Undeniably, one of the most traditional parts of Christmas is the food!! Each family has their own treasure of Christmas recipes and food-related traditions that come out each year. Being that I am Canadian, and not Irish, this is the first year I have really explored the traditional Christmas Menus and Recipes of the Irish!
Chanah of Cork told me that her family does a fry every Christmas morning. I am curious to know if this holds true in many Irish homes!
The following menu was given to me by Chanah:
Ham
Turkey
Gravy
Mashed Potatoes
Roast Potatoes
Carrots
Brussel Sprouts
Broccoli
Peas
Stuffing
Christmas Pudding
Here are a few Irish Christmas Recipes I have gathered. Feel free to add more in the comments section. I would LOVE to hear from you and incorporate some true Irish recipes into my own Christmas cooking this year!
Stuffing:
Breadcrumbs
Butter
Onion
Thyme
Clearly this recipe is from a true Irish Mam, as measurements are not included. The only instructions given were to mix everything together until it sticks together. If it doesn’t stick, add more butter. You can use this to stuff the turkey or wrap it in foil and bake for 2 hours.
Granny Tector’s Shortbread
12 oz plain flour
4 oz butter
4 oz margarine
4 oz caster sugar
(Granny Tector used to say 3 X 4 = 12. 4 oz of butter, margarine and caster sugar, and 12 oz of flour!) Crumble the lot together and put into a swiss roll tin (loaf pan for the non-Irish readers) Bake for 15 minutes. These cookies can be decorated with icing.
Irish Christmas Pudding
Perhaps the most traditionally Irish of all the Christmas foods I have come across since moving here, is the Irish Christmas Pudding. There seems to be an entire festivity around the Christmas pudding itself, with one Irish Mam telling me how her kids would chant “Burn the pudding!” in anticipation of seeing the pudding in flames on Christmas Day.
Apparently, the Christmas Pudding is usually made four or five weeks before Christmas Day.
Ingredients:
1½ lbs Sultanas
1½ lbs Raisins
1½ lbs Currants
2 packets of Altora Suet
¼ lb Ground Almonds
1 lb Brown Sugar
½ lb Mixed Peel
1 lb Bread Crumbs
½ lb Plain Flour
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Mixed Spice (or pumpkin pie spice)
½ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ Tsp Nutmeg
½ Tsp Ground Ginger
1 Glass of Whiskey
½ Bottle of Guinness (Large Size)
4 Eggs
Juice & Rind of 1 Lemon
1 Brambley Cooking Apple Grated & Peeled
2 Packets of Lunch Paper
2 Packets of Tin Foil
1 Packet of Large Rubber Bands
Twine
Method:
Wash and dry fruit. Add the mixed peel suet, brown sugar, ground almonds, bread crumbs and mix well.
Sieve flour separately and add salt, mixed spice, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger to the flour. Then add it to the bowl of fruit.
Grate and peel the cooking apple. Add the juice and the rind of the lemon.
Mix well, then add the Whiskey and the Guinness.
Heat and grease the bowls. (Place a small piece of grease proof paper on the end of the bowl to help remove the pudding.)
Steam for 6 hrs
Cover bowl with grease proof paper & tinfoil. Use an elastic band & twine to hold it in place.
When boiled, leave for a day to dry & remove top papers and change to dry, grease proof tin foil.
Store in a cool, dry place.
Steam for 1 hour the day you are having it for dinner.
Place the bowl in the oven upside down on a plate while you are having dinner before serving with castor sugar or cream.
Christmas Cake
Ingredients:
1lb Raisins
1lb Sultanas
1lb Currants
6oz Cherries
6oz Mixed Peel
4oz Ground Almonds
4oz Blanched Almonds
4oz Pates
1 Medium Cooking Apple Peeled & Grated
3 Tsp Tinned Pineapple Chopped Small
Grated Rind and Juice from ½ Orange
Grated Rind and Juice from ½ Lemon
1 Glass of Whiskey
1lb Butter
1lb Brown Sugar
8 Large Eggs
18oz Plain Flour
½ level teaspoon of nutmeg & cinnamon
Method:
Wash and dry fruit. When dry, soak in ½ glass of whiskey. Leave overnight. Add fruit juices and apple. Add mixed peel, cherries and the blanched almonds.
Add the cream, butter and sugar.
Beat the eggs separately & add to the mixture slowly. Add a little of the sieved flour to keep from curdling.
Add spices to the rest of the flour and fold it in. also add the ground almonds to the flour.
Add fruit slowly and mix well.
Cover tin with grease proof paper & tin foil bottom & sides. Cover cake with tinfoil resting on the top.
Cook at 160 for 1½hrs, 150 3-4hrs. check after 3 hrs.
