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Some dress in green while others raise a glass in salute of the Emerald Isle. Consider topping off St. Paddy’s Day with a small feast to soak up the suds.

By Phyllis Stein-Novack

Add Comment | Comments: 0 | Posted Mar. 11, 2010

Next week marks St. Patrick’s Day and it’s just in time, as Philly Beer Weekend kicks off tomorrow.

Why do we associate the Irish with beer? Don’t know, but I do so love a pint of Guinness.

The Emerald Isle is steeped in culture. The music has a lilting quality and the harp is held in such high esteem, it is the only household possession that cannot be confiscated for debt. “Riverdance” introduced America to the rhythmic art of step dancing.

Let’s not forget the brilliant poets, playwrights and writers. George Bernard Shaw, Sean O’Casey, William Synge and James Joyce all hail from Ireland. Although he was born in Brooklyn to Irish parents, Frank McCourt, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Angela’s Ashes,” spent time in poverty in Ireland.

But this column is about food. Please, not jokes that Ireland has no cuisine except for dreary lamb stew, potatoes, corned beef and cabbage. This is 100-percent incorrect.

My friends Eamon and Malachy McVeigh were born in County Tyrone. I easily understand the Dublin accent, but these northern lads speak almost one of their own. They grew up on a farm where vegetables were grown and lambs roamed and dined on grass. Although the brothers are American citizens, they still have family back on the farm.

Because Ireland is an island, fish is a big part of the Irish diet. You think mussels are enjoyed only by Italians, Southern French and Belgians? Think again. The Irish adore mussels and cockles, which are clams. Salmon is their fish of choice.

Here’s a salute to St. Patrick’s Day.

■ Mussels and Cockles Steamed in Beer ■

Ingredients:

2 pounds of mussels, preferably from Maine or Prince Edward Island
24 cockles or littleneck clams
Vegetable oil, to coat the bottom of a 4-quart pot
2 leeks, with some tender green, split, thoroughly washed and sliced
1 onion, diced
3 fat cloves of garlic, sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 can or bottle of beer of your choice

Directions:

Pick over the mussels and clams for any broken shells. Place the shellfish in a colander and rinse thoroughly.

Heat the oil over medium-high. Add the leeks and onion and sauté for about five minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for three minutes. Season with the salt and pepper.

Add the beer. Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook for about four minutes, shaking the pot once or twice. If the shells have not opened, cook another minute or so.

Discard any mussels or clams that do not open.

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