By Kathleen Carozza, MA, RDN, FAND
Did you know St. Patrick, while known as the patron Saint of Ireland, was born in England? He was taken to Ireland at age 16 as a slave. He was held for six years, working mostly as a shepherd. It is believed this is when he became a devout Christian and dreamed of converting and ministering to the Irish people. The day we celebrate as St. Patrick’s Day, March 17th is the day of his death in 461 CE.
Traditional Irish-American fare on St. Patrick’s Day includes corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread and dark Irish Stout. While cattle were always valued in Ireland for working the fields and for the dairy products they provided, beef did not become a popular food for the Irish until the 1600s. Corned beef, so called “corned” based on the size of the salt used in the brining process, which were the size of kernels of corn. Over the years corned beef and cabbage became associated with St. Patrick, especially in America.
Another popular food on Saint Patrick’s Day is Irish Soda Bread. Unlike yeast breads, Irish Soda Bread relies on baking soda activated by the acid in buttermilk for leavening. Traditional soda bread did not include raisins, or sugar. My favorite soda bread recipe, from an Irish neighbor in my old Keyport, NJ neighborhood does include them and adds baking powder as an additional leavening agent.
Irish Soda Bread
4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups of raisins (I like to mix dark and golden)
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups buttermilk
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 2-quart round casserole (or glass pie dish). Prepare a cutting board or pastry marble ready for kneading the dough with extra flour. Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in the butter using a pastry cutter or two knives until the pieces are like small peas. Stir in the raisins. Stir in the buttermilk and eggs. The dough will be sticky, knead about 8-10 strokes. Place in buttered casserole or pie pan. Cut an X in the top. Bake about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
For ideas and recipes of modern Irish fare, check out the Irish Nutrition and Dietetic Institute.
Sources
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Saint-Patricks-Day
https://www.history.com/topics/st-patricks-day/who-was-saint-patrick
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/is-corned-beef-really-irish-2839144/
