Lovely Northern Ireland

by Marion Watson

No, Northern Ireland, we haven't forgotten you in our tour of Britain. Having lived there, indeed my elder daughter was born there, I shall never forget the beautiful interior, spectacular coastal scenery or the warmth and friendliness of the people. The coastline, climate and countryside have done much to influence the food produced and its history has affected its methods of preparation.

It has been said that no one in the Province is more than three generations from the land and much of the style of cooking and baking reflects this closeness to country life. It makes best use of wholesome and natural foods produced in a simple and unpretentious form, which leaves the flavours of the products to speak for themselves.

The plentiful rainfall keeps pastures damp and lush, ideal for good milk production which can be turned into cream, butter and cheese, although in the past Ulster had little in the way of regional cheese. The good grassland is ideal for producing beef and the mild climate means that cattle can graze outside throughout the year giving succulence and flavour to the meat. Irish Spiced Beef is a good way of using brisket, one of the cheaper cuts of beef. The meat is covered in a mixture of spices and left in a cool place for a week whilst being turned every day. It is then slowly cooked for at least four hours over a bed of root vegetables to which stout or Guinness has been added. This can be eaten hot or cold, if the latter then leave to cool in the liquid, drain and press between two plates. It is a traditional Christmas dish.

The same rich soil and damp climate is ideal for growing potatoes, which have always been a staple in Ireland. It was the first part of the British Isles to grow them in any quantity after they were introduced from South America via Spain. Known as 'murphys', potatoes are highly nutritious, especially if cooked in their skins, since much of the protein lies just below the surface. They are also a good source of vitamin C, especially when first lifted, and this cooking method retains the vitamin, preventing it from being dissolved out into the cooking water. Potatoes are also made into soup, cakes, dumplings, bread, scones, pies and pancakes.

Much of Britain's bacon comes from Northern Ireland and what we buy in England is prepared by the traditional Wiltshire method, but on home ground you can find more traditional cures such as the Ulster Roll. Its saltiness goes well with root vegetable dishes and it also tastes good when boiled and served with cabbage. Substantial fried breakfasts are still popular, just the thing to set you up for a hard day's work. Hams are sometimes smoked over peat, which gives them a very special flavour. As in other parts of Britain with a tradition of pig rearing, every bit of the pig is used including the trotters, which are known as 'rubeens', (or 'cruibins'). They can be pickled and are often served in pubs especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Pork off-cuts can be made into derision, a sort of blood, or black pudding.

Where the soil is less fertile, such as in highland areas, sheep have traditionally been reared and mutton became a traditional part of Irish cookery. Perhaps the most famous is Irish Stew. This was made by layering mutton (from an older sheep) with onions and potatoes. In earlier times goat was sometimes used. There is controversy about whether other vegetables should be added. When times were hard I am sure that any available ones such as turnip or swede would have been included. Nowadays mutton is hard to come by and we often have to use a cheap cut of lamb such as middle or scrag end of neck. Some people like to include carrot although a purist might not approve. Since cooking facilities were often very limited in earlier times the Irish Stew was cooked in a pot over the fire and today it really should be made in a pan on the hotplate. The Irish took their dish to Liverpool and Lancashire and, when ovens were available, it was made in a casserole dish and evolved into Lancashire Hot-pot.

The pure, clean waters of lakes and rivers provide an abundance of fish such as salmon, trout, pike, perch and eels, which are often smoked. The sea yields shellfish, such as lobsters and prawns, as well as oysters, which are grown in Strangford Lough, and mussels in sheltered waters. Further out, cod, skate, plaice, herrings and mackerel are caught.

But it isn't only fish that the Irish gather from the sea. Dulse is a red seaweed, which has traditionally been gathered and used as food. It's usually bought dried then simmered for a long time to make it tender. It can be mixed with mashed potato to make Dulse Champ. I can also remember that small bags of it were bought to eat as a snack in the cinema.

The County Fair at Ballycastle is one of Ulster's oldest and most famous. So dulse was considered a special treat - to be bought there along with Yellow Man, which is a light coloured toffee. There is an old rhyme which goes:

Did you treat your Mary Ann
To dulse and yellow man
At the Oul' Lammas Fair At Ballycastle-O?

The sea also yields Carrageen or Irish Moss, which is a source of alginates or vegetable gelatines. It is gathered in the spring and whilst some is used fresh the rest is dried. It can be simmered in milk then, after sugar has been added, it is strained, put into a mould and left to cool and set to make a type of blancmange. It was also used to produce Irish moss ginger jelly. The moss was simmered in water together with ginger, sugar and lemon, then strained and left to set like a jelly. Ready cleaned and dried Carrageen can often be found in health food shops.

Like other parts of northern Britain high tea is still an important meal with a main course followed by bread and cakes. There are many traditional goods made in local bakers shops including Farls, made with wheat flour and sometimes with oats. Farls are quarter circles in shape, since the word means a 'fourth part'. The cake is shaped into a circle and either cut into quarters completely or marked almost through to be broken into four after baking. Farls were often cooked on a bakestone over a peat fire, as was soda bread. The latter is still very popular and is easy to make, although you need to be very accurate measuring your raising agent, which is bicarbonate of soda mixed with buttermilk. If you use too much bicarb the bread will be bright yellow and will taste very unpleasant. It is a useful standby if you run out of bread or yeast and want to bake your own, since it is quick to make and does not have to be left to rise.

Potato bread is another traditional dish that can be eaten cold or cooked in bacon fat as part of that massive breakfast 'fry-up'. Yeast is used to make Barm Brack, which is a fruit bread, rather like the Welsh Bara Brith, and is traditionally eaten at Halloween - it is served sliced and buttered. Fruit Cake tastes good mixed with Guinness! Before the coming of ovens some of these breads were baked in what was known as a 'bastable oven'. This was like a cauldron with three legs and a lid, which was suspended on chains over a peat fire. After the bread had been put in the pot the lid was covered with pieces of smouldering peat to ensure even cooking.

Perhaps one of the most famous of Irish dishes is Colcannon, sometimes known as Kale Cannon or Kailkenny. It gets its name from the old name 'cole' for cabbage, which we still use in 'cole slaw' or cabbage salad. It consists of mashed potato, chopped cooked cabbage and onions. In earlier times kale might have been used. Variations on this recipe use parsnips, turnips, leeks or green beans mashed with potato. A favourite way of serving it is to mix the vegetables well with a little hot milk, then pile into a dish, hollow out the centre and fill with melted butter just before serving. It can also be treated like Bubble and Squeak by frying on both sides in bacon fat until crisp and brown.

Champ is bit like Colcannon but consists of potatoes boiled in their skins, then peeled and mashed with chopped spring onions, milk, butter and seasoning, but do not mash it completely smooth, leave some larger pieces for added texture. The mixture however should be soft enough to eat with a spoon.

Another traditional potato dish is 'Boxty'. This consists of equal parts of cooked and grated raw potatoes, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar made into a dough, shaped and cooked on a bakestone or griddle. It is buttered and eaten hot. The mixture can also be made into a batter with flour and milk and fried like a pancake. This is eaten with brown sugar and butter. These dishes were also traditionally served at Halloween. There is an old rhyme which goes:

Boxty on the griddle, boxty in the pan,
The wee one in the middle, is for Mary Ann.
Boxty on the griddle, boxty in the pan,
If you don't eat boxty, you'll never get your man.

The north-east tip of Ulster is only a 'stone's throw' from the coast of south-west Scotland and similar dishes are found in both, such as Herrings Coated in Oatmeal. Of course foreign influences are also creeping in and being adapted for local use. However it is for its high-quality simple ingredients used to make good, tasty, nutritious dishes that the food of Northern Ireland is most appreciated.