I haven't seen corned beef since I left the U.S.
Not here in France; certainly not in Andorra and not in Ireland.
It's a very traditional St. Patrick's Day dish for the Irish and Irish-for-the-day in the U.S. But, in Ireland, if they were making this type of dish (which would be considered poor food and not at all festive), they would probably use a slab of bacon, gammon or ham.
As a cabbage-loving American in France I decided to forgo my usual Beef in Guinness and make Corned Beef and Cabbage.... without the Corned Beef.
I'll give the recipe both ways:
Corned Beef and Cabbage
1 corned beef, (usually around 3lbs) plus seasoning packet included (or not)
4 medium potatoes
4 small - medium leeks
6 medium carrots
4 stalks celery
1/2 large head of cabbage
3 bay leaves
Horseradish Sauce
Put beef in a large Dutch oven or pot and add enough water to just cover. Add bay leaves and seasoning packet. Cook according to package directions, usually about 2 - 3 hours for a 3lb brisket, until fork tender.
When brisket is done, or close to done: Clean and cut carrots in thirds the long way, then in half. Cut root and tops off of leeks, leaving 4 - 5 inches (12cm). Remove outer layer and any more damaged layers. Cut celery into sticks. Add vegetables to pot, tucking around brisket.
Bring pot back to a boil. Then cut potatoes into quarters and add to pot, tucking around brisket.
Remove outer leaves from cabbage. Cut 4 large wedges and lay on top of the rest of the ingredients in the pot. Cover and let cook for another 30 - 40 minutes, until the cabbage is fork tender. Remove everything with a slotted spoon. Slice the brisket and serve with Horseradish Sauce on the side. Serve half and refrigerate the rest for the Hash.
BTW: In case you're wondering, our celery is white, not green. Go figure!
With Ham:
three 1/4" (.5cm) thick slices of dry cured (Bayonne) ham (weight 8oz, 250gr) (similar to Prosciutto)
one 1" (2.5cm) thick slice of baked ham (12oz, 350gr)
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Cut and add carrots, celery and leeks. Add bay leaves,
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp thyme
Cover and bring back to a boil. Cut and add potatoes. Cut hams into large pieces and lay on top, pressing down to get under the water a bit. Cut and lay cabbage on top of ham. Cover and let boil, over medium heat for 40 minutes. Remove and serve as above.
Horseradish Sauce
1 tbs prepared horseradish
1 tbs Dijon-style mustard
2 tbs mayonnaise
Mix well and serve.
You'll notice I made rather a lot for two. That's so I could make Hash out of the leftovers.....
Corned Beef Hash (made with leftovers ....and ham)
Leftover potatoes, carrots, cabbage, celery, leeks and ham
1 onion
1 tbs oil
2 eggs
1 tbs white vinegar
Chop onion. Cut all other vegetables into small pieces, about 1/3" (1cm) cubes or slices. Cut beef or ham the same. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 7 minutes. Add everything else and let fry, undisturbed, for about 5 minutes. Then turn/stir, spread back out and let fry, undisturbed, for 5 minutes. Repeat, turning and frying until it is as golden and crispy as you like it. (I fried mine about 20 minutes.) When it's done to your liking, reduce heat and poach eggs. To serve, put a large serving of hash on each plate and top with a poached egg.
For the week of March 14,
we're having Avocado Salad, Cornish Hens with Pesto, Mashed Potatoes with Caramelized Onions, and Pasta with Sausage, Cabbage and Sage.... Along with the Corned Beef!
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BTW: Here's an easy Brown Bread as well! (Boy, does that need a new photo!)
I may make the Beef in Guinness, too... I'm kind of in the spirit now...
Bon Weekend!
serves 2
