When Irish palates are smiling

March 6, 2013 - PRLog -- For release Wednesday, March 6 or thereafter

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Three-time James Beard winner Judith Choate suggests you celebrate this year's St. Patrick's Day weekend by creating from scratch the best Irish brunch cake there is: soda bread, to be slathered with freshly whipped butter and homemade blackberry-brandy jam.

Her Irish soda bread goes down equally well with another easy-to-make jam of your choice or, after the parade, with her Irish Coffee.   Or save the soda bread for supper.  Choate’s ideal  St. Paddy’s Day meal starts  with canapés of thin-sliced dark bread topped with chive-dotted whipped butter under wafers of  smoked Irish salmon.  The soda bread is set out with her shepherd's pie and Irish creamed cabbage.

For dessert: Judith  Choate’s flourish on Irish oatmeal cookies.  You’ll find her jams in The Best Little Book of Preserves & Pickles; her other recipes are in A Reader's Cookbook, both published by Red Rock Press.

Irish Soda Bread with Homemade Whipped Butter

(one loaf)

Nothing sings of the Irish country side or tastes better on St. Patrick's day than a

freshly baked loaf of soda bread. It is even better served with homemade butter and jam.  

         2 cups whole wheat flour, sifted

         2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

         1 teaspoon baking soda

         ½ teaspoon salt

         1 cup dried currants

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

         Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

         Combine the whole wheat and all-purpose flour in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the baking soda and salt.  Add the buttermilk and, using your hands, pull the dry ingredients up and into the milk, mixing until well blended. Add the currants and continue mixing until they are well-distributed throughout the dough. The dough will be slightly sticky.

         Generously flour a clean, flat work surface.

         Scrape the dough out onto the floured surface and, using your hands, work the dough into a neat round shape. Turn it over and pat it out to about 2-inches in thickness.

         Transfer the round to the prepared baking sheet. Using a serrated knife, make a cross in the center of the loaf.

         Place the bread in the preheated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Lower the heat to 400°F and continue to bake for an additional 30 minutes or until the bread is nicely browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the top.

         Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly before cutting.

         Serve just barely warm with butter, and jam if you wish.

Homemade Whipped Butter

( about 1 cup)

         1 cup cold heavy cream, preferably organic and unpasteurized

         ½ cup ice water

         2 large ice cubes

         Salt to taste, optional

         Place the cream in a blender jar. Cover and whip at the highest speed.  When cream is whipped, add the ice water and ice. Cover and again whip at the highest speed for at least 2 minutes or until all of the cream has turned into butter particles.

         Pour the contents of the blender jar into a fine mesh sieve to drain. When all of the liquid has drained off, transfer the butter to a small bowl. If using, add the salt and knead it in with a wooden spoon.  

         Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

         Black Brandy Jam

         (Four  ½-pint jars*)

PRESERVING METHOD:

Open kettle

STORAGE:

Vacuum-sealed---l year    

Refrigerated---4 weeks

A perfect blending of fresh blackberries and brandy. This may be used whenever a fine preserve is required for celebrations.

4 ½ cups fresh blackberries

3 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

3 cups sugar

¼ cup blackberry brandy

Combine blackberries, lemon juice, and sugar in heavy saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring fre­quently. Raise heat and cook, stirring constantly, for about 20 minutes. Add brandy. Cook for an additional 10 minutes, or until mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and skim off foam with metal spoon. Immediately pour into hot sterilized jars and vacuum seal..

*If jam is not intended for immediate use, make sure to follow USDA sealing and storage guidelines, available for free in a Department of Agriculture pamphlet or online.