Beef is an important element of the Irish diet. In earlier times a cow was killed only after it ceased to give milk, and usually to celebrate a great feast or battle.

Bacon too was popular. Findings at one of earliest excavations in Ireland, Mount Sandal, 9,000 BC reveal that roasted wild pig was a staple in the Irish diet. Pigs were abundant in Ireland and the meat was easy to cure over the long winter months.

To this day, Irish bacon is renowned the world over for its unique taste. It resembles Canadian bacon but has the streak of American bacon. However it is not cooked crispy. In Ireland, Irish bacon is popularly called "Rashers."

Ingredients Serving Size: 6 to 8
4 to 5 lb filet mignon about 18 inches long
1 lb Galtee or Shannon Traditional Irish Bacon
6 cloves of garlic minced
6 leaves of basil cut in fine strips
2 tablespoons of horseradish cream
11/2 cups of fine breadcrumbs
1/2 to 3/4 stick of butter.
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method
Dice about six ounces of the bacon. Melt one ounce of butter in a pan and add bacon. Saute until cooked, but not crisp. Add garlic and cook gently until transparent. Add the remaining butter and allow to melt. Add the rest of the ingredients. Allow to cool.

Make quite long, deep incisions on the sides of the filet. Stuff with the mixture. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper. Wrap the remaining bacon around the fil et. Place in a 18"x12"x12" roasting tin.

Put on the rack second level from the bottom in an oven which has been pre- heated to 500 degrees F. Roast for 10 minutes on one side turn and roast for 10 minutes on the other side. (This will give a quite rare cut, if you like your meat a little more well done, adjust time accordingly). Remove from oven and allow to rest for 7 minutes. Carve and serve.

Although tart dishes could not be described as traditionally Irish, it forms part of the new style of Irish cooking which uses the indigenous produce of the country -- bacon, cheese and vegetables, in a light a modern style of cooking and presentation.

Ingredients Serving Size: 6 to 8

Pastry:
10 ounces plain flour
pinch of salt
6 ounces butter
2 egg yolks
3 tablespoons approximately of cold water

Filling:
8 ounces Shannon Traditional/Galtee Irish bacon
4 leeks, trimmed, washed and sliced
6 eggs
4 ounces Kerrygold Irish Blarney cheese grated
1 tablespoon Lakeshore Irish Wholegrain mustard
pinch of cayenne pepper
salt and black pepper to taste

Method
Pastry:
Sieve the flour and salt into a food processor bowl. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the flour. Whisk the mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. While still whisking, add the egg yolks and just enough water to combine the dough. Wrap the dough in saran wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F

Roll out the pastry thinly. Line an 11 inch flan dish. Remove any pockets. Prick the base with a fork and bake blind for 15 to 20 minutes.

Once upon a time in Celtic Mythology there was a young boy called Fionn MacCumhail. When Fionn tasted the famous Salmon of Knowledge great powers were bestowed upon him. He went on to become one of the greatest heroes in Irish Celtic Mythology. We can't guarantee that that Irish Smoked Salmon will provide you with great knowledge but according to Irish tradition it certainly won't hurt!

Shellfish has been a staple in the Irish diet since 6,000 BC. All around the Irish coast there are sites known as shell "middens" which are made up of discarded sea shells from ancient feasts.

In Ireland our sea scallops come intact with their roe which is a rich golden tongue and tastes wonderful. It is possible to get scallops with their roe here, though it's not necessary for this simple elegant recipe.

Ingredients Serving Size: 4

12 sea scallops, cleaned with their shells
6 ounces Irish smoked salmon cut 1/8 inch strips
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus one tablespoon
3 teaspoons walnut vinegar
2 tablespoons flour
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Combine one tablespoon of olive oil with the vinegar, a little salt and pepper and the smoked salmon. Marinate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Cut the scallops in half by cutting across horizontally. Dredge the scallops in the flour, shake off excess.

Heat two tablespoons of olive and saute the scallops very lightly, about one minute on each side. Arrange the scallops in their shells, spoon salmon mixture evenly over each one.

Place shells on a baking sheet (crumple some tin foil under the shells to keep steady). Season lightly with salt and pepper and place under broiler Broil for approximately 2 minutes. Decorate with any green herbs and serve.

There is some discussion on how the potato came to Ireland. One theory claims that Sir Walter Raleigh brought it back to England from Peru. When he showed it to Queen Elizabeth, she claimed, "It's a tuber, it's ugly, give it to the Irish!" Others say that the potato was swept ashore from the wrecks of the Spanish Armada along the coast of Ireland. Whichever story you chose to believe the potato is an important part of Irish culinary tradition. These potato cakes are a great favorite, named after a cove in the southwest of Ireland.

Ingredients Serving Size: 4
1 large or two medium floury potatoes about 8 ozs. scrubbed, not peeled and coarsely grated.
2 ounces. Kerrygold Irish Vintage Cheddar or Tipperary Irish Cheddar cheese, finely grated (like a parmesan)
1 ounce McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal
2 ounces Irish Smoked Salmon, diced
2 ounces Galtee or Shannon Traditional Irish Bacon,(approx. 2 slices) sliced into strips
1 teaspoon creamed horseradish
1 tablespoon of butter
Pepper to taste and a small pinch of salt
1 large egg beaten
Coarse wholemeal flour to dust
Olive oil (enough to coat bottom of the pan)

Method
Melt the butter in a pan and add chopped bacon. Saute until cooked, but not crisp. Combine all the ingredients bacon, cheese, potatoes, oatmeal, salmon, horseradish, salt and pepper in a bowl. Add egg to bind. From mix, make 8 small patties. Coat lightly with wholemeal flour and then shallow fry in olive oil until golden brown.

Salmon is revered in Irish mythology as the source of wisdom. Traditionally salmon was popular during Lent and on days of fast and abstinence. In folk medicine salmon gall was used as a remedy for blindness or defective vision.

Today smoked salmon enjoys a high reputation as a quality food item served as either an appetizer or entree.

Ingredients Serving Size: 4
I lb Puff pastry (4 to 5 inch circles of puff pastry cut from prepared pastry that has been thawed, rolled and one inch thick)
2 tablespoons corn oil
4 large leeks white and tender, green part well washed and very thinly sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon minced shallots
8 thin slices of Irish smoked Salmon
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
8 to12 drops of extra virgin olive oil
Mixed greens, lightly dressed with vinaigrette dressing

Method
Preheat over to 400 degrees F and place pastry circles on greased pastry sheet and bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside until cool enough to handle. Cut each in half horizontally. Return to oven and bake until crisp.

In a large skilled over medium high heat, Heat corn oil until hot but not smoking. Add leaks and saute for 5 minutes. Add sugar, thyme, garlic and shallots. Toss to mix and saute until caramelized -- about 10 minutes

Preheat the broiler. Heap the caramelized leeks on to pastry circles. Arrange two slices of smoked salmon lightly, but decoratively, over leeks on each pastry circle. Sprinkle generously with pepper and top with chopped basil and drops of olive oil. Place under the broiler for 20 seconds until the salmon is slightly warmed, but be careful not to cook.

Barm Brack was the traditional name for this bread, coming from the word "Beorma" meaning "yeasted ferment liquor" and "brac" meaning "speckled."

Barm Brack or Irish Tea Bread was a traditional favorite at Halloween which is also the Celtic New Year. According to Celtic tradition, it was common to put certain items into the mixture and bake. Whoever got the slice with the marriage ring, would get married, the coin, meant riches, the pea -- poverty, the rag meant the recipient would be an "old maid" or "bachelor" and the matchstick recipient would "get beaten by his or her spouse!"

The barm brack provided plenty of entertainment for a traditional Irish family.

Ingredients Makes 2 Small Loaves
24 ounces mixed fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants, etc.)
1 ounce McCann's Quick Cooking Irish Oatmeal
4 ounces toasted almonds
8 ounces brown sugar
10 fluid ozs of Barry's, Bewley's or Dublin Irish Tea freshly brewed.
I large beaten egg with 2 tablespoons of milk
1lb self raising flour
Pinch of salt.

Method
Melt the sugar in the tea. Soak the fruit, almonds and oatmeal in the tea mixture overnight. Next day, mix in the nuts and egg and milk mixture. Fold in the flour and the salt. Grease and line two 1lb loaf tins. Set oven to 325 degrees F.

Bake loaves for about one hour. Check after an hour by inserting a skewer (it should come out clean when bread is cooked).

Serving Suggestions:
Serve spread with Kerrygold Irish Butter or Dairygold Irish Dairy Spread. It can then be topped with your favorite Irish preserve, such as the Real Irish Food Co Strawberry & Rhubarb Preserve, Morley's Strawberry and Orange Preserve or Chivers Irish Blackcurrant. Perfect for afternoon tea or late night snack with a cup of freshly brewed Barry's or Bewley's Tea.