St. Patrick’s Day Recipes
What is St. Patrick’s Day?
St. Patrick’s Day, also known as the Feast of St. Patrick, or Lá Fhéile Pádraig, is a cultural and religious holiday that commemorates Ireland’s patron saint. Originally celebrating the arrival of Christianity in Ireland, St. Patrick’s Day is now widely known across the world as a festival of Irish heritage.
Traditional St. Patrick’s Day Food
Because St. Patrick’s Day takes place during Lent, the day would traditionally pause restrictions on eating and drinking alcohol - which is why it’s sometimes referred to as the Feast of St. Patrick. Historically, people of Ireland would break their Lent fast with a meal of bacon and cabbage, mainly because it was cheap and a tasty treat. However, as Irish immigration spread throughout America, pork was found to be too expensive and so beef was used. That’s why we sometimes hear of corned beef and cabbage being a traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal.
These days, we know bacon and cabbage isn’t the most exciting meal, but if you want to nod to the tradition instead, there are now lots of new takes to try. Colcannon is a popular St. Paddy’s dish, made by combining creamy mashed potatoes and cabbage - but it’s also delicious with spinach! Try serving it with sticky sausages and onion gravy for a mouthwatering and hearty meal. You can find our colcannon recipe here.
Irish Food to Eat This St. Patrick’s Day
If you don’t fancy pork and cabbage this St. Paddy’s Day but want to keep it Irish, there are a range of tasty traditional dishes to try. Here are ten of the most popular Irish foods you can try this St. Patrick’s Day:
- Irish stew
- Soda bread
- Seafood chowder
- Colcannon (cabbage and mashed potatoes)
- Coddle (pork stew)
- Boxty (Irish potato cakes)
- Shepherd’s Pie
- Irish Jambon (ham & cheese pastries)
- Irish salmon
- Barmbrack (sultana bread)
Irish Stew Recipes
Possibly the most famous Irish dish is, of course, the beloved stew, often made with lamb or beef, potatoes and vegetables. Its history dates back to ancient Ireland, when the cauldron was first imported from the continent and its popularity quickly spread throughout. It inspired many Irish one-pot dishes from stews to soups (Ravensgard).
Some traditionalists often dispute whether vegetables, other than potato, should be included, and if beef should be allowed to replace lamb! Here at HelloFresh, however, we’re all for spruced up recipes and we have a range of exciting stews you can make, with this Chorizo and Bean Stew Spiced and Hearty Vegetable Stew being some of our favourites.
Irish Seafood Recipes
One of the benefits of being on an island is the stunning waters and unmatched seafood that it comes with, which is why fish dishes are so popular in Ireland. Salmon in particular is a delicacy, thanks to its locality, and the traditional Irish way to enjoy it is either poached or as part of a chowder. Chowder is a great St. Patrick’s Day recipe to make because it makes the most out of Irish produce, plus it's unique enough to be served as a showstopper. This Hake Chowder from HelloFresh is a warm, hearty dish that’s so easy to make. If instead, you’re after a traditional salmon meal, try this Pan Seared Salmon in Herby Butter and serve it with crispy roasties.
Party Food For St. Patrick’s Day
The great thing about traditional Irish dishes is that there are so many one-pot recipes, so you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a big batch party recipe. Shepherd’s Pie is a famous Irish dish, as its ingredients were easily accessible in the late 18th century. Now, it’s a huge crowd pleaser and very easy to make - you can even make miniature ramekins if you’d prefer to serve appetisers. Plus it’s easy to make vegetarian or vegan with lentils. Irish meatballs are another great option, because you can either serve them on cocktail sticks or in a large pot.
For something more typically party-ish but with an Irish twist, try making pizzas and experiment with different Irish toppings. This sausage and leek flatbread nods to the pork St Patrick’s Day tradition, but is easy for guests to grab a slice.
St. Patrick’s Day Food & Drink Facts
Considering St. Patrick’s Day is also referred to as the Feast of St. Patrick, there are a lot of St. Patrick’s food and drink facts that many people haven’t heard of:
- St. Patrick’s Day historically marked a pause on Lent restrictions, allowing all food and alcohol for the day.
- Bacon and cabbage is the traditional St. Patrick’s Day meal, as many Irish families kept pigs but weren’t able to eat meat during Lent.
- Stew is another popular St. Patrick’s Day recipe and is one of the oldest Irish recipes, dating back to the ancient Gaels when cauldrons were the most popular cooking method.
- It’s thought that around 13,000,000 pints of Guinness are served worldwide on St. Patrick’s Day.
- In the US, cornbeef and cabbage is often eaten on St. Patrick’s Day, as this is the American-Irish take on bacon and cabbage, due to the cost of pork being too expensive for early Irish immigrants.