Ireland's Favourite Comfort Food

According to the papers today, the traditional roast is Ireland’s favourite meal – washed down with tea. Huh? I am an avid roast dinner eater and never have I ever washed it down with tea. The tea comes after the dinner, non?

Anyway, I digress. There is nothing as comforting as a roast chicken or beef dinner with Mam’s roast spuds, stuffing and gravy. It just cannot be emulated by anyone else, anywhere else. It’s like a hug on a plate! The listeners of the Early Breakfast got in touch with their favourite dishes – their own version of a Hug On A Plate.

Warning; this blog post will probably induce stomach rumblings and cravings for bold food.

• "Hi Paula has to be toad in the hole with onion gravy and creamy mash hmm! Keep up the good work.  Love Yorkshire" - Bob xx 

• "Morning Paula. We used to rear our own turkeys for xmas when we were small. The old lady used to save the turkey juices from the Christmas dinner. On Stephen’s Day she used to slice the turkey breast leftovers and boil it in the saved up turkey fat. Omg. Heart attack on a plate - gravy soaking into the spuds....and beans. Mmmmmm. " - Danny from cork

• "My mother’s meat pie, hand made with creamy mash spuds and carrots and gravy...mmmmmm!"
• She makes my house one when she is making her own...I'm starving now. Love the show" - Mike O'Connor in Listowel co Kerry 

• "Good morning Paula, my mam wasn't the best cook in the world, she had a black belt in cookery. One chop and you’re dead! Although she made a mean carbonara with chicken bacon cream eggs and fresh pasta with garlic bread!" - Yum! Jim

• "Best dinner beef stew mash potatoes and mushy peas - all this food is making me hungry" - from Anne 

• "Honey and mustard bacon, cabbage, onion sauce."

• "Paula, what's all this talk about Mams? I'm the Dad and cook the roast every Sunday and love it." - Fintan, Galway

• "Favourite dinner has to be steak, fried onions and most of all old style colcannon." -Martin Hayde
  
• "Hug on a plate has to be Shepard’s Pie with a slice of fresh batch bread with butter, winner dinner!" - Jean

• "Has to be sausage, egg, beans and chips Paula." - Jim in Abbeyleix.

• "Home made soup and boiled spuds on a winter's day!"
• "Chicken and mushroom vol au vonts. Yum!"