Gilroy Porter Cake from County Derry

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is probably the most Irish of the recipes I'll be featuring this week. Recipes for porter cake abound, but I wanted to share an authentic version of the cake as it was baked in Irish kitchens a hundred years ago. That took a bit of research. This dense fruitcake is made by using a goodly measures of dried fruit and stout and, while in polite society, it is called porter cake, we all know they are talking about a cake made with Guinness, as true a symbol of the Emerald Isle as is the shamrock or the leprechaun. Harder to divine was why this particular version, which comes from the family of Mary Johnson, was dubbed a Gilroy porter cake. I don't give up easily. It took several phone calls to folks more Irish than me to solve the puzzle, but we got it done. John Gilroy was the artist who designed the early advertising campaigns for Guinness and the recipe for this cake was included in one of his campaign designed to convince folks that "Guinness is good for you!" This is a lovely tea cake if it is allowed to age before it is sliced. I recommend it be made at least 48 hours before serving. I'm posting the recipe exactly as I found it on the website of the Telegraph Media Group. That means some conversion and ingredient replacement is in order. I, of course, used butter in place of margarine and pumpkin pie spice instead of the mixed spice called for in the recipe. You'll notice that no specific temperature is given for baking the cake. I assumed a moderate oven ranged from 350 to 375 degrees and decided to bake the cake at the lower temperature. I think the 3 hours suggested in the recipe is too long and next year I'll cut baking time to 2-1/2 hours. The cake is supposed to crack as it bakes so don't stress when it craters. I'd also suggest using a 9-inch pan to contain the batter. I hope that some of you are into vintage recipes and will give this one a try. Here's the recipe.

"Emigrant" Soda Bread + The Real Deal

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I wasn't going to talk about soda bread this year. Recipes for it abound as St. Patrick's Day approaches, and there's not really much to add to those that already exist. I've obviously changed my mind, but I've done so for a reason. Most of the recipes I've seen are for a loaf that bears no resemblance to true Irish Soda Bread. The ingredients in the real deal are limited to flour, salt, baking soda and buttermilk. The versions we make here are called Emigrant Soda Bread in Ireland, because they contain ingredients that were not found in Irish peasant kitchens. Raisins and caraway seeds are English additions to the simple load, and what we call Irish Soda Bread should actually be called Spotted Dog. That being said, I set out to find the best soda bread I could, and I found an outstanding one in Ina Garten's cookbook The Barefoot Contessa at Home. Hers is the first recipe I'm sharing with you tonight. The second comes from the kitchens of Ballymaloe in Ireland and it is the best approximation of true Irish Soda Bread that I could find.

Now for the bread itself. The Irish began to use baking soda in the mid 1800's. Bread was made mostly in the summer months when potato stores had been exhausted and grains were needed to carry the poor through to the next harvest. They called the summer months "meal months" . Irish peasants lived, for the most part, on a diet of potatoes, grains and milk. Eggs, butter, zests, currants and nuts appeared only in the breads of English landholders or successful Irish emigres. True soda bread was cooked in a bastible, a lidded cast-iron pot, that was put right into the coals or on a turf fire. In the Southern part of the country, the bread was shaped into a round loaf that was scored with a cross that was made to "let the devil out" as the bread cooked. In Northern Ireland, the bread was baked in a flat circle called a farl. We'll get to those but let's first take a look at the Emigrant version of the bread.

Eyes Wide Shut Irish Cream and Cocoa Brownies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I've given this post its rather strange name because the recipe is so simple that you can make it with  your wide eyes shut. It has nothing to do with St. Patrick's Day, save for the fact that it is made with Bailey's Irish Cream, a liqueur that is relatively new to the world of Irish spirits. Irish cream was named after the Bailey Hotel and it was introduced in 1974 by the Gilbey Distillery, a Dublin company that was looking for a new product to introduce to world liqueur markets. While many find Irish Cream to be overly sweet, there is no denying how popular it has become. I use it more for cooking than I do for drinking and tonight's recipe is a perfect example of how it can be used. If you enjoy your brownies on the sweet side, I really think you'll enjoy these. They are easy to make and might make a nice addition to your St. Patrick's Day festivities. Here is how the brownies are made.

Irish Apple Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...According to Myrtle Allen, the legendary Irish cook from Ballymaloe House in County Cork, homemade apple cakes are the most popular dessert in Ireland. Last year,  I shared the history of the Kerry Apple Cake and myths surrounding the proliferation of apples in Ireland with you. If you'd like a refresher, you can link to that feature here. The cake I'm featuring tonight is an Irish classic that is made with slight variations in most of the homes in Ireland. It is simple and delicious and comes together quickly. The cake is traditionally made with ground cloves in a quantity that I think is excessive. When I make the cake,  I replace the cloves with  cinnamon or apple pie spice, both of which are more to my liking. This version of the cake is made with self-rising flour.  If you prefer to use the all-purpose variety, you'll need to add 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon of salt for every cup of flour called for in the recipe. This is a very moist cake that is wonderful when it is served hot from the oven. The good news, however, stops there. The cake does not age well and it gets soggy if it is allowed to sit too long.  While the cake is traditionally served  with unwhipped cream, I  prefer to serve it with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream. The cake is a nice way to finish to a traditional Irish meal. If you are looking for something different to serve for dessert on St.Patrick's Day, you might want to give this recipe a try. Here's how the cake is made. 

Irish Apple Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon ground cloves or cinnamon
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3-4 cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, divided use
2 lightly beaten eggs, room temperature
3 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon granulated sugar (for topping)

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch springform pan and line bottom with parchment paper. Grease paper.
2) Sift flour, salt, and ground cloves or cinnamon into a large bowl.
3) Cut in butter until the mixture has the consistency of fine crumbs.
4) Add sliced apples and sugar to flour mixture.
5) Stir in eggs and milk and mix with hands to coat apples with batter.
6) Turn dough into prepared pan. Sprinkle with remaining sugar. Bake 45 minutes, or until crisp and golden in color. Transfer pan to a cooling rack and let sit for 10 minutes. Release sides of springform pan. Serve warm with lightly whipped cream or ice cream. Yield: 8 servings.







One Year Ago Today: Green Apple Martini
















Two Years Ago Today: Chicken Fried Steak













Three Years Ago Today: (Almost) Irish Soda Bread














Four Years Ago Today: Danny Boy, Oh Boy, Rye Bread with Guinness Stout and Fennel Seeds

Potato Farls - Irish Potato Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...There are two types of farls, or non-rising bread, that can be found in Ireland today. The farl is a circular flat bread that is cut into four wedges for serving, and it's the triangular shape that gives the bread its name. Last year, I posted a recipe for Four Farls that's made from the same type of dough used to make soda bread. Today, I'd like to walk you through the version of the bread that's made from potato mash and flour. This is the more practical of the two recipes because it is a great way to use leftover mashed potatoes. Yeast was not typically used in Irish kitchens of the past. The climate did not lend itself to the type of wheat usually used to make yeast breads, so cooks leavened breads with soda and kept ingredients to a minimum. Farls, of both types, were cooked in skillets on the hob, or stovetop, rather than in ovens. I'm breaking with tradition and will bake, rather than fry, the bread in order to cut back on the amount of butter that is used. The only trick to making this version of farls is the need to use day old mashed potatoes. They simply will not hold together if newly mashed potatoes are used. In Ireland, the farl may be served with soups and stews and used to mop up gravy. They are also used as the base of a breakfast dish called an Ulster Fry in which the farls are topped with things such as blood pudding, rashers, tomatoes or sausage. I used leftover Champ to make the farls I'm featuring today. That worked out wonderfully well because they are so nicely seasoned. If your potatoes are a standard mash, I recommend you add scallions for extra flavor and a bit of color. Whether they are cooked in an oven or stovetop, the farls should not be moved until their underside has browned and crusted. They taste like a cross between a biscuit and potato pancake. I really like these and make them whenever I have leftover mashed potatoes. I think you will enjoy them, too. Here's the recipe.

Potato Farls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
Optional:1/2 to 1 cup scallions
1/4 cup diced cold butter + butter for serving
2 cups day old mashed potatoes
1/4 cup milk

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Liberally coat a cookie sheet with vegetable oil or butter.
2) Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, rub in butter using fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3) Stir in scallions if you are using them.
4) Stir in mashed potato and enough milk to make a soft but not loose dough. Divide dough into two portions and place on a well-greased baking sheet. Pat and roll or press each portion into a 1/2-inch thick round. Mark surface into quarters without cutting completely through dough.
5) Bake for about 20 minutes or until tester inserted into center of farls comes out clean. Top will be very lightly colored but underside of farl will be golden brown. If you wish top to have more color, spray lightly with non-stick cooking spray and run under a broiler for a minute or two. Remove from oven. Cut into quarters and serve immediately. Pass extra butter at table. Yield: 8 servings.









One Year Ago Today: Welfare Cookies
















Two Years Ago Today: Potato Tart

Black and Tan Brownies

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Margaret Johnson is the author of five books on Irish cooking, all of which can be found here. One of the many recipes she's developed is a brownie, called the Black and Tan. It's named after the British auxiliary forces that were sent to Ireland to suppress rebels after the 1916 Easter Rising. The reviled Black and Tan subdued the rebellion but in doing so, they fueled the spirit of the Irish Republican movement and the quest for Irish independence. Folk singers set the deeds of the British soldiers to music and eventually Irish pubs began to serve a drink, called the Black and Tan, which was made half with Harp Lager and half with Guinness Stout. Margaret Johnson loosely patterned her brownies after the famous draught. I had open a bottle of stout for another recipe and still had some remaining. Rather than let it go to waste, I decided to give this recipe a try. While most brownies are simple to make, these rich two-toned treats are a bit more involved. The end result is a moist dense confection that many will like. I hope you will try these and let me know what you think. There is nothing here not to like, the real question is will you like them enough to make them again. Here's the recipe.

Black and Tan Brownies...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite first published by Margaret M. Johnson in The Irish Spirit

Ingredients:
Tan layer
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1-1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
Black layer
3 ounces (3 squares) unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup Guinness stout
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Instructions:
1) Place one rack in lower third of oven. Place another rack in center. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 13 x 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2) To prepare tan layer: Combine butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, stir in flour, baking powder, salt and pecans. Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake in lower third of oven 20 minutes. Remove from oven.
3) To make black layer: Place chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on low 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Stir in sugar until well combined. Add eggs, vanilla and Guinness, stirring until well combined. Add flour and salt, whisking well to combine. Slowly pour mixture over partially baked tan layer.
4) Bake on center rack of oven for 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into center comes out almost clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a wire rack before cutting into small squares. Yield: 16 to 32 brownies (depending on size).







One Year Ago Today: Double Chocolate Mint Brownies














Two Years Ago Today: Florentine Schiacciata - Carnival Cake

Green Apple Martini

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Green beer and green tea are not to everyone's liking. With that in mind, I had planned to do a post that featured lots of beverages designed especially for St. Patrick's Day. Then I had a reality check and decided not to reinvent the wheel. So, instead of many drinks I'll be featuring just one and giving you a link to a site, found here, that's packed with tried and true drink recipes for the holiday. The one I decided to feature is a green apple martini and I'm told by my taste testers that it is very nice. I'm not much into cocktails, mainly because I'm suspicious of drinks that use more ingredients than many of the dinners that I make for my family. As it happens, I had to buy the sour apple schnapps to make this drink and I'm sure it will now join the bottles of Pernod, Calvados and pear brandy that I've had since I was a bride. I have an unintentionally aged selection of brandy in my pantry and one more bottle won't break the bank. This is a drink with great eye appeal and I love its color. I must warn you that "himself" thinks the drink lacks macho appeal. That being said, I hope you'll give it a try. Here's the recipe.

Green Apple Martini...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspiredc by the Food Network

Ingredients:
Cinnamon and sugar for rimming glass
1/3 cup vodka
1/3 cup sour-apple schnapps
1/3 cup lemonade
1/3 cup lemon-lime soda (such as 7-Up or Sprite)

Directions:
In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine vodka, schnapps, lemonade and lemon-lime soda. Cover and shake vigorously. Dip rim edge of martini glasses in a shallow dish with 1/4-inch water, then in a shallow dish with 1/4-inch of equal parts sugar and cinnamon mixture. Strain shaken mixture into prepared glasses and serve. Yield: 2 servings.








One Year Ago Today: Chicken Fried Steak















Two Years Ago Today: (Almost) Irish Soda Bread

Kerry Apple Cake

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Did you know that St. Patrick is said to have planted apple trees in Ireland? Apples have been grown in Ireland for at least 3000 years and legend has it that he planted an apple tree in Ulster County at the ancient settlement of Ceanoga near, what is today called, Armagh. While it is a lovely tale, it's more likely that the Druids, who used apple trees in their rituals, were the ones who first tended apple orchards in Ireland. Prior to English rule, Ireland was governed by a system of law that was codified and administered by the Brehons, who were the successors to the Celtic druids. The Brehons were charged with the preservation and interpretation of laws that had been established by centuries of oral tradition.The Irish took their apple trees seriously. Brehon law stipulated that anyone cutting down an apple tree would be subject to a financial penalty that included the surrender of five cows. I'm not sure what happened to those who had no cows to surrender, but we can be sure they were fined or punished for their transgression. Desserts and beverages made from apples are very popular in Ireland. This lovely apple cake, developed by Margaret Johnson, is a case in point. In Ireland this dessert would be made with Bramley apples, but any tart baking apple can be substituted. I do have to warn you that this dessert is more like a pudding than cake and it should be served warm, fresh from the oven. I don't think it ages at all well. That being said, this is a fast, easy and inexpensive family treat that is especially appealing to children. Not everyone enjoys apple pudding, but those of you who try this will not be disappointed. Here's the recipe.

Kerry Apple Cake...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Margaret Johnson

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg beaten
4 Granny Smith apples cored, peeled, and diced (2 cups)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup all-purpose flour
Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease an 8-inch square cake pan.
2) In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg, apples, nuts, and vanilla and stir well. Sift in dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon or your hands. This is a very stiff batter.
3) Scrape batter into prepared pan and bake until cake is lightly browned and a skewer inserted into its center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then unmold and serve hot or cold with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. I was not able to unmold my cake, so I sliced and served it from the pan. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.







One Year Ago Today: Wicked Good Pecan Rolls
















Two Years Ago Today: Salt and Pepper Pork Chops

Irish Celery and Apple Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Margaret Johnson is an Irish-American writer who is a recognized authority on Irish food and drink. This passionate cook holds dual citizenship in the US and Ireland and has authored five cookbooks that explore the customs and cuisine of the Emerald Isle. Today's recipe, an adaption of an old Irish favorite, is her creation, and color alone makes it worthy of consideration for a St. Patrick's Day celebration. Fortunately, it has more than color going for it. If you enjoy the taste of celery, you will love this uniquely flavored soup that is made more interesting with help from apples that add a slightly sour aspect to the soup. The combination works well, and while I can't recommend serving this in large portions, it makes an ideal first course. I served it last weekend with an Italian-type meal that included Arista and I was really pleased at the way all the flavors came together. This is a fast, easy and inexpensive soup that is also mercifully low in calories. It can be made well-ahead of serving, though its color darkens slightly as it sits. I know those of you who are adventuresome will enjoy this palate brightener. Here's the recipe for this truly simple starter.

Irish Celery and Apple Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Margaret Johnson

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 bunch celery, chopped
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced
6 cups homemade chicken stock, or canned low-salt chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup light cream or half-and-half
2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Directions:
1) Melt butter in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Add onions and garlic and cook until soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add celery and apples and cook another 5 minutes. Add stock or broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, 10 to15 minutes.
2) Transfer solids to a blender or processor and working in batches, process until smooth (I used an immersion blender for this task). Return to same saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Whisk in cream. Heat through over low heat. To serve, ladle soup into bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Yield: 10 to 12 one cup servings.








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Two Years Ago Today: Cranberry Cocktail

Glorious Green Food - Éirinn Go Brách

Éirinn go brách.







Fresh Mint Ice Cream

















Refrigerator Dill Pickles
















Limeade Concentrate














Key Lime Sherbet















Sweet Pickles












Green Gazpacho















Lemon Coleslaw














Thai Fresh Pea Soup with Green Curry
















Cold Lime Souffle













Thai Cucumber Relish
















Asparagus Soup















Double Celery Soup

A Collection of Irish Recipes for St. Patrick's Day

The Gaelic phrase "Éirinn go brách" means "Ireland forever". I'll gladly raise my mug to toast that lovely land and her people. Sláinte.

Here are a few of my "Irish" recipes to peruse before the holiday. I hope you'll enjoy them.








Wholemeal Irish Soda Bread














Irish Caraway Crisps














Barmbrack















Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur













(Almost) Irish Soda Bread















Colcannon














Spotted Dog














Dublin Coddle














Four Farls













Rye Bread with Guinness Stout and Fennel Seeds

















Boxty - Irish Potato Pancakes

Dublin Coddle for St. Patrick's Day

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...We'll be attending a St.Patrick's Day party this weekend and I was asked to bring a typically Irish dish to the celebration. Many of the entrees I wanted to make had to be discarded out of hand, because research proved them not to be authentically Irish. Years ago, the Irish diet lacked the diversity found in France and Italy and meals centered on potatoes and dairy products that were, on occasion, extended with small amounts of meat. Armed with that knowledge, I finally decided to make a dish called Dublin Coddle. Coddle is a dish that's much like an English hot pot, though it's cooked more slowly and not allowed to boil. It consists of layers of potatoes, onions and a generous amount of pork that appears in the form of rashers and bangers. The rashers are streaky and unsmoked strips of Irish bacon that taste much like Canadian bacon. The bangers are sausages that are similar in taste to the mildly spiced version that appears on our breakfast tables, though they are less fat and have a smoother texture. Thanks to a Trader Joe's holiday special, I was able to purchase authentic rashers and bangers for my coddle. So, with a wee bit of slicing and dicing I was able to assemble a dish that purportedly was a favorite of Sean O'Casey, Jonathan Swift and James Joyce. Was it literary ambrosia? I beg forgiveness for this next but I just can't help myself, “…and yes I said yes I will Yes.” Actually, Molly, it was just O.K. It certainly could be considered comfort food. Back in the days of imposed abstinence, the dish was made on Thursday nights to finish up pork that could not be eaten come first light the following day. It was primarily a winter dish that was semi-boiled and steamed in the stock used to cook the pork. The coddle was an inexpensive one-pot affair that required only salt, pepper and parsley for seasoning. It was considered to be well with in the means of the working-class Irish, and, while the amount of meat it contained varied from on household to the next, it was a constant on their tables. So, is it any good? While it's perfect for St. Patrick's Day, I wouldn't much bother with it at other times. It's one of those dishes you yearn to try once, then wrap in the mist of memory and put to bed. I'll let you decide for yourself. Here, courtesy of the Accidental Hedonist, is the recipe for Dublin Coddle.

Dublin Coddle...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of the Accidental Hedonist

Ingredients:
2 quarts of water
1 pound link sausage (Irish bangers or American breakfast sausage)
1 pound thick cut sliced bacon, blanched
3 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/4-inch slices
3-4 yellow onions, peeled and sliced
Ground pepper
1 bunch curly parsley, chopped

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large saucepan.
2) Meanwhile, place bacon and sausages in a large skillet and fry just long enough to lightly color.
3) Add sausages and bacon to boiling water and cook for 5 minutes. Remove meat, slice into bit-sized pieces and reserve in a bowl. Reserve cooking stock.
4) Lightly grease bottom and sides of a Dutch oven or 5-quart casserole. Layer ingredients in the following order until all have been used; potatoes, onion, pepper, parsley, and pork.
5) Pour reserved stock over contents of casserole until ingredients are covered. Water may be used if you run out of stock. Bring casserole to a simmer.
6) Place in oven and cook for 90 minutes or until potatoes are tender. I cover the pot.
7) Serve hot with whole meal bread and butter. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Potato-Leek Gratin - Teeny Tiny Kitchen
Fool Proof Scalloped Potatoes - My Gourmet Connection
Fontina Scalloped Potatoes - The Other Side of Fifty
Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes and Ham - Creatively Domestic
Mushroom Scalloped Potatoes - Pots and Plots
Thyme and Rosemary Au Gratin Potatoes - Wicked Good Dinner
Perfectly Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin - Deep South Dish
Chicken, Mushroom and Potato Hot Pot - Caviar and Codfish
Dublin Coddle - Home Cooking Rocks
Irish Cooking:Dublin Coddle -Chef Mom

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Cuisine Kathleen, St.Patrick's Day Blog Crawl

(Almost) Irish Soda Bread

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Ina Garten has develop a recipe for the best soda bread I've ever eaten. Unfortunately, it's inaptly named and bares only the slightest resemblance to a true Irish soda bread. The Irish began to use baking soda in the mid 1800's. Bread was made mostly in the summer months when potato stores had been exhausted and grains were needed to carry the poor through to the next harvest. They called the summer months "meal months" . Irish peasants lived, for the most part, on a diet of potatoes, grains and milk. Eggs, butter, zests, currants and nuts appeared only in the breads of English landholders or successful Irish emigres. True soda bread was a mix of flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. It was cooked in a bastible, a lidded cast-iron pot that was put right into the coals or on a turf fire. In the Southern part of the country, the bread was shaped into a round loaf that was scored with a cross that was made to "let the devil out" as the bread cooked. In Northern Ireland, the bread was baked in a flat circle called a farl. What is, today, called Irish Soda bread should really be called "Spotted Dog". Now, please understand, I don't fault Ina for not calling her bread that. It lacks panache and would be hard to sell even the most devoted of her followers. I just wanted to set the record straight before giving you the recipe for the best soda bread you'll ever have.

(Almost) Irish Soda Bread...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Ina Garten

Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for currants
4 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1-3/4 cups cold buttermilk, shaken
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 cup dried currants

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2) Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt in bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add butter and mix on low speed until butter is mixed into the flour.
3) Lightly beat buttermilk, egg, and orange zest together in a measuring cup. Set mixer to low speed and slowly add buttermilk mixture to flour. Toss currants with 1 tablespoon of flour and mix into dough.
4) Dump wet dough onto a well-floured board and knead it a few times into a round loaf. Place loaf on the prepared sheet pan and lightly cut an X into top of bread with a serrated knife. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean and loaf has a hollow sound when tapped. Serve warm or at room temperature.Yield: 1 loaf.

You might also like these recipes:
Barmbrack - One Perfect Bite
Boxty and Latkes - One Perfect Bite
Colcannon - One Perfect Bite