With A Return to Ireland: A Culinary Journey from America to Ireland, renowned chef Judith McLoughlin has captured the soul of Irish cooking—from hearty Irish staples to classic comfort foods and so much more.
Featuring over 100 recipes, including two favorites below perfect for the holidays, A Return to Ireland will bring you on a culinary journey from the Irish-American immigrant recipes to the flavors of modern Ireland.
Written by Judith McLoughlin
978-1-57826-935-8, $30.00 hardcover
978-1-57826-936-5, $12.99 eBook
Published by Hatherleigh Press.
Distributed through Penguin Random House.
Available wherever books are sold.
Sunday Supper Rosemary Chicken Supreme
Serves 4
Chicken Supreme Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of butter
4 chicken breast fillets (2 pounds)
12 ounces artichokes hearts (cut in quarters)
Fine sea salt and pepper
Sauce Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
1 medium (3 tablespoons) shallot finely chopped
2 garlic cloves (minced)
¾ cup heavy whipping cream
¾ cup chicken stock
¼ cup dry white wine
½ cup Dubliner Irish cheese (finely grated)
1 tablespoon rosemary (finely chopped)
Directions
1. Season the chicken fillets with freshly ground pepper and sea salt.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter and oil over medium high heat. Add the chicken breasts and sear on both sides until they are browned. Remove the chicken from the skillet for a few minutes to make the sauce.
3. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
4. To make the sauce, melt the butter in the same skillet the chicken fillets were browned. Add the shallot and cook until for a few minutes, until it is soft and translucent. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook for one minute until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
5. Add the wine and cook on medium for about 5 minutes or until the wine has almost evaporated. Add the chicken stock and cream and cook for a few minutes. Stir in the Dubliner Irish cheese until the cheese has melted.
6. Add the chicken fillets back into the skillet and spoon the sauce on top. Arrange the artichokes hearts all around the chicken.
7. Bake the chicken supreme in the oven for a further 18–20 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked and firm to the touch (internal temperature of 165°F).
8. To serve, place a chicken breast in the center of each plate and spoon more sauce on top.
Crumbled Corn Beef & Sweet Potato Tart
Serves 6
Pastry Ingredients
1¼ cups all-purpose flour (sifted)
¼ teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter (chilled)
2–4 tablespoons ice cold water
Filling Ingredients
7 ounces corn beef (crumbled into small pieces)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium leeks (white parts and some green)
4 large eggs (beaten)
1 cup whipping cream
1 sweet potato (cooked and mashed)
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
⅛ teaspoon white pepper
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup Parmesan cheese
Directions
1. To make the pastry, combine flour and salt in a medium size bowl or food processor. Use a pastry fork or processor to cut in the butter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add the cold water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until the dough is moist enough to hold together to form a ball. Flatten into a disc and wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a circle about 11-inches in diameter for a 9-inch pie plate or fluted tart pan. Trim off any excess pastry and prick the bottom of the dough with a fork.
4. To blind bake the pastry, line with a double layer of foil and bake for 10 minutes to prevent browning. Remove foil and bake pastry for a few more minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack and leave oven on.
5. To make filling, in a large skillet add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and sauté the leeks for 3–4 minutes or until soft and fragrant and remove from heat.
6. In a food processor or mixing bowl combine eggs, cream, mashed sweet potato, salt and pepper.
7. To assemble the quiche, layer the corn beef and leek and the cheeses and then pour the egg mixture on top.
8. Bake for 30–35 minutes or until the egg sets and is firm to the touch. Allow the quiche to sit for at least 15 minutes before serving.
About the Author
Judith McLoughlin is an Irish chef and owner of a gourmet food business in Georgia called The Shamrock and Peach. Specializing in Irish cuisine, Judith has created her own unique food fusion by blending the techniques of her homeland with the newfound flavors of the South. Growing up in County Armagh in Northern Ireland and setting down roots in the South, over the past decade Judith has become one of the most recognized Irish faces and brands in Atlanta, throughout the American South and abroad. She regularly contributes to food columns in national newspapers and magazines on both sides of the Atlantic and leads numerous discovery tours from the U.S. to Ireland each year. Before A Return to Ireland, she had a cookbook entitled The Shamrock and Peach.