Irish Appetizer

Smoked Salmon on Soda Bread
(Serves 8)

Buttered homemade brown soda bread topped with slices of chilled smoked salmon.

1/2 lb. smoked salmon (sliced thin)
Brown Soad Bread
4 T butter softened
black pepper
gherkins
lemon wedges

Follow our recipe for Irish Brown Soda Bread. When baked and cool, slice the loaf, then cut each slice in half. Dob each piece with butter, add a piece of salmon, and grind black pepper on top. Serve with small, sour gherkins and lemon wedges.

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Tips & Glossary

A special note about these recipes: they came from my friend Nan who lived in Ireland for several years. She married an Irishman, and the two returned to the US with their then-young family. These recipes are some of the family standbys. Nan is both a discerning reader and a wonderful cook.

Irish cooking is quite familiar to many Americans, and so you won't find surprises in the ingredient or spice lists. You probably have much of what's called for in your pantry—or else it's readily available in any grocery store.

Root vegetables are a staple of the Irish: potatoes, carrots, and parsnips are particular favorites. In Ireland, vegetables are served simply, but with lots of butter.

Meats are subjected to the slow-cook method. That's because, historically, the Irish used less-expensive, tougher cuts of meat. Our Irish Lamb Stew, for instance, actually calls for meat from the lamb's neck, not exactly the most tender cut of meat.