A St. Patrick’s Day Supper (without corned beef)
an Irish-inspired menu from appetizer to dessert
Somewhere along the way, we Americans decided that St. Patrick’s Day absolutely requires corned beef and cabbage. If you mention that in Ireland, you might be met with a polite smile and the sort of thoughtful pause that suggests they’re trying very hard to be gracious about it.
It’s not exactly wrong… it’s just not exactly Irish in the way we tend to think it is.
At some point in the distant past, my Irish ancestors decided a three-month journey across the Atlantic sounded preferable to starving at home.
Since I’m here because of that bold decision, I consider myself entirely justified in celebrating St. Patrick’s Day — preferably by cooking far too much food.
And if my ancestors crossed an ocean in search of a good meal, the least I can do is set the table properly once a year.
What you’re far more likely to find on an Irish table is something warm, practical, and deeply comforting — good bread still warm from the oven, salmon dressed simply with herbs, a hearty pie tucked beneath creamy mashed potatoes, and something sweet to finish. In other words, real food. The kind meant to gather around. The kind that encourages people to sit down and stay awhile.
And since we’re clearing up a few things, let’s talk pie for a moment.
Shepherd’s pie is made with lamb — because shepherds tend sheep. Cottage pie is made with beef — the meal of the countryside cottages. For this meal, we’re firmly in cottage territory.
No sheep were consulted on this matter.
So instead of chasing the holiday myth of corned beef and cabbage, I’m sharing a table inspired by the kind of supper that simply feels right — warm, generous, and built around dishes that invite people to linger.
I’ve always liked the idea that a meal begins before anyone sits down. A sideboard quietly filled with glasses, plates, and a few cheerful shamrocks feels like an invitation — a small promise that something good is about to happen in the kitchen.
And if history is any guide, there will probably be butter involved.
Also, it gives people somewhere to hover while asking,
“Is it ready yet?”
The table leans into simple greens and a scattering of shamrocks — nothing too elaborate, just enough to hint at the holiday. A table doesn’t have to be fancy to feel welcoming. It simply has to suggest that someone cared enough to set it.
Candles and cloth napkins help.
Butter helps even more.
Irish Whiskey–Cured Salmon
Every good meal needs a beginning, and this salmon makes a lovely one. Light, flavorful, and just a little elegant, it pairs beautifully with brown bread and a few simple accompaniments.
The whiskey cure adds depth without overwhelming the fish, while fresh dill keeps everything bright.
It’s the sort of appetizer that encourages people to say something polite like,
“Oh, I’ll just try a small piece.”
And then quietly come back for another while pretending no one noticed.
Irish Whiskey–Cured Salmon
1 skin-on salmon fillet (about 1 3/4 lbs.) pin bones removed
2 T. Irish whiskey
1/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 T. salt
Toppings:
whole grain bread
coarse grain mustard
crème fraiche
thinly sliced red onions
capers
Line a rimmed baking sheet with plastic wrap. Rinse salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange salmon, skin side down, on the prepared baking sheet; brush with whiskey.
Combine brown sugar and salt in a small bowl; rub mixture over salmon. Wrap plastic wrap securely around salmon. Cover with another sheet of plastic wrap.
Place a second baking sheet on top of salmon, then place a heavy skillet or several cans on top to weigh it down. Refrigerate salmon for 48 to 72 hours.
Remove top baking sheet. Unwrap salmon and rinse under cold water to remove any remaining salt mixture. Pat dry with paper towels. Slice the salmon very thinly and serve with bread and desired toppings.
Refrigerate leftover salmon for up to 2 days.
Recipe from Irish Favorites by PIL Cookbooks (www.pilcookbooks.com)
Irish Soda Bread
If there is one aroma guaranteed to make a kitchen feel like home, it’s fresh bread coming out of the oven.
Soda bread is wonderfully unfussy — no yeast, no waiting around for dough to rise, just a quick mix, a slash across the top, and into the oven it goes. The cross traditionally cut into the loaf is said to let the fairies escape.
Personally, I suspect it simply makes the bread easier to slice.
But in the off chance a few fairies do get loose in the kitchen, I suppose that’s not the worst thing either. Perhaps they’ll help with the dishes.
Irish Soda Bread
Remember to wrap the bread in a clean dish towel as it cools. The steam will be trapped and helps to soften the crust so it isn’t quite so hard.
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 - 3 T. sugar
1 1/2 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1 1/2 - 1 3/4 cup buttermilk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
Stir in enough buttermilk to make a stiff dough.
Lightly flour a baking sheet and turn the dough onto it, shaping it into a large round. Slash the surface with a sharp knife to make an “X” about an inch deep across the loaf.
Alternatively, place the dough into a greased cast iron skillet and smooth the top with the back of a spoon or spatula. Mark the “X” as above.
Bake 35–45 minutes, until golden and crusty. A tester should have only a few crumbs clinging to it, and the bread should sound hollow when the bottom is tapped. (If it doesn’t, return the loaf directly to the oven rack and bake 5–10 minutes more.)
Remove from the oven, wrap in a clean tea towel, and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Cottage Pie
Cottage pie is comfort food in its purest form. A savory mixture of beef and vegetables tucked beneath creamy mashed potatoes and baked until the top turns golden and just slightly crisp.
It’s the sort of dish that makes a room go quiet for a few minutes while everyone concentrates on their plate.
Which, in my experience, is the highest compliment a cook can receive.
Cottage Pie
1 1/2 pounds of ground beef (or lamb)
1 medium onion, diced
1 large carrot, grated (or finely chopped)
1 t. chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 T. butter
2 T. all-purpose flour
2 T. tomato paste
1 cup beef stock
1 T. Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup green peas (cooked, fresh, or frozen)
6 cups mashed potatoes
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. and lightly grease a 3-quart casserole dish.
Brown the beef (or lamb) in a large skillet over medium heat, 8 - 10 minutes. Spoon off and discard fat. Push the meat to one side and cook the onion, carrot, and thyme for 5 - 6 minutes, until the onions are just turning translucent.
Push the onions and carrots to one side and melt the butter. Whisk the flour into the butter and then add in the tomato paste. Stir everything in the pan together.
Add the stock and Worcestershire and cook for 5 - 7 minutes, until thickened. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the peas.
Turn the meat into the prepared dish and spoon the potatoes on top. Run the tip of a fork over the potatoes to make furrows or peaks the top will brown nicely. If desired, sprinkle cheese on top.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until the filling is bubbling, and the potatoes are browned.
From Real Irish Food by Dave Bowers
Of course, the hardest part about cottage pie is waiting long enough to let it rest before serving.
The second hardest part is pretending you only planned to have one helping.
At this point in the evening, someone will usually look at me and say, “You know… you could have stopped cooking an hour ago.” And then immediately add, “But I’m very glad you didn’t.”
The Irish Horseman
A good St. Patrick’s Day supper deserves a proper toast, and the Irish Horseman is a cheerful one. A little whiskey, a little sparkle, and suddenly everyone is feeling very festive.
It’s not complicated.
Then again, the best drinks rarely are.
Irish Horseman
1 1/4 oz. Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey
1/4 oz. Triple Sec
1/2 oz. sweetened lime juice
1 - 2 dashes Chambord or raspberry liqueur
Combine the first three ingredients in a cordial glass with crushed ice and stir. Add one to two dashes of the raspberry liqueur. Serve immediately.
From Bartending for Dummies
Apple Cake with Yogurt Glaze and Irish Coffee
Dessert finishes the evening with apples, spice, and a warm Irish coffee on the side.
It’s the kind of ending that encourages people to linger at the table, perhaps telling one more story before someone finally pushes their chair back and says they simply couldn’t eat another bite.
Which, in my experience, usually means they will.
By this point in the evening, no one seems to be in any particular hurry to leave the table.
Apple Cake with Yogurt Glaze
3 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 t. vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
4 cups sliced, cored, peeled tart apples (McIntosh or Crispin)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat egg whites until slightly foamy; add sugar, applesauce, and vanilla. Combine flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl; add to applesauce mixture. Spread apples in a 13 x 9 pan sprayed with cooking spray. Spread batter over apples. Bake 35 - 40 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean; cool on wire rack. Top with yogurt glaze.
Yogurt Glaze: Combine 1 1/2 cups plain or vanilla non-fat yogurt, 3 T. brown sugar, and 1 t. vanilla. Stir together until smooth.
The dishes may be finished, but the evening never seems to end quite as quickly as the food does.
A Final Thought
St. Patrick’s Day doesn’t have to be loud or elaborate to be memorable.
Sometimes the best way to celebrate is simply by setting the table, sharing a meal, and raising a glass with the people around you. Good food has always had a way of doing what holidays are meant to do — bringing people together, slowing things down, and reminding us that a simple supper can feel like something special.
And if someone still insists on corned beef and cabbage…
Well.
There’s always next year.
Or at the very least, there’s always another slice of apple cake.
Go dtí an chéad uair eile ☘️
Lolly
That salmon looks to die for! We eat a lot of grilled salmon in the summer, but I need to give this a try!