As
in original recipes from Ireland, and all over the
world, traditional Irish cuisine was hearty
and stick-to-your-ribs. It was full of fatty meats
and gravies, highly caloric dairy products, lots of
starches,
and more than necessary huge portions of potatoes and
breads. You have to understand some low points in Irish
history
to appreciate the reason for such heavily laden meals.
Especially in the Irish rural communities, where hard
physical labor and long hours were the norm, the people
were probably
lucky to get one good meal a day. They ate very simple
dishes of meat and potatoes; lots of potatoes smothered
in gravy, starchy vegetables and bread and butter,
topped off by rich cakes and buttermilk. They probably
thought
that it was healthy eating but now we know that foods
high in fat, cholesterol and carbohydrates are not
a sensible
diet. Maybe back in those days they could work off
the extra calories but things are much different in
modern
Ireland.
New
Irish cookery is simply traditional Irish cooking with
a healthy twist. The days of lard used for baking
and fatty meats with gravy are long gone. You can actually
enjoy
a dinner of bacon
and cabbage. I have found that
Irish
meats are very lean. The pork is nicely trimmed and
the bacon and sausages have hardly a trace of fat.
Of course,
as in all meals, moderation is the key.
The
new Irish cooks prepare much more chicken, fish
and seafood than in years past. Even though the Irish
always
had access to it, pairing it with heavy side dishes
didn't mean that it was healthy. More poaching,
steaming and baking
is done rather than frying. Potatoes are always
going to be part of the Irish diet but you don't have
to
eat the
two or three portions that you might be served.
In modern restaurants, they will ask if you would like
gravy, so
you do have a choice. You will also see more salads
and greens nowadays. They will usually serve your
meal with
two vegetables but they do not add butter and condiments.
The food in Irish fast food restaurants are just
as fatty as they are in America, so they should
be
avoided most
of the time.
The
new Irish cooks will use the freshest of ingredients
in their cooking because they usually shop daily.
They have tiny refrigerators, so they don't do
a big weekly
shopping like Americans have become accustomed
to doing. They have a scattering of large supermarkets
in Ireland
but, in rural areas, they shop at the local butcher,
bakery and the greens grocer or farmers market.
When
I cook Irish
food, I make substitutions to old recipes, and
that's all you have to do. I taste test everything
I make
and most
dishes are perfectly tasty and healthier than
the original recipes.
