Old Recipes That Are Just As Tasty Today!

An Coinneal – Number Two Autumn 1961

Taken from An Coinneal 1961

Mrs. B. A. Morahan

Is your husband Irish? Too Irish? Try him with these Irish appetisers! (The second and third are original).

1. For Breakfast:

    Wholeflour Bread

Ingredients: 1lb. whole flour, 1 ounce of butter or margarine, 1 level teaspoonful of bread soda, 1 level teaspoonful of salt, 1 level teaspoonful of sugar, buttermilk in sufficient quantity.

Method: Sieve the flour, separating the white portion from the brown, and mix this white portion with the soda, salt and sugar. Rub the shortening into the brown flour until both are well incorporated in each other. Then add the white mixture. Mix well together and wet with buttermilk, using a knife blade for mixing. Knead lightly and put into a well-greased tin (seven inches in diameter) Bake in a hot oven (400°-500°F) fro 50-60 minutes. Rub or brush with melted butter or margarine when taken from the oven.

Note: The buttermilk must be fairly fresh; if it is sharp or acidy the flavour will suffer.

2. For Dinner:

    Vegetable Soup

Ingredients: 4 medium- sized potatoes, 2 medium onions, a sprig of fresh parsley, a bunch of celery, 5 baby carrots, 1 ounce of butter or margarine, ½ ounce of grated cheese (optional), a nut of garlic, 1 ½ -2 pints of water, 1 pint of milk.

Method: Wash, scrape and slice thinly the potatoes, carrots, onions and garlic. Put them into a clean, greased saucepan, with celery and parsley well washed. Add water and boil until soft enough to be rubbed through a sieve; then rub it through with a wooden spoon. Return the puree then to the saucepan , add the milk, put it on the heat and bring it to the boil, stirring all the while to prevent sticking. When boiling point is reached add the butter (and grated cheese). Boil up once again and serve hot with fingers of toast.

3. For Tea:

    Potato Cakes

Ingredients: 4 large potatoes, ½ teaspoonful of salt, ¼ teaspoonful of bread soda (optional), sufficient flour to bind.

Method: Mash the boiled potatoes into a clean mixing bowl and add salt (and soda, if being used). Add enough flour to make a nice mixture that will not stick to the hands.  Turn on to a well –floured board and form into a round shape, kneading well and pressing the edges to avoid their cracking. Have a clean pan, preferably iron, ready, and melt down a teaspoonful of dripping on it. When it is well heated, that is when blue smoke ascends from the pan , put on pieces of cake which may be cut into any shape to suit taste or fancy. When one side has become a nice, crisp and golden brown turn the piece with a palette knife and cook the reverse side. Pile in a deep dish or plate and serve hot.

Note: these may be kept hot (for latecomers!) by putting the plate over a saucepan of boiling water, putting the saucepan on a warm cooker and covering the cakes with a saucepan lid or plate cover.

“Good digestion wait on appetite, and health on both!”