Velvety Roquefort Vichyssoise
Reuben Strudel
Irish Whiskey Cake
Corned beef is a long-standing American St. Patrick’s Day tradition. Flavorful corned beef is a beef brisket or round roast cured in brine. That’s why the meat remains a bright rosy red color after it’s cooked. “Corned” refers to the salt grains used many years ago to cure or preserve meats. Old-fashioned corned beef is very salty; the newer style has much less salt. Try a new recipe using corned beef for your St. Patrick’s Day celebration this year. Apples aren’t the only ingredient that can be wrapped in a blanket of flaky pastry and baked to a golden crisp. A savory filling of corned beef and Swiss cheese offers a tasty twist on tradition. Potatoes are another St. Patrick’s Day staple. Velvety Roquefort Vichyssoise is a luxuriously rich potato and onion soup that is served chilled. This version includes a big hit of Roquefort cheese that makes it marvelous. Finish your St. Patrick’s Day meal with a hot cup of Irish Coffee and a slice of yummy Irish Whiskey Cake. The whiskey provides an authentic taste of Ireland and marries well with the caraway and lemon. You can substitute 1/2 cup dried currants for the caraway seed for a different twist on an Irish tradition.
Velvety Roquefort Vichyssoise
2 cups finely chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups baking potato, peeled and diced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
4 ounces Roquefort cheese, divided
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
Sauté onion in butter in a large Dutch oven until tender and barely golden. Stir in broth, potato, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Process half of potato mixture in container of electric blender until smooth. Repeat with remaining mixture; return to Dutch oven. Crumble 3 ounces cheese. Add cheese and wine to potato mixture; cook over low heat, stirring constantly, about 5 minutes or until cheese melts. Cool; cover and chill at least 4 hours. Stir in whipping cream before serving. Crumble remaining cheese and chives over each serving. Serves 6.
Reuben Strudel
1 pound thinly sliced corned beef
1 (20-ounce) package sauerkraut, drained
1 teaspoon caraway seeds
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, pressed
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
1/2 cup butter, melted
10 sheets frozen phyllo pastry, thawed
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Swiss cheese
Cut corned beef into 1/2-inch strips; set aside. Combine sauerkraut, caraway seeds, onion, garlic, and 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard in a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir together melted butter and 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; set aside. Unfold phyllo, and cover with a damp towel to prevent pastry from drying out. Stack 10 sheets on a flat surface covered with wax paper, brushing every other sheet with butter-mustard mixture. Spoon the sauerkraut mixture lengthwise down the phyllo stack, spreading to within 2 inches of the edges. Top with the corned beef and the Swiss cheese. Fold in short edges 2 inches. Roll up, starting at long edge of pastry nearest the filling. Place, seam side down, on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Cut 1/4-inch deep diagonal slits, 1 inch apart, across top. Coat strudel with remaining butter-mustard mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden. Cut diagonally into 3 to 4-inch pieces. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.
Irish Whiskey Cake
1 (18.25-ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 (3.4-ounce) package vanilla instant pudding mix
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup Irish whiskey
4 large eggs
1 cup finely chopped slivered almonds
1 tablespoon caraway seed (or 1/2 cup dried currants)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Irish whiskey
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, oil, water, whiskey, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer until batter is thick and well blended. Fold in the almonds, currants, and lemon zest. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing it out with the rubber spatula. Bake until the cake is golden brown and begins to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 50 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 20 minutes. Invert the cake onto a rack to cool for 30 minutes more. Combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and whiskey in a small bowl and stir until smooth. Slide the cake onto a serving platter and pour the glaze over the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides and into the center. Let the glaze set before slicing the cake. Store, covered, at room temperature. Serves 12.
The writer owns Catering by Debbi Covington and is the author of the cookbook, Dining Under the Carolina Moon. Debbi may be reached at 525-0350 or by email at covingtoncats@embarqmail.com
