Traditional Irish Bacon, Cabbage, and Parsley Sauce Recipe

According to Darina Allen, author of Forgotten Skills of Cooking, bacon and cabbage is Ireland's national dish. Here's her version of a traditional recipe.

By
Caroline Russock
Caroline Russock is a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Caroline Russock
Caroline Russock is a writer who splits her time between Philadelphia and the Caribbean covering food, travel, leisure, lifestyle, and culture.  Her writing is featured in PhillyVoice, Eater, Eater Philly, Serious Eats, and The Tasting Table. 
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Updated January 29, 2024
A plate of Irish bacon and cabbage with sauce.

Serious Eats / Caroline Russock

On this side of the Atlantic, corned beef and cabbage may be about as Irish as a dish gets, but according to Darina Allen author of Forgotten Skills of Cooking bacon and cabbage is Ireland's national dish. This one calls for whole loin bacon, a British Isles export which is cooked along with the cabbage, sliced before serving, and paired with a creamy parsley sauce.

Unlike American bacon, Irish bacon is made from the back of the pig instead of the belly and is much leaner than streaky bacon. I used a presliced Irish bacon for this recipe but whole versions are available in British specialty shops.

Most of the flavor in this dish comes from the bacon that you choose. While preparing it, I realized that my bacon was relatively mild and added a few peppercorns and a bay leaf to bump up the flavor. The boiled bacon takes on a ham-like quality and the cabbage became plenty porky.

The bacon and cabbage is finished with a parsley sauce that's really nothing more than a béchamel made from milk infused with thyme, carrots, and onion, thickened with a roux and finished with plenty of fresh, bright parsley.

This Irish bacon, cabbage, and parsley sauce was a nice break from the ubiquitous St. Patrick's Day standard of corned beef and cabbage which I've always found a little over the top, especially when made from the prepackaged corned beef. Without all of the salt and spices you can really taste the ingredients that go into the dish—it's clean and fresh and decidedly Irish.

March 2010

Recipe Details

Traditional Irish Bacon, Cabbage, and Parsley Sauce Recipe

Prep 0 mins
Cook 4 hrs
Total 4 hrs
Serves 12 to 15 servings

Ingredients

For the Bacon and Cabbage:

  • About 5 pounds loin, collar thick-cut bacon

  • 1 Savoy cabbage

  • 4 tablespoons butter

  • Freshly ground black pepper

For the Roux:

  • 8 tablespoons butter

  • Scant cup all-purpose flour

For the Parsley Sauce

  • 2 cups whole milk

  • A few parsley stems

  • 1 sprig of thyme

  • A few slices of carrot (optional)

  • A few slices of onion (optional)

  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • About 4 tablespoons freshly chopped curly parsley

Directions

  1. Cover bacon in cold water in a large pot and bring slowly to a boil.

  2. If bacon is very salty there will be a white froth on top of the water, in which case it is preferable to discard the water and start again.

  3. It may be necessary to change the water several times, depending on how salty the bacon is. Finally, cover bacon with hot water, place a lid on the pot, and simmer until bacon is almost cooked, allowing 20 minutes for every 1 pound.

  4. Meanwhile, trim the outer leaves of the cabbage and cut it into quarters, removing core. Discard core and outer leaves. Slice cabbage across the grain into thin shreds. If necessary, wash it quickly in cold water. About 20 minutes before the end of cooking the bacon, add shredded cabbage to the pot of simmering bacon.

  5. Stir, cover, and continue to boil gently until both cabbage and bacon are cooked, about 1 3⁄4 hours.

  6. To make roux, melt butter in a pan and cook flour for 2 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally. It will keep for two weeks in the refrigerator.

  7. To make the sauce, add cold milk to a saucepan and add herbs and vegetables (if using). Bring mixture to simmering point, season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Strain milk, bring it back to a boil, and whisk in 4 tablespoons roux until sauce is a light coating consistency. Season again with salt and pepper. Add chopped parsley and simmer over very low heat for 4 to 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
386 Calories
21g Fat
6g Carbs
42g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12 to 15
Amount per serving
Calories 386
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g 26%
Saturated Fat 9g 44%
Cholesterol 140mg 47%
Sodium 457mg 20%
Total Carbohydrate 6g 2%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 42g
Vitamin C 12mg 59%
Calcium 70mg 5%
Iron 1mg 8%
Potassium 694mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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