Celebrate Saint Patrick's day the right way!

Ingredients:

4 pounds flat cut corned beef briskets
2 (12 ounce) bottle Guinness Stout
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 head cabbage, cut into wedges, rinsed and drained
6 medium white potatoes, peeled and quartered

1/2
pound parsnip, peeled and cut into 3 inch pieces
1/2 pound carrots, peeled and cut into 3-inch pieces

Method:

Rinse corned beef under cold water, and pat dry.
In a Dutch oven, or other large pot with a cover, brown corned beef well on all
sides over high heat. Pour Guinness over the meat, and add enough water to just
cover the brisket. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, allspice
and pepper to the pot. Bring pot to a boil and skim off any foam. Reduce heat
to a simmer. Cover pot and simmer for 3 hours. Add carrots, then potatoes, then
parsnip and then the cabbage wedges to the pot. Cover pot, and continue cooking
until meat and vegetables are tender (about 20-30 minutes). Remove meat and
vegetables to warm serving platter/dishes, leaving the cooking liquid/sauce in
the pot. Over high heat, bring the cooking liquid to a boil, and cook until the
amount of liquid is reduced by half (about 10 minutes). Slice the corned beef
across the grain; serve with the vegetables and the sauce on the side.

Chef Scotty made this recipe for our Viking Lunch in Houston today. The brine solution really takes it over the top! Consider it when you are grilling chicken as well. Make a lot, this will go fast !

Ingredients

1 gallon                             cold
water

1 cup + 2 teaspoons         kosher
salt

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons   honey

12                                      bay
leaves

1                                        head
of garlic, smashed, not peeled

2 tablespoons                   black
peppercorns

3 large                               rosemary sprigs

1 small                              bunch
of thyme

1 small                              bunch
of parsley

Finely grated zest & juice of 2 lemons

2                                        3-pound chickens

3 cups                                all-purpose
flour

2 tablespoons                   garlic
powder

2 tablespoons                   onion
powder

2 teaspoons                      cayenne
pepper

2 cups                                buttermilk

Vegetable oil, for frying (Chef Scotty recommends peanut oil)

Rosemary and thyme sprigs, for garnish

Directions

1. In a very large
   pot, combine 1 quart of the water with 1 cup of the salt and the honey,
   bay leaves, garlic, peppercorns, rosemary, thyme and parsley. Add the
   lemon zest and juice and the lemon halves and bring to a simmer over
   moderate heat, stirring until the salt is dissolved. Let cool completely,
   then stir in the remaining 3 quarts of cold water. Add the chickens, being
   sure they're completely submerged, and refrigerate overnight.
2. Drain the chickens
   and pat dry. Scrape off any herbs or peppercorns stuck to the skin and cut
   each bird into 8 pieces, keeping the breast meat on the bone.
3. In a large bowl,
   combine the flour, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and the remaining
   2 teaspoons of salt. Put the buttermilk in a large, shallow bowl. Working
   with a few pieces at a time, dip the chicken in the buttermilk, then
   dredge in the flour mixture, pressing so it adheres all over. Transfer the
   chicken to a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
4. In a very large,
   deep skillet, heat 1 inch of vegetable oil to 330°. Fry the chicken in 2
   or 3 batches over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and crunchy
   and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of each
   piece registers 160°, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to paper
   towels to drain, and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the remaining
   chicken pieces. Transfer the fried chicken to a platter, garnish with the
   herb sprigs and serve hot or at room temperature.