Traditional Irish Grandmother Dinner

Bacon and Cabbage

Sometimes in life when away from home we forget the finer things.  This is mostly because memory of taste fades with time.  One such things as a nice cup of tea and the humble Irish country dinner.

Your grandmothers dinner of bacon and cabbage and new potatoes is a food that will bring back fond memories for many.
In the 50s and 60s and fresh meat was always available to country folk relied on a preserved meat such as bacon to sustain them for most of the week.  Except Friday of course which in those days were meat free.
It is very much comfort food and the ingredients are readily available.

If we look at our neighbours in the UK they hold to their traditional food reasonable wells.  They have a adapted the humble  pie for every day use.  The pie is the ideal read made meal.   The Spanish and Portuguese  has completed loyal to Bacalhau which is dried salted cod.   Its was a staple diet in parts of those countries for many and and is still cooked on a regularly in a lot of households.
So I contend the Irish should be proud of there bacon and cabbage and spuds.   In fairness in other European countries bacon is practically non existent.  Their answer was to preserve pork which is a totally different product.
Here is a recipe from Donal Sheahan celebrate chef.

Serves 5
900g of Shoulder of bacon
1/2 head of savoy cabbage, sliced finely
2 Carrots, chopped
1 onion sliced
2 tablespoons of butter
A good pinch of sea salt and black pepper

Creamy Leek and Parsley Sauce:
2 tablespoons of butter (a generous knob)
2 tablespoons of flour
2 large leeks, sliced finely
100-150ml bacon stock
1 teaspoon of English mustard
A good handful of parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon of fresh cream

Remove the bacon from any packaging and place in a pot of cold water over heat.  Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 40 minutes or until cooked.  Remove from the water, place on a plate and set aside.  Save the bacon stock.

To make the creamy leek and parsley sauce, melt the butter in a sauce pot and sweat the leeks until soft but not coloured.  Add the flour, mixing to combine, then add a little of the bacon stock stirring until the sauce thickens.  Judge the consistency of the sauce by eye, and you may want to use a little more or less to your taste. Season with a little sea salt and black pepper and stir through the English mustard.

Keep warm until you have the consistency you require and then stir through the chopped parsley and tablespoon of cream.

To make the cabbage, melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat and add the onion and carrots, cooking until soft.  Add the cabbage to the pan and allow to wilt down slowly, turning every now and then until it has wilted down and become tender.

Serve the bacon in slices topped with the creamy leek and parsley sauce alongside the cabbage.  Sounds great the ideal meal for family of friends get together.  If your staying in a self-catering accommodation and friends have travelled from abroad to maybe a wedding this could be a great meal to share around the kitchen table.

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