Our best St. Patrick’s Day recipes

The Herald delved into it’s archive to find all the Irish-inspired recipes a person would ever need for a St. Patrick’s Day feast. Everything from classics like Irish stew to sweets like bread pudding doused in Irish cream whiskey and Irish coffee. If you want to enjoy delicious Irish food, but you’re not in the mood to make it, checkout our story on best Irish food in Snohomish County. Or paint the town green and checkout our list of St. Patrick’s Day events around Snohomish County.

Soda Bread

This fig and caramelized onion soda bread is made with oat and buckwheat flour. (Aran Goyoaga)

Soda bread — a quick bread that substitutes baking soda for yeast — is typically made with flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk and is ready in less than an hour. The result is a bread with a crunchy crust and soft center enjoyed simply with butter.

Soda bread oat scones with orange zest and dried currant offer the perfect Irish-American twist for a slow morning. Gluten free fig and caramelized onion soda bread from Seattle-based author and photographer Aran Goyoaga allows those who are gluten free to enjoy this Irish inspired treat. To replicate soda breads crunchy exterior, Goyoaga instructs not to over mix the dough or let it sit on the counter for too long. Bake it as soon as it comes together.

Potatoes

Make a gold coin for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s bread cut into the shape of a coin, stuffed with mashed potatoes, battered and fried. (Reshma Seetharam)

Irish food is more than just potatoes, however the starch is important to the country historically, culturally and economically.

The crop is not native to Ireland, but farmers found that potatoes thrived in the island’s cool and wet climate. Potatoes are a versatile food that can be enjoyed battered, roasted, fried, mashed or a salad, gold coin or stir fry.

Guinness

In this Feb. 6, 2012 image taken in Concord, N.H., a sandwich made of flank steak with slices of red onion marinated in Guinness lager and Boursin cheese, is shown. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

The dry stout originated in Dublin, Ireland. Guinness has a roasted bitter-sweet hoppy flavor with chocolate and coffee notes. But what sets Guinness to the side is the way the beer is carbonated. Most beers use only carbon dioxide, while Guinness mixes CO2 and nitrogen which creates smaller bubbles and a smoother more balanced beer. Guinness can be enjoyed in the pub, but also utilized in the kitchen.

Guinness braised cabbage and bacon elevates your grandma’s boiled cabbage and rich dynamic side dish for your St. Patrick’s day feast. Guinness marinated flank steak sandwiches adds an Irish flare to an American staple.

Main Dishes

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this leg of lamb. (Rose McAvoy)

Sheep resided in Ireland for almost as long as humans have. The animal has provided islanders with meat, milk and wool for hundreds of years, which makes boneless leg of lamb with tarragon and garlic an obvious main course for a St. Patrick’s day feast.

Although corned beef is not an Irish national dish, it is often thought of as a holiday staple. The salt-cured beef is often made from brisket and despite its name, corned beef does not contain corn, rather large “corns” of rock salt. This year if you want to elevate your corned beef, try these corned beef toasties with Irish potato and leek soup.

This fig and caramelized onion soda bread is made with oat and buckwheat flour. (Aran Goyoaga)

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with this leg of lamb. (Rose McAvoy)

In this Feb. 6, 2012 image taken in Concord, N.H., a sandwich made of flank steak with slices of red onion marinated in Guinness lager and Boursin cheese, is shown. (AP Photo/Matthew Mead)

Make a gold coin for St. Patrick’s Day. It’s bread cut into the shape of a coin, stuffed with mashed potatoes, battered and fried. (Reshma Seetharam)