Saint Patrick’s Lenten Friday Feast

Today is the forth Friday of Lent. It is a day set aside for abstinence. It is also the Feast Day of Saint Patrick. As a feast day for the Patron Saint of Ireland, the Irish have been granted a special dispensation. That means if you are Irish Catholics, Corned Beef is okay fine.

That said, a special dispensation isn’t a free pass. Those wishing to have Corned Beef for Saint Patrick’s Day instead of observing the abstinence of a Lenten Friday need to do some other form on penance. Perhaps participate in the Stations of the Cross at their local parish or say an extra Rosary. In our diocese, the Bishop suggested that in addition to extra prayers, pick Saturday as a day of abstinence. There is no such thing as a free pass when it comes to the practice of faith for the sake of appeasing the masses.

Heavenly Father, forgive me those moments when I have failed You.
Give me the strength, I pray, to always strive to understand Your will
And to become that beacon of Your truth You have called me to be.
Amen.

If this recipes seems a bit familiar, you’d be right. The Salmon I’ve shared before, the last time Saint Patrick’s Day fell on a Friday. The carrots are also making an encore appearance. The reset of the recipes for today’s Lenten Saint Patrick’s Feast are all new. While I’m Irish on my father’s side, Hubby isn’t. I tease him that I’ve got a pass for Saint Patrick’s Day, which is only funny since he’s the real fish eater in our house. Hubby would pass on the special dispensation.

While I’m sharing these recipes with you (and I do hope you enjoy); this is not what we will be dining on this fine Saint Patrick’s Day. The Knights of Columbus at our Parish are using Lenten Fridays as a fund raising opportunity. Each Friday during lent they are selling dine-in or take out Fish Fry Suppers. Hubby and I saw this as a opportunity to accomplish two things. First and foremost was to help raise money for the Knights. And also to break bread with our fellow Catholics. So while a beautiful Roasted Salmon was on the menu plan, we’ll be having deep-fried fish in the parish hall instead. It’s all good, right?

Have a most blessed Friday.

Saint Patrick’s Simple Salmon Supper Celebration
Irish Roasted Salmon
Individual Muffin Tin Potatoes
Browned Butter Whiskey Carrots
Irish Buttercream Cake with Whiskey Glaze

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Irish Roasted Salmon
2 tablespoons Honey
1/4 cup Cider Vinegar
1/4 cup Irish Whiskey
2 teaspoons fresh Thyme, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons Lemon Juice
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to tate
4 (6 oz) Salmon Fillets

Mix together honey, vinegar, whiskey, thyme, lemon zest, oil, salt and pepper. Pour over salmon and marinate 1 hour on the counter, or 4 hours refrigerated.

Heat oven to 450 degrees.

Remove salmon from marinade and place on a rack over a roasting pan. Place roasting pan in the hot oven.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden and white juices are just beginning to appear. Baste once about half-way through roasting for deeper flavor.

Transfer salmon to a serving platter. Garnish with additional thyme if desired, then drizzle with pan drippings. Serve and enjoy.

Muffin Tin Gruyère Potatoes Gratin
Cooking Spray
3 Garlic Cloves, minced
3 Green Onions, white portion only
1/2 cup Gruyère Cheese
1 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoons Flour
3/4 cup Heavy Cream
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
2 large Russet Potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray 8 muffin cups in a 12 tin pan with cooking spray or grease with butter.

Peel and finely mince garlic, set aside. Trim roots from the onions. Thinly slice white and pale portions of the onions, reserve green tops for another use. Set onions aside. Finely shred Gruyère Cheese, set aside.

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir garlic in the melted butter until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour to garlic mixture; cook and stir until mixture is smooth and thickened, about 2 minutes.

Slowly pour milk into flour-butter mixture while continuously stirring with a whisk until sauce is smooth and thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir Gruyère cheese into sauce until cheese melts from the heat of the sauce; season with salt and pepper.

Peel and thinly slice potato. Layer a few slices of potato into each prepared tin. Spoon some of the cheese mixture over the potatoes, followed by a scattering of green onions. Repeat potato, cheese sauce, onion until tins are filled.

Cover and bake in the oven for about 35 minutes, until potatoes are tender. Uncover, bake 5 minutes longer. Let cool for a few minutes in the tin. Loosen by running a knife around the edge, then lift carefully with a small spatula. Arrange on a serving platter. If desired, garnish with green onion tops.

Browned Butter Whiskey Glazed Carrots
1 bunch whole Carrots, with tops if possible
2 tablespoons Water
Salt to taste
4 tablespoons Butter
4 tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 tablespoon Irish Whiskey

Trim tops of carrots, leaving about 1 inch of the “green” intact. Wash and peel carrots. Place in a microwave safe dish. Add water and a pinch of salt. Microwave on HIGH for 3-5 minutes, until carrots are tender-crisp.

Heat empty skillet until almost smoking. Remove skillet from heat, add butter. Butter will begin to brown almost immediately. Add brown sugar, stir until sugar has dissolved to create a nice glaze.

Add whiskey, swirl pan to blend. Remove from heat. Place carrots in pan with butter. Swirl to coat carrots with glaze. Return pan to low heat. Continue to swirl until carrots are nicely glazed and everything is hot.

Transfer to serving platter. Drizzle with any remaining glaze from the pan.

Irish Buttercream Cake with Whiskey Glaze
Irish Whiskey Cake
2 cups Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
6 large Eggs, beaten
2-1/2 sticks (20 tablespoons) Irish Butter
1-1/4 cups Superfine Baker’s Sugar
2 tablespoons Irish Whiskey

Line the bottoms of two 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease the pans using butter or a spray and dust with flour. Set aside. Heat oven to 350 degrees, with rack in the center of the oven.

Sift together flour with baking powder, set aside. In a bowl, whisk eggs, set aside.

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light, fluffy and pale in color. Add about one third of the eggs into the creamed butter, continue to beat at medium speed.

Add about a third of the sifted flour, continue to beat at medium speed. Repeat with one third egg, then one third flour. Add final egg. Turn the mixer to low and add the final flour along with the whiskey. Mix on low until combined but not over worked.

For best results, use a scale to divided batter evenly between 2 cake pans .Place cake pans in on the center rack of the heated oven. Bake for about 30 minutes. DO NOT check cakes for doneness until the house begins to smell of cake, and the cakes appear well risen through the glass of the oven door. Even heat is very important.

Do not rush to check the cakes until they appear cooked through the glass. To check while the cake is under-cooked will cause the cakes to fall. When the cakes are done, remove from the oven and allow to cool 10 minutes before removing from the tins. 

Place a cooling rack over the top of the cake and flip it over quickly. Remove the tin and the parchment paper and allow to cool completely before filling.

Whiskey Buttercream Filling
4-1/2 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
1-1/4 sticks (12 tablespoons ) Butter, softened
Pinch of Salt
About 1-1/2 tablespoons Whiskey

Sift powered sugar, set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter with salt. Slowly add about a cup of sugar at a time, blending completely between additions.

Once all the sugar has been beaten into the butter, add whiskey, a little at a time, until buttercream is a spreadable consistency.

Using a cake leveler, or large serrated knife, place the cake layers, flat side down on the counter and slice off the top to make them even. 

Place one layer, CUT SIDE UP on a serving plate or cake stand and spread or pipe the whiskey buttercream over the top. Place remaining cake layer, CUT SIDE DOWN, over the first. Set cake aside to make the whiskey glaze.

Whiskey Glaze
1/4 stick (4 tablespoons) Butter
1/2 cup Heavy Cream
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tablespoons Brown Sugar
2 tablespoons Irish Whiskey

In a small, heavy bottom sauce pot over medium heat, melt butter. Add heavy cream and both sugars. Bing to a low boil, then simmer for 2 or 3 minutes while the sugars dissolve.

Remove from heat; allow to cool slightly before adding the whiskey. Stir and check the consistency. It should be thicken as it cool. The glaze is ready when it is thick yet pourable.

Pour over the cake and allow to run slightly down the edges. If you have clover, decorate the cake for Saint Patrick’s Day. Slice and serve.