Each year, I attempt a new recipe with the same ingredients (or dishes) for St. Patrick's day, and this year, I have done the same. Last year, I grilled the corned beef, but this year, I decided to cook it in the oven with a new glaze. I'm not one to really "follow" recipes, but I got a great idea from one online source and then changed the ingredients because some of them were, well, just stupidly expensive for me to justify costs (whole cloves in a small glass jar, for example, are now $10--yikes).
My three main-stays each year: Corned Beef, Carrots, Colcannon (a potato dish that can have a variety of ingredients including kale, cabbage, green things).
I soaked the corned beef for a few hours to extract much of the salt that it cures in. I then drained it, dried it, and wrapped it in a large foil packet after glazing the fat side with some whole dijon mustard with fresh honey (from my brother's honey bees in CT!) and sprinkled with 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and about 1/4 tsp. of GROUND cloves--lord knows I was not going to dot the surface with whole cloves at a dollar a pop! :). I made sure the foil left some space between the top and the surface of the foil, so the fat side could "firm up" better. After about 2.5 hours, I opened up the foil, turned the oven on broil until the fat side was nice and crispy and had a dark "crust" to it.
For the carrots, I just put some olive oil and mediterranean seasoning on--then roasted them in the oven for the last 30 minutes the oven was cooking the corned beef. I threw in some fresh parsley in the last 3-5 minutes to wilt over it.
For the colcannon, I used less potatoes this year and I boiled some small red potatoes. I sauteed some leeks, cabbage, and kale in some olive oil. Once the potatoes were ready, I drained them, put in some cream and milk with some butter and whipped the potatoes (then added in the Green mixture). My colcannon this year was a little more "soupy" than I'd like, but the flavor was wonderful.
So, here's to everyone who loves celebrating being Irish (even if you aren't). Cheers. Oh, and yes, a Guinness to wash it all down is a must. :)
Really, Daryl, do you realize that we are drooling as we look at your dinner? You'd better hide your address or we'll all be headed over. Enticingly photographed and described. (seriously, cloves are $1 a pop?)
@jyokota And if you ever come to Atlanta, I would love for you to come over for a meal (and a barkyard bird party). I may have exaggerated a little on a buck a pop, but the small bottle was $10 or $11. Ugh!
March 22nd, 2013
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