St. Patrick’s Day has changed quite a bit since it was made an official feast day in the early 17th century, especially with the Irish diaspora all over the world, but it’s still a celebration of Irish heritage and culture. And what better way to celebrate than with classic Irish food and drink? Corned beef and cabbage is practically synonymous with St. Patrick’s Day these days, and our next-level recipe teams impossibly tender salted meat with delicately poached winter vegetables beyond the usual cabbage, carrots, and potatoes. Or enjoy potatoes and cabbage in a different incarnation: mashed together and enriched with cream in colcannon. You also can’t go wrong with a steaming pot of Irish stew studded with slow-cooked chunks of lamb. Seeking a breakfast recipe for St. Patrick’s Day? Look no further than this loaf of superlative soda bread—it’s spiked with Irish whiskey and espresso powder—or this batch of potato farls satisfyingly fried in bacon fat. And be sure to top everything off with Irish coffee or Irish cream (or if you feel like bucking tradition, maybe even a green cocktail). Here, we’ve rounded up our favorite classic Irish recipes for all your St. Patrick’s Day festivities.
Leave it to the potato-loving Irish to dream up colcannon, spuds mashed with finely chopped cabbage and enriched with lots of cream. Get the recipe for Colcannon »
In this traditional warming stew from the Emerald Isle, lamb shoulder is rendered spoon-tender by a simmer and then a long, slow bake with plenty of filling potatoes and aromatic carrots and onions. For bright color and a bit of verdant sweetness, green peas are tossed in toward the end of the cooking. Get the recipe for Irish Stew »
The haddock and cheddar mash at Dublin’s The Winding Stair restaurant represents the best of Ireland: sea, dairy, and spud. Get the recipe for Haddock and Cheddar Mash »
Crab and Irish Whiskey Bisque
At Gubbeen Farm, a 250-acre coastal plot of land in West Cork, an Irish twist on French cassoulet results in a flavorful, brothy stew of lima beans and thin Irish pork sausages. Get the recipe for Irish Bean and Sausage Stew »
Espresso powder adds a jolt to this sleepy soda bread. We love it as toast for a breakfast sandwich or to mop up rich sauces alongside a dinner roast. Get the recipe for Irish Coffee Soda Bread »
These squares of crispy potato flatbread are similar to potato farls, the fried potato bread that’s a traditional part of the Northern Irish breakfast known as an Ulster Fry. Get the recipe for Irish Potato Bread »
Irish Brown Bread Ice Cream with Butterscotch Sauce
Get the recipe for Irish Brown Bread Ice Cream with Butterscotch Sauce »
Drew Hamm at Henry’s in Chicago makes a toasty spin on the traditional Irish coffee by adding Flor de Cana rum and a cinnamon syrup to the usual Irish whiskey base. Get the recipe for Irish Coffee Riff »
Native Dubliner Cathal Armstrong, chef of Restaurant Eve in Alexandria, Virginia, recommends using Red Breast or Paddy Irish whiskey in this pick-me-up that’s a classic, simple combination of coffee, whiskey, brown sugar, and soft-peaked whipped cream. Get the recipe for Irish Coffee »
Cream, whiskey, vanilla, and coffee combine with sweetened condensed milk for a silky-smooth alternative to store-bought Irish cream. We love it added to coffee, used to sweeten cake frosting, or just on its own, enjoyed over a little ice. Get the recipe for Homemade Irish Cream »
