This year we’re celebrating three events in March: St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, (a high holy day/week in Lackawanna County), St. Joseph’s Feast Day, March 19, and a super-early Easter on Sunday, March 31. So much to do, so much to celebrate and neither big holiday, St. Patrick’s or St. Joseph’s, falls on a Friday during Lent.
Let’s begin with St. Patrick’s Day: I have cooked corned beef for years, many different ways, boiling, slow cooking, oven, etc., however after years of not being 100% satisfied with the results, I finally found the perfect recipe and it’s is, honestly, the easiest one.
Very Best Corned Beef:
1 corned beef brisket, thawed, if frozen
Water-1-inch in pan
Mustard
Brown sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place corned beef on rack in pan. Open seasoning packet and pour on top of roast. Pour 1″ water in pan. Cover very tightly with foil. Bake for 50 minutes per pound. Check for tenderness. Mix few tablespoons of mustard with some brown sugar together. Brush or spoon on top of roast. Turn oven to 400 degrees. Cook 15 minutes longer, uncovered. Let sit before slicing.
NOTE: When the corned beef roasts are on sale, I buy a few and freeze them….we enjoy them so much over the entire year.
***
Do you have some corned beef left over? This is a recipe I use for breakfast. It’s always a hit….and don’t use that canned hash!
Corned Beef Hash:
2 Tbsp. butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 cups diced corned beef (left over)
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
Potatoes:
1 lb. russet potatoes, diced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. dried basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil (or spray) baking sheet. Place potatoes in single layer onto sheet. Add olive oil, thyme, oregano and basil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Gently toss to combine. Place in oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp; set aside.
Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and onion to skillet, and cook, stirring often, until onions have become translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in corned beef cube and cook, stirring , until slightly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in potatoes and Worcestershire sauce until potatoes are evenly browned, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately , garnished with parsley.
Note: I serve eggs-over easy atop of the hash.
***
Moving on to St. Joseph’s Feast Day:
Pasta with Garlic, Oil, Anchovy & Breadcrumbs:
1 lb. pasta, cooked al dente (save 1 cup water for serving)
Sauce:
1 cup olive oil
1 Tbsp. chopped garlic
2 or 3 anchovy fillets (optional)
1 cup toasted bread crumbs
In frying pan, heat oil. Saute’ garlic lightly. If using anchovies, add them at this time. Place pasta in warm serving bowl. Add oil mixture toss and add toasted breadcrumbs. Note: if pasta is dry, add some pasta water. Note: I toast bread crumbs in small frying pan with oil.
***
Two more great Lenten dishes:
Eggplant Casserole:
2 Tbsp. oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 cloves minced garlic
2 eggplants
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp. thyme
4 cups broth (vegetable or chicken)
½ cup sherry
2 slices tomatoes
1 ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste
Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute’. Add seeded and cubed eggplants, oregano, and thyme and saute’ 2 minutes. Blend in broth and simmer 20 minutes. Add sherry and continue simmering 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Pour into oven-proof bowl. Top with sliced tomatoes and cheese. Broil for 2 minutes.
***
Clams Pavarotti:
Shrimp, chopped
Clams, chopped
Crabmeat
Onion
Celery
Garlic, finely minced
White wine
Parmesan cheese
Bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
Parsley
In large frying pan, saute’ onion, garlic and celery. When tender, stir in shrimp. Before shrimp are fully cooked, add clams and white wine. Cook 2 minutes. Add crabmeat and cook another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add cream sauce, Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and parsley. Mix to taste. Allow mixture to cool, then spoon into clam shells.
Cream Sauce:
Butter
Flour
Milk
Salt, pepper
Nutmeg
In saucepan, heat milk. In separate pan, melt butter. Add flour. With a whisk, mix in hot milk. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Put under broiler for just a minute or two.
***
For Easter, is it Ham or Lamb? Traditionally most people I know have ham. The ham recipe I use is the one handed down to me from my great aunt, Helen Madzin Chipak, who taught cooking classes during the Great Depression. It’s simple, delicious, tender and easy.
Easter Ham:
1 smoked ham, bone-in (for more flavor)
2 bottles or cans beer
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place ham in roaster. Add a little water to the bottom of the pan. Pour beer over the ham. Baste frequently. Cook about 20 minutes per pound. Keep basting.
***
Leg of Lamb:
6 to 8 lb. leg of lamb
3 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 clove garlic
1 Tbsp. rosemary
½ cup olive oil
1 cup soft bread crumbs (from inside of loaf of bread)
2 Tbsp. grated Pecorino Romano cheese
Salt, pepper
Remove bone from the leg of lamb. Chop 2 Tbsp. parsley, garlic and rosemary together. Season lamb with salt and pepper. Be generous. Spread chopped mixture on lamb. Roll and tie. Mix together breadcrumbs, 1 Tbsp. parsley, cheese, salt and pepper. Rub outside of lamb with olive oil and roll in breadcrumb mixture. Bake in preheated 400 degree oven for 2 hours.
***
To all of our Dunmorean readers, Happy St. Patrick’s Day, St. Joseph’s Day and Easter. Christos Voskrese!