in the same pan.

4. Mash potatoes in the pan until smooth and creamy.

5. Add the chopped green onions and mix well

6. Season salt and pepper.

10. Roasted Cabbage

Aside from potatoes, cabbage is also one of the most popular vegetables in Ireland. This easy to make dish is also a must try.

Recipe for Roasted Cabbage:

½  head of green cabbage

3 slices of streaky bacon

1 teaspoon of peppercorns

½  teaspoon of salt

How to make Roasted Cabbage:

1. Take 1 cabbage leaf and place 3 slices of bacon and 1 tsp peppercorns in the center of the leaf.

2. Fold the leaves inward over the bacon and secure with a cotton thread.

3. Peel the leaves off the cabbage head and rinse with cold water.

4. Add the leaves and the bacon and peppercorn packet in a large saucepan.

5. Add water and bring to a boil.

6. Season with salt.

7. Simmer for 20 minutes with low heat then drain the water.

8. Cut through the cabbage leaves

9. Add butter if desired then serve.

 

---

Like It? Pin It!