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Just what constitutes traditional Irish cooking is a subject of much debate – but who hasn’t heard of Irish Stew? Delicious mutton stewed with onion, potatoes and carrots in a light stock makes the perfect Irish stew.
And what about the world-renowned Irish Beef. Stewed in a stock of stout,
beef constitutes an Irish variation on East European goulash. Seafood is not as
prevalent in traditional dishes as one might expect, but traditional
smoked salmon is a firm favourite, as are the renowned oysters and
mussels.
What should be considered as traditional Irish food is, however, steeped in pure natural flavours and simple preparation and, when prepared properly, is a joy to consume. Simple meat dishes and boiled root vegetables such as the ubiquitous potato, carrot, turnip and parsnip form the principle constituents of traditional Irish cuisine. Cabbage served with salted bacon, together with simple boiled potatoes is a classic example of Irish traditional cooking, pure and natural and free from sauces or fussiness. Likewise, corned beef with cabbage is well worth sampling. The desire of many a chef to tamper with tradition and add spices, herbs or sauces to these dishes may even make traditional fare a bit more enjoyable.
And what about Coddle! Coddle is predominantly a Dublin dish of boiled potatoes and pork sausages. Tripe, meat and blood puddings and sausages are also popular traditional dishes. Tripe in Cork is boiled in peppered milk with onions until tender and served with a local pudding called 'drisheen'. Cork also majors in crubeens or pigs trotters which are now making more and more of an appearance on up-market restaurant menus. Also worth tracking down are traditional potato pancakes called Boxtys.
There is also much to be sampled in baking with traditional Irish soda breads and brown breads forming an excellent counterpoint to the foods mentioned above. Griddle breads and pancakes, cooked over an open fire, were a standard until recently.
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The Winding Stair Bookshop and Coffeeshop – For great food, good service and huge portions, The Winding Stair is the ideal place for a spot of traditional Irish food. Overlooking the river Liffy, the restaurant specialises in a simple and organic Irish cooking. For more information or to book a reservation call on (+353) 1 8727320 or visit our website www.winding-stair.com
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