IMBOLC recipes

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Fish and chips are a great addition to any Imbolc menu -- fish were almost always plentiful in the British Isles.

Image © Getty Images

The Celtic peoples often relied on fish as part of their diet -- after all, fish were plentiful, and could be caught any time of year. Beer too was popular, because it didn't spoil, and helped add flavor to some otherwise bland meals. Use beer, your favorite white fish, and some good plump potatoes for this recipe, and dig in at Imbolc.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs your favorite white fish: tilapia, haddock, flounder
• 4 large russett potatoes
• Kosher salt
• Rosemary
• 2 C flour
• 1 Tbsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
• A dash of cayenne pepper
• 1 bottle of dark beer, cold
• Oil for frying
• Cornstarch for dredging

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Heat the oil in a large pot until it reaches about 375.

Wedge the potatoes, leaving the skin on, and drop then in a large bowl with cold water.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, salt, Old Bay seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Finally, pour in the beer and whisk until the batter is smooth. To help batter adhere to the fish, try chilling the batter in the fridge for about half an hour.

Drain the potatoes, and submerge them in the oil. Work in small batches so the oil doesn't cool off too much, and cook them until they're crisp and golden brown. Remove from oil, drain on a rack, and season with rosemary and kosher salt. Place them in the oven to stay warm while you cook the fish.

Reduce the heat of the oil to about 350. Lightly dredge your fish fillets in cornstarch, and then dip in the batter. Place in the hot oil, and allow to cook until the batter sets. Turn fish over, and cook until they're a golden brown color. Remove from oil, drain on rack, and serve with potato fries.

For maximum flavor, sprinkle with malt vinegar and salt, accompanied by a pint of Guinness.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

At Imbolc, the lamb is a true symbol of the season. In the British Isles, there were years when the spring lambing presented the first meat people had eaten in months. Barley was a staple crop in many areas of Scotland and Ireland, and could be used to stretch even the thinnest of winter meals to feed an entire family. Although curry was not native to the UK, it lends itself well to the theme of this Sabbat because of its fiery nature. The golden raisins add a bit of sunny sweetness. This simple dish is delicious, and reminds us that spring is truly on its way.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbs. butter or oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 lbs. lean lamb, sliced into thin strips
• 1 C. beef or vegetable broth
• 1/2 C. barley
• 2 Tbs. curry powder
• 1/2 C. golden raisins

Preparation:

In a large skillet, heat the butter or oil. Sautee the onion until soft, and then add the strips of lamb. Brown the lamb, but not so long that it gets tough -- you want to keep it nice and tender. Slowly pour in the broth.

Add the barley, and cover the pan. Allow to simmer about 20 minutes, or until barley has cooked. Uncover, and add curry and raisins. Simmer for a few more minutes, and remove from heat. Serve as part of your Imbolc dinner.

** Note: for those of you who don't eat meat, this is actually excellent with some chopped zucchini or other squash in place of the lamb.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Carrots are a great food -- they're one of those root vegetables that our ancestors would have stored away for the cold winter months. Come February, they'd still be edible, even when everything else was gone. Raw or cooked, carrots are awesome. They correspond to the element of fire with their warm, sunny color, so why not cook some up to add to your Imbolc feast? The trick with this recipe is to not let your carrots get too soft -- just heat them long enough that they're hot, but still have some of the crunch in them.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb, raw carrots, cut into 1/4" circles
• 1/2 stick butter
• 1/4 C. brown sugar
• Salt & Pepper
• A dash of ground ginger

Preparation:

Melt the butter over low heat. Once it's melted, add the carrots, sauteeing until they begin to get a bit light in color. Add the brown sugar, and mix until dissolved. Allow the carrots to simmer over low heat for just a few minutes.

Add the salt, pepper and ginger to taste. The ginger adds a nice little bit of zing to an otherwise sweet recipe. Serve as a side dish with your favorite main course, or as part of an Imbolc potluck.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Braided bread is found in many forms, in many cultures. This one is a simple one, and is perfect for serving at your Imbolc feast. The braid symbolizes Brighid in her aspect as the bride, representative of her fertility and position as a hearth goddess. Serve this tasty braided bread with warm butter for dipping.

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 3 loaves frozen bread dough, thawed (this is in the frozen foods section at the grocery store)
• 1 egg
• Water
• Sesame seeds

Preparation:

Allow the bread loaves to defrost at room temperature. Before it begins to rise, cut each loaf in half with a large pizza cutter or a knife. Roll each half out until it's about 18" long, and about an inch thick. You'll end up with six of these long strips.

Take three of the strips, and braid them together, trying not to stretch them out too much. When you've reached the end of the braid, tuck the ends underneath themselves. Repeat the process with the other three strips, making a second braid.

Place the braids either on a baking stone, or on a pan that has been sprinkled with cornmeal.

Beat the egg in a small bowl, and add 2 Tbsp. water. Lightly brush the egg and water mixture over the braids, and then sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let them rise in a warm place for about an hour, or until doubled in size.

Bake at 375 for 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown color. Remove from baking sheet, and allow to cool for 15 minutes or more before serving.

** Note: if you want to really jazz this up, use different types of bread, such as white and wheat. The end result is visually very appealing, with the different colors braided together.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Irish cream truffles are a tasty addition to your Imbolc feast -- if you can keep them around that long!

Image © Getty Images

Everyone loves chocolate, and having a nice rich truffle after dinner is a great way to wrap up your Sabbat meal. This recipe is fairly easy, and although the original uses egg yolks, I've modified it a bit to use egg substitute. Make these in advance and chill them, and break them out once your Imbolc feast is over.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 C. Bailey's Irish Cream
• 24-oz bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 C. heavy cream
• 2/3 C. egg substitute (or four egg yolks)
• 2 Tbs butter (use real butter, not margarine)
• Cocoa powder

Preparation:

In a heavy saucepan over low heat, combine the Bailey's and chocolate chips. Maintain over very low heat so your chocolate doesn't scorch, and stir until the chips have melted. Add heavy cream and egg substitute. Blend until smooth. Stir in butter, whisking until thick.

Remove from heat, and chill overnight until firm. Once the mixture has firmed up, use a spoon to scoop it out and roll into 1" balls. Roll each ball in the cocoa powder until coated. Depending on the size of the balls -- and how much of the dough you eat during prep -- you can get a few dozen truffles out of this.

** Note: if you like, instead of rolling in cocoa, use powdered sugar, colored sprinkles, flavored coffee powder or chopped nuts.

** To make a great gift, roll up a cone of heavy parchment paper, drop some truffles inside, and tie with a ribbon.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Bacon is one of those foods that's so good people like to wrap other foods in it. However, if you're a purist and appreciate your bacon simple, this is a great recipe to whip up at Imbolc. The fiery taste of onions an garlic is offset by the smokiness of the bacon. Enjoy this heaped onto some nice warm Braided Bread.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of bacon
• 3 fresh leeks, chopped
• 1 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• Salt
• Pepper

Preparation:

Fry the bacon and drain off excess fat. Remove from pan, and then chop into small pieces. Return to pan, and add garlic, leeks and onions. Season with salt and pepper to taste. When onions are opaque, remove from heat and serve scooped onto warm, soft bread.

**Note: If you're a vegetarian, try this with strips of sliced zucchini or hash-brown style potatoes in place of the bacon. It's still delicious!

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

Imbolc is a Sabbat that often focuses on dairy -- after all, the very word Imbolc is derived from Oimelc, or "ewe's milk." This is a great time of year to make foods that come from a dairy source, and few are more representative of dairy than butter. Homemade butter is great because it's got a fuller flavor - mostly because you make with pure cream instead of diluting it with oils and water like commercially produced butter. Although back in the old days, people used to spend hours at a churn, you can put together your own batch of fresh butter with just a little bit of effort.

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

• Heavy whipping cream
• Glass jar with a lid that seals tightly

Preparation:

Allow the whipping cream to sit at room temperature overnight to let it ripen. Don't leave it out more than 24 hours, or it will spoil.

Pour the whipping cream into the jar. Tighten the lid so it's sealed - I like to use a Mason jar for this, but you can use any kind you like. Shake the jar for about twenty to thirty minutes. If you have more than one kid, let them take turns so no one gets bored.

Check the jar periodically -- if the contents are getting too thick for you to shake easily, open the jar and use a fork to stir things up a little. Eventually, the cream will start to form yellow clumps. These clumps are your butter, which means you're done.

If you're not going to eat all your butter immediately, keep it in the jar, refrigerated. It will last about a week before it begins to spoil.

You can add flavor (and help prevent early spoilage) by adding a bit of salt to your butter. If you like, add herbs or honey. Experiment a little, to see what sorts of flavors you enjoy best. Also, if you allow your butter to chill after mixing it, you can shape it into blocks for easy cutting and spreading.

[Dept of PMM Artists & things]

The word "Imbolc" comes in part from the phrase "ewe's milk," so dairy products become a big part of February celebrations. For our ancestors, this time of year was hard - the winter stores were running low and there were no fresh crops. The livestock was typically preparing for birth, and the lambing season would begin soon. At that time, the ewes came into milk, and once milk arrived, you knew your family would have a source of food again. Sheep's milk is highly nutritious, and sheep were considered a dairy animal long before cattle. If you have eggs, then you've got the makings of custard, a perfect dairy dessert.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 3 C. milk
• 1/2 C. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
• A pinch of salt

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 350. Combine all the ingredients into the bowl of a food processor, and blend for about 15 seconds, or until well mixed. Pour custard mix into ramekins or custard cups. Place the ramekins into a baking dish, and fill the dish with hot water up to a depth of about ¾". Bake the custards for one hour.

**Note: If you don't have a food processor, you can use a hand mixer, it just takes a little bit longer to get everything mixed up.