“March is the Month of Expectation,” according to Emily Dickinson. The days are finally longer, and though it’s still cold and wet, it’s possible to imagine the world waking up in a burst of green once more. For my family, March is always a month of celebration. St. Patrick’s Day offers the perfect opportunity to gather with family and friends to share food and music and dance. I wrote at length last year about my joy in sharing Irish culture, so I can’t help but come to you once more with some recipes inspired by Irish foodways.

When it comes to St. Patrick’s Day in America, corned beef takes center stage. One could be forgiven for forgetting that Ireland is an island surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and shot through with freshwater rivers. Lobster, crab, shellfish, and prawns are plentiful in coastal areas. Both deep-sea fish and those in lakes and rivers are widely available in excellent quality. In my grandmother Breada’s youth in Kiskeam, Co. Cork, the salmon ran so thickly through the river that she and her brother Johnny used to dispatch them with rocks on their walk to school. They would hand the salmon over to the postman to deliver back to their mother up at the farmhouse. Seafood has been a staple of Irish cuisine since time out of mind, even winding its way into folklore.

The story of The Salmon of Knowledge tells of the hero Fionn mac Cumhaill, apprenticed to the wise poet Finegas. Finegas was determined to catch the Salmon of Knowledge, an ordinary fish that had eaten nine hazelnuts that had fallen into the Well of Wisdom. The first person to eat the flesh of this salmon would gain all the world’s wisdom. One day, Finegas caught the salmon and gave it to Fionn, warning the boy to cook the fish but not to eat it. Fionn obeyed, cooking the salmon for his master. When Fionn touched the flesh to see if it was cooked, he burned his thumb on the hot fat. Placing his finger in his mouth to ease the pain of the burn, Fionn unknowingly became the recipient of the salmon’s gift of knowledge. He went on to be the leader of the Fianna, the heroes of Irish legend. I suppose the Irish had seen the potential of fish as brain food long before the discovery of Omega-3s.

This St. Patrick’s Day, I’ll be serving up a dish that includes several storied Irish foods. Fisherman’s Pie is a fun twist on shepherd’s or cottage pie—a hearty combination of salmon, white fish, and prawns in a parsley and leek-scented sauce. The whole thing is covered in a blanket of mashed potato and baked until golden brown. Served in big bowls with a side of green salad and followed by a slice of apple cake, this is a meal that feels as warming as an Aran sweater and as welcoming as a cup of strong tea.

As we wait in happy expectation for the arrival of spring, I hope you’ll enjoy these recipes for an unexpected and incredibly delicious departure from corned beef and cabbage. Happy March, and Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig- Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Fisherman’s Pie

2 lb potatoes

1/4 c. butter

Splash of milk

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 c. fish stock

1/2 c. dry white wine

Small bunch of parsley, separated into leaves and stalks

3/4 lb salmon fillets

1/2 lb smoked trout

1/2 lb small peeled shrimp, prawns, or langoustines

1/4 c. butter

2 parsnips, peeled and finely diced

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced

1/2 c. flour

3/4 c. cream

Peel the potatoes and dice into even small chunks. Place in a large pan, cover with cold water, add a generous pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until tender. Drain the potatoes into a colander. Return them to the pot and mash until smooth; beat in the butter and milk. Season well with salt and pepper; set aside.

Put the fish stock, wine, and parsley stalks into a large pan; bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp and all the fish, and simmer for 5 minutes. Lift the prawns and fish out with a slotted spoon, remove any skin, and cut into large chunks. Discard the parsley stalks.

Melt the butter in a medium pan over low heat. Add parsnips and leeks and cook, stirring frequently, over medium heat until softened.

Add flour to the butter and vegetables. Cook, stirring constantly, for a couple of minutes, being careful not to let it brown. Gradually stir in the fish stock. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Take the sauce off the heat, stir in the cream, chopped parsley leaves, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the fish and shrimp, stirring gently to coat. Turn mixture into a dep casserole dish and top with the mashed potatoes. Brush potatoes with melted butter, if desired. Bake for 35 minutes in a preheated 375 degree oven until golden and bubbling.

Irish Apple Cake

Crumb Topping:

3/4 c. flour

1/4 c. old fashioned oats

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

6 T. cold butter

Filling:

2 baking apples, such as Honeycrisp or Granny Smith

1/4 t. cinnamon

1 dash nutmeg

4 T. light brown sugar

Dough:

10 oz self-rising flour (generous 2 c.)

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. butter

1 egg

1/3-1/2 c. milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.

Mix flour, oats, sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut cold butter into small cubes and add to bowl. Work butter into flour mixture with your fingers or a fork until crumbly. Set aside.

Peel apples and cut into slices 1/4 inch thick. Toss with sugar and spices and set aside.

Mix flour and sugar in a large bowl. Cut butter into small cubes and work into flour mixture until texture of breadcrumbs. Beat egg with 1/3 c. milk and add to flour mixture. Stir until just combined- you will have a soft, rather sticky dough. Add a bit more milk if needed. Spoon the dough over bottom and roughly one inch up sides of pan. (You are creating a little cradle for the apples.) Spread the apples evenly over the dough and sprinkle the crumb topping over top. Bake 45-55 minutes, until top is golden brown. Serve warm or room temperature with custard sauce.

Kitchen Note: Make your own self-rising flour by combining 2 c. all-purpose flour with 1 T. baking powder and ½ t. salt.

Custard Sauce

1 ½ c. whole milk

1 c. cream

6 egg yolks

1/3 c. sugar

1 t. vanilla extract

Heat milk and cream in a medium saucepan until bubbles appear around the edges. In medium bowl, whisk yolks and sugar. Ladle a bit of the hot milk into the yolk mixture and whisk swiftly to combine. Add the rest of the milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking all the time to avoid curdling.

Pour mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Cook until the custard coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Pour into a clean bowl through a sieve (this will remove any lumps.) Cool in refrigerator with plastic wrap pressed directly on top of custard until ready to serve.

Jillian Simms, the Apron Strings food columnist and feature writer for Shore Publishing can be reached at apronstringsct@gmail.com.