The first dish that Toplist wants to introduce to you is Soda Bread. Soda Bread is one of Ireland’s most popular breads and it is made without yeast.

Baking soda and buttermilk are needed to make it rise, and when combined, they operate as a leavening agent. To make soda bread sweeter, some people add sugar, honey, or dried fruits, while others add bran, oats, or a sprinkle of seeds for a health benefit.

Ingredients:

4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 teaspoon salt; 1 teaspoon baking soda; 4 tablespoons butter, cubed and slightly softened; 1 cup currants or raisins; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 3/4 cups buttermilk

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 425°F.

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk 4 cups of the flour together with the sugar, salt, and baking soda.

• Using your (clean) fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles a coarse meal. Then add in the currants or raisins.

• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Add the beaten egg and buttermilk to the well and mix in with a wooden spoon until the dough is too stiff to stir.

• Use floured hands to gently gather the dough into a rough ball shape. The dough will be soft and sticky. If it is more like a batter than a dough, add up to 1/2 cup more flour until you have a sticky, shaggy dough.

• Transfer the dough to a large, lightly greased cast-iron skillet or a baking sheet (It will flatten out a bit in the pan or on the baking sheet).
  Using a serrated knife, score the top of dough about an inch and a half deep in an "X" shape. The purpose of the scoring is to help heat get into the center of the dough while it cooks.

• Transfer to the oven and bake at 425°F until the bread is golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35 to 45 minutes.

• Remove the pan or sheet from the oven, and let the bread sit in the pan or on the sheet for 5 to 10 minutes. Then, remove to a rack to cool briefly.

Irish breakfast is a traditional meal consisting of fried eggs, vegetables, potatoes, and meats such as bacon, sausages, and both black and white puddings.

The meal is often served with Irish soda or brown bread, a cup of tea, and a glass of orange juice on the side. Irish Breakfast will definitely be a suggestion for your breakfast on free days.

In most cases, all of the components are cooked in creamy butter. Breakfast was originally created to help people prepare for a day of hard labor on the farm, and it was especially popular on chilly winter mornings. It is normally cooked on Sunday morning (or Christmas morning, when it is extremely popular) due to its enormous size, which makes it difficult to eat on most working day mornings.

Ingredients:

6 thick slices bacon; 2 tablespoons butter or margarine; 4 eggs; 2 small tomatoes, sliced; ½ cup whole mushrooms; 4 slices prepared soda bread

Instructions:

• Lay the bacon slices in a single layer in a large skillet. Fry over medium heat until it begins to get tinged with brown. Fry on both sides. Remove from pan, but save grease.

• Melt butter in a skillet. Crack eggs into the pan, being careful not to break yolks. Place tomato slices, mushrooms, and bread in the pan. Fry gently, stirring mushrooms and tomatoes occasionally. Keep everything separate. Turn bread over to brown on both sides.

• When egg whites are set, but yolks are still runny, dish half of everything onto each of 2 warmed plates, and serve immediately.

Coddle is produced by slowly stewing leftovers for hours at the end of each week. Pork sausages, bacon, diced potatoes, and onions are then added to form a delicious, comforting feast.

The word Coddle derives from the method of cooking the ingredients in a one-pot stew over low heat. Coddle is a meal that originated as a working-class Dublin dish eaten with soda bread pieces.

Ingredients:

2kg (4 1/2lb) potatoes, peeled; 500ml (1 pint) boiled water; 1 ham, chicken, or beef stock cube (optional); 450g (1lb) good quality pork sausages; 450g (1lb) piece thick-cut bacon; 2 large onions, sliced; 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley; salt and coarse ground pepper to serve

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas 2.

• Cut any larger potatoes into three or four pieces, leaving smaller ones whole so that they will cook evenly. Dissolve the stock cube in the boiled water, if using.

• Grill the sausages and bacon long enough to color them but take care not to dry them out. Drain on paper towels and chop the bacon into 2 1/2cm (1in) pieces. You can chop the sausages into bite-sized pieces, though some prefer to leave them whole.

• In a large ovenproof casserole dish with a tight lid, layer the onions, bacon, sausages, and potatoes, seasoning each layer liberally with pepper and parsley. Continue until the ingredients are used up and pour the hot water or bouillon mixture over the top.

• On the stove, bring the liquid to a boil. Immediately reduce heat and cover the pot. You may like to put a layer of foil underneath the pot lid to help seal it.

• Place the covered pot in preheated oven and cook for at least three hours (up to four or five hours will not hurt it). After two hours, check liquid levels and add more water if necessary. There should be about an inch of liquid at the bottom of the pot at all times.

• Serve hot with fresh soda bread to mop up the lovely gravy.

Beef and Guinness pie is basically a beef and Guinness stew in a pastry shell with a pastry cover on top. The pie is cooked till golden brown and is considered a great treat for chilly fall days. Beef cubes, mustard powder, oil, onions, celery, carrots, Guinness, beef stock, redcurrant jelly, bay leaves, parsley, and thyme are commonly used in the filling.

It's cooked at a low temperature to ensure extremely soft meat. Guinness tastes pervade the beef, and the veggies form a rich sauce. After the pie has been cooked, any remaining gravy is usually poured into a jug and served with the pie.

Ingredients:

• For the Pastry: 7 ounces (200 g) of all-purpose flour; 1 pinch kosher salt; 4 ounces (110 g) unsalted butter, cubed, or an equal mix of butter and lard; 2 to 3 tablespoons cold water

• For the Pie: 1 ounce (25 g) all-purpose flour; Kosher salt, to taste; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 pounds (907 g) chuck steak, cut into 1-inch cubes; 1 ounce (25 g) unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; 2 large onions, thinly sliced; 2 large carrots, cut into 1-inch cubes; 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 2 teaspoons tomato puree; 2 1/8 cups (500 ml) Guinness, or other stout beer; 1/4 cups (300 m) hot beef stock; 2 teaspoons granulated sugar; 2 tablespoons water; 1 large egg, beaten

Instructions:

Make the Pastry

• Gather the ingredients.

• In a large bowl, add the flour, salt, and butter.

• With your fingers or a pastry blender, work the butter into the flour until it is the texture of fine breadcrumbs. Work as quickly as possible to avoid warming the dough.

• Add 2 tablespoons of very cold water, stirring it into the dough using a cold knife until it binds together and can be formed into a ball. If it becomes too dry, add more water 1 teaspoon at a time.

• Wrap the ball of dough in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes, or up to 30 minutes.

Make the Beef and Guinness Pie

• Gather the ingredients.

• In a large bowl, place the flour and season with salt and ground black pepper.

• Add the cubes of meat and toss well in the flour until evenly coated.

• In a large, heavy-based, flameproof casserole dish, heat the butter and oil until the butter has melted. Add the meat to the fat in small batches and brown quickly all over for just a minute, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

• Add the onions and carrots to the pan and fry gently for about 2 minutes.

• Return the meat to the pan, and add the Worcestershire sauce, tomato puree, Guinness, hot beef stock, and sugar. Grind in plenty of black pepper and a little salt, stir well and bring to a boil.

• Cover, reduce to a gentle simmer and cook slowly for about 2 hours until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened and is glossy.

• Remove from the heat, place into a 2 1/2-pint (1 1/2-liter) deep pie dish, and leave to cool completely.

• Heat the oven to 400 F/200 C/Gas 6. Roll out the pastry to 1/8-inch / 3-millimeter thick. Cut a 3/4-inch / 2-centimeter strip from the rolled-out pastry.

• Brush the rim of the pie dish with water and place the pastry strip around the rim, pressing it down.

• Place the pastry lid over the top and press down to the edge and seal. Trim off any excess pastry and crimp the edges with a fork or between your thumb and forefinger.

• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the pastry is crisp and golden.

Irish stew is a traditional folk stew that dates back to the early nineteenth century and was created out of a need to cook a meal using leftover ingredients. Mutton, onions, potatoes, and occasionally barley were used to make the stew at first, with lamb meat and other root vegetables like carrots, turnips, and parsnips added later.

Goat meat was allegedly utilized in the past, but beef is a prominent ingredient in today's dishes. The stew is cooked slowly for a couple of hours since the meat used in the meal is chewy and hard, generally bone-in, so that the flesh becomes soft and releases the fat into the stew, improving the taste of the entire dish.

Cooking a stew may be fairly liquid, so some people thicken it up by adding pearl barley, diced potatoes, and a teaspoon of roux.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided; 1 pound lamb cutlets or mutton (bones removed, cut into 2-inch/5-centimeter chunks), divided; 2 pounds potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters), divided; 1 cup roughly chopped carrots, divided; 1 cup roughly chopped onion, divided; 1 cup finely sliced leeks, cleaned and divided; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 3 cups dark beef stock (1 1/2 pints); 2 or 3 cabbage leaves, thinly sliced, optional; Salt, to taste; Pepper, to taste.

Instructions:

• Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C/Gas Mark 4

• In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until hot but not smoking. Add half of the lamb pieces and brown all over by turning in the hot oil.

• Remove the lamb pieces with tongs and place them in a Dutch oven or ovenproof stockpot.

• Cover with half of the potatoes, half of the carrots, half of the onion, and half of the leeks.

• Add the remaining oil to the frying pan and heat. Add the remaining lamb and brown all over as before and add to the Dutch oven.

• Cover with the remaining potatoes, remaining onion, remaining leeks, and remaining carrots.

• Add the flour to the still-hot frying pan and stir really well to soak up any fat and juices. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes.

• Add the stock a ladle at a time and mix until you have a thick, lump-free sauce. You will not add all of the stock.

• Pour this sauce over the lamb and vegetables.

• Add the remaining stock to the Dutch oven, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

• Add the cabbage (if using), replace the lid, and cook for another hour. Check from time to time to make sure the stock hasn't been reduced too much. If it has, adds a little boiling water. The meat and vegetables should always be covered in liquid. If the sauce is too runny at the end, you can always cook the stew a little longer with the lid removed.

• Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve piping hot and enjoy.

Boxty is an Irish potato pancake created by combining shredded potatoes with mashed potatoes and then frying them like a patty. According to some Irish, the term Boxty comes from the Irish phrase 'arán bocht t,' which means 'poor-house bread.'

Boxty is a really adaptable meal that goes well with virtually everything. However, it is best served with smoked salmon and Crème Fraîche or bacon and eggs.

Ingredients:

½ cup grated raw potatoes; 1 cup of all-purpose flour; 1 cup leftover mashed potatoes; 1 egg; 1 tablespoon skim milk; salt and pepper to taste; ¼ cup olive oil

Instructions:

• Toss the grated potatoes with flour in a large bowl. Stir in mashed potatoes until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and skim milk; mix into the potatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drop in the potato mixture, forming patties about 2 inches in diameter. Fry on both sides until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate. Serve warm.

Irish black pudding and white pudding are such a mainstay in Irish breakfasts that they would not be complete without them.

Pork flesh, fat, and blood are used to make black pudding, which is then combined with suet, barley, and oats to make a flavorful sausage. White pudding, on the other hand, resembles black pudding but is devoid of blood.

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh pig's blood; 2 1/2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 cups steel-cut (pinhead) oatmeal; 2 cups finely diced pork fat (or beef suet), finely chopped; 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped; 1 cup milk; 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon ground allspice

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease 2 glass loaf pans. (If you don't have glass loaf pans, line metal loaf pans with parchment to keep the blood sausage from reacting with the metal and creating an off-flavor). Stir 1 teaspoon of salt into the blood.

• Bring 2 1/2 cups of water to a boil and stir in the oats. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes, until just tender, not mushy.

• Pour the blood through a fine sieve into a large bowl to remove any lumps. Stir in the fat, onion, milk, pepper, allspice, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Add the oatmeal and mix to combine. Divide the mixture between the loaf pans, cover with foil, and bake for 1 hour, until firm. Cool completely. Seal in plastic wrap and wither freeze for extended use or store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

• To serve, cut a slice about 1/2-inch thick off the loaf. Fry in butter or oil until the edges are slightly crisped and browned.

Irish Potato Farls are square potato-griddled breads eaten with butter and salt in Ireland. This baked potato bread is similar to Boxty and is typically eaten for breakfast.

To create potato farls, combine all of the ingredients in dough, including butter, flour, potatoes, and baking powder. Before baking, the dough is sliced into four symmetrical square pieces.

Ingredients:

4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved; 1 pinch salt; ¼ cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting; 1 tablespoon melted butter

Instructions:

• In a pot, cover potatoes with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer on medium-high heat until the center of the potatoes is tender when pricked with a fork, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat. Drain, return potatoes to the pot and allow to completely dry out over remaining heat. Mash with a potato masher until smooth.

• Place the warm mashed potato in a medium bowl. Stir in flour, salt, and melted butter. Mix lightly until dough forms.

• On a well-floured surface, knead the dough lightly. The dough will be sticky. Use a floured rolling pin to flatten into a 9-inch circle about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into quarters using a floured knife.

• Sprinkle a little flour into the base of the skillet and cook the farls for 3 minutes on each side or until evenly browned. Season with a little salt and serve straight away.