February 16, 2011
By Staff Reporter
After writing about St. Patrick’s Day food and drink for more than 10 years, I was recently reminded of the fact that not everyone celebrates by watching a parade; not everyone paints little green shamrocks on their cheeks; not everyone dons an Aran knit sweater, and certainly not everyone feels compelled to serve homespun Irish food.
“How about a little Irish elegance this year?” I was asked. “How about some suggestions for gourmet dinner party fare, for an intimate get-together, or for a luxury supper where the ingredients speak for themselves?” In all my efforts to promote unabashed St. Patrick’s Day revelry, I guess I’ve overlooked the more elegant side of Irish fare, where Kerry lamb comes wrapped in puff pastry rather than layered in Irish Stew, and beef filets top perfect potato cakes instead of landing in a Guinness casserole. I love them both, by the way — the stew and the casserole — but for St. Patrick’s Day 2004 I’ve devised a real “lace curtain” affair where the menu is all about elegance, indulgence, and luxurious ingredients.
Start with salad (use a mix of greens or baby lettuce). Try one draped with smoked salmon, one with apple and bacon and topped with a creamy Irish farmhouse cheese dressing, or one that combines crispy goat cheese fritters with colorful dried cranberries. A more ambitious cook might want to try a bacon and cabbage terrine, a delicious starter constructed of vertical layers of tender bacon and crisp cabbage. Both beef and lamb are perfect main dish ingredients, and quality, tender cuts like filet mignon and loin of lamb are excellent choices for an elegant entr