St. Patrick's Day Food and Wine Pairing

When many people think about Irish food they think about over cooked vegetables and boiled meat. In fact Ireland has a rich culinary history and has a thriving farm to table culture. This food culture is exemplified by the Cork City English Market, a truly amazing spot with delights to rival the best of markets around the world.

To celebrate the St. Patrick's Day Holiday we've created a food and wine pairing that highlights our sustainably grown estate wines and two hallmark ingredients of Irish cuisine. These two dishes are adapted from one of our favorite cookbooks, The Country Cooking of Ireland. If you enjoy cooking, or are interested in learning the history of Irish cuisine, this cookbook is an excellent choice.

These two recipes are extremely simple, ingredient driven dishes. (Sound familiar?) So only use the best ingredients for the best results. Happy Cooking, and Erin Go Bragh .

Irish Oyster Rolls
Paired with 2006 Hahn SLH Estate Chardonnay

Four Soft French rolls, split down the length of one side
4 TBSP Butter (Kerrygold or Plugra if available.)
1/2 cup Heavy Cream 3/4 cup Creme Fraiche (Sour cream or Mexican crema can be substituted, but wrap in cheesecloth and allow to strain over a bowl for several hours to remove excess liquid.)
20-24 fresh oysters shucked (Juices reserved)
White pepper (preferably fresh ground)
Hot sauce (Tabasco, Cholula or Tapatio)
Snipped fresh chives

Scoop out a small trough in each side of bread, then slather liberally with butter. Grill bread, cut side down in saute pan until golden brown, then keep warm in 200 degree oven.

While bread grills, mix cream, sour cream, and oyster juice together and cook over medium high heat until thickened, stirring constantly to prevent scorching. Turn down heat, add the oysters and cook until oysters are just cooked through. Adjust seasoning with white pepper and a dash or five of hot sauce.

Place oysters in rolls, ladle some sauce over them, then garnish with fresh chives. Serve on the spot with Hahn SLH chardonnay.

Irish Stew
Paired with 2007 Hahn SLH Estate Syrah

Three pounds fresh lamb shoulder, cut into one inch cubes
Two pounds russet potatoes, cut into thick slices
Two large yellow onions very thinly sliced
Handful of fresh Italian parsley chopped
One large sprig of thyme and one small bay leaf wrapped in cheesecloth bundle
Two cups homemade vegetable stock or low salt broth
Salt and pepper to taste.

Layer ingredients in dutch oven or casserole,
seasoning with salt and pepper as you place each layer in pot. Add stock until just covering ingredients, then bring to simmer on stove top over low heat. Place in 250 degree oven and cook for two and a half to three hours until meat is tender and sauce is thick. (Add extra stock as needed if pan becomes dry.)

Ladle stew into bowls and serve with lots of crusty bread, and a nice fruity glass of Hahn SLH syrah, a perfect foil for the gaminess of the lamb.