Ireland: Stampy (An Oven-Baked Potato Bread)

Stampy is a traditional name for one of the many Irish potato breads. While the recipe below calls for this one to be baked in the oven, this is a recent development: Irish kitchens didn't usually have ovens until the late nineteenth century, so stampy in its most authentic form would have been either a griddle bread, or would have been baked inside a covered pot either hung over the coals of the kitchen fire, or resting in them.

Making stampy is a little labor-intensive -- grating the potatoes and letting their starch settle out takes a while -- but the result is worthwhile. Stampy cakes hot out of the oven and slathered with butter are are a rich and flavorsome experience. (Some have said that the only really good accompaniment for them is Irish whiskey. Your mileage may vary, but it's worth trying...)

Click on "read more" for the recipe.

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: Stampy
 Categories: Irish2, Potatoes, Dessert
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      8 oz Raw potatoes
      8 oz Cooked potatoes, mashed
      1 oz Butter
      2 fl Double cream
      2 ts Caraway seeds
      4 oz Granulated / caster sugar
      8 oz Self-raising flour
 
  Peel and grate the raw potatoes;  transfer them to the center of a
  clean tea towel, and while holding the cloth over a bowl, wring hard
  to extract the starchy liquid. Leave this to settle until the starch
  separates and rests at the bottom of the bowl.  This will take at
  least 2 hours. Transfer the grated potatoes to another bowl.
  Meanwhile mash the cooked potatoes with the butter and cream.  While
  waiting for the starch to settle, sit the mashed potatoes on top of
  the grated ones in the bowl to prevent them from browning.  When the
  starch has settled, pour off and discard the surface liquid and add
  the remaining starch to the mashed and grated potatoes, mixing well.
  Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
  
  Preheat the oven to 200C / 400F. Mix the caraway seeds through the
  sugar and add these to the potatoes. Sift the flour and mix this in
  to make a soft pliable dough.  Turn the dough onto a floured surface
  and knead lightly.  Place on a preheated baking sheet and cut into
  4-8 slices.  Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Serve hot with butter.
  
  (from A LITTLE HISTORY OF IRISH FOOD, Regina Sexton, Kyle Cathie
  Limited, ISBN 1-85626-243-X)
 
MMMMM

Technorati Tags: stampy bread Ireland Irish potato potatoe cream butter sugar caraway flour