Merribuck
(Recipes from Ireland)

Original Irish Coffee



1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 jigger Irish whiskey (1 1/2 ounces or 3 tablespoons)
heavy cream, slightly whipped
Fill footed mug or a mug with hot water to preheat it, then empty. Pour piping hot coffee into warmed glass until it is about 3/4 full. Add the brown sugar and stir until completely dissolved. Blend in Irish whiskey. Top with a collar of the whipped heavy cream by pouring gently over back
of spoon. Serve hot.


Colcannon



4 medium to large all-purpose potatoes, such as Russet, peeled and cut into chunks
coarse salt, for boiling water
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 head dark curly kale, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, fresh or grated
1 teaspoon ground thyme
2 scallions, sliced
a handful of fresh parsley, chopped
Boil potatoes for 15 minutes in salted water. Drain potatoes and return them to the hot pot and mash. Heat stock or broth to a simmer. Chop kale tops, discarding tough stems. Add kale to broth and cover. Simmer 10 to 12 minutes. In a large skillet over moderate heat melt butter and add milk. Season with nutmeg and thyme and add scallions to the pan. Remove kale from cooking liquid and add to the milk and butter mixture using a slotted spoon. Stir in 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Add mashed potatoes to milk and kale and stir until combined and creamy, 1 or 2 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.


Tenderloin of Beef Cooked with Guinness



8 ounces prime Irish beef
2 tablespoons butter, plus 6 tablespoons
1/2 cup diced onion
4 baby carrots
1 cup sliced wild mushrooms
1/2 cup Guinness stout
1/2 cup beef stock
4 baby onions
1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Heat a large saute pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon of the butter and the beef and sear on both sides until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove from the pan and set aside. To the same pan, add the diced onion and carrots and saute until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wild mushrooms and cook lightly to release the flavors of the vegetables. Add the Guinness and bring to a boil. Add in the stock and bring to a boil. Place the baby onions into the sauce. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Return the beef to the pan and cook to desired doneness.
Serving: First remove the mushrooms and vegetables from the sauce and arrange in the middle of a large dish. Place the beef on top of the vegetables in the middle of the plate. Arrange the onions around the plate. Bring the sauce back to the boil and add the rest of the butter to the pan. Mix until it is all blended in, then add the chopped parsley into the sauce, and pour as much sauce over the beef as you want.


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