Corned Beef and Cabbage: 5 Plates for St. Patrick's Day 2012

St. Patrick's Day is just as much about food as it is about drinking. Not only are doughnuts, cookies and pastries sprinkled with green on the holiday, but Irish specialties such as corned beef and cabbage are readily available in festive venues.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

This is the most popular dish served on the holiday, but it can be cooked and presented in many different ways. Here is one of the more popular recipes courteously of Melissa d'Arabian the Food Network:

Preparation time: 30 min

Cook Time: Six Hours

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds corned beef
• 5 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
• 10 peppercorns
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 ounces stout (recommended: Guinness)
• 1 cup beef broth or stock
• Water, for simmering
• 4 yellow onions, cut into wedges, plus 1 medium yellow or sweet onion, sliced
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 6 medium red potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 medium head green cabbage, cut into quarters, core removed
• 4 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Rinse the corned beef and put it into a large Dutch oven or heavy soup pot. Make a bouquet garni with the garlic, peppercorns, thyme and bay leaves and add to the pot. Stir in the stout, stock and enough water to cover the beef by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 4 hours, covered, stirring occasionally. (For full directions visit the Food Network)

Irish Stew

This is another celebrated Irish dish made with mutton chops, potatoes, onions and water. Sometimes people add carrots, turnips and pearl barley, depending on preference. The ingredients are boiled slowly for up to 2 hours giving the dish a strong essence of mutton.

Shepherd's Pie

This is one of the most popular all-year-round Irish dishes with ingredients including: potatoes, lamb,garlic and beef broth. It only takes about an hour and a half to make and can serve up to eight people, depending on the size of the pie.

Chocolate Stout Cupcakes

With all the beer consumed on St Patrick's Day, not many people have room for dessert, but what about cupcakes that include beer as an ingredient? Stout beer has chocolate and coffee notes that go perfectly with cupcake ingredients. Add a little sugar, vanilla extract and chocolate and 25 minutes later you have stout cupcakes.

Bread Pudding

Another popular Irish dessert is bread pudding. There are many different recipes for this dish as it is made in many different counties and cultures but the basic ingredients are stale bread, egg, sugar, dried fruit, cinnamon and nutmeg.