Balnamoon Skink, Irish Hunter's Pie and Berry Buttermilk Cobbler for St Patty's Day

Serves 4 to 6

Cooking Times:

Preparation time:  15 minutes
Cooking time:  35 minutes

For the main course, I chose to do a somewhat traditional Hunter’s Pie.   I suppose this is very similar to a Shepherd’s Pie, but also very different in that the mashed potato actually encases the meat from all sides, like a pie crust.

Buttery mash lines the pie dish and up the sides.   It’s filled with simmered lamb chops.  I chose to cut the meat from the bone as I didn’t feel anyone would enjoy bone in their meal.

The simmering juices from the lamb are blitzed to a smooth and rich gravy, some of which is poured into a hole in the top of the pie when you are ready to serve, with the remainder being passed at the table in a gravy boat.  All you need on the side are some simple vegetables.

Normally I would have chosen cabbage and carrots, but we have a cabbage hater in the house at the moment and so I did peas.  All in all it made for a very delicious main course, that everyone enjoyed!  If you have some soda bread left, it would be nice to pass it at the table as well.  You could also  bake this in individual pie dishes, which is what I did on the day, so everyone had their own individual pie.

I am not sure why this is called Hunters Pie, as I am pretty sure people were not out hunting lamb. In any case, it is Irish, delicious and simple to make.  In many parts of Ireland, mashed potato was used for pies in preference to pastry.  For this dish Lamb Chops are simmered along with vegetables and stock until tender.   The tender meat is placed between a crust of buttery potato and the simmering juices are blitzed until smooth to serve along side of the finished pie as a very flavourful gravy.

Cooking Instructions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*F/ gas mark 4.2.  Heat the oil or dripping in a frying pan and lightly brown the vegetables in it.   Scoop out and place into an oven proof dish.  Season the chops on both sides and brown them in the remaining fat, then place them on top of the vegetables in the oven proof dish.  Bring the stock to the boil and then pour it over all.  Cover tightly and then place into the oven.   Braise for 30 minutes, or until the chops are tender.3.  Scoop the chops out and allow them to cool.  Remove any bone and cut into chunks.

4.  Blitz any stock in the dish with a stick blender until smooth.  Set aside and keep warm.5.  Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until fork tender.  Drain well and mash with the butter.  Season to taste. 

6.  Use half of the potato to line a buttered 2 pint (2 cup) pie dish.  Press well to the side and base.  

7.  Place the lamb over top of the potato.

8.   Top with the remaining potato, roughing up the top a bit with a fork.  Brush with a little milk, and dot with butter if desired.9.  Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown.  

10.   Just before serving, makie a hole in the top of the pie and pour in some of the gravy.   Serve the remainder separately in a gravy boat.   Serve with some steamed carrots and peas. 

Ingredients:

 oil or drippings1 carrots, peeled and chopped1 onion, peeled and chopped1 stick of celery, trimmed and chopped8 lamb chops, wiped and trimmed1 pint of rich brown stock or gravy (2 cups)3 pounds of potatoes, peeled and quartereda walnut sized knob of buttersalt and black peppera little milk and butter (optional)To serve:  peas and carrots

Serves 4 people

Cooking Times:

Preparation time:  45 minutes
Cooking time:  30 minutes

(Click here for a Printable Recipe)

For Pudding I created a simple Berry Buttermilk Cobbler.  Buttermilk is a very popular milk in Ireland.  Over here in the UK, for the most part, you can only buy it in 425ml sized containers. (1 cup)  I was thrilled to find it in one litre containers in Ocado’s Irish Shop!  I know where I will be buying my buttermilk from now on!

For the cobbler you create a simple buttermilk batter . . .  spread it into a pan and then top it with a bag of frozen berries.

Like magic the berries sink to the bottom whilst the cake batter rises to the top . . .  the buttermilk makes it incredibly moist and delicious.

It’s also such a very simple dessert and can bake in the oven as you are enjoying your main course.  It bakes up quickly . . .  and is best served warm.

A simple custard created simply by whisking together refrigerated custard (again, an Irish brand from the Ocado shop) with some Irish Cream for that extra special little touch!

Frozen fruit baked into a buttermilk batter, served up warm,  with a simple custard flavoured with Irish Cream.  Not only is this simple to make, but also very quick.  You can have everything ready to mix together ahead of time and just do the final mixing at the last minute so that it can bake while you are enjoying your main course.  Everyone really enjoyed this.  It does make roughly twice what you will need to feed four people, but leftovers are never a problem around here and I think you will find it to be so delicious that they won’t be a problem around there either!

Cooking Instructions:

 1.  Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. 

2.  Butter a 9 inch round cake tin really well and set aside.  Alternately, spray with cake release spray.

3.  Beat the butter and 100g (1/2 cup) of sugar together in a bowl until light and fluffy.   Beat in the egg and the vanilla.  

4.  Sift together the flour, soda and baking powder.   Add to the wet ingredients and mix just to combine.  

5.  Gradually whisk in the buttermilk.  Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.

6.  Arrange the frozen fruit evenly over top of the batter.   Sprinkle with the remaining tablespoon of sugar.

7.  Bake for 30 minutes until lightly golden brown and cooked through.

8.  While the cobbler is baking make the custard.  Gently heat the custard through and whisk in the Irish Cream Liqueur.  Keep warm.

9.  Allow the cobbler to stand for 10 minutes before spooning out into heated serving bowls, along with some of the warm custard.

Ingredients:

65g of unsalted butter, slightly softened (1/4 cup)
100g plus 1 TBS for sprinking of Caster Sugar (1/2 cup, plus 1 TBS)
1 large free range egg
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
140g of plain flour (1 cup)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
125ml of buttermilk (1/2 cup)
1 bag (480g) frozen mixed berries, unthawed (12 ounces)

For the Custard:
1 large tub of ready made custard from the chiller cabinet
2 TBS Irish Cream Liqueur

Serves 8

Cooking times:

Preparation Time:  15 minutes
Cooking Time:  30 minutes

(For a Printable Recipe click here.)