Irish Jambons!

So if I said “Jambon”, what would you think of? You might be thinking “That’s French for ham right?” You would be correct, but I’m not really talking about ham. Perhaps I should’ve said “Irish Jambon”. Ahhh! Now it might be getting clearer. The Irish Jambon is the much beloved, ubiquitous deli offering found in gas stations and convenience stores throughout the Emerald Isle. But what is it? It is puff pastry filled with béchamel sauce, cheese (usually Emmental) and diced ham. Kind of like a Danish pastry but with savory filling rather than fruit. So that is the technical definition. But what you need to know is they are comfort food at its finest!

I first read all about these little delights in that cookbook “Bake” by Graham Herterich that I told you about in the post from a couple of days ago – Malted Coffee, Chocolate & Pecan Brack. He had a recipe for jambons and claimed that they are “now as Irish as soda bread”. I was mystified. I had never once come across a Jambon anywhere at all while I was studying in Ireland. Seems like just the thing a student would’ve lived on. I felt very cheated and when quizzed about them, my Irish friends assure me that I should indeed feel that way. Not to date myself, but i turns out they didn’t actually become widespread and popular in Ireland until the late ’90’s. It’s fairly meteoric rise in popularity is a testament to how addictively good these little dickens are!

Previous to that, quick food on the go wasn’t really a thing in Ireland. However in the 90’s compact bakery ovens became available which allowed petrol stations, small supermarkets and convenience stores to offer “freshly baked” (usually from frozen Cuisine de France) hot items such as croissants, breakfast rolls and jambons from their deli counters.

These jambons were very portable, undeniably tasty and quite economical. I could not wait to taste one, but since I was no longer visiting Ireland by the time I discovered how deprived I’d been, I decided to make my own to tide me over until I could get back there!

My homemade versions are pretty easy to make. Although the authentic ones in Ireland usually use Emmentaler Cheese, I went with a mixture of Kerry Gold Irish Cheddar and Kerry Gold Blarney Cheese, which is a bit like Gouda.

And speaking of Blarney, Blarney Castle is one of the places I visited on my most recent trip to Ireland.

The Husband had never kissed the good old Blarney Stone. For anyone who knows him, I’m sure you’d find that hard to believe. He has already in firm possession of the “gift of gab” as they say. I was worried how even more eloquence for him would play out.

Nevertheless I considered it a must do, so off we went. For those of you who don’t know, the Blarney Stone is a block of limestone built into the battlements of Blarney Castle. Legend has it that if one kisses the stone, which is no easy task, they will be given great eloquence or the skill of flattery or beguiling talk. To get to this magical stone, you have to climb to the top of the castle,

lay down and lean over backwards from the parapets ledge. A bit nerve wracking to say the least!

But let me get back to the Irish Jambons. My homemade Jambons did not disappoint. Crispy crunchy puff pastry filled with a gooey, squidgy cheese sauce that is shot through with salty ham. Chock full of salt and carbs, I can see why they are considered a sure fire hangover cure. Now I’ve just got to get back to Ireland to get the real authentic jambon from a petrol station experience. I’ve been told Centras have the best there are to offer. Until then, these homemade ones will have you addicted and will be just the thing for your pre and post St. Patrick’s Day festivities!

• Servings: 12 jambons
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe source: a combination of 2 from: Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists by Graham Herterich & National Dairy Council

Ingredients:

• 2 sheets puff pastry
• 2 red onions, sliced
• splash extra virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 small sprinkling of brown sugar
• 25 grams butter
• 25 grams all purpose flour
• 250 ml milk
• 250 grams cheese, grated – I used a mixture of KerryGold Blarney Cheese which is Gouda like and KerryGold Irish Cheddar. Emmentaler would also be great! But you do you.
• 1 tsp mustard – I used Colemans, but again the choice is yours.
• pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
• freshly ground black pepper and sea salt to taste
• 200 grams ham, cubed
• 1 egg, beaten with a splash of milk

Directions:

For the caramelized onions:

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Place the sliced onions, leaves from one sprig of thyme in a bowl. Sprinkle with brown sugar and then add a splash of olive oil. Stir to distribute the oil and sugar.

Slide the onion mixture into an ovenproof casserole. Cook for 30 minutes.

After the initial cook time, stir the onion mixture, cover the casserole and cook for an addition 15 – 20 minutes.

Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

For the Cheese Sauce:

Place the butter in a medium sized sauce pan and melt over low heat.

Slowly whisk in the flour, whisking constantly until a dough begins to form.

Slowly add the milk, whisking the entire time so that there are no lumps in the sauce.

Once all of the milk has been incorporated, add the grated cheese (reserving a bit to sprinkle over the tops of the jambons), the nutmeg and the mustard.

Mix well until you get a smooth, thick cheese sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add the finely cubed ham to the sauce and stir.

Set the mixture aside and allow it to cool.

To assemble:

Lightly flour your work surface and roll out the pastry. Cut each sheet into 6 equal sized squares.

Place a scoop of the ham/cheese mixture into the center of each square. Place a bit of caramelized onion on top of the cheese.

Fold the four corners of the pastry to the center and pinch them together to seal the contents inside.

Brush the egg wash over the pastry. Sprinkle the reserved cheese over the top, as well as a bit of flaky sea salt.

Repeat for the remaining pastry squares.

Place the jambons on a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until golden-brown.

Serve hot or room temperature.

Enjoy!

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Jambons:

KerryGold Blarney Cheese

KerryGold Aged Cheddar

Coleman’s Mustard

Bake: Traditional Irish Baking with Modern Twists by Graham Herterich – It does not appear that this book is available on Amazon, but you can get it here at the Book Depository. I love this cookbook! Visually it is gorgeous, but it doesn’t rely on looks alone. This book is chock full of fantastic recipes. Graham Herterich, better known in Ireland as the Cupcake Bloke, initially trained as a chef and then went on to open The Bakery in Rialto Dublin. In this, his first cookbook, he offers a traditional recipe followed by a modern twist on that recipe. It also contains a brief history of Irish baking as well as a guide to baking essentials and lesser known ingredients.

Travel Planning Guide:

Getting there: Icelandair! We love Icelandair and have always had great experience with them. Icelandair flies to Dublin, Ireland. Take advantage of their Stopover program on your next flight to Europe.

Car Rental: New Way Car Hire – Love the all-inclusive pricing on these cars as well as the Dublin Airport pickup!

Activities:

Blarney Castle -Official site. You can book tickets here or when you arrive. The actual castle and stone are of course a big attraction, but the gardens are really lovely as well.

Shopping:

Blarney Woolen Mills – You can’t visit the castle without heading right across the street to do a bit of shopping at the flagship store of Blarney Woolen Mills. This store is HUGE and has everything. Not just sweaters, but china, crystal, homewares – you name it! It is housed in one of Ireland’s oldest and most authentic Irish Woolen Mills. This family owned business is not only brimful of the best Irish designers but also offers their wares at a good price.

Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes with crispy Dillisk Flakes!

So I’m sure you are all familiar with twice baked potatoes right? Delicious, creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes cradled in their crisp, salty skin. Well, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day I’ve actually given the twice baked potato a bit of an Irish make-over. Yup! These savory little devils you see here are Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes.

I shared a recipe for Colcannon with you a few St. Patrick’s Days ago. It is without a doubt, Irish comfort food at its finest! Buttery mashed potatoes whipped up with cabbage, leeks and bacon.

Mix that divine concoction just described with some lovely Irish Cheddar and that is the filling in these show stopping Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes. And since I had picked up some Dillisk on my last trip to Ireland, I chopped that up and sprinkled it over the top! Sheer magic I tell you!

Turns out the nutty salty Dillisk is the perfect flavor enhancer for these potatoes. Dillisk (duileasc in Irish) or dulse, as it is also known, is an edible seaweed which has been harvested along the shores of the North Atlantic for generations. The earliest mention of it being harvested comes from 1400 years ago. St. Columba and his monks gathered it for food as well as medicine. It is an excellent source of protein, fiber, calcium, iron, potassium, vitamin A, iodine and zinc. You can often find it in health food stores in the US. It can be eaten dried or rehydrated to use in soups, stews, breads or salads.

Since we’re talking about potato dishes, I’ve gotta bring up Cheese & Onion pies! One of the things I was most excited about on our most recent trip to Ireland was taking The Husband to visit Cork. I went to college at University College Cork and wanted to show him some of my old haunts.

Quad at University College Cork.

Stunning Street Art!

It had changed quite a bit since I’d been there, but I was very excited to see that my favorite chipper…no wait….the best chipper in Cork – no…Hands down the best chipper anywhere – Jackie Lennox’s was still going strong!

I love Jackie Lennox’s. There is no substitute. Back in the day, myself and the college friends, filled to the brim with pints would stop by to get a little something to help us soak up that booze. And Lennox’s never failed us! Perfectly cooked fish and chips, great burgers and batter sausages.But the thing I crave, the thing I almost always got was – Lennox’s Cheese & Onion Pies! They served this crispy, crunchy, deep fried ball of cheese, onions and mashed potatoes with plenty of chips and a hearty lashing of salt and malt vinegar. YUM! I tried to recreate it once. But there is nothing like the original.

The cutest puppy in the world and my version of a Cheese & Onion pie!

I had talked about it so much over the years that The Husband couldn’t wait to get his hands on one and let me just say it did not disappoint!

College friends, Cheese & Onion Pies, Batter Sausages & Chips!

Once we’d gotten our Lennox’s fix. We strolled by St. Finbar’s Cathedral

Strolled through the English Market. And stopped for a few pints. Perfect day!

But let me get back to these awesome Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes! You can make these babies ahead of time. Just complete the recipe through filling the skins. Refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 4 days ahead of your shindig. On the day you want to serve them, just pop them in a 375 F oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes. How easy is that?!!

With crispy, salty flavorful skin and savory creamy cheesy filling, these exquisite Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes go well as a side next to any meat dish you might wish to serve. Or you could even just chow down on this hearty stuffed spud as your dinner, full stop! I have no doubt folks will go wild for this dish at your St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. Heck they will go wild for it on any day that it appears on the table.

Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes

• Servings: 8
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe adapted from: The kitchn

Ingredients:

• 4 large russet potatoes
• 2 Tablespoons salt
• 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 6 strips smoky bacon
• 1/2 small savoy cabbage, shredded (approx. 12 ounces)
• 2 leeks, white and light green portions, halved lengthwise, rinsed well and thinly sliced
• 4 ounces Irish cheddar cheese, shredded
• 8 Tablespoons/ 113 grams unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon dried mustard powder
• 1 bay leaf
• freshly ground pepper
• handful of chives, chopped
• sea salt flakes
• handful of dillisk, chopped – to sprinkle over the top

Directions:

Set the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Scrub the four potatoes and prick all over with a fork.

Dissolve 2 Tablespoons of salt in 1/2 cup of water. Dip the potatoes in the water covering all sides and then set on one of the prepared baking sheets.

Arrange the bacon in a single layer on the other prepared tray.

Place both baking trays in the oven. Bake until the bacon is browned and starts to ripple, or to desired doneness, 10 to 20 minutes. (Because the cook time depends on the thickness of the bacon and how you like it cooked, start checking doneness at the 10-minute mark.) I usually bake my bacon for 13 minutes.

Remove the bacon from the oven and transfer to paper towel lined plate to drain. Reposition the baking tray with the potatoes so that it is centered in the oven and continue to bake, turning after about 30 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 205 degrees F – about 45 minutes to 1 hour total baking time.

Once the potatoes have reached 205 degrees F, remove from oven and brush all sides with olive oil. Return to oven for 5 more minutes. Remove and set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the filling ingredients. Cut the core from the cabbage and finely chop. Slice the leeks. Grate 4 ounces of Irish cheddar cheese. Crumble the bacon. Finely chop the dillisk.

Place 2 Tablespoons of the butter into a deep frying pan over medium heat. Add the cabbage, leeks and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook until cabbage begins to wilt, 5 -6 minutes.

Add the milk, dried mustard powder and the bay leaf to the pan. Stir to combine and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat. Cook for 20 -25 minutes.

Once the potatoes are ready, cut them in half lengthwise and carefully scrape the potato flesh out of the skins into a bowl, leaving 1/4 inch thick shell. Try to keep the skins intact as you will be refilling them. Place the skins on the baking sheet and place in a warm oven while you are finishing the filling.

Pass the potato flesh through a ricer into the bowl of a stand mixer. You can just mash with a potato masher if you wish, but a ricer will yield and much more creamy mash. Add two tablespoons of the butter and mix on low. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cabbage and leek mixture to the potatoes, discarding the bay leaf. Again mix on low to combine. Slowly add the reserved milk from the cabbage mixture until your mash achieves the desired texture.

Add the cheese and 2/3rd of the crumbled bacon and mix until combined. Taste and season with kosher salt and black pepper.

Remove the warm potato shells from the oven and spoon the potato mixture into them. Dot each stuffed potato skin with 1/2 Tablespoon of butter. Turn the oven back up to 375 F and bake for about 20 minutes, or until the edges are browning and the filling is hot.

Remove from oven. Transfer to serving platter and top with reserved bacon, chopped chives, flaky sea salt and the chopped dillisk.

Enjoy!

Useful links for Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Colcannon Twice Baked Potatoes:

Dillisk

Travel Planning Guide:

Getting there: Icelandair! We love Icelandair and have always had great experience with them. Icelandair flies to Dublin, Ireland. Take advantage of their Stopover program on your next flight to Europe.

Car Rental: New Way Car Hire – Love the all-inclusive pricing on these cars as well as the Dublin Airport pickup!

The English Market – Don’t visit Cork without stopping by The English Market! This 18th Century covered market is chock full of fresh local produce as well as many international delights! A must see!

Pubs & Grub:

Jackie Lennox’s Chip Shop

An Spailpín Fanac – great pub. Take note of opening hours. Doesn’t open until 6 -7 pm.

Hotels:

The River Lee Hotel – I didn’t actually stay overnight in Cork on this trip. But when we visit in the future – I’ve my eye on the River Lee Hotel. Looks awesome and is in a great location!

St. Patrick’s Day Round-up 2023

Oh my goodness ya’ll…St. Patrick’s Day is only 7 days away. Tomorrow I will be starting my annual St. Patrick’s Day blog-a-thon. Yup, I’ll be sharing one lovely Irish-y recipe everyday with you, right up to the big day Thursday March 17th! And this year it’s going to be just a wee bit extra. I was fortunate enough to visit Ireland between last St. Patrick’s and this. Hadn’t been there in ten years, so a visit was well past due! So not only will I be sharing a bunch of delicious recipes, but I will also share a travel pic or two as well as some travel recommendations just to inspire you all the more. So make sure you tune in daily!

My First View of Ireland in 10 years!

Now I think managing to publish one recipe daily for six days straight is a pretty impressive feat. But, a few years ago I was completely mad and used to start on March 1st and do a new recipe each day until March 17th. That is why you can find over 100 delicious St. Patrick’s Day recipes on my blog. If you’d like to take a peek at my past St. Patrick’s Day posts, you can click Runcible Eat/Recipes up at the top navigation bar and scroll down to the St. Patrick’s Day category. That’s where you’ll find them! And stay tuned here for my latest additions this year. Today I thought I might inspire you with some of my favorite St. Patrick’s Day dishes from years past. I’d like to first remind you of the dishes on deck last year in case you missed them:

Vegetarian Cottage Pie and Brown Bread

Irish Whiskey Cake

Guinness Punch

Whiskey Butter Tarts

Baileys Tres Leches Cupcakes

And I’ll follow up with some bread:

Classic Irish Soda Bread

Theresa’s Prize-Winning Scones w/Strawberry Jam & Clotted Cream

Struan

Classic Irish Soda Bread, Theresa’s Scones & Struan

And here are some drool worthy mains:

Chicken Skink

Guinness Braised Beef Sandwiches on Waterford Blaa

Irish Ale Potato Cheddar Soup w/Beer Battered Leeks

Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage Soup

Dublin Coddle

Guinness Beef Stew

Irish Stew

Smithwick’s Beef & Cheddar Pies

Chicken Skink, Guinness Beef Sandwiches, Potato Cheddar Soup, Corned Beef & Cabbage Soup, Dublin Coddle, Guinness Beef Stew, Irish Stew, Smithwicks Beef & Cheddar Pies

I wouldn’t want to forget the sides:

Corned Beef & Irish Cheddar Potato Nests

Champ

Corned Beef Potato Nests & Champ

And now for the decadent desserts:

Baileys Bite sized Cheesecakes

Chocolate dipped Baileys Pistachio Shortbread

Guinness Pretzel Truffles

Guinness Chocolate Chip Cookies

Baileys Salted Caramel Pots de Crème w/Baileys Whipped Cream

Baileys Cheesecakes, Baileys Shortbread, Guinness Truffles, Guinness Chocolate Chips, Baileys Pots de Crème

And last but not least….something to wash it all down with:

Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail

Guinness Hot Chocolate topped w/ Homemade Guinness Marshmallows

Whiskey & Orange Oat Cream Toddy

Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail, Guinness Hot Chocolate, Whiskey Toddy

Is your mouth watering yet? Quite the galleries of goodies if I do say so myself. And there are many more recipes to be found on my blog as well as seven new ones starting tomorrow! Along with some lovely pictures of the Emerald Isle and my travel recommendations. Don’t miss out!

Balmoral Chicken & Creamy Whisky Gravy with Clapshot (Tatties & Neeps)

Here we are in January already! The end of January actually. Seems all I’m thinking about is “I better start on a diet, as well as those taxes?” Sheesh! That’s no fun at all. But there is something that cheers me up every year without fault. At this time of year my thoughts always turn to Scotland. That’s right- January 25th, which is coming soon, is the birthday of Robert Burns. Robert Burns was born in 1759 and is regarded as the National Poet of Scotland. On January 25th folks throughout the world, though especially in Scotland, will be remembering him with a Burns Night Supper. And ya’ll. This year I pulled the trigger. Seriously. I did it. I ordered a Haggis!!! What is a Burns Night Supper without a wee Haggis? So this year I am thrilled to share this recipe for Balmoral Chicken! What you’ve got here is a moist tender chicken breast wrapped up in salty country bacon and stuffed with haggis. This succulent dish is served with a lovely Cream Whisky Gravy and a side of Clapshot. (An Orkney spin on Mashed Tatties and Neeps.)

When I was prowling around the internet looking for this years Burns Night offering, I came across many dishes featuring haggis. I was under the false impression that I would not be able to source a haggis here in Virginia. For those of you who might be thinking “What the heck is a haggis”? Well, haggis, the national dish of Scotland, is a savory pudding which contains sheep heart, liver and lungs along with oatmeal, suet and spices. Traditionally it was cooked within a sheep stomach but now artificial casings are often used instead. Authentic Scottish Haggis has been banned from import to the United States since 1971 as the USDA objected to the sheep’s lungs ingredient. This has led to a select group of American firms producing lung free haggis. And what do you know, but one of those firms is located just one state away from me. The Scottish Gourmet USA is located in Greensboro North Carolina. They import everything from Scotland from shortbread to smoked salmon to sweet heather honey ANNND…since they can’t legally import haggis, they taught a French sausage maker to make a crumbly delicious haggis from American lamb, onions, Scottish oats and a special blend of spices. Woohoo! I ordered it online and they shipped it right out to me. I can not tell you how priceless the look was on the Husbands face was when he saw the box and asked “Scottish Gourmet?” and I simply replied “My haggis has arrived!”

Now for those of you feeling a bit queasy, all I can say is “Man up!” Don’t knock it til you try it! Have you ever eaten a hot dog? Bet some of those ingredients can be a bit suspect. How about scrapple, hmmm? For many, haggis is an integral part of a Burns Night Supper. According to custom, the haggis should be placed upon a silver platter and paraded into the room with a bagpiper before Robert Burns’ poem Address to a Haggis is recited and the dish is theatrically cut with a ceremonial knife and served as the main course. Yes, Robert Burns will be forever linked with the haggis which he refers to as “the great chieftain of the pudding-race”. Clearly he was quite fond of it. I’ve actually eaten haggis in Scotland, well I had a Haggis Hot Dog once as well as some haggis on a pizza and definitely enjoyed it. And this Balmoral Chicken, wrapped in bacon and stuffed with haggis is very tasty if I do say so myself!

But if you are terminally squeamish and just can’t stand the though of it, I do have some alternatives you might want to try. I’ve actually posted quite a few tasty Burns Night dishes in the past. Last year I told you about this amazing Ecclefechan Butter Tart. This rich, scrumptious delight is chock full of nuts and warm cinnamon spiced fruit all wrapped up in a buttery whisky caramel.

The year before, there was this gorgeous Cock-a-leekie Pie:

And remember my  Steak Auld Reekie served over Crispy Tatties & Neeps:

Or how about these Scottish Pies with Mushy Peas? This post is really fun because it is one of my travel postings telling you all about a fun trip that we took to Glasgow a few years ago.

And if you are intrigued by Scottish travel – just take a look at these Scottish Oat Cakes which are featured in my post about our journey to Lerwick in the Shetland Islands for their annual Up Helly Aa celebration, which is a Viking Fire Festival. How exciting it that?!! 

But back to more Burns Night recipes, how about some infamous Scotch Eggs:

Perhaps you would like your Scotch eggs deviled?

Or maybe nestled within a meat pie?

If pie is not your thing (and I have no idea what you’re like if it isn’t…), how about this Cock-a-leekie Soup:

which I served with delicious, crusty Struan. Struan, also known as Celtic Harvest Bread, is thought to have taken its name from a town in Western Scotland called Struanmoor, on the Isle of Skye. It was originally enjoyed once a year as a harvest bread, using whatever grains were available from the previous day’s harvest. This is my absolute favourite bread, so it is almost always available in my house. It toasts up particularly brilliantly.

And for dessert maybe you’d enjoy this Dundee Cake with Hot Whiskey Marmalade

I think you get the picture. My blog is chock full of inspirational tasty Scottish dishes! A Burns Night cornucopia if you will. And let me add another delicious tidbit to the list with today’s offering: Balmoral Chicken. This relatively modern Scottish dish takes its name from Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire, a vacation home for British royalty since 1852. Though truth be told, I couldn’t find any direct connection between the recipe and the estate.

I’ve also seen this dish referred to as Highland Chicken. What ever you want to call it, this winner entree consists of a tender juicy chicken breast stuffed with haggis and wrapped in smoky salty bacon, served with lashings of creamy whisky gravy. As well as with a hearty helping of Clapshot on the side.

“Oh no…” I can hear you saying. First “haggis” now “Clapshot”. Clapshot is just Tatties & Neeps with some onions thrown in. Yeah, I can just imagine your eyes narrowing in frustration – “Tatties & Neeps?” you might query. Yup, that’s Potatoes and Turnips. Except…what the Scots are referring to when they say Neeps or turnips are not the white turnips we might think of here in the States. They mean Swedish Turnip, which is also called Swede, which we call a Rutabaga. So Clapshot, which hails from Orkney, is a marvelously delicious creamy dish of buttery mashed potatoes and rutabagas shot through and topped with fried onions and chives. This is the perfect side for this Balmoral Chicken but would also be stunning with any Burns Night main dish you choose to serve.

So on January 25th I hope you will make some of these fine Scottish dishes that I shared with you today and join me in raising a wee dram and toast to Robert Burns, Scotlands favorite son.

Balmoral Chicken with Creamy Whisky Gravy & Clapshot

recipe from: Balmoral Chicken from Scottish Gourmet, Creamy Whisky Gravy slightly adapted from Delicious Magazine and Clapshot from The Scotsman

Ingredients:

For the Balmoral Chicken:

• 2 large Chicken Breasts, pounded flat
• 1 lb. Haggis, thawed and divided in 1/2
• 10 Bacon Strips, uncooked

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place a 2 sheets of cling film or saran wrap on your work surface. Lay 5 pieces of the uncooked bacon side by side, just barely overlapping on the plastic wrap. Cover the bacon strips with the chicken breast which has been pounded flat. Transfer half of the haggis down the center of the chicken.

Roll one end of the bacon and chicken over the haggis and continue to roll it as tightly as you can. Place the roll in the center of the plastic film and wrap it up tightly. Twist the ends of the wrap and place the roll seam side down in the refrigerator. Repeat with the second bacon chicken roll.

Let the rolls chill in the refrigerator for at least thirty minutes to maintain the shape.

When you are ready to bake, remove the plastic wrapping and place both rolls seam side down in a baking dish.

Bake for 1 hour. Let cool for a few minutes and then slice and serve.

For the Whisky Cream Gravy:

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon flour
• 150 ml chicken stock, warmed
• 200 ml heavy cream
• handful of thyme leaves
• 50 ml Scottish Whisky

Directions:

Melt two tablespoon butter in a sauce pan. Scatter the flour over the melted butter and whisk to combine. Slowly add the warmed chicken stock, whisking the entire time. Add the heavy cream and thyme leaves. Cook until the gravy thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and then add 50 ml (or more if the spirit takes you) good quality whisky.

For the Clapshot (Tatties & Neeps):

• 1 small swede (rutabaga), roughly 500 grams
• 3 medium potatoes, roughly 500 grams
• 1 medium onion
• small bunch of chives
• butter (2 -4 tablespoons)
• creams or milk
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg

Directions:

Peel the swede and the potatoes. Cut them into even sized cubes. Place both vegetables in salted water in separate pans. Boil them until they are fork tender. Drain the water and let them sit for 5 minutes or so to cool.

While the vegetable are cooking, peel the onion and slice it as thinly as you can. Fry the onion in a couple tablespoons of butter until it is golden brown. Set aside.

Rice the swede and potato pieces into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. You can just place the whole pieces in the bowl of a stand mixer, but I always use a ricer as I like the creamy consistency it provides. Add a knob of butter as well as a bit of milk or cream. Mix on medium for one minute. Add more butter and/or cream until you reach the desired consistency. Add a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste.

Mix 2/3 of the fried onions in to the potato/swede.

Place in serving bowl, top with chives and the remaining fried onion.

Enjoy!

Links for helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Balmoral Chicken, Creamy Whisky Gravy & Clapshot:

Kitchen Aid Artisan Stand Mixer

Oxo Good Grips Stainless Steel Potato Ricer

Scottish Gourmet USA – your one stop shop for all things Scottish! They ship! If you hurry you might even be able to get that Haggis expressed shipped by Wednesday. Or be way ahead of the game for next year. Their haggis freezes quite well!

Vegetarian Cottage Pie

Now here we go! Comfort food at it’s finest! Today I give you – Vegetarian Cottage Pie! This mouthwatering pie is chock full of a savory mix of Guinness drenched french lentils, leeks, mushrooms, carrots and peas and topped with dreamy creamy crunchy tangy mashed potatoes! I swear you will not miss the meat at all!

You can pretty much find Shepherd’s Pie on most menus of any Irish pub you visit. Technically Shepherd’s Pie is made with lamb. If it doesn’t have lamb, such as the lamb shoulder found in Chef Cathal Armstrong’s pie that I shared with you a few years ago:

Or lamb mince, like Chef Gordon Ramsey prefers:

then it is called a Cottage Pie.

Today’s dish gets rid of the meat altogether, instead letting a melange of mushrooms and hearty thyme flavored Le Puy lentils stand in, and might I add, steal the show!

The Mashed Potato topping used here is superb as well, with sour cream and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese providing a delightful tangy umami taste. Those flavor packed potatoes get even more magical when baked as you get a crispy crunch, followed with the creamy interior in every forkful.

Just so you know, the Husband has proclaimed this his favorite, over all of the Shepherd/cottage pies he has every sampled. High praise ya’ll! You simply must make this for your St. Patrick’s Day party!

• Servings: 4 - 6
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe adapted from: Samantha Seneviratne via New York Times Cooking

Ingredients:

For the mash topping:

• 2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 3 large)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup whole milk
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup packed grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano is not vegetarian, so if you are strict vegetarian and not just doing a Meatless Monday, make sure you use a vegetarian cheese) or vegetarian Parmesan, divided
•  Freshly ground black pepper

For the filling:

• 3/4 cup french lentils (you can use other lentils, but I prefer Le Puy, which hold their shape with cooking)
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 8 ounces sliced mixed mushrooms, such as button, cremini, and shitaake
• 1 large leek, white part only, thinly sliced (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
•  Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 can of Guinness Beer (14.9 ounces)
• 1 can of le sueur small peas (8 ounce) drained

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375° F.

In a large pot, bring a gallon of water and 2 tablespoons salt to a boil over high heat. Add potatoes to boiling water and boil for about 15 to 20 minutes, until fork tender. Drain potatoes well. Using a potato ricer, rice the potatoes into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium low for one minute. In a small saucepan or a microwave oven, heat 6 tablespoons of the butter and milk together until butter melts. Add the hot butter mixture to the potatoes and beat until just combined. Add the sour cream and beat until smooth. Set aside 1 Tablespoon of the 1/2 cup of Parmigiano, then add the remaining amount to the potatoes. Mix on medium high until creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and set aside.

Place the lentils, thyme and 2 cups of the broth in a large sauce pan over medium high heat. Bring to a simmer with 1 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat and continue to cook the lentils, partly covered, until they are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Transfer the lentils to a bowl and set aside.

Melt the butter in the 10-inch skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until they are deep golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add leeks, carrots and garlic, and continue to cook until tender, another 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking until it is well combined, another 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over the mixture, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the can of Guinness, cooked lentils and drained can of peas. Cook until thickened. Remove thyme stems.

Transfer lentil filling to a 2 quart casserole dish or 11″x7″ baking dish. You could use a 13″x9″ dish if you prefer but I prefer to use a smaller pan so the the filling layer is deeper. Dollop the mashed potato topping over the filling and spread into an even layer. Or add the potatoes to a piping bag with a star tip and pipe a fancy design over the top as I did. Sprinkle the 1 Tablespoon of remaining Parmigiano over the top. Place the dish on a parchment paper lined baking tray and transfer to the oven. Bake the pie until the potatoes have begun to brown and the edges are bubbling, about 30 minutes. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Spiced Beef Sandwiches

Spiced beef is more of a Christmas/New Years tradition in Ireland, but I thought it would be fun to include here. I mean, I don’t think there are any Spiced Beef Police who would take you into custody if they saw you serving it on St. Patrick’s Day. It is always served cold, cut in thin slices, and often accompanied by brown bread & mustard or chutney. Here I’m serving it as little two bite, quartered sandwiches on that Honey-Oat Pain de Mie I just told you about, slathered with spicy mustard.

So what, you may ask, is spiced beef? Spiced Beef, or Mairteoil Spíosraithe in Irish, is sort of the cousin of Corned Beef or Pastrami I suppose. Basically it is beef which has been marinated for a week, or perhaps longer, in spices such as juniper berry, allspice, brown sugar and pepper and cured with some kosher salt and Sel Rose or curing salt. Many older recipes call for salt petre to do the curing, but that may be difficult to obtain due to its use in explosives. The Sel Rose or Prague Powder as it is sometimes called is what gives the finished beef such a rosy pink color. This spice marinated beef is then cooked in Guinness or a similar stout. In Ireland, come the Holiday season, you will see Spiced Beef in many butcher shop windows. Now a days it is not often cured at home, but purchased ready to cook. Each butcher’s recipe for the spice mixture/curing time is slightly different, which results in a lively debate about exactly whose is the best.

There is also a bit of a debate about where this dish originated. The author of the cookbook I cite below claims it is a Dublin tradition, (I believe he is from Dublin) whereas I was always told it was a Cork tradition (I went to university in Cork), so I’m not sure. But Chef Armstrong does mention that he remembers eating these spiced beef sandwiches on white bread with spicy English mustard after Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. I had just baked a gorgeous loaf of Honey-Oat Pain de Mie, which I told you about a couple of days ago and it worked out perfectly.

I think these sandwiches would do nicely along with a pint or two…And just think, maybe next year we can actually go out for some St. Patrick’s Day parades and festivities. You could whip these up ahead of time and have them waiting for when you stumble back home. Or perhaps you can serve them at Christmas. You’ll have plenty of time to gather your ingredients. Keep these tasty nibbles in mind for whichever Holiday strikes your fancy.

• Servings: 8
• Difficulty: easy - but remember to allow yourself enough time for the beef to marinate
• Print

recipe from: My Irish Table: Recipes from the Homeland & Restaurant Eve by Cathal Armstrong & David Hagedorn

Ingredients:

• 2 packed Tablespoons light brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Dublin Spice (see below)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons pink curing salt, such as Sel Rose or Insta Cure #1
• 3 lb. eye of round roast
• 1 bottle Guinness
• Pain de Mie or Sandwich Bread of your choice
• English Mustard for serving

Directions:

Season the beef:

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, spices, kosher salt and curing salt. With your hands, rub the spice mix all over the meat, creating a thick coating. Place the meat in a 2 gallon zip-top bag. Refrigerate for 1 week, rolling the meat around in the accumulated juices once per day.

Cook the beef:

Transfer the meat to a pot. Do not rinse the spices off. Pour the bottle of Guinness over it and add enough water that the meat is covered. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Lower the heat to medium, cover the pot and simmer for 3 hours, or until fork tender, but not completely falling apart. Remove the beef fro the heat and let it cool completely in its cooking liquid. Drain the meat and place in a clean storage container. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving. Tightly wrapped beef can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Serve the dish: Spread the bread slices with mustard and make sandwiches with the thinly sliced beef.

Enjoy!

***Dublin Spice: In a spice grinder, grind 2 Tablespoons of juniper berries into a fine powder. Transfer to a small bowl and combine with 3 Tablespoons ground black pepper, 2 Tablespoons ground allspice and 2 Tablespoons ground cloves. This will make about 1/2 cup – more than you need for this recipe. It can be stored in an airtight container for us to 3 months.

Links for helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Spiced Beef Sandwiches:

Pure Prague Powder #1

Coleman’s Original English Mustard

Cuisinart Spice & Nut Grinder

My Irish Table: Recipes from the Homeland and Restaurant Eve

St. Patrick’s Day Recipe Roundup!

Oh my goodness ya’ll…St. Patrick’s Day is only 7 days away. Tomorrow I will be starting my annual St. Patrick’s Day blog-a-thon. Yup, I’ll be sharing one lovely Irish-y recipe everyday with you, right up to the big day Wednesday March 17th! Now I think managing to publish one recipe daily for seven days straight is a pretty impressive feat. But, a few years ago I was completely mad and used to start on March 1st and do a new recipe each day until March 17th. That is why you can find over 100 delicious St. Patrick’s Day recipes on my blog. If you’d like to take a peek at my past St. Patrick’s Day posts, you can click Runcible Eat/Recipes up at the top navigation bar and scroll down to the St. Patrick’s Day category. That’s where you’ll find them! And stay tuned here for my latest additions this year. Today I thought I might inspire you with some of my favorite St. Patrick’s Day dishes from years past. We’ll start it off with some bread:

• 

  Classic Irish Soda Bread

• 

  Theresa’s Prize-Winning Scones w/Strawberry Jam & Clotted Cream

Classic Irish Soda Bread & Theresa’s Scones

And here are some drool worthy mains:

• 

  Chicken Skink

• 

  Guinness Braised Beef Sandwiches on Waterford Blaa

• 

  Irish Ale Potato Cheddar Soup w/Beer Battered Leeks

• 

  Crock Pot Corned Beef & Cabbage Soup

• 

  Dublin Coddle

• 

  Guinness Beef Stew

• 

  Irish Stew

• 

  Smithwick’s Beef & Cheddar Pies

Chicken Skink, Guinness Beef Sandwiches, Potato Cheddar Soup, Corned Beef & Cabbage Soup, Dublin Coddle, Guinness Beef Stew, Irish Stew, Smithwicks Beef & Cheddar Pies

I wouldn’t want to forget the sides:

• 

  Corned Beef & Irish Cheddar Potato Nests

• 

  Champ

Corned Beef Potato Nests & Champ

And take a peek at these decadent desserts:

• 

  Baileys Bite sized Cheesecakes

• 

  Chocolate dipped Baileys Pistachio Shortbread

• 

  Guinness Pretzel Truffles

• 

  Guinness Chocolate Chip Cookies

• 

  Baileys Salted Caramel Pots de Crème w/Baileys Whipped Cream

Baileys Cheesecakes, Baileys Shortbread, Guinness Truffles, Guinness Chocolate Chips, Baileys Pots de Crème

And last but not least…something to wash it all down with:

• 

  Irish Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail

• 

  Guinness Hot Chocolate topped w/ Homemade Guinness Marshmallows

• 

  Whiskey & Orange Oat Cream Toddy

Whiskey Marmalade Cocktail, Guinness Hot Chocolate, Whiskey Toddy

Is your mouth watering yet? Quite the galleries of goodies if I do say so myself. And there are many more recipes to be found on my blog as well as seven new ones starting tomorrow! Don’t miss out!

P.S. I tried to get links to the recipe added to the pictures, but with my limited skills, was unable to make it work. You can find links to the pictured recipes in the gallery captions. Sorry ’bout that!

Quick Chicken & Dumplings

Ha! It turns out that varmint was correct. Punxsutawney Phil for the win! It has been quite chilly around here, though if the weather forecasters are to be believed, we’re going to get a taste of Spring next week. But I’d be willing to bet it will just be a brief little sample and then it will turn cold again. No way winter is done with us yet. So ya’ll will be so happy you have this recipe to warm you up on those cold damp days to come – Quick Chicken & Dumplings. Comfort food at its finest and much easier to make than the traditional dish. What’s the secret? Store bought rotisserie chicken & gnocchi! You’ll have this hearty flavorful creamy dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.

Now I have made the traditional Chicken & Dumplings dish many times. It is kind of an all day affair to make, but it is so tasty with big, fluffy cornmeal dumplings The husband absolutely loves it!

So I wasn’t sure how he was going to feel about this shortcut version. But there was no need to fear. He loved this dish as well.

Those soft pillowy gnocchi do a wonderful job standing in for dumplings. And the good news is, it is not only absolutely delicious, but it is also very quick and easy to make. Meaning there is a good chance it will make it to the table much more frequently. So when the weather turns chilly again, as I know it will, you’ll be ready with a big pot of Chicken & Dumplings to lift folks spirits. You don’t even need to let them in on the secret “quick” bit. Winner, winner! Quick Chicken & Dumplings Dinner!

• Servings: 4-6
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: Alexa Weibel via NYT Cooking

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 medium carrots or 8 ounces butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
• 1 medium leek, trimmed, white and pale green portion halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 1 cup)
• 2 medium celery stalks, peeled and sliced 1/2-inch thick (about 2/3 cup)
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoon poultry seasoning (optional)
•  Kosher salt and black pepper
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 5 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 (16-ounce) package fresh or shelf-stable store-bought gnocchi
• ½ small (3-pound) store-bought rotisserie chicken, skin and bones discarded, meat torn into bite-size pieces (about 2 cups shredded meat)
•  Fresh tarragon, parsley or dill, for garnish

Directions:

In a large pot, melt the butter over medium. Add the carrots, leek, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme and poultry seasoning, if using. Season generously with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are slightly softened, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with the flour, then cook, stirring, 2 minutes. (This cooks the flour to soften its raw flavor.) Gradually stir in the stock and cream, and bring to a boil over high heat.

Once the mixture boils, stir in the gnocchi, reduce the heat to medium and cook until gnocchi and vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken in the last couple of minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide among bowls and top with fresh tarragon and more black pepper, if desired.

Enjoy!

Quick Chicken & Dumplings brought to you today by: Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Ground Beef Chili with Chocolate & Peanut Butter

So did I get your attention with that recipe title? I mean “Chili” will always make me look. We love chili around here. But when followed by Chocolate…hmmm that struck me as a bit strange. But then the wheels completely fell of my cart when I saw peanut butter. Peanut Butter?!!! Really?!!! Yup. Totally serious. Peanut. Butter. I could not wait to cook up a pot. And I’m very happy to share the recipe with you today. It is absolutely delicious! The mixture of spices and chocolate give it such a depth of flavor, a real richness and umami. And that peanut butter acts not only as a thickener, but also gives the most silky creamy texture. Comfort food perfection on a cold snowy day!

Today is February 1st. This particular day lies half way between Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. It is St. Brigid’s Day. Brigid is one of Ireland’s patron saints. According to Irish hagiography, she was an early Christian nun & abbess who preformed many miracles. She also shares the name with an important Celtic goddess which suggests that the early church might have adopted the legends of the goddess and transformed them into the Christian persona. Interesting huh? I don’t know how many of you folks out there remembered to put a scarf out last night. You see on St. Brigid’s Eve you should always place a scarf or other piece of fabric outside.

When Brigid passes over the land that night she will bless it. You then can fetch it back inside the next day and thanks to Brigid, it has the power to protect and heal headaches, sore throats and fevers throughout the coming year! What with all the Covid still rampaging around, I wasn’t going to take any chances. My little scarf was frozen solid this morning, but is happily thawing away now, freshly imbued with healing powers. Today also marks the festivals of Imbolc and Candlemas, both of which are associated with fertility, fire, purification and weather divination. And tomorrow, my favourite varmint, Punxsutawney Phil, will be stepping out of his burrow at Gobbler’s Knob and letting everyone know if there will be 6 more weeks of winter or if instead Spring is on the way.

One extraordinary rodent!

Right up until yesterday, much to my dismay, we really had not had any winter at all. But I woke up to snow yesterday! It snowed all day, all night and it is still snowing as I write this. Hooray! So if good ole Phil sees his shadow and we get more winter I’m fine, but even if he says Spring is coming, I will have at least had a tiny taste of winter. So this is quite an auspicious time of year! I’m very happy to be marking an event today as well. February 1st just happens to be the 10th year anniversary of  the my cooking blog! Yup… Ten years ago today I posted my first recipe. It was for Cream Tea Scones with Currants.

I’ve managed to do an anniversary post nearly every year since. Pretty impressive considering how slack I can be. Last year I posted about these scrumptious Morning Buns!

One of my favorite recipes that I shared with you on an anniversary was: Model Bakery’s English Muffins:

Then there were those decadent  Banana Rum Muffins:

That jaw-dropping, over the top Crack Pie:

And who can forget that magical “caviar of the South” – Pasture’s Pimento Cheese. Keep this one in mind for the Super Bowl!

And speaking of the Big Game, today’s Ground Beef Chili with Chocolate & Peanut Butter would certainly be a most welcome addition to your game day spread. You can even play a fun game with folks where you make them try to guess what the secret ingredients are in the chili. The whole time I was making it, I hid the recipe from The Husband. I just called it the “odd chili” with some mysterious ingredients. He did pretty well with his guesses. He got the chocolate pretty quickly. Not that it tastes like chocolate. It doesn’t. But he got that it was a dark richness to the dish. And although he did not guess peanut butter, he did comment on how creamy it was.

Although you can eat this chili on the day you make it, I usually try to allow it to sit in the fridge for a day or two after I make it. I find that the extra chill time allows the flavors to really blend and meld. I guess I always knew chocolate & peanut butter were two great tastes that taste great together. I mean Reese Cups have been telling us so for years. However, I would never have considered smashing a Reese Cup up and stirring it into my chili. But there you have it! So. Dang. Good.

• Servings: 4 - 6
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe from: Aaron Hutcherson via New York Times Cooking

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 8 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 3 canned chiles in adobo, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne (optional – we like it hot!)
• 2 pounds ground beef or ground dark turkey
• 1 (15-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
• 1 cup stout beer (I suggest Guinness…)
• 1 cup unsalted or low-sodium beef stock or chicken stock
• 2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed
• 4 ounces good dark chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• fresh lime juice ( 1 – 2 Tablespoons – optional)
• Any combination of tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream, fresh cilantro and diced avocado, for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion and salt and sautée until the onion starts to become translucent, about 5 minutes.

Add Chiles, cocoa powder and spices. Stir to mix ingredients together and cook for 1 – 2 minutes, just until the spices become fragrant.

Add ground meat and cook until cooked through, 5 – 7 minutes.

Add tomatoes and their juices, beer and stock to the pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the temperature to a simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the flavors meld.

Reduce heat to low and stir in the beans, chocolate and peanut butter. Stir until the chocolate has melted and the peanut butter is completely integrated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. If you think it is too sweet, you can add a bit of freshly squeezed lime juice.

Serve with tortilla chips, cheese, avocado, sour cream, fresh cilantro or perhaps white onion. Whatever toppings you prefer. I always make up a batch of Skillet Cornbread as well when I serve chili.

Enjoy!

Useful links for Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Ground Beef Chili with Chocolate & Peanut Butter:

Oxo Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

Le Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven

Chili in Adobo Sauce

Crafty Celts – Love that spoon in the chili pics above? You can get one for yourself at Crafty Celts where you will find handcrafted historically inspired bronze and silver jewelry, as well as gorgeous silverware. You might recognize some of their jewelry as it was featured in the Vikings television show.

Cock-a-Leekie Pie

Oh my gosh! Where has the time gone? I haven’t posted one little morsel since Halloween! How has that happened? It isn’t like I’ve been off traveling or even out of the house really – Thank you Covid! Yet somehow I’ve been busy. And here we are at January 25th, 2021! Well, at least I’m here now – whatever that may count for and I’m back with a delicious recipe! Cock-a-leekie Pie is Scottish comfort food at its finest.

This big hearty pie boasts a creamy chicken and leek filling which is shot through with savory crumbles of bacon all wrapped up in a perfect buttery flaky crust. Be still my heart!

And January 25th is perfect timing for a Scottish recipe. That’s right- today is the birthday of Robert Burns. Robert Burns was born in 1759 and is regarded as the National Poet of Scotland. On January 25th folks throughout the world, though especially in Scotland, will be remembering him with a Burns Night Supper. Indeed, this Cock-a-Leekie Pie would be a very welcome addition to any Burns Night Supper. I’ve actually posted quite a few tasty Burns Night dishes in the past. Like remember my  Steak Auld Reekie served over Crispy Tatties & Neeps:

Or how about these Scottish Pies with Mushy Peas? This post is really fun because it is one of my travel postings telling you all about a fun trip (remember when we used to be able to travel…) we took to Glasgow a few years ago.

And if you are intrigued by Scottish travel – just take a look at these Scottish Oat Cakes which are featured in my post about our journey to Lerwick in the Shetland Islands for their annual Up Helly Aa celebration, which is a Viking Fire Festival. How exciting it that?!! (Sadly, yet understandably, Up Helly Aa 2021 has been cancelled. Yup…thanks once again Covid.)

Back to more Burns Night recipes, how about some infamous Scotch Eggs:

Perhaps you would like your Scotch eggs deviled?

Or maybe nestled within a pie?

If pie is not your thing (and I have no idea what you’re like if it isn’t…), how about this Cock-a-leekie Soup:

which I served with delicious, crusty Struan. Struan, also known as Celtic Harvest Bread, is thought to have taken its name from a town in Western Scotland called Struanmoor, on the Isle of Skye. It was originally enjoyed once a year as a harvest bread, using whatever grains were available from the previous day’s harvest. This is my absolute favourite bread, so it is almost always available in my house. It toasts up particularly brilliantly.

And for dessert, could I possibly tempt you with Chranachan. (My Chranachan recipe has a more Irish bent, but that is easy to change. Just use a good Scottish Malt Whiskey rather than the Jamesons and skip the Bailey’s drizzle. This dessert is typically served in a tall glass, though I served it in little chocolate cordial glasses topped with raspberries once, which was quite fun.)

Or maybe you’d enjoy this Dundee Cake with Hot Whiskey Marmalade

I think you get the picture. My blog is chock full of inspirational tasty Scottish dishes! But let me get back to today’s offering: Cock-a-Leekie Pie.

The husband loves every sort of pie, but prefers the savory ones to the sweet. And he is over the moon for anything with leeks in it (must be his Welsh blood). So this pie is right up his alley. So hearty and filling. So creamy and savory. You might pause when you notice that prunes are in the ingredients, but don’t leave them out whatever you do. Their sweetness is a wonderful compliment to the silky leek chicken mixture and salty bacon.

Now I realize, I didn’t give you much time to get this recipe done for this evening. Sorry about that. I believe it was Robbie Burns who said:

The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men

Gang aft agley –

(Translation: The best laid plans of Mice and Men often go awry)

Robert Burns (To a Mouse)

So please do forgive me that once again my best laid plans have gang aft agley! If you can’t whip this up this evening, please do bake it when you can. Believe me, you won’t be sorry. And tonight, no matter what your dinner plans might be, join me in raising a wee dram and toast to Robert Burns, Scotlands favorite son.

• Servings: 6 - 8 people
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

recipe slightly adapted from: Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

• 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 3 slices bacon cut into ¼” pieces
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 leeks, white and pale-green parts only, thinly sliced into rounds
• 2 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped
• ½ cup quartered pitted prunes
• ⅓ cup all-purpose flour, plus more
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 batch of Perfect Flaky Pie Crust – recipe follows
• 1 egg – for brushing over top crust

Directions:

Make one batch of Perfect Flaky Pie Crust (recipe noted below). Place dough in refrigerator for at least one hour or up to two days.

Place a rack in lower third of oven; preheat to 375°. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook bacon until crisp, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spoon.

Season chicken with salt and pepper and cook in same skillet until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Add a splash of water to skillet. Cover, reduce heat, and cook until chicken is cooked through, 10–12 minutes, or internal temperature 165°. Transfer to a plate.

Add leeks to skillet, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add a splash of water, cover, and cook until leeks are very soft, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Shred chicken and add to leeks along with thyme leaves, prunes, and reserved bacon.

Melt remaining 4 Tbsp. butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in ⅓ cup flour and cook, whisking constantly, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Whisk in broth, adding a little at a time, until smooth. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 5–7 minutes. Mix sauce into leek mixture; season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Remove pie dough from refrigerator. Roll out 1 disk of dough on a lightly floured surface to a 14” round. Transfer to a 10” cast-iron skillet or a 9½”-diameter deep pie dish. Lift up edge and let dough slump down into dish. Trim, leaving a 1” overhang. Spoon filling into skillet. Roll out second disk of dough to 11” round. Drape over filling and trim to a 1” overhang. Fold overhang under; crimp with a fork or roll crust as I did. Cut a few vents in top; brush with egg.

Bake until crust is golden brown, 50–60 minutes. Let pie cool slightly.

Enjoy!

Perfect Flaky Pie Crust

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups (360 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup (227 grams) very cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (2 sticks)
• 6 tablespoons vodka (chilled)
• 2 Tablespoons ice water

Directions:

Mix 6 tablespoons of vodka and 2 tablespoons of water. Put in fridge or freezer (don’t forget it) to chill.

Add 1 1/2 cups of the flour and salt to a food processor. Pulse 2 to 3 times until combined.

Scatter butter cubes over flour and process until a dough or paste begins to form, about 15 seconds. (There should be no uncoated flour).

Scrape bowl, redistribute the flour-butter mixture then add remaining 1 cup of flour. Pulse 4 to 5 times until flour is evenly distributed. (Dough should look broken up and a little crumbly).

Transfer to a medium bowl then sprinkle 6 tablespoons of ice water/vodka over mixture. Using a rubber spatula, press the dough into itself. The crumbs should begin to form larger clusters. If you pinch some of the dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough falls apart, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of extra water/vodka and continue to press until dough comes together.

Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Work the dough just enough to form a ball. Cut ball in half then form each half into discs. Wrap each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months (just thaw it overnight in the fridge before using).

Cock-a-Leekie Pie brought to you today by Runcible Eats (www.leaandjay.com)

Links for Helpful Kitchen Tools & Ingredients for Cock-a-Leekie Pie:

OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale

Cuisinart Pro-Classic Food Processor