Your guide to a kick-arse St. Patrick’s Day feast

When you think St. Patrick’s Day, a few describing words should immediately come to mind: Irish, green, parades, food and beer. Wouldn’t you know it, we can cover four of those categories right here (I think if we started posting about parades, we’d really hear it from the peanut gallery).

If you’re up to the task of going all-out Irish in what you consume on St. Patrick’s Day, here’s a little guide you can follow to make it a feast that would make the patron saint of Ireland himself weep with joy.

Breakfast

Let’s start out right, with a full traditional Irish breakfast. This will help fuel you and your friends/family for the long day of debauchery ahead. It consists of Donnelly Irish Sausages and Bacon, eggs, Irish beans and Irish butter, among much more. You might want to attempt to balance things out a bit with some fruit, as this is one heck of a protein-filled smörgåsbord.

You’ll need a little pick-me-up to go along with your early morning, so whip up a traditional Irish Coffee, consisting of Irish whiskey, fresh cream, brown sugar … oh yeah, and coffee.

Second Breakfast

Let’s move right onto the next meal of the day. Since we just consumed what could be the only meal of the day, let’s start light with a Killian’s Irish Red. To me it’s a bit overrated, but it’s a nice light and cheap way to start things out.

Lunch

Let’s go with yet another traditional Irish-themed meal with a Corned Beef Sandwich on rye. Lean corned beef thinly sliced and grilled, with sautéed onions, melted Swiss cheese, Dijon mustard on grilled rye bread. Make it a bit more traditional and enjoy it in a local pub while you have your next meal….

Beer

Guinness. Is there much more to be said here? If you don’t have Guinness or a similar stout on your menu for the day — whether it’s for drinking or cooking — you’re doing the day a disservice and should turn in your ‘Kiss Me I’m Irish’ mug and burn all of your green clothing immediately.

Dinner

Meat pies are among my favorite of traditional Irish meals. However, you’ve got to plan early if you’re going to make this from scratch. Otherwise, find a local Irish restaurant that’s not going to be overcrowded for dinner (on St. Paddy’s Day? Good luck!). I love the recipe for Beef, Ale and Mushroom Pie. Hot damn, my mouth is watering without typing up the full ingredient list.

That’s a heavy meal, and it’s already got some good beer in it. So you’ll want something more on the lighter side to drink, and that would be another Guinness product: Harp Lager. It’s not heavy and isn’t filled with belch-inducing carbonation, so it’ll go down nice.

After-Dinner

Kick back at the end of the long day with a finger or two of 18 year-old Jameson Irish Whiskey. A bottle isn’t all that pricey ($33 or so) and should be easy to find. It’s great even if you’re not a fan of blended whiskeys — Forbes named it one of their top Irish whiskeys you have to try, a couple of years ago.

Dessert

Some people may skip dessert altogether or have it before their post-meal booze. I’m a big fan of cheesecake, so when I saw this recipe for Guinness & Chocolate cheesecake, I nearly died — two amazing tastes in one! If you make this (or have had it), you’ve got to let me know how it is.

Beer

Just kidding. Well, not really — it’s St. Patrick’s Day! Erin Go Bragh!

Clacked by Keith McDuffee
on Mar 16, 2009 @ 13:15 EST5EDT