How the Irish saved Thanksgiving
A rescue ship from Dublin helped the starving pilgrims
By JOHN CUSACK, IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
The first Thanksgiving was actually celebrated in February 21 1621 when a band of starving pilgrims at Plymouth Rock were saved at the last minute by the arrival
of a ship from Dublin, Ireland bearing food from there.
The Boston Post the largest circulation newspaper in the 1920 and 1930s discovered the earlier date for the Thanksgiving ritual and showed that the traditional date of the autumn of 1621 was actually incorrect.
According to the ‘Observant Citizen’ a columnist for the Boston Post the Pilgrims in the winter of their first year were starving and faced the end of the their project to colonize the new land when “a ship arrived from overseas bearing the much needed food.’
The Observant Citizen, because of anti-Irish prejudice refused to name it as an
Irish ship but it was actually The Lyon and “its provenance and that of the
food was Dublin Ireland.”
It turned out that from records at the Massachusetts Historical Society that the
wife of one of the prominent Plymouth brethren was the daughter of a Dublin
merchant and that it was he who chartered the vessel, loaded it with food and
dispatched it to Plymouth.
The Observant Citizen whoever he was, never admitted the Irish connection even
though a number of Irish organizations challenged him on the issue.
Nonetheless, the Massachusetts historical records revealed the tale giving the Irish a fair claim to saving Thanksgiving
of a ship from Dublin, Ireland bearing food from there.
The Boston Post the largest circulation newspaper in the 1920 and 1930s discovered the earlier date for the Thanksgiving ritual and showed that the traditional date of the autumn of 1621 was actually incorrect.
According to the ‘Observant Citizen’ a columnist for the Boston Post the Pilgrims in the winter of their first year were starving and faced the end of the their project to colonize the new land when “a ship arrived from overseas bearing the much needed food.’
The Observant Citizen, because of anti-Irish prejudice refused to name it as an
Irish ship but it was actually The Lyon and “its provenance and that of the
food was Dublin Ireland.”
It turned out that from records at the Massachusetts Historical Society that the
wife of one of the prominent Plymouth brethren was the daughter of a Dublin
merchant and that it was he who chartered the vessel, loaded it with food and
dispatched it to Plymouth.
The Observant Citizen whoever he was, never admitted the Irish connection even
though a number of Irish organizations challenged him on the issue.
Nonetheless, the Massachusetts historical records revealed the tale giving the Irish a fair claim to saving Thanksgiving
Stuffed Irish Turkey Joint
From IGWT - one of Irelands largest Turkey Producers
Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 skinless boneless IGWT Irish turkey joint, approx 1.8kg
50g butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely diced
150g dried apricots, finely chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Handful each of chopped parsley and thyme
200g fresh breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to season
60ml stock
6 streaky rashers bacon
Method
Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas 8.Heat half the butter in a frying
pan and cook the garlic, celery, onion and pepper until soft. Add the apricots, lemon zest and juice, herbs and breadcrumbs and
season. Gradually add enough stock to make the stuffing moist but not wet.
Lay the turkey breast out flat, skinned side down. Spoon the
stuffing down the middle then roll up and tie. Place the turkey breast upwards in a roasting tin, smear with remaining butter and cover with the bacon.
Cover with foil and roast for 50 minutes per kilo plus 30 minutes extra, removing foil for the last 30 minutes. Check the juices run clear remove, then leave to rest for 20 minutes. Serve sliced with a selection of roasted vegetables
Serves: 4-6
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
1 skinless boneless IGWT Irish turkey joint, approx 1.8kg
50g butter
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 celery stick, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely diced
150g dried apricots, finely chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Handful each of chopped parsley and thyme
200g fresh breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper to season
60ml stock
6 streaky rashers bacon
Method
Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas 8.Heat half the butter in a frying
pan and cook the garlic, celery, onion and pepper until soft. Add the apricots, lemon zest and juice, herbs and breadcrumbs and
season. Gradually add enough stock to make the stuffing moist but not wet.
Lay the turkey breast out flat, skinned side down. Spoon the
stuffing down the middle then roll up and tie. Place the turkey breast upwards in a roasting tin, smear with remaining butter and cover with the bacon.
Cover with foil and roast for 50 minutes per kilo plus 30 minutes extra, removing foil for the last 30 minutes. Check the juices run clear remove, then leave to rest for 20 minutes. Serve sliced with a selection of roasted vegetables
An Irish Apple Tart
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Ingredients
550g (3.5 cups plain flour) 120g (generous 2/3 cup) caster (superfine) sugar 320g (scant 1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter pinch of salt 1 egg 2 egg yolks 1 tsp natural vanilla extract Directions:
Put the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl, cut the butter into pieces and work it into the flour with your fingertips. Now make a well in the middle of the flour-and-butter mixture and add the egg, egg yolks and vanilla extract. Stir with a fork to incorporate the flour evenly until you have to begin using your hand. Using one hand only, bring the dry and wet ingreients |
together (this might take more time in the winter) On a floured worksurface, knead the dough for a few minutes then roll into 1/4-1/2 inch thickness
For the apple filling 2 1/2 to 3 cups of thinly sliced apples 1/2 cup of sugar 2 tsp of cinnamon a squeeze of one lemon 1 tbsp of grated fresh ginger Mix everything together and let sit for 30 minutes Heat oven to 180 c / 350 F Place bottom pastry onto plate Fill with apples. Place top of pastry case over apple filling Bake for about one hour Serve with freshly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream |