Samhain Feast Recipes - The Black Dragon Tavern
Traditional Irish recipes perfect for a Samhain feast!
Samhain, pagan, pagan festival, harvest festival, festival, tradition, pagan tradition, harvest traditions, prepare for winter, irish festival, gaelic festival, norse festival, fall festival, autumn festival
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Samhain Feast Recipes

26 Oct 2020

Samhain Feast Recipes

Festivals, Recipes, Traditions

Welcome back to the Tavern! It’s time for some Fall recipes for your Samhain feast to warm the corners of your home and hearts!

Below I have arranged 3 dishes that work INCREDIBLY well together or can stand alone as individual endeavors. While all of these may be familiar to you in concept, I hope to surprise you a little with the unorthodox traditionalism of my clan and our heritage! May your Samhain Feast be filled with many stories and the companionship of loved ones! Many of you asked about the spurtle I was using (the spatula looking thing), so I’ve added a link here for you guys!

Let’s get started, with a healthy stew to keep you warm as the veil thins!

Irish Dragon Stew

3 tbsp olive oil

  • 3.75 lb / 1.88 kg beef chuck, boneless short rib, or any other slow cooking beef (no bone)
  • 1 1/2 tsp each salt and black pepper
  • 4 1/2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 onions, chopped (brown, white, or yellow)(I prefer yellow for stews)
  • 1 lb of Shredded Cheddar Cheese
  • 9 oz / 270g Bacon, speck or pancetta, diced(Optional)
  • 4 1/2 tbsp flour (all-purpose/plain, Note 3 for GF)
  • 2 Bottles of Guinness Beer(About 23 Oz) (See Variations Below)
  • 6 tbsp tomato paste
  • 4 1/2 cups (1125 ml) chicken stock/broth (or beef broth – Note 4)
  • 5 Large Red Potatoes Cut Even
  • 3 large celery stalks, cut to the thickness of the width of your finger
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 4 1/2 sprigs thyme (or sub with 1 tsp crushed thyme leaves)

  1. Cut the beef into two-finger width(the thickness of two of your fingers side by side) chunks.
  2. Heat oil in a heavy-based pot over high heat. Add seasoning to the pot as it warms. Add beef in batches and brown well all over. Remove onto a bowl. Repeat with remaining beef.
  3. Lower heat to medium. Add more Olive Oil to keep the pan bottom coated.
  4. Cook garlic and onion for 3 minutes until soft. (Add in optional meat now if you choose)
  5. Stir in Celery. (Cook until optional meat has browned)
  6. Add flour, stir until it dissipates.
  7. Add Guinness(Or water), chicken broth/stock, and tomato paste. Stir completely(don’t leave chunks of flour), add bay leaves and thyme. 
  8. Add a handful of shredded cheese to add salt and thickness.
  9. Return beef into the pot (including any juices), as well as add the potatoes. The liquid level should just cover the ingredients. 
  10. Cover, lower heat so it is bubbling gently. Cook for 2 hours – the beef should be pretty tender by now. Remove lid then simmer for a further 30 – 45 minutes or until the beef falls apart at a touch, the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.

Serve, enjoy.

VARIATIONS:

– Guinness: If you don’t end up using Guinness, you simply replace it with 2 cups of distilled water, as I did in the recipe video that will be linked!

– OVEN: Cover and bake for 2 1/2 hours at 160C / 320F. Remove then cook for a further 30 – 45 minutes to reduce the sauce, per recipe.

– SLOW COOKER: Reduce the chicken broth by 1 cup. After you add the Guinness and broth/stock into the pot, bring to simmer and ensure you scrape the bottom of the pot well. Transfer everything into a slow cooker. Add remaining ingredients per recipe. Cook on low for 8 hours. If the sauce needs more thickening, simmer with slow cooker lid off (if you have that function), to ladle some of the sauce into a separate saucepan and reduce on the stove.

– PRESSURE COOKER: Follow slow cooker instructions, cook on HIGH for 40 minutes. Chuck or stew meats need more time to cook, and you want them cooked all the way through.

3. FLOUR: Flour thickens up the stew. I like my stews more to the thick side. But the cheese and potatoes will also add thickness to the stew, so be sure to be mindful of how much you add-in.

If You Are GLUTEN-FREE – skip the flour in the recipe. Cook per recipe then right at the end, when the beef is tender and the liquid has reduced down, mix together 2 1/2 tbsp of cornflour/cornstarch with a splash of water. Add to stew, and watch as it thickens!

4. Beef or Chicken Broth – This is really up to preference, though if you do go for the recipe that forgoes the Guinness I would strongly recommend Beef stock and bullion cubes for a bolder flavor.

Next up we have a simple, yet elegant, addition to any meal or even just as a treat, delicious addition to any toast, let’s make it cheesy!

Flamed Cheddar Bread

  • 1 Loaf of Sheppards, Sour Dough, Or Potato Bread
  • ½ lb of Cheddar Cheese
  • 1 Stick of Irish Salted Butter

Heat a frying pan to medium heat, butter both side of the bread (1 slice will be 2 servings once cooked). Cook one side till brown or light black, flip and apply a generous portion of shredded cheese. Let it melt for 30 or so seconds, then flip again. 

Use the spatula to push the melting cheese against the edge of the bread, and as the cheese browns, the toast should come free with a gentle prod from the spatula. Let cool for 1 minute, then cut in half and repeat until you have enough!

And to finish us up, we have a heart-stopping Hot Cocoa that is almost literally to die for(like all sweet treats, this one will tempt the sweet tooth and the candy hounds among you). I do hope you enjoy the Cocoa of the Dragon!

Black Dragon Cocoa

This Cocoa has been made in our house for almost a hundred years, it combines Cocoa cooking powder with chocolate cooking chips for a much richer and more traditional hot Cocoa. The cocoa powder adds the distinct “hot cocoa” flavor, and the chocolate chips can add sweetness, richness, smoothness, or bitterness depending on the type you choose. 

  • Place the milk of your choice in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Using milk instead of water will make the cocoa richer and creamer. While I prefer whole milk, this recipe is good with nut and soy milk as well.
  • Whisk in cocoa powder and sugar, and heat until warm.
  • Once the milk is warm, add chocolate chips, whisking until they melt into the milk.
  • Add 1 tsp of vanilla extract. This will balance out all that chocolate

Once you’ve got it in the mug, you can add crushed chocolate, marshmallows, homemade whipped cream, crushed peppermint candy or leaves, or even caramel drizzle.

I also add Half and Half or heavy cream when I want really rich cocoa.

With that, I hope I have added something wonderful to your home this Holiday season, be it a Pagan tradition, or a cultural tradition to be handed down through the future generations, it is certainly surprising how much a stew can do!

Please consider following my blog and subscribing to my Youtube channel for more lore, myths, traditions, and yes even more recipes!

Until the next time you find a seat here at my tavern, stay bloodthirsty my friends, and all hail!

If you would like to support the creation of this content and have access to some other great offerings, please check out the Black Dragon Tavern Patreon page!

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