Every occasion is the right occasion for a warm, gooey, cheesy dip. And St. Patrick’s Day is no exception, so I present to you the perfect version for your St. Patrick’s party with melty Irish cheese, tender leeks and a healthy dose of the brown stuff. And hey, you could even make a whole Guinness based meal, with Irish Bangers and Mash with Guinness Onion Gravy with a loaf of Guinness and Oatmeal Quick Bread, followed with some Guinness Brownies.
Dubliner cheese is an Irish cheese made by Kerrygold that has the sharp tan of cheddar with a hint of sweetness. I find it pretty easily in the grocery, particularly around St. Patrick’s Day, but another Irish cheddar or any sharp white cheddar will do. The orange variety makes an unappetizingly colored final product, so stick with the white. Leeks melt into a tender tangle that add the sharpness of onion without the bite. A hefty dose of dark Guinness is what makes this dip special, adding a real depth and complexity. You won’t use a whole can or bottle, so check out one of my other Guinness recipes. Or just drink it yourself. I like to serve this with some sturdy baguette slices, but a hearty rye or pumpernickel or sliced pretzel breadsticks would be interesting as well.
Kitchen Favorites
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 leeks
2 teaspoons kosher salt
¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons Guinness
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
7 ounces Dubliner cheese or Irish cheddar, grated
¼ cup sour cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
- Cut the white and lightest green parts of the leeks into quarters, then into thin slivers. Place in a colander and run under cold water to rinse well, shuffling the strands to get them all rinsed. Shake off excess water. Melt the butter in a medium skillet, then add the leeks and cook, stirring frequently, until they are glassy and wilted, about 5 minutes. Brown in a few places is okay, but don’t let them scorch or get too brown. Pour in 2 Tablespoons of Guinness and cook until evaporated. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.
- Put the cooled leeks, cream cheese, all put a generous handful of the Dubliner cheese, sour cream and ¼ cup Guinness in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the remining teaspoon of salt and generous grinds of black pepper and beat until smooth and well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Scrape into a 1.5-quart baking dish sprayed with cooking spray and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top. You can cover the dish and refrigerate for up to a day in advance if you want.
- When ready to serve, heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bake the dip, uncovered, for 20 – 25 minutes, until hot through and bubbly. Let sit for 5 minutes or so, then serve with thick, sturdy bread slices for dipping or spreading.
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