Irish Comfort Food – Where You Can Get Some Good Irish Grub

Having an Irish family, we were brought up on good old Irish comfort food and whenever I think of Ireland, I start thinking about the Irish grub you can get. Whether you are in Ireland or not, you can make something delicious. But there are also some wonderful Irish hotspots if you want some good food.

Just take a look at places near you, I expect there will be at least a pub nearby selling some good quality Irish grub. It’s worth checking out next time you are over in Ireland!

Funnily enough, a lot of the Irish comfort food is similar to English comfort food with a few changes here and there. But there are some Irish staples you need to consider if you want some good Irish grub.

The meats and vegetables used many years ago did change depending on what was more widely available. Lamb was very popular and well used in Ireland, more so than beef so a lot of the old recipes I’d found were lamb based.

They also needed longer cooking times as it was typically cheaper cuts of meat that are tougher but cooked long enough, they are a delicious staple food.

Let’s check out some ideas for some good old Irish comfort food!

Irish Comfort Food – Where You Can Get Some Good Irish Grub

Traditional Irish Stew

A stew can be made out of many things, but Ireland typically uses lamb or beef. Throw in a load of herbs, potatoes, root veg and leave it to cook all day long.

Typically you would use the cheaper and tougher cuts of the meat like the neck which is cooked for so long, it becomes tender and delicious.

Then the veg is left to cook all day long and become tender and delicious.

This was considered a ‘poor/working man’s food’ and a staple in many an Irish home throughout the years.

I still make a good stew even now, but mine tend to be vegetables rather than meat. Still as delicious though! Even better when reheated the next day for lunch. Yum!

I either make dumplings and put the big floury goodies in before serving or a pop a thick crust over the top and make it like a hotpot.

You can make a stew with anything you have in your house, you don’t even need to have meat in it. Personally, I throw in a load of veg and some juicy baby plum tomatoes and some stock and leave it on all day. Sweet potato is a staple with my stews! I’ve been asked before ‘are sweet potatoes a superfood?’ I’d like to think so. Full of vitamins and nutrients, as well as antioxidants.

Colcannon

A side dish that many have heard of at some stage, Colcannon is a beautiful dish that I do enjoy, with kale rather than cabbage though.

It’s very simple, mash with cabbage or kale and lashing of butter. You can add other things like a touch of garlic, spring onion and give your mash some depth. Personally, I love butter and black pepper.

Why not add a bit of bacon or cream if you want a smoky or creamy flavour?

If you were thinking about having a private dining experience in Ireland, you might want to consider somewhere that has Colcannon on their menu as you are more than likely guaranteed a good Irish comfort food experience.

Cottage/Shepherds Pie

This is a firm favourite of ours, although we use Quorn rather than beef/lamb.

Traditionally Cottage Pie is made with beef mince and Shepherds pie with lamb mince.

As we don’t eat meat, I substitute it for Quorn and flavour them slightly different if I want a more lamb based Shepherds pie or choosing flavours to go with a beef Cottage pe.

This is a later of a beef/lamb mince that is browned with onion, maybe added peas, carrots diced up and any veg you want, layered with mashed potato.

Everyone makes theirs differently, some use tomatoes, whilst others use gravy granules.

I love mine really herby though!

Throw some veg on the side and you have yourself a beautiful meal!

Boxty

One that you might not have heard of quite so much, but all the same it is a staple and an Irish dish that many love to this day.

It’s very simple, just raw potatoes. mashed potatoes, flour, egg, milk and salt and pepper to taste. Mix together to make a mixture and form into pucks, then fry them.

Very delicious! Similar to potato cakes, they are a wonderful breakfast treat for the cold winter months!

You can make the Boxty a little thinner like a pancake, or thicker like a potato cake. Either way, smothered in butter and they make the perfect meal.

Champ/Poundies

This is a favourite side dish of mine and something I make often!

A simple mashed potato with spring onion! Lots of butter, a dash of milk and then salt and pepper.

I always make myself this when I am making a Sunday roast dinner as I am the only one who likes it. I save the leftovers for Boxty for my breakfast.

Final Thoughts

Many think that both English and Irish food are bland, as we don’t tend to use a lot of salt in our foods.

Personally, I don’t find it bland but I am used to the lack of salt for the better part. I do tend to have a higher than usual salt diet because of POTS but generally, I don’t flavour or food with a lot of it.

Have you tried the traditional Irish comfort food? What do you think of it?

*This is a collaboration post