Here is a traditional Irish recipe to enjoy on St Patricks Day

450g Cabbage

450g potatoes

small bunch of spring onion tops

1/4 pint of milk or cream

salt and pepper

good knob of butter to serve.

1.  cook the cabbage in boiling salted water until tender but not overcooked.  drain very well and chop finely.

2.  cook the potatoes.  chop the onion tops and simmer them in milk or cream for about 5-7 minutes.  drain the potatoes, season and mash them well, then stir in the cooked onions and milk.  then blend in the chopped cabbage.  taste for seasoning.  Heat the entire mixture gentle, then pile into a warmed dish.  Make a well in the centre and put in knob of butter.  Enjoy.

Makes about 15-20 pancakes, depending on the size of your pan.  Serve with Lemon, sugar, Honey, Jam, Maple Syrup and ice-cream.  Can be used with a savoury filling also – chicken, mushrooms. 

225g plain flour, pinch of salt

2 eggs,

1 pint of milk

40g unsalted butter, melted

oil fo frying.

1.  sift the flour and salt into a bowl.  whisk the eggs and the milk in to the flour.  add the melted butter adn whisk into the mix..

2.  to cook the pancakes, preheat the frying pan.  lightly oil the pan and pour  some of the mixture, tilting and rotating the pan to make the batter spread out.  cook for 30-40 seconds, until golden brown. turn the pancake over and cook for a further 20-30 seconds.

3.  keep the pancakes warm between squares of greaseproof paper, while you cook the remainder.

Sheedys is part of the Walkers Welcome initiative set up by Failte Ireland.  The Burren is great walking country and Lisdoonvarna makes a great base.  A lot of our guests will heat out after a home cooked breakfast, take a packed lunch with them and will be out all day walking on the green roads.  They can then relax over Dinner either in our Award winning Restaurant or in our Cosy Bar.  We also offer a weekend package for walkers based on two nights accommodation and freshly cooked breakfast each morning.  Guests are welcomed upon arrival with tea and homemade scones and baking.  After breakfast the following day, guests meet up with Shane Connolly for 1/2 days walk ( aprox 4 hours).  A packed lunch of homemade soup and freshly cut sandwiches is provided.  Full dinner from our A La Carte dinner menu can be enjoyed later that evening.  Maps and walking sticks are provided at reception.

A great recipe for January – Fruity Flapjacks.  These are ideal for the children’s lunch box or a picnic.

350g medium porridge oats

1 heaped tsp ground cinnamon

80g walnuts roughly chopped

85g raisins

50g dried cranberries

80g dried apricots, chopped small

70g sunflower seeds

25 g pumpkin seeds

200g butter

4 tbsp honey

250g brown sugar

1.  Preheat the oven to 190C.  In a large bowl mix together the oats, cinnamon, walnuts, raisins, cranberries, apricots, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.

2.  Melt the butter and honey in a pan then stir in the sugar until the sugar is fully dissolved.  Bring to the boil and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring until thickened into a smooth sauce.  add half the sauce to the dry ingredients, stir well then add the remaining sauce and stir until fully combined.  spoon the mixture evenly into a baking tray lined with parchment paper, smoothing the surface with the back of a spoon.

3. Bake for 15-18 minutes until caramelised and brown around the edges.  leave to cool in the tin before cutting into square.

WARM POTATO SALAD WITH CHIVES

600g small new potatoes

100ml creme fraiche

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

4 handfulls lambs lettuce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon sherry vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.  Boil the potatoes in lightly salted boiling water for 15 minutes until just tender.  Drain and set aside to cool a little.  then peel the potatoes and cut into 1/4 inch slices and keep warm.

2.  In a large bowl, combine the creme fraiche, mayonnaise and chives and season with salt and pepper.  Add the potatoes and fold into the mixture. 

3.  Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together and use to toss the lambs lettuce.  Arrange the lambs lettuce around a serving bowl, put potatoes into the centre and serve

Here is the Traditional Christmas Cake from John’s mother.  The recipe is for an 8 inch deep tin.

175g glace cherries

400g currants

300g sultanas

300g raisins

110g candied orange peel

7 tbsp Paddy

400g plain flour

1/2 tsp all spice

350g butter softened

350g dark sugar

6 eggs lightly beaten

110g chopped almonds

zest of 1 orange and its juice, zest of 1 lemon

1 tbsp black treacle

Prepare the fruit in advance.  cut the cherries into quarters.  Place all the fruit and the mixed peel in a large bowl and pour over the whiskey.  Mix well then cover with clingfilm and set aside overnight.  Line the base adn sides of the cake tin with baking parchment, then tie a collar of 4 layers of brown paper, wide enough to stand about 2 inches above the rim, around the outside of the tin.  Pre heat the oven to 120C.

Sift the flour, all spice and mixed spice into a bowl.  place the butter and sugar in a food mixer and whisk thoroughly until light and fluffy.  Then add a little of the beaten egg ot the mixture, then sift in some of the flour and mix.  Repeat this process until all the egg and flour have been thoroughly mixed in.  Then carefully add the mixed soaked fruit and peel, chopped almonds and orange and lemon zesets, followed by the juice and treacle, until thoroughly combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tin.  bake the cake in the centre of the oven for about 3 hours, then turn it around and cook for a further 3 hours.  To check if it is cooked, put a skewer into the centre of the cake and it must come out clean.  Leave it to cool.  To store, wrap well in greaseproof paper.  You can put more whiskey over it on a regular basis.  This cake keeps very well.

Here is John’s recipe for Mulled Wine which is a warming seasonal drink. The mulled wine should be served very hot, but never boiled or the alcohol will be evaporated.  Brandy or fortified wine could also be added for extra strength and flavour.  The recipe makes about 12 glasses.

3 bottles of red wine

3 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

grated rind and juice of 1 – 2  lemons

juice of 2 oranges

250g sugar

600ml dark rum

1.  Put the wine, spices and grated rind of lemons into a large saucepan and heat gently.  stir in the lemon and orange juices.  Add the sugar and rum slowly, stirring well all the time. 

2.  Serve and enjoy.  Remember to pour the wine over a spoon into the glass, to prevent the glass from splitting.

This is the recipe that John’s grandmother used for Christmas Pudding.  It makes one large pudding or you could make 2-3 small ones, as the puddings can keep up to 6 months.  The pudding should be made within the next week or so, to give them time to mature.

450g demerara sugar

450g fresh breadcrumbs

75g ground almonds

170g candied peel, chopped

80g glace cherries

450g currants

270g raisins

280g sultanas

1 carrot, grated

juice and grated rind of 1 lemon and also of 1 orange

7 eggs

1/2 pint of Guinness

2 tablespoons flour

150ml of whiskey

1.  In a large bowl, mix the sugar, breadcrumbs and almonds in a large bowl.  Add the peel, cherries, currants, raisins, sultanas and grated carrot. Mix well.

2.  Make a well in the middle and add the grated lemon, grated orange and the juices, the mixed spices and mix well.  Mix the eggs with the Guinness and add gradually to the dry ingredients and add the flour at this stage a little at a time.  Stir very well and finally add the whiskey and mix well again.

3.  Butter the bowl(s) and fill to within 1 inch of the top.  Cover with greaseproof paper then either a lid or foil and tie down.  steam over boiling water for about 7 hours.  Remove bowl, uncover the puddings and let the steam out.  Leave them to cool then cover again.

4.  On Christmas Day, the pudding will need to be steamed again for about 1 hour or a little longer to hear through.  You can light the pudding, if you like, by pouring some whiskey or brandy over and set it alight.  Serve with brandy butter. Enjoy!

We get our fish delivered fresh on a daily basis from Garrihy Seafoods, Doolin.  Here is a picture of Eamon Garrihy with John Dory – we have always aimed to source our products locally.

Here is a list of other local suppliers.

St Tola for goats cheese; Colm Fahy for Lettuce; Bernard Roughan for meat; Mount Callan for cheddar cheese; Burren Smokehouse for their excellent smoked salmon; We get Rhubarb and eggs from local farm women.  We get vegetables and fruit from Foleys, Ennistymon.