Ireland Adventures & Blue Cheese Fritters

This past summer

I had the opportunity to travel to the United Kingdom with a study abroad program that my college offered. After the class was over, some friends and I decided to do some individual traveling around the UK. I love to travel and explore new places! So I jumped at the opportunity to do so. We traveled to Ireland and Scotland for about a week, staying in hostels and exploring the new countries. ​

We walked around the historical city centers, took in the cultural sights and hiked through the mountainous landscapes, but the thing that I was most excited about was, hands-down, the food! Whenever I get the chance to travel the first thing I do is look up what kind of food the place is known for. I have always thought that food is a great way to experience a new culture or location. By tasting the food, you can get a deeper understanding and appreciation for the people who live there. 

When I got to the United Kingdom I excitedly tried every traditional dish possible; steak and kidney pie, fish and chips, bangers and mash you name it I tasted it, eagerly. So naturally, when we got to Scotland there was one thing on my mind...Haggis!

I had always been intrigued about haggis. I have to admit I was curious about how a stomach stuffed with the more "undesirable" cuts of meat would taste. My friends and I found this little pub in the middle of Edinburgh and I finally got my chance! I ordered chicken stuffed with haggis and smothered in this AMAZING black pepper gravy, and it did not disappoint. That meal was definitely the highlight of my time in the UK and I would have it again in a heart beat.

While I did not have these Blue Cheese Fritters during my time in Ireland or Scotland this recipe does bring back memories of my time there. The piping hot blue cheese fritters and the savory tomato sauce pair perfectly, and when I made these for my friends a while ago, we stood around the kitchen counter and devoured them in a matter of minutes. 

​Blue Cheese Fritters

2/3 cup of flour
7 Tbs. butter
3/4 cup of water
4 oz. crumbled blue cheese
3 eggs
1 tsp. Tabasco
1 tsp. Worcester sauce
Oil for frying

Melt the butter in a saucepan with the water and Worcester sauce. 
Once the butter is completely melted, raise the heat and bring the liquid to a rolling boil.
Add the flour to the butter mixture and stir immediately. 
Once the batter begins to roll away from the sides of the pan, remove from the heat.
Add the eggs a little at a time, until it is well combined and the batter has a glossy sheen.
Add the blue cheese and mix well until the cheese has melted completely. 

In a deep saucepan heat the frying oil until a small cube of bread sizzles. immediately. 
Using 2 spoons, drop even-sized globs of batter into the hot oil, turning them over as they fry.
Remove them once they are puffy and golden brown on both sides. It should only take a minute or so.
Place them on some paper towel to drain the remaining oil. 
Continue to cook in batches until all the batter is gone. Serve hot with the tomato sauce to dip in.


Tomato Sauce

1 Onion, diced
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 clove of garlic, diced
2 Sticks of Celery, peeled to remove the stings and thinly sliced
6 ripe tomatoes, halved, seeded and chopped
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
1/2 pint vegetable stock

Fry the onions, celery and garlic in the oil for 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add the tomatoes, stock, salt and pepper.
Simmer the sauce on low heat for about 20 minutes. 
Pour the sauce into a blender or use an immersion blender to blend the sauce until smooth.