St. Patrick's Day Feast

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with a delicious feast!

Here's Chef Robert's (from the Mire-Poix Cooking School) own recipes to help you festively dine on St. Patty's Day.

Beef Sheppard's Pie

Ingredients

For the potatoes:

• 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• 2 ounces unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (Meat Department)
• 1 egg yolk (Dairy Department)

For the meat filling:

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 cup chopped onion (Produce Department)
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced small (Produce Department)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced (Produce Department)
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef chuck
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 cup Beef broth
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves (Produce Department)
• 1 teaspoon freshly chopped thyme leaves (Produce Department)
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen English peas

Directions

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch dice. Place in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Set over high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, uncover, decrease the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until tender and easily crushed with tongs, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Place the half-and-half and butter into a microwave-safe container and heat in the microwave until warmed through, about 35 seconds. Drain the potatoes in a colander and then return to the saucepan. Mash the potatoes and then add the half and half, butter, salt and pepper and continue to mash until smooth. Stir in the yolk until well combined.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

While the potatoes are cooking, prepare the filling. Place the canola oil into a 12-inch saute pan and set over medium high heat. Once the oil shimmers, add the onion and carrots and saute just until they begin to take on color, approximately 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and stir to combine. Add the lamb, salt and pepper and cook until browned and cooked through, approximately 3 minutes. Sprinkle the meat with the flour and toss to coat, continuing to cook for another minute. Add the tomato paste, chicken broth, Worcestershire, rosemary, thyme, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer slowly 10 to 12 minutes or until the sauce is thickened slightly.

Add the corn and peas to the lamb mixture and spread evenly into an 11 by 7-inch glass baking dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, starting around the edges to create a seal to prevent the mixture from bubbling up and smooth with a rubber spatula. Place on a parchment lined half sheet pan on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 25 minutes or just until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove to a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Corned Beef Dinner

Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients

• 5 pounds corned beef
• 5 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
• 10 peppercorns
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 ounces local stout
• 1 cup beef broth
• Water, for simmering
• 4 Spanish onions, cut into wedges
• 3 carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
• 6 medium red potatoes, scrubbed
• 1 medium head green cabbage, cut into quarters, core removed

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.

After 4 hours, add the onion wedges and carrots, and cook for a 1/2 hour. Add the potatoes and the cabbage wedges and continue cooking until the cabbage is tender, but not limp, about 20 minutes. Remove the cabbage to a plate and allow the corned beef and other vegetables to continue cooking until the meat is tender.

Remove the meat to a cutting board and slice. Serve at the table with all the vegetables piled onto a serving tray and the sliced meat onto another tray with some of the broth poured over the meat.

 Irish Corned Beef Risotto

Serves 4-6 People

Ingredients

1 (2.2#) Bag Roland Arborio Rice (Aisle 5)
3 Quarts Corned Beef Liquid
1 Harp's Lager Beer (Wine Department)
1 cup Spanish Onion, Small Diced (Produce Department)
5 Carrots, Small Diced (Produce Department)
½ cup Farm Country Cheese House- White Cheddar Cheese, shredded (Cheese Department)

½ cup Jarslberg Cheese, shredded (Cheese Department)
½ # Kerry Gold Butter (Dairy Island)
3 cup Sy Ginsberg Corned Beef, Cooked & Chopped (Meat Department)
1 Bag (2#) Silver Floss Sauerkraut, Drained & Chopped (Aisle 1)
To Taste Diamond Crystal Salt &  McCormick Ground Black Pepper (Aisle 6)
1 bunch Parsley, Chopped fine (Produce Department)

Directions

Add the broth to a small pot and bring to a simmer.

In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the butter and add the Spanish onion and carrot over medium heat. Cook until soft, just starting to color. Add the corned beef and sauerkraut and cook until it starts to get a little coloring, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the rice and stir to coat in oil. Cook for about a minute. Add the beer and stir until absorbed. Start adding the broth by 1/2 cupfuls and stir occasionally. Adjust heat as needed to keep risotto at a strong simmer/weak boil.

With the last addition of broth, add the grated Swiss cheese. After it absorbs a bit more of the broth, stir and taste, add salt and pepper as needed. Garnish with chopped parsley leaves.