Farmer Boy Recipe - Authentic Irish

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day with this special authentic Irish recipe. This one does not come from my family collection, but from Freda's family! (Freda is my house guest & she is Almanzo Wilder's cousin.)  This recipe was passed down to her from her mother.  Her mother's family came directly from Ireland in the mid to late 19th Century.  But Freda doesn't remember eating this, because her mother died when Freda was only 5 years old.  And she never made this recipe, because she didn't think she'd like it.  Well, when I made it the other day, Freda had a great surprise!  I didn't tell her that I was making it and served it to her.  I had her try to guess what it was.  She guessed a few things, but never thought of it as being her mother's recipe!  When I told her, she was shocked!  And she commented, that she always had it in her mind that it would be heavier and not desirable, but this was great!

Farmer Boy Irish Soda Bread

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 Tablespoon of baking powder
• 1/4 Cup of sugar
• 1/4 Cup of softened butter
• 1 teapoon of caraway seeds
• 1/4 Cup of raisins
• 1 egg
• 1/2 Cup of buttermilk

Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.  Place a clean iron skillet inside the oven.

As the oven heats up, in a bowl, mix the dry ingredients together. Stir in the egg, butter and buttermilk, then the seeds and raisins.  Stir to form a ball.

Take the warmed skillet out of the oven.  Brush the bottom of the skillet lightly with butter.

Gently drop the ball of dough into the skillet.  Gently press the dough out to the edges of the skillet.

With a sharp knife, score the top of the dough with a cross, going all the way to the edges.

Brush the top of the dough with buttermilk.

Place the skillet into the oven.  Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, till golden brown and no batter is left uncooked in the center.

Serve warm.

 

I have another recipe that I collected from an old friend, who also had an Irish heritage.  In that one, you don't have the raisins. And it is served with Cheddar Cheese and Apples.

As I see it, rural American cooking and Irish cooking are pretty much the same - you use what you have available!  This recipe reflects that and turns out to be wonderful, "Comfort Food".

"Success actually becomes a habit through the determined overcoming of obstacles as we meet them one by one." Laura Ingalls Wilder

At 91 years of age, Freda found out that she had missed out on a great memory of her mother by not having made this recipe years ago.  But now she has a great memory of her!  It brought tears to Freda's eyes.  You are never too old to learn!

I hope you'll try this recipe and then come back here and leave a comment on your experience. Thanks.  The Old Man in the Bib Overalls