Irish cooking offers a variety beyond corned beef, cabbage

Ellen Sweets The Denver Post Mar. 16, 2005 12:00 AM

Dispense with those false notions about what constitutes Irish food. It is not bland, all potato-laced and boring.

The Emerald Isle offers good eats beyond corned beef, cabbage and soda bread. Solid soups. Hearty stews. Fabulous fish dishes. Great cookies, cakes and custards.

In Darina Allen's newly released American edition of her 1998 cookbook, "Irish Traditional Cooking," she dedicates chapters to broths, eggs, fish, game poultry, lamb, beef and pork. Allen handily discredits those who believe you have to eat well before you get to Ireland because you won't after you arrive.

And yes, there are recommendations for traditional uses for the ubiquitous potato. Recipes abound in the chapter on offal, doubtless appealing to organ-meat enthusiasts.

But if you are among those who find offal awful, visit Ireland through the pages of Allen's book. She writes warmly in her introduction about her magical Irish country childhood, growing up in a village where residents ate according to season, and cows were milked daily, providing great makings for creamy fresh butter.

Nearly all of the 300 recipes are accompanied by anecdotal or historical information that introduces the people or landscapes from whence each dish came. For example, "Papie Tynan," the author's maternal grandfather, raised ducks, geese, chickens and guinea fowl to eat. The feathers and down were used for pillows and quilts and the blood was made into pudding.

Theirs was a tradition where nothing was wasted.

Ireland is interesting for several reasons. Its history predates the Norman conquest of 1066. And who doesn't know that the Emerald Isle gave us St. Patrick, most noted for converting pagan Celts to Christianity and justifying annual green-beer-based bacchanalia.

Surrounded by water and punctuated by streams, lakes and rivers that give up salmon, pike, trout, perch, cod, cockles, mussels, scallops and oysters, there are scores of fresh fish dishes, be they raw, baked, poached or broiled. The purity of some flavors ought not be tampered with beyond a certain point.

The same holds true for the potato.

In learning about the Irish way with potatoes one can upgrade one's vocabulary while learning about its many mashed incarnations - as in champ (mashed with butter, scalded milk and scallions, peas, chives, leeks or parsley); poundies, combined with salt, black pepper, and gravy; cally (see "champ"); pandy, (a fluffy version fed to children or the elderly when they felt unwell); and colcannon, mixed with cooked cabbage.

If you've never tried a fish pie, it's time. Allen's yummy version is made with flounder, haddock, salmon or whiting - or a mixture of several - combined with onion, carrot, thyme, eggs, mussels and, of course, a topping of mashed potatoes.

Expatriates who miss traditional dishes will be pleased to know that this book also has devoted a chapter to dishes unfamiliar to most Americans because they involve cooked blood.

So instead of taking iron capsules, dip into a spread of that savory paste made from duck blood, onion, fresh milk, salt and pepper and spread it onto a nice slice of toasted brown bread. And if you miss mom's black pudding from Tipperary, Galway or Kerry, here's your chance to make it the way mum did.

In all, "Irish Traditional Cooking" is a beautifully illustrated, informative book that gives charming insight into a food culture that is not as known to us as, say, the cheeses of France, the paella of Spain or the moussaka of Greece.

And that's a shame, because as wonderful as apple pie is, Irish apple cake, apple custard pie and apple souffle are serious challengers.

Ballycotton Fish Pie Several different fish may be used for a fish pie, so feel free to adapt this recipe a little to suit your preference. Clams would be a good, inexpensive addition and a little smoked haddock is also tasty. From "Irish Traditional Cooking," by Darina Allen. Serves 6 to 8.

1 medium-sized onion, peeled and diced 3 or 4 slices of carrot 1 small bay leaf A sprig of thyme 3 peppercorns 2 1/2 cups milk Butter 2 1/4 cups sliced mushrooms 2 1/2 pound fillets of cod, haddock, whiting, salmon, or flounder or a mixture Salt and freshly ground pepper Roux made with 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons flour A little cream (optional) 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 18 cooked mussels (optional) 2 pounds champ or fluffy mashed potato

Put the onions, carrot, bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns into the milk, bring to a boil and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 10 to 15 minutes. Strain.

Meanwhile, hard-boil the eggs for 10 minutes in boiling water, cool and shell. Saute the sliced mushrooms in a little butter in a hot pan, season with salt and freshly ground pepper and set aside.

Put the fish into a wide pan or frying pan and cover with the flavored milk. Season with salt and ground pepper. Cover and simmer gently until the fish is cooked. Take out the fish, carefully removing any bones or skin. Bring the liquid to a boil and thicken with roux. Add a little cream (optional) and the chopped parsley, roughly chopped hard-boiled eggs, mushrooms, pieces of fish and the mussels.

Stir gently, taste and correct the seasoning. Spoon into one large, or 6 to 8 small, dishes and pipe potato or champ on top. The pie may be prepared ahead to this point.

Preheat oven to 350.

Reheat and slightly brown the potato on top. This will take about 10 to 15 minutes if the filling and potato are warm, or about 30 minutes if you are reheating the dish from cold.

Serve with garlic butter or parsley butter and a vegetable or salad.

Papie's Roast Duck with Sage and Onion Stuffing Allen's maternal grandfather, whom she called Papie Tynan, raised ducks, geese, chicken and guinea fowl for the table. The ducks and geese had a happy life, puddling about in the pond and pecking at the windfall apples in the orchard. From "Irish Traditional Cooking," by Darina Allen. Serves 4.

Neck, giblets and feet 1 carrot, sliced 1 onion, sliced Bouquet garni or parsley stalks, thyme sprig, small celery stalk 2 or 3 peppercorns 1 duck, approximately 4 pounds 3 tablespoons butter 3/4 cup chopped onion 1 cup soft white bread crumbs 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Put the neck, gizzard, heart and feet into a saucepan with a sliced carrot and onion. Add the bouquet garni. Cover with cold water and add peppercorns, but no salt.

Bring slowly to a boil, skim and simmer for 2 to 3 hours. This will make a delicious broth which will be the basis of the gravy. Meanwhile, singe the duck to remove any remaining feathers if necessary.

To make the stuffing, melt the butter on a gentle heat, add onion and saute for 5 to 10 minutes until soft but not colored. Remove from the heat and add bread crumbs and freshly chopped sage. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 350.

When the stuffing is quite cold, season the cavity of the duck and stuff. Roast for about 1 1/2 hours. When the duck is done, remove to a serving dish and allow to rest while you make the gravy.

Skim the fat from the cooking juices (keep the duck fat for roast or fried potatoes). Strain the stock and add to the juices in the roasting pan, bring to a boil, taste and season if necessary. Strain the gravy into a sauceboat and serve with the duck.

Irish Apple Cake Apple cakes like this one are the traditional dessert in Ireland. The recipe varies from house to house and the individual technique has been passed from mother to daughter in farmhouses all over the country for generations. In Ireland all apple cakes are made with cooking apples. From "Irish Traditional Cooking," by Darina Allen. Serves 6.

2 cups flour 1/3 teaspoon baking powder 8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter 2/3 cup superfine granulated sugar 1 egg, free-range if possible, beaten 1/2 to 2/3 cup milk, approximately 1 to 2 cooking apples 2 or 3 cloves (optional) Beaten egg to glaze

Sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until it resembles the texture of breadcrumbs.

Add 1/2 cup sugar, then make a well in the center and mix together with the beaten egg and enough milk to form a soft dough. Divide in two. Put one half on a greased 9-inch ovenproof plate and pat it out to cover. Peel, core and chop up the apples. Place them on the dough with the cloves, if used, and add the remaining sugar, depending on the sweetness of the apples.

Preheat oven to 350.

Roll out the remaining pastry and fit it on top. (This is easier said than done as this "pastry" is very soft like scone dough. You may need to do a bit of patchwork if it breaks.) Press the sides together and cut a slit through the top crust. Brush with beaten egg wash and bake for about 40 minutes, or until cooked through and nicely browned. Dredge with superfine sugar and serve warm with dark brown sugar and softly whipped cream.