CRAFTconditioned

Yeah, I’m tardy in posting this, but I wanted to share it anyway.

It’s always interested me how the feast day of St. Patrick evolved from a minor religious holiday to a loosely culture-inspired piss up (not that this is the first time I’ve shared my thoughts on the holiday). However, while my tolerance for crowds of drunk people has diminished, I still love a good excuse to celebrate culture with booze. This year, I did so with the kitchen as my backdrop.

Over the course of a weekend, I explored beyond my usual whiskey and cream drizzled over oatmeal (trust me and try it!). I’m not sure these cooking experiments brought me closer to Ireland, but we certainly ate well! If you experiment with these dishes, let me know how they turn out for you.

Fish and cider

Leading up to the holiday, I had sold J on the idea of mashed potatoes with cabbage, a dish called colcannon. But what to pair it with? I decided to bake fish in cider.  I couldn’t find Magner’s Irish cider without running all over town, so I settled on a semi-sweet American cider with a similar flavor profile.

The prep was simple: Coat firm white fish filets, like haddock or cod, in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Place them in a baking dish and top with some minced shallot, chopped parsley, and a lemon slice per filet. You can also add a bit of butter per filet, if you like. Pour about a cup of cider over top (more or less depending on how many filets you make). Cover the dish and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until the fish is cooked through (about 20-25 min). Then set it uncovered under the broiler for a few minutes so the top gets lightly browned. When you serve it, you can spoon some of the cider sauce on top.

Whiskey and rice

For another meal, I revisited an old favorite that I haven’t made in years — risotto with smoked salmon and whiskey. The original recipe comes from a small book I’ve had for decades: Anna del Conte’s I Risotti: Risottos and Other Rice Dishes.

Yes, it’s as easily Scottish as it is Irish (bookmark it for St. Andrew’s Day on Nov. 30), but it’s both delicious and satisfying. And it’s fairly simple to make. A smoky whiskey like a Scotch or Connemara peated single-malt stands out a bit more than the Bushmills I used. Add too much, though, and the dish gets boozy and off-balanced.

I sauteed minced shallot with a pinch of salt in a large saucepan on medium heat. I then added about 1 1/4 cup arborio rice until it was partly translucent. I poured in about 3 oz. whiskey, stirring the rice for about 1 minute. Then I started ladling in the broth, which you should have simmering in a nearby pot — a vegetable or light chicken broth works best. As with any risotto dish, add one ladle-ful at a time as the rice starts to get dry. I used 5 cups of broth before the rice was al dente.

When the rice is done, toss in the smoked salmon pieces (keep them bite-size). I found that smoked salmon trimmings work well for this, and they tend to be a little less expensive. You can also add 2-3 oz. of heavy cream for extra richness, but it isn’t necessary. For extra depth of flavor, I recommend adding chopped dill (fresh is definitely better than dried) and a pinch of ground cayenne.

This is the type of food you need to serve immediately. Add a bit of grated Parmesan cheese to the top. You may also need to adjust the salt to your liking.

Risotto doesn’t reheat well, so I recommend turning leftovers into arancini. Mix an egg into the rice, form it into bite-size rice balls, roll them in bread crumbs or panko, and lightly fry them until they’re cooked through.