Celebrate the Irish this St. Patrick’s Day with roasted potatoes. Karen Schneider / For The Forecaster
In Ireland, cod or hake are used for the famous fish ‘n chips more often than haddock. These varieties of white, dense fish are also served baked or broiled, just like here in coastal Maine. This quick, easy fish dish makes for a tasty weeknight meal but is also nice enough to serve to company. Thick haddock or hake fillets can be substituted, and if you’d like to be fancy, a little shrimp, crab or lobster can be added to the crumb topping.
Karen Schneider cooks and writes in the village of Cundy’s Harbor. You can reach her at iwrite33@comcast.net.
Because we’re celebrating the Irish, we must have potatoes. This recipe takes a bit of time but is really worth the effort. It’s perfectly fine to use mini-potatoes; just adjust the par-boiling and roasting time accordingly. Potatoes can be peeled or peels left on, but leave whole unless they are very large. These crispy-on-the-outside, fluffy-on-the-inside potatoes are delicious either way. Just season them with salt and pepper or add garlic and a handful of fresh herbs (sage, rosemary or thyme are especially nice) or shake on something spicy – whatever works to complement your main course. Believe me, you’ll be craving them again and again.
In Ireland, it’s very typical to come upon a tearoom where you’ll find the deal of the day called “tea and a slice.” It’s a fabulous tradition to stop whatever you’re doing, take a deep breath and enjoy a treat served on real china. Usually costing about 3 euros, you can’t go wrong with whatever tea and sweet is on offer.
Until we’re able to freely travel about the planet once again, try this lovely spice cake in your own cozy kitchen. As the Irish say, “May joy be at home in your heart.”
Baked Cod
1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, about 1 inch thick
4 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and butter a baking dish. Add cod fillets in a single layer with little or no room left over. If fillets have thin portions, overlap them a bit to keep the thickness somewhat uniform.
Drizzle fish with 1 tablespoon each of lemon juice and olive oil, then season lightly with salt and pepper.
In a small skillet, heat remaining olive oil with butter over medium heat. Add garlic and crushed red pepper. Sauté just until garlic begins to turn golden. Remove from heat, stir in remaining lemon juice, breadcrumbs and parsley.
Spread crumb mixture evenly over fish and bake for 12-14 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Yield: 4 servings
Roasted Potatoes
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
3 tablespoons duck fat or melted butter
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 bulb unpeeled, slightly crushed garlic cloves, optional
Fresh herbs, optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Parboil potatoes in a pan of boiling salted water for 15 minutes. Drain in a colander and allow to dry for a few minutes. Give potatoes a good shake or two in the colander to rough up the outsides a bit.
Place duck fat or butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large roasting pan then add potatoes and season with salt and pepper, rolling the potatoes around in the fat then settling them in a single layer with small spaces between them. Add garlic to the pan if using. Roast for one hour.
Remove pan from oven and gently squash potatoes with a potato masher then gently flip over. Add herbs tossed with a bit of olive oil. Return pan to oven and roast for another 20-25 minutes. Yield: 4 servings
Spice Cake
2 1/2 cups cake flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
3/4 cups butter, softened
1 2/3 cups brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. In a separate bowl with an electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Beat in vanilla.
Add dry ingredients to butter and sugar mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into cake pans.
Bake for 40 minutes or until cakes test done. Cool in pans on racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving or frost with vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting. Yield: 10 servings
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