Traditional Irish Christmas recipes More Sharing ServicesShareShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on email To our ancestors, Irish Christmas recipes

didn't come in beautiful books filled with pretty pictures. They didn't need to. The winter festival was a time to celebrate using cooking methods that had been handed down, usually orally, through the generations. Christmas in Ireland : markets In the 18th and 19th centuries, The Margadh Mor the Big Market kickstarted the countdown to Christmas in Ireland. Its alternative name the Live market was perhaps a better description because this is where the fowl (turkeys, goose, hens) were sold alive. In the third week, the Dead Market took place. You can work out why. At this market, too, were bought new clothes, whiskey, sweets, tobacco and all the ingredients for a Christmas pudding. The latter, which bears little resemblence to the modern Irish plum pudding, was boiled on Christmas Eve after the home had been decorated with laurel, holly and ivy. Geese, ducks, great sides of beef, sheep and pork were turned on the roasting spit in the halls of chieftains in early Christian and medieval times. In later centuries, the spit had become the kitchen oven and, by the late 18th century, vegetables and fruits began to feature more heavily on the table during the Irish Christmas. Recipes using beef suet, mixed dried fruit and whiskey in cakes and puddings not terribly dissimilar to those that make an appearance on our modern festive tables every year started to acquire a seasonal status. Preparations began weeks in advance for these cakes and puddings. So, too, did the slaughter of cattle and pigs. The latter were shared out with others.

While the majority poor simply shared with their immediate family and neighbours, the traditional division among the gentry in the early 19th century was as follows: The head, tongue and feet: the blacksmith the small ribs attached to the hindquarters: the tailor; the kidneys: the doctor the udder: the harper the liver: carpenter the marrowbone: the odd-job man the heart: the cowherd a choice piece each: the midwife and the stableman black puddings and sausages: the ploughman.

To the gentry of Ireland, Christmas food meant enormous feasts of meats, fishes, vegetables, rich creamy sauces and all manner of sweet delicacies washed down with copious quantities of alcoholic refreshments. But to the majority of our ancestors, Irish Christmas recipes produced rather more hearty fare. While they were less rich than the foods enjoyed by those further up the social ladder, they were nonetheless exceptionally luxurious to the palate of a population that lived at subsistence level (or worse) for much of the year. The following are brief descriptions of typical Irish Christmas recipes still enjoyed today. Roast Goose (25th December) Goose was always the number one festive food for celebrations such as weddings and Michaelmas which were held between September and Christmas. Stuffed with herbs and fruit, it used to be boiled but by the 19th century it was roasted, stuffed with onions, bacons and potatoes, or with apples and potatoes. Roast turkey didn't become the first choice of Irish Christmas recipes until the 20th century. Although not confined to Ireland's Christmas dinner table, baked ham is another dish often served with the goose. Three types of potatoes are quite likely to appear with Christmas dinner: roast, boiled and mashed, plus roasted parsnips, boiled or mashed swede, brussels sprouts and cabbage.

The goose Prepare the stuffing first (see below). Allow at least 1lb (450g) uncooked weight per diner. Assuming the goose is already gutted, you just need to wash and dry it and cut away any excess fat

around the neck cavity. Prick the skin all over and rub it with lemon and seasoning. Season the main cavity with salt and freshly ground pepper and fill it with the cooled stuffing. Place the goose in a roasting tin and roast in a very hot oven 240C, 475F, gas 9, for ten minutes. Reduce the heat to 180C, 350F, Gas 4 and cook for 2-21/2 hours but remove the bird from the oven three of four times to pour off excess fat. If you don't do this, your goose will taste very greasy. To test whether cooked, prick the bird at the thickest part. When the juices run clear, Christmas dinner's centrepiece is ready. Apple & Potato Stuffing, for a 10lb (4.5kg) goose: 2lb (900g) potatoes 1lb (450g) cooking apples, peeled and chopped 1lb (450g) roughly chopped onions 2oz (55g) butter 1tbs chopped parsley 1tbs chopped lemon balm salt and pepper.
Method: Boil the potatoes in salted water. When cooked, mash without using milk or butter. Melt the butter into a pan and, over a low heat, fry the onions for five minutes without allowing them to brown. Add the apples and cook until they are softened. Stir in the mashed potatoes, parsley and balm. Season. Allow to cool before stuffing the goose. Plum Pudding (25th December) Plum or Christmas pudding, half drowned in whiskey, is, of course, an essential part of the main family dinner on Christmas Day itself but may make a limited appearance on other days as well. For a perfect dessert, follow these traditional Irish Christmas recipes for plum pudding and accompaniments.

Spiced beef for St Stephen's Day Irish Spiced Beef is traditionally served on St Stephen's Day (26th December). This is the case in most of Ireland but in Co. Cork, Spiced Beef is not just one of the most popular Irish Chrismas recipes, it is also a dish served all year round. Although our ancestors would have prepared their own dish, and many families still do, you can find well-prepared beef joints, liberally covered in spices, in butchers throughout Ireland in the two weeks before Christmas.

Ingredients: for 20-25 servings

6lb (2.7kg) middle rib of beef, boned and rolled 1lb (450g) salt 3 carrots, roughly chopped 1 turnip, roughly chopped 1 onion, cut into rings pieces 1 onion, finely minced 4 oz (110g) moist brown sugar

6 tsp mixed spice 0.5oz (13g) saltpetre 1 bay leaf allspice, black pepper, cloves, mace, mixed herbs, nutmeg, thyme fresh finely chopped parsley.

Method: To boil the beef, make a bed of carrots, turnips and ringed onions at the bottom of a pan. Place the beef on top, add the bay leaf, and cover with cold water. Boil for 30 minutes per 1lb/450g, plus an extra 30 minutes. Remove from pot and place between two plates. Put a heavy object on top of the plate and leave for 12-15 hours and then tie the beef with string. Mix the herbs and spices with salt, sugar and minced onion. Cover the meat in this mixture, rubbing it in well for several minutes. Place into an earthenware crock and cover. Turn the meat once a day, every day for a fortnight and rub in the spice mixture each time. Scones for Little Christmas (6th January) On Little Christmas (6th January), the last official day of the season in Ireland, the feast consists mainly of baked goodies such asscones, cream, jams, gingerbread, iced sponge cakes and pots of tea. This tradition arose from the belief that women deserved a special day of their own after providing for their families throughout the festive period. The chosen foods were considered 'dainties' but Spiced Beef still often makes an appearance, too. These baked goodies are enjoyed throughout the year, not just as part of an old-fashioned homely Irish Christmas. Recipes for these traditional Irish foods can be found here.

Where next? To make your festive season unmistakeably Irish, enjoy the Irish Christmas recipes above and follow these widely practised traditions. More about the quaint custom of Little Christmas and other significant traditions of Christmas in Ireland.
It may not be strictly traditional, but this Bailey's Irish cream cheesecake recipe certainly brings Ireland to your Christmas table.

Irish plum pudding and brandy butter recipe Irish plum pudding accompanied by brandy butter is part and parcel of a traditional Irish Christmas food feast although it is doubtful that the dessert we eat today would be immediately recognisable to our ancestors who lived through the 18th century. Their version was lighter in both weight and colour.

Over the years, as more exotic ingredients have become available, the Irish plum pudding we know and love today has evolved.The following recipes are guaranteed to finish off Christmas Dinner in fine form. It comes with three warnings, however: Adding some small coins is fun but make sure your dinner guests know they might bite into something hard. No one wants an emergency dental bill added to the expense of Christmas. You'll be tempted, but don't eat too large a portion of this rich pudding or you won't be able to move from your chair! Under no circumstances eat Irish plum pudding before taking part in a Christmas Day swim. It might make you feel a bit warmed, but you will sink. Simple.

Irish plum puddingIngredients 3oz/90g/ white breadcrumbs 1oz/45g plain flour 2 eggs 4oz/115g demerara sugar 4oz/115g prepared suet 4oz/115g sultanas 4oz/115g raisins 4oz/115g currants 2oz/55g sliced almonds 1oz/30g chopped cherries 2oz/55g peel lemon, rind and juice tsp nutmeg to 1 tsp mixed spice pinch of bicarbonate of soda salt
Method: Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add lemon rind, juice and eggs. Mix really well. Place the mixture in a well-greased 1 pint/850ml bowl and cover the bowl with two well-greased pieces of greaseproof paper. Steam the mixture for six hours and then remove the paper. Ignore any fat lying on the top of the pudding as it will be absorbed. Once the pudding is cold, recover it, still in its bowl, with fresh paper and store it for up to three months. You can douse it in rum or brandy occasionally if you like a pudding with a kick. On Christmas morning, steam it for three hours.

A traditional Irish plum pudding is brought to the table aflame. Obviously you need to take extra care doing this. Before serving, pour brandy or any other alcohol over the pudding and set it alight.

Brandy butter
This is a very simple brandy butter recipe that can be made two or three weeks in advance of its arrival on the Christmas dinner table. Because you get to taste it as you go, you'll find it puts you rather nicely in the Christmas spirit! You can freeze it if you wish, but it keeps well enough in the fridge without being frozen. Ingredients:

6 tablespoons brandy 6oz/175g unsalted butter 6oz/175g soft dark brown sugar.

Method: Using either a food processor or a hand whisk, blend the room temperature butter with the sugar until it is soft and creamy. Once it is smooth, add in a small quantity of brandy. Mix well. Repeat until all the brandy is used up. Taste, and add more brandy if you think it needs it. Put the mixture into a sealed container and wait for Christmas Day. Serve, as cold as possible, with plum pudding.

Where next?

Indulge in an Irish coffee after your pudding.

More Irish Christmas recipes.

Try these traditional Irish food recipes at any time of year.

Find out about creating the right festive atmosphere with these Irish Christmas traditions. Baked ham recipe For an oven baked ham that's just perfect as a celebration feast centrepiece This traditional baked ham recipe is wonderfully simple and produces a delightfully tasty dish that our ancestors would recognise. Pork, ham and bacon are undoubtedly the most traditional of

all foods in Ireland and appear, roasting on spits or boiling in huge cauldrons, in many ancient tales and sagas of Irish heroes.Until the arrival of the Anglo-Normans in the 12th century, wild boar was native to the island. After that period, pigs were kept only in farmsteads and became an important currency for small farmers. Quality flitches (sides of pork) paid the rent. After the arrival of the potato in the late 16th century, keeping a pig became possible for poorer labourers. After really good harvests, they might even keep two; suitably fattened up on a potato-rich diet, the first would be sold at the local pig market and the rent paid from the monies earned. The other would provide many meals for the labourer, his family and neighbours during the autumn and winter. This honey baked ham recipe produces a dish that would not have been out of place on a celebratory home table back then.
Ingredients:

4lb (2kg) uncooked joint of bacon, smoked or unsmoked 1 onion, cut in four 2 carrots, roughly chopped 2 celery sticks, cut in four 1 leek, cut in four 2 bay leaves 1 spig of thyme 2 tbs runny honey 4 tbs demerara or light brown sugar 4 tbs fresh breadcrumbs whole cloves oranges and cherries for decoration (optional) Method: Boiled bacon and cabbage Although not as well-known internationally asIrish stew, boiled bacon and cabbage would probably be the dish most people in Ireland would rate as their national dish. To make it, you will need just one additional ingredient - a cabbage, cut into wedges. Prepare the bacon as for Stage One of the oven baked ham recipe, but add the cabbage to the boiling joint for the last 30 minutes. When it is cooked, remove the bacon and allow it to cook for a few minutes before cutting off the rind. Drain the cabbage. Serve the meat in slices, with boiled potatoes and parsley sauce. Serves 6-8. Preparation 15 mins plus overnight soak. Cooking time 1 hr 40 mins. Stage One: Tie the bacon into a neat shape and soak it overnight in a pan of cold water to extract excess salt.When you are ready to start cooking, drain the bacon, replace it in the pan and cover it with fresh water. Bring to the boil. Discard the water and rinse out the pan. Put the bacon back into the pan, together with the onions, carrots, leek, celery, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 1 hour and 40 minutes

(25 minutes per lb/550g). Stage Two: At this point the bacon is cooked. Allow the joint to cool for a few minutes before carefully removing the rind and some of the thickest fat. Mix the sugar and breadcrumbs together. Using a sharp knife, cut a one-inch (3cm) diamond pattern over the fat. Rub the honey into the fat and sprinkle the mixed sugar and breadcrumbs, making sure to give an even coating on the top and sides. Stud the centre of each diamond with a clove. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas7. Place the joint in a roasting tin and put it in the centre of the oven for 10-20 minutes until the fat is crisp and brown. Remove it from the oven and let it settle for 10 minutes before carving. This baked ham recipe serves 6-8. Preparation 25 mins plus overnight soak. Total cooking time 2 hrs.

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Want some more traditional dishes like this baked ham recipe? Return to Irish Genealogy Toolkit Home page. An easy scone recipe Try this Irish scone recipe. It's one of the most traditional scone recipes you'll come across

More Sharing ServicesShare on facebookShare on twitterShare on email This easy scone recipe comes guaranteed by three generations of my family!It's probably one of the most popular traditional Irish recipes you'll ever come across as it uses buttermik, but I've given the option to use ordinary or sour milk if needs be. Obviously this does have some slight effect on taste, but you'll be delighted with the results whichever you use. My Mam often made them with sour milk in the summer because the milk had often 'turned' before it reached our table. Although she, like most folk of her generation, could happily drink milk in any condition from skimmed, buttermilk to the thickest, most sour liquid us kids hated sour milk. So rather than waste it, scones were on the menu! Come winter, we were back to the buttermilk option. And still no complaints! Ingredients: for 12 medium sized scones

Milk and superstition In ancient Ireland, milk and milk products were known as bn-bhia, meaning white meat. As the name suggests, milk played a major role in the early Irish diet whether as fresh milk, sour milk, buttermilk, cream, butter, curds or cheese. This meant that someone with healthy livestock and an abundance of milk supply was most likely prosperous. Someone who had neither was more likely to live in poverty. Because milk was so important, the uneducated tended to blame witchcraft or the fairies from the Otherworld when their cattle dried up or their milk yield reduced for no apparent reason. Over time, milk became the subject of many customs and superstitions probably more so than any other food. One of these superstitions survives today: the spilling of milk. It means bad luck, and it's had that conotation for centuries, whether it was spilt by someone by design or accident. But if a cow upturned a churn, it meant the milk was needed by the fairy folk (and it was always best to appease them). Find out more about Buttermilk and how our Irish ancestors valued it. 1lb (450g) plain flour 2oz (55g) butter 1 tsp bread soda (bicarbonate of soda) 1 tsp cream of tartar tsp salt pint (300ml) buttermilk, sour milk or ordinary milk 1 egg, lightly beaten milk or egg for glazing Method: Preheat the oven to 225C, 425F, gas 7. Sieve the flour, bread soda, cream of tartar and salt into a bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and rub into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre and add the beaten egg and most of the milk. Mix gently with a wooden spoon to form a soft dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead very gently into a round shape. Roll this to about -inch (2cm) thickness. Cut into triangles of up to 2-inch wide or use a round fluted cutter. Place on a floured tray, spacing well apart (you might need two trays for this quantity) and glaze with leftover milk or beaten egg. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the scones have risen and are golden brown on top. Cool on a wire rack and serve, while warm if possible, with butter and jam. For a cheesy version of this quick and easy scone recipe, just add 4oz (100g) of grated cheese into the dry mix. For a fruity version, add 2-4oz (50-100g) of sultanas or cherries plus the same quantity of caster sugar and mix them with the other dry ingredients.

Love this easy scone recipe? Try these other traditional Irish foods. No buttermilk or sour cream to hand? Here's how to make your own buttermilk.

More Irish soda bread recipes Take the basic recipe and create something a little extra These Irish soda bread recipes add something a little extra to the basic recipe.

More Sharing ServicesSh are on facebookSh are on twitterShar e on email How to make your own buttermilk Our rural ancestors would have either bought their buttermilk from a local creamery or made it themselves. Back then, buttermilk was simply the liquid squeezed from cream while churning butter. It was used as on a daily basis as a dressing for potatoes and as an

Soda bread, together with potatoes, were the mainstays of the traditional Irish diet, but both were prepared a little differently for a special occasion. Halloween was the time for Apple Bread, while Currant Bread provided some fruity nutrition at any time of the year. Soda farls don't contain anything extra to the basic recipe; the difference comes simply in the way the dough is cooked. Don't worry if you can't readily buy Buttermilk. You can make your own it's surprisingly easy. See the right hand column for the method.

For 1 quantity of soda bread dough The quantities given below are half those you'll find on the basic Irish soda bread recipe's page but the preparation and baking methods are the same. Ingredients: (340g (12oz) plain flour Half a level teaspoon of salt Half a level teaspoon of bread soda (bicarb) 0.3 litre (half a pint) of buttermilk Preparation: Mix the dry ingredients together and sieve twice.

Make a well in the centre of the flour and add enough buttermilk to get a soft but not wet dough. Use your hands to mix. It should be light, and easy to handle. Knead very lightly. Currant Soda Bread Ingredients: 1 quantity of soda bread dough (see box to the right) 170g (6oz) currants or mixture of dried fruit Method: Add the fruit to the dough before kneading into a shape. Shape the dough into a round 5cm (2inches) deep. Place on a floured baking tray and bake at 230C/450F/gas8 for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 200C/400F/Gas6 for a further 20-30 minutes. Bread Apple Ingredients: 1 quantity of soda bread dough (see box above right) 450g (1lb) of stewed apples, sweetened to taste Method: Using half the dough, shape with your hands into a round, as if preparing the basic loaf, then use a roller to flatten it to half an inch thick. Place stewed apple mixture on top of this dough, leaving a 2cm (one inch) apple-free edge all the way round. Moisten the edges with a little milk. Taking the remaining half of the dough, make an identical round and place it over the apple, pressing the edges together as you go. Place on a floured baking tray and bake at (200C/400F/Gas6) for 45-50 minutes. The grains of Ireland This old Irish rhyme describes the grains that grow in Ireland: Rye bread will do you good, Barley bread will do you no harm, Wheaten bread will sweeten your blood, Oaten bread will strengthen your arm. Soda Farls Ingredients: 1 quantity of soda bread dough (see box above right) Method: Roll dough to just over 1cm (half an inch) thick. Cut into four quarters

essential ingredient in Irish soda bread recipes. In fact, it turns up in quite a few traditional Irish recipes. These days, most shopbought buttermilk is 'cultured' and heattreated to remove bacteria. It doesn't taste as good to drink as the natural variety, but it's perfectly suitable for baking. Outside of Ireland, where the home baking tradition is still strong, it can be difficult to find buttermilk in shops. Fortunately, you can make your own, easily

(farls). Cook each farl on a griddle for 10 minutes on each side or until they sound hollow when tapped. To serve, split the farl and be lavish with good country butter. Eat immediately. 1 Love these Irish soda bread recipes? Try some more traditional Irish recipes.

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and quickly. Ingredients for 2.5 pints: oz (15g) yeast oz (15g) sugar 2 pints (1.1 litres) water pint (265 ml) milk Method: Cream the yeast and sugar together. Warm the water slightly and mix with the milk. Gradually add the liquid to the creamed sugar and yeast mix, stirring all the time. The resulting liquid smells sour but not

unpleasant. Strain it through muslin and your buttermilk is ready for use in any of the Irish soda bread recipes variations on this page. The quantities above make a larger quantity than you'll need, so why not use up the excess by following this easy scone recipe.

Irish soda bread recipe My mam's recipe for Irish soda bread can't be bettered

An Irish soda bread recipe can be found in practically every household in Ireland! This bread,

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with its thick hard crust, is quintessential Ireland, and absolutely delicious with butter, homemade jam and a cup of tea. In Ireland it is also known as 'cake', 'cake bread' or 'soda cake'. Below is my mam's Irish soda bread recipe. She prefers the white variety, but brown (wholemeal) soda bread is arguably more popular across the country. Like all cake breads, this one needs to be eaten on the day it is baked. If it isn't devoured that quickly (rare in our house!), it is delicious toasted or fried the following day. You can either buy or make your own Buttermilk. Ingredients for one large loaf: *Most Irish soda bread recipes refer to 'bread soda'. It's also known as bicarbonate of soda. 1lb 8oz (650g) plain white flour 1 level tsp salt 1 level tsp bread soda* 12fl oz (350ml) buttermilk Method: Pre-heat your oven to 230C/450F/gas8. Sieve the flour, salt and bread soda into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour most of the buttermilk into the well. Stir with your hand or a wooden spoon, mixing the flour into the well in a circular motion until it becomes a soft, spongy dough. It should not be too wet or sticky. If it is too dry, add a little more buttermilk. Turn it out onto a floured board and knead very lightly just sufficent for you to shape it into a flat round about 2 inches (5cm) deep. Using a knife, mark the dough with a cross that reaches to the sides. There are two schools of thought about the cross.... some say it is to let the fairies escape, others that it brings the blessings of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Take your pick. Place the round onto a baking tray and bake for 20 minutes before reducing the heat to 200C/400F/Gas6 for a further 20-30 minutes. You'll know when the bread is cooked when tapping its underside produces a hollow sound. Leave the bread to cool on the windowsill or on a wire rack. Mam's tip: Wrap the cake in a tea towel if you prefer a softer crust. Prefer brown bread? You can adapt this Irish soda bread recipe by substituting the white flour with a mixture of 1lb (450g) of wholemeal flour and 8oz (225g) of white. Simply mix them together and continue

Although most people think potatoes have been the mainstay of the Irish diet since forever and ever, it was corn and milk that sustained the populatio n from prehistori c times to the late17th century when the spud arrived. Sweet milk, thick milk, buttermilk and sour milk played some part in almost every meal. A visiting writer called John Stevens

with the rest of the above instructions for perfect brown Irish soda bread. 1 2 Go beyond the basic loaf with more Irish soda bread recipes. Find out more about traditional Irish food.

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wrote in the late 16th century: The Irish are the greatest lovers of milk I have ever met, which they eat and drink in about twenty different ways, and what is the strangest they love it best when it is sourest. Full cream milk:Full cream milk was rarely drunk in Ireland by healthy adults in the days of our ancestors. Only the young (and, to a lesser extent, the elderly and sick) were thought to need it. By the age of about ten, most youngsters had already started to

drink a mix of two thirds sweet (fresh) milk and one third sour milk. Buttermilk: Fresh buttermilk, which is so well known an incredient in Irish soda bread recipes, is the milk left in the churn when butter is made. To our ancestors, this was the most refreshing drink in the world and was usually offered to a guest on arrival at a home. It's thirst quenching abilities also saw it taken with labourers to the fields at harvest time or to the bog while turf cutting.

Turf cutters found that immersing a can of buttermilk in the bog in the morning kept their drink cool and fresh all day. It was also known as a certain cure for hangovers, so extra quantities would be prepared before weddings, wakes and festivals. Irish girls washed their faces in buttermilk to improve their complexion s. Back then, and still today, buttermilk is most famed in Ireland for turning simple dishes into delicious baked

treats.