What's Cooking: Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Mashed Potatoes - WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

What's Cooking: Corned Beef, Cabbage, and Mashed Potatoes

It's a corned beef kind of weekend, and the head chef from the Knotty Shamrock Mike Kennedy is here to teach us his recipe for this traditional meal.

Corned Beef:

5lbs Corned Beef Brisket

1Gal Water

1pt. Guinness

2T Pickling Spice

1C Brown Sugar

½ C Salt

4 Garlic Cloves

1t Chili Flakes

Braised Cabbage:

1 Head Cabbage

1Gal Brine

3T Butter

Salt and Pepper

Jameson Glazed Baby Carrots:

1# Baby Carrots

3T Butter

1T Jameson Irish Whiskey

Salt and Pepper

Irish Cheddar Mashed Potatoes:

3# Chef Potatoes

¼ # Butter

1 ½ C Heavy Cream or Milk

1C Shredded Irish Cheddar

Salt and Pepper

      To make the corned beef, place all ingredients except corned beef into a large stockpot. Bring ingredients all to a boil, turn down to a simmer and continue for about 5-10 minutes. Allow mixture to cool to room temperature. Place corned beef into a large plastic container and pour the brine over it. Allow the corned beef to sit in the brine at least 5 hours.

     Place brine and corned beef into a large stock pot and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer for at least four hours or until the meat is tender (longer if desired). Reserve the brine when the corned beef is done.

            To make the Irish Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, cut the potatoes up into large chunks and place in a pot. Fill the pot with cold water and add a tablespoon of kosher salt. Place on the stove and bring to a boil. Boil potatoes until they become fairly soft. When the potatoes are cooked, strain them in a colander and place them back in the pot or in a large bowl. Add the cream (or milk), butter, salt and pepper and Irish cheddar to them and mash until they are at the desired consistency. Add more salt and pepper as needed.

            To make the braised cabbage, begin by peeling away the outer leaves of the head and cutting off the large core. Cut the cabbage into quarters and remove the inner core. Cut the cabbage into fairly thin strips and place in a pot. Add the reserved brine (cooking liquid now) to the cabbage, place on the stove and simmer until the cabbage becomes tender. When ready to serve, heat the butter in a pan until it is melted. Add the desired amount of cabbage and cook for a few minutes. Add salt and pepper as needed.

            To make the baby carrots, begin by blanching them in some boiling water. Drop them in only for a minute or two and then strain them and cool them off quickly. When ready to serve, heat the butter until melted, add carrots and cook for a few minutes. Deglaze the pan with the Jameson and reduce until alcohol is cooked off, this should create a nice glaze. Add salt and pepper as needed.

            Serve immediately with a ladle of the reserved cooking liquid, horseradish and whole grain mustard.