From Glendalough (above) to Galway, cooks have cast Irish cuisine in a whole new light.

Irish Cuisine Turns the Tables on Culinary Stereotypes

St. Patrick’s Day is coming and you know what that means. It’s time for the Annual Feast of Culinary Stereotypes!

Once a year, sales of green food-dye soar in the U.S., evidenced by neon green bagels, chartreuse cupcakes, and acid-lime donuts. Meanwhile, Corned Beef and Cabbage (which originated in the U.S., not Ireland) will be dutifully served at Irish-themed parties.

Don’t  get me started about green beer and “shamrock” milkshakes. No wonder many people believe “Irish cuisine” is a contradiction in terms.

Forty Shades of Cuisine

But feast on this: To dine at one Michelin-starred or Bib Gourmand restaurant per day in Ireland, you’d need a 40-day vacation. You’d  travel from County Down in the North, along the Irish coast from Dublin to Cork to Galway, and across Ireland’s well-fed middle from Limerick to Kilkenny.

Grainne McMorrow and I share a feast of fish on Dublin’s Howth Peninsula.
© Joyce McGreevy

That’s just for starters. Because you needn’t carry loads of “green” to feast on great Irish cooking.

Oh, I see: Today’s Ireland is studded with culinary gems. From storied estates and castles to gastro-pubs, food trucks, and farmer’s markets, Ireland’s culinary renaissance offers something for every palate and budget.

Inish Beg Estate, Co. Cork typifies a “growing” trend toward organic food production.
© Joyce McGreevy

Recipe for a Culinary Renaissance

Only a few decades ago,  critics had their knives out, suggesting there was nothing so bad on Irish menus that Irish cookery couldn’t make it worse. The Ireland of today is a trend-setter, thanks to a whole new recipe:

1. Start with an island smaller than Indiana but bountiful in seafood, freshwater fish, and forage-able plants.
2. Add economic prosperity and strong support for organic farming.
3. Fire up keen interest in new ways of using traditional Irish ingredients.
4. Stir in meticulous technique and bold experimentation.
5. Season with cross-cultural inspiration.
6. Serve in as many creative ways and settings as possible.

Poached eggs at Glebe Gardens, Cork, make breakfast a culinary wake-up call.
© Joyce McGreevy

What’s on the Menu?

This year, ditch the green food-dye and treat yourself to a feast of today’s Irish flavors. Here’s a Travel Menu with options for home cooks:

Home cooks in Ireland celebrate local and cross-cultural ingredients and techniques.
  © Joyce McGreevy

Starters:  In Ireland, where appetizers are called “starters,” the best starter is a food tour. No matter which part of Ireland you visit, there’s a food trail worth following.

Or go straight to Chapter One (18-19 Parnell Square, Dublin). Michelin’s review says: “Good old-fashioned Irish hospitality meets with modern Irish cooking in this stylish restaurant beneath the Writers Museum…Boldly flavored dishes showcase produce from local artisan producers.”

Home cook’s starter: Vodka-Cured Salmon with Avocado Cream, Pickled Vegetables, and Horseradish Mayonnaise (The New Irish Table: Recipes from Ireland’s Top Chefs, edited by Leslie Conron Carola; Charlesbridge Publishing, Inc., 2017)

Gourmet Grocery: Fallon & Byrne, Dublin, “offering the season’s good stuff from land and sea.”

Wild smoked salmon with brown bread is the perfect St. Patrick’s Day appetizer.
© Carolyn McGreevy

Main course: Want the whole Irish enchildada? (Yes, Ireland’s reinvented enchiladas, too!) Take classes at Ballymaloe Cookery School, set on 300 acres of organic farmland in County Cork. Or head to Michelin-starred Loam in Galway for dishes like Lamb Shoulder, Turnip, and Damson fruit.

Home cook’s main course: Discover Allen’s marvelous take on traditional Shepherd’s Pie, made with roast duck and parsnips. Or savor Allen’s Wild Garlic & Potato Soup.

Gourmet Grocery: English Market, Cork City’s outstanding 18th century covered market.

Diners line up for savories at The Piemaker, Galway.
© Carolyn McGreevy

Dessert: Feast your eyes on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, then thrill your taste buds with Murphy’s Ice Cream. Founded in Dingle, Murphy’s also chills in Galway and Dublin. Flavors range from Rainwater Sorbets and Caramelized Brown Bread to Honey Lavender and Candied Chili Pepper.

Rhubarb meets edible flowers at Kai Café in Galway.
© Joyce McGreevy

Home cook’s dessert: Bake a “dark and majestic” Guinness cake (from Clodagh’s Irish Kitchen: A Fresh Take on Traditional Flavors, by Clodagh McKenna, Kyle Books, 2015).

Gourmet Grocery: McCambridge‘s, Galway, pleasing palates since 1934.

A luscious black walnut cake at Burren Café favors taste over symmetry.
© Joyce McGreevy

Irish Cuisine Made Easy

Most U.S. grocers stock Irish soda bread, Kerrygold butter, Dublin cheddar, Irish tea, and other Celtic fare. Add  easy-peasy Roast Root Vegetables, with or without chicken or Limerick ham. Then settle in to watch Dare to Be Wild (Netflix), easily the most gorgeous Irish movie you’ll ever see.

The diversity of dishes in Ireland surprises first-time visitors.
© Carolyn McGreevy

You’ll be glad you skipped the culinary stereotypes and sampled today’s Irish cuisine.

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