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St. Patrick's Day Banquet


Ireland's rich, lush landscape yields fruits of the field and coastlines for deliciously fresh, farm-to-table and ocean-to-table meals. This St. Patrick's Day, treat your family and friends to a veritable banquet. We've infused traditional Irish recipes with our signature SGG twists. For your first course, enjoy Toasties and Watercress Soup. Move on to the main with Mariner's pie and Irish Soda Bread. Finish off the night with a chocolatey kick in the teeth with our Bailey's Whiskey Truffles.

Irish Toasties


 







Ingredients

  • 2 cups cheddar cheese (preferably sharp)
  • 8 large slices multigrain, brown, or whole wheat bread
  • 1 tbsp mustard (preferably grainy)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 shallot, roughly chopped
  • Fig jam (enough for spreading an even layer over 8 slices of bread)

 

Directions 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Toast the naked bread slices in the oven for about 7-8 minutes.
  3. In a large bowl, mix the cheese, egg, mustard, and shallot thoroughly so that all the ingredients are blended together well.
  4. Spread a thin (but generous!) layer of fig jam over the pre-toasted slices of bread. Next, using a fork or spoon, spread about 2 tbsp worth of the cheesy mixture onto the slices, creating a thick and even layer. Be careful not to spread too far to the edge, or else the cheese will melt off the side.
  5. Place the slices in the oven for about 7-8 minutes, keeping an eye on them until the cheese begins to brown.
  6. Remove, allow to cool for several minutes, and enjoy with soup such as watercress!

Irish Watercress Soup With a Twist

 

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches of watercress
  • 3 cups of white potatoes, diced (3 medium potatoes)
  • 2 cups chicken broth (you can substitute with vegetable broth)
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 onion, large dice
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • Blue cheese crumbles for garnish (1 tablespoon per serving)


Directions

 

  1. In a soup pot, add the olive oil and onion and cook over medium heat for 5 to 8 minutes, until the onions are translucent. 
  2. Add the broth, milk, potatoes, and watercress and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Let cool. Add the lemon juice. 
  3. Puree until smooth consistency. Top with crumbled blue cheese. You can serve warm or cold.

Irish Brown Soda Bread


Ingredients

  • 4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup unbleached white flour or pastry flour
  • ½ cup Irish steel-grind oats
  • 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 to 4 cups of buttermilk (we used 3 cups here)

 

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Add the dry ingredients in a large bowl. You may sift if you want to, but it’s not necessary; just make sure your flour does not have any lumps.
  3. Make a well in the center of the bowl. Add the buttermilk, ½ cup at a time and mix with a wooden spoon bringing dry ingredients into the buttermilk slowly. Do not over mix. Knead only a couple of times; otherwise you will have tough bread. Place the bread onto a floured surface and form into a circle. Make 2 cuts across the top. Bake for 45 minutes.

 

Mariner’s Pie


 







Ingredients

  • ½ pound salmon
  • ½ pound large scallops (about 6)
  • ½ pound cooked lobster
  • 2 leeks
  • 6 ounces mushrooms
  • 3 cups of milk
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 3 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon black ground pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
  • 3 pounds russet potatoes
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

 

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Slice the leeks and mushrooms.
  3. Cut the seafood into bite-sized pieces.
  4. In a large saucepan or soup pan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter and add the leeks and mushrooms. Cook until tender, 5 to 8 minutes over medium low heat. Add 3 tablespoons of flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the 3 cups of milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and cook for 10 to 12 minutes until the sauce thickens.
  5. While the sauce is thickening, make the mashed potatoes. Dice the potatoes and add them to a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain. Add milk, butter, salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.
  6. Add the seafood to the white sauce. Pour sauce into an 8 x 11 baking dish. Sprinkle wish tarragon. Top with potatoes. Cook for 30 minutes.
  7. The potato topping can be spread with a spatula for a rustic appearance. Or you can take a fork and make a design in the potatoes. Or to be really fancy, get a pastry tip and pipe the potatoes on top of the fish sauce.

Irish Bailey'sWhiskey Truffles

 

 

Ingredients

  • 10 oz bittersweet chocolate
  • ½ cup cream
  • ¼ cup Bailey’s Irish Cream Liqueur
  • ¼ cup whiskey

 

Directions

 

  1. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium heat, adding the Bailey’s and whiskey as it warms up. Add the chocolate to the saucepan and mix until blended and smooth. The chocolate should take on a glossy, rich, and even consistency. If the chocolate feels too loose, add some more of the bittersweet squares and continue melting.
  2. Allow the chocolate to cool in the fridge for 10-12 minutes, then remove and whisk vigorously with a wire whisk for 1 full minute. Cover and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.
  3. After the chocolate has cooled, scoop out with a small melon baller onto parchment paper. Roll the chocolate into balls. Be sure to have a cup of water on hand for dipping the scooper between scoops; this will make it easier for the chocolate to slide off the metal.
  4. When you are ready to serve, have a bowl with cocoa powder on hand nearby.
  5. Roll the truffles gently between your palms to attain a round shape, then cover with cocoa powder and place on a plate. Fresh truffles can be kept in the fridge for up to two weeks.