5 Recipes to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day At Home This Year

This year, most of us will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day at home due to the current pandemic. While we’re all feeling a lot of uncertainty and anxiety right now, I think this year’s celebration may be more important than ever.

So to keep the celebrations going, here are some great recipes for celebrating at home:

Corned Beef Hash and Eggs

I have to start out with my absolutely favorite: Corned Beef Hash and Eggs. It’s one of my favorite dishes and my favorite place to get it is at Neary’s in NYC. My family has been going to Neary’s on St. Patrick’s Day my whole life – and sadly, this is the first year we’re going to miss it. BUT we will still keep the tradition alive at home, thanks to this great recipe.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound cooked corned beef , cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 2-1/2 cups)
• 1 pound russet potatoes , cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 2-3/4 cups)
• 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper
• 3/4 cup diced yellow onion
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup thinly-sliced scallions
• 1/4 cup Italian parsley , chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves , chopped
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 4-6 large eggs
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Fill a pot large enough to hold a steamer basket with a couple of inches of water. Bring to a boil. Add diced potatoes to steamer basket, cover pot, lower heat, and steam for 5-7 minutes, until potatoes are just tender. Set aside.
• Melt butter over medium-high heat in a 10-inch, nonstick, oven-safe skillet. Add onion, bell pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper. Sauté until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. 
• Stir in corned beef and cook until fat is released and corned beef is just starting to brown, about 3 minutes. Add potatoes and cook, occasionally (and gently) pressing the hash down and flipping the hash with a spatula, until potatoes are browned and corned beef is crisp in areas, about 6 minutes. 
• Stir in scallions, thyme, and parsley. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle chicken stock over the hash. Use a spoon to make 4-6 wells in the hash (depending on how many people you’re serving) and crack one egg into each well. Bake until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny (about 8-14 minutes, depending on your skillet, the depth of your wells, and the temperature of your eggs), or to desired doneness. 
• Sprinkle eggs with salt and cracked pepper and serve immediately.

Credit: Striped Spatula

Corned Beef and Cabbage Spring Rolls

We’re loving this fun twist on traditional corned beef and cabbage.

Ingredients:

• 10 spring roll wrappers
• 6 cups hot water for soaking wrappers
• 1lb cooked white cabbage or use a 16oz. package of Sauerkraut drained
• 1 medium onion, finely minced
• 1 tsp caraway seeds
• 1 tbs olive oil
• ½ lb thinly sliced corned beef, julienne
• ½ tsp ground black pepper
• 4 oz. shredded Swiss cheese, chilled
• 1-quart peanut oil or other high heat oil
• Thousand Island dressing
• **Oh, and don’t forget the cool, frothy Guinness, not for the recipe but just to have while making the dish!

Method:

Sauté the minced onion in olive oil over a medium flame until translucent, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Place cooked cabbage or sauerkraut in a lint-free dishcloth and wring out any remaining water or brine. Place cabbage or sauerkraut in a large mixing bowl. Add pepper, caraway seeds, onion, and cheese. Mix thoroughly. Set aside.

Soak one spring roll wrapper in hot water. Use tongs to remove the wrapper. Place on prep area. The wrapper may stick so a lint-free cloth may be used under the wrapper.

Ingredients should be added 1 inch from the edge closest to the preparer.

Add 6 slices of corned beef and then cabbage from the left to right side of the spring roll wrapper. You may have to adjust amounts, less or more, depending on the size of the wrapper or desired fullness. Fold left and right sides of wrapper over edges of filling. Roll wrapper from bottom. Repeat with remaining spring roll wrappers.

Heat the oil to 375F. Fry spring rolls until golden brown and drain on paper towels. Cut in half. Serve hot with a side of Thousand Island dressing.

Credit: IrishCentral

St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Potato Pancakes

Add some color to your St. Patrick’s Day meal with these healthy Irish potato pancakes (At a time like this, we’ll add greens to any and everything!).

Ingredients

• 4 medium potatoes
• 1 small yellow onion
• 4 cups of spinach, tightly packed
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil or green basil oil 
• ¼ cup ground flaxseed
• 1 ⅓ cup chickpea flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 cups high heat frying oil (sunflower, avocado, soybean, canola), or more as needed to create 2 inches of oil in a pan to fry
• Optional: for a brighter green with a major nutritional boost add 2 teaspoons green spirulina.

Method

1. Using a food processor with a large grating blade, grate the potato and set in a colander to drain, pressing the liquid out.
2. Then grate the onion, dumping any excess liquid, and adding it to the potato, squeeze all excess liquid out.
3. In the food processor, change the blade to a standard S-blade and process the spinach, garlic, seasonings and spices, and a tablespoon of oil until a paste forms.
4. Transfer the potato and onion mixture to a bowl, and add the spinach mixture, stirring well to coat completely with the green mixture.
5. Add in the ground flax, chickpea flour, baking soda, and salt and mix well until fully incorporated, and tacky to the touch.
6. Add the high-heat oil to a pan, such as a Lodge Cast Iron skillet, and heat the oil until a single shredded piece of potato sizzles and crisps upon entry.
7. Make small and flat patties out of the green potato mixture and fry on each side approximately 3 minutes, or until desired crispiness.  The center always stays green but the longer you fry the more brown and crispy the outside becomes. 

Credit: Chef Suzi Gerber, Plant-Based Gourmet

Corned Beef and Cabbage

You can’t beat tradition. I, for one, can’t get enough of corned beef and cabbage.

Ingredients

• 3 lb. corned beef brisket with spice packet 
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 1/2 lb. baby potatoes, quartered 
• 4 medium carrots, cut into quarters
•  1 small head cabbage, cut into wedges

Method

1. Place brisket in a large Dutch oven and cover with water. Add spice packet, bay leaves, and thyme and place on medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender, checking every 30 minutes and adding water if needed, until beef is tender, about 3 hours.
2. Add potatoes and carrots and bring back up to a boil. Cook for 15 minutes, then add cabbage and boil 5 minutes more. 
3. Remove meat and drain vegetables. Let meat rest 10 minutes before slicing.
4. Serve and enjoy!

Credit: Lena Abraham, Delish

Shepherd’s Pie

Shepherd’s pie is the ultimate Irish comfort food – and right now, we need comfort more than ever.

Ingredients

For the potato layer:

• 3 pounds russet potatoes (4 to 5 large), peeled and diced
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 cup whole or 2% milk
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large egg yolk

For the filling:

• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 (10-ounce) bag frozen vegetable medley, such as carrots, peas, green beans, and corn
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic power

Method

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes.
2. Boil the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large (3- to 4-quart) pot. Cover with about 2 quarts of water, stir in 1 teaspoon of the salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Meanwhile, make the filling.
3. Brown the beef. Heat the oil in a large oven-safe skillet — 12-inch cast iron is best — over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the beef and salt, breaking it into large chunks as you add it to the pan. Let the meat brown for 1 to 2 minutes undisturbed, then use a spatula to break up the chunks into smaller pieces. Cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes total.
4. Add the vegetables and sauce ingredients. Add the vegetables, water, flour, ketchup, onion powder, and garlic powder. Cook, stirring occasionally, until simmering, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Don’t worry too much if the browned beef mixture looks a little soupy — it will thicken in the oven.
5. Mash the potatoes with the butter, milk, and egg yolk. Drain the potatoes and return them to the now-empty pot. Add the milk, butter, and remaining 1 teaspoon salt and mash to desired consistency (for shepherd’s pie we like a pretty smooth mixture). Stir in the egg yolk.
6. Top beef mixture with the mashed potatoes. Use a large spoon to dollop the mashed potatoes over the beef. Use the spoon to smooth the potatoes into an even layer.
7. Bake for 30 minutes. Bake until the potatoes just begin to brown and the filling is bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes to let the sauce thicken slightly before serving.

Credit: Meghan Splawn, The Kitchn

And if you just aren’t the cook – or don’t have the ingredients, there are still a number of incredible Irish restaurants that are offering delivery or curbside pick-up during the holiday. See below for a few:

NYC:

• Neary’s, 358 E 57th St, New York, NY 10022, now offering pick-up and delivery.

ROCKLAND COUNTY:

• River Court on Main, 16 S Main St, New City, NY 10956, open for to-go orders.
• Nanuet Restaurant, 211 Main St, Nanuet, NY 10954, now delivering and curb-side pick-up.

NORTH JERSEY:

• Biddy O’Malleys, 191 Paris Ave, Northvale, NJ 07647, open for curbside pick-up or delivery from noon-7pm.
• Davey’s Irish Pub, 5 Park St, Montvale, NJ 07645, offering curbside pick up.

*If your restaurant is staying open for pick-ups or delivery, please let us know and we’ll add to our list!

St. Patrick’s Day is our favorite day of the year and we won’t let the Coronavirus change that. We’re all more connected than we think. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday!

Follow us over at @bitesnbrewsny on Instagram and share your celebrations with us!

Sláinte!