What's in Season in Ireland Right Now?

November is one of the most underrated months for Irish food. The last of the autumn harvest meets our wonderful winter vegetables, while mushrooms, apples, root vegetables, shellfish and game lend themselves to hearty, flavourful cooking.

This month's food philosophy: buy local, cook seasonally and let great ingredients do the talking.

I've put together a seasonal shopping guide and five recipes, ranging from an easy midweek supper to a dinner-party-worthy Irish autumn menu, with wine pairings too.

1. What's at its best this November?

According to Bord Bia's Irish seasonal calendar, these are among the ingredients to look for now.

Root vegetables

Parsnips, carrots, swede, celeriac and beetroot.

Best for roasting, purées, gratins and warming soups. Roast parsnips with honey and mustard, or pair beetroot with goat's cheese.

Winter greens

Kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, leeks, cauliflower and broccoli.

Wonderful sautéed with butter, baked with cheese, or added to comforting one-pot dishes.

Mushrooms

Cultivated Irish mushrooms are available throughout the year, while certain wild varieties appear in autumn.

Perfect for risotto, creamy sauces, toast and rich vegetarian suppers.

Irish apples

Eating apples and Bramley cooking apples are available, including stored fruit from the autumn harvest.

Ideal for crumbles, baked desserts, chutneys and savoury dishes with pork or cheese.

Seafood and shellfish

Oysters and rope-grown mussels are particularly worth exploring at this time of year.

Buy from reputable suppliers and ask about the current harvest area and provenance. Availability depends on weather, stock and harvesting conditions.

Venison and game

Autumn is traditionally associated with venison, pheasant and wild duck.

Availability depends on legal seasons, species, sourcing and supplier. Locally sourced venison is excellent with beetroot, mushrooms and juniper.

For the everyday shopping basket, don't overlook Irish potatoes, onions and shallots, which store well. Late pumpkins, herbs such as sage and thyme, and locally grown celeriac offer plenty of variety too.

2. Five Delicious November Recipes

Recipe 1. Roasted Parsnip, Apple & Thyme Soup

45 minutes · Serves 4 · Vegetarian option

Sweet roasted parsnips, tart Irish apples and fragrant thyme make this a lovely autumn starter. Simple ingredients, surprisingly sophisticated results.

Ingredients

• 500g parsnips, peeled and chopped
• 2 Irish eating apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 750ml vegetable stock
• 100ml cream (optional)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt and black pepper
• Toasted hazelnuts, to garnish

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
2. Toss the parsnips and apples with olive oil, thyme, salt and pepper. Roast for 25–30 minutes until golden.
3. Meanwhile, gently soften the onion and garlic in a saucepan.
4. Add the roasted parsnips and apples, followed by the stock. Simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Remove any woody thyme stalks, blend until smooth and stir through the cream if using.
6. Serve with chopped toasted hazelnuts and a few thyme leaves.

Wine pairing: Chenin Blanc from the Loire. Its apple notes and vibrant acidity balance the natural sweetness of the parsnips and the richness of the soup.

Recipe 2. Wild Mushroom, Leek & Irish Cheddar Tart

50 minutes · Serves 4–6 · Vegetarian

Earthy mushrooms, sweet leeks and mature Irish cheddar are a wonderful combination. This works beautifully for lunch with a green salad or as a dinner-party starter.

Ingredients

• 1 sheet ready-rolled puff pastry (approximately 320g)
• 300g mixed mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
• 2 leeks, washed and finely sliced
• 100g mature Irish cheddar, grated
• 100g crème fraîche
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp thyme leaves
• 1 egg, beaten
• Salt and black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).
2. Heat the butter and oil in a large pan. Cook the mushrooms over medium-high heat until their moisture evaporates and they begin to brown.
3. Add the leeks and thyme, reduce the heat and cook until softened. Season and allow to cool slightly.
4. Place the pastry on a lined baking tray. Score a 2cm border around the edge without cutting all the way through.
5. Spread the crème fraîche inside the border. Add the mushroom and leek mixture and scatter over the cheddar.
6. Brush the border with beaten egg and bake for 25–30 minutes until puffed, crisp and golden.

Wine pairing: Pinot Noir. An elegant, lightly oaked Burgundy or cool-climate Pinot Noir complements the earthy mushroom flavours without overpowering the tart.

Recipe 3. Irish Mussels with Cider, Leeks & Cream

25 minutes · Serves 4 · Seafood

This is Irish coastal cooking at its most appealing: fresh mussels, dry Irish cider, sweet leeks and a little cream. Don't forget the crusty bread — the sauce deserves it.

Ingredients

• 2kg fresh, live mussels
• 2 leeks, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 250ml dry Irish cider
• 150ml cream
• 25g butter
• A handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• Black pepper
• Crusty sourdough bread, to serve

Method

1. Check and clean the mussels, removing beards and discarding cracked shells or mussels that remain open when tapped. Follow your fishmonger's handling guidance and keep chilled until cooking.
2. Melt the butter in a large lidded pot and soften the leeks for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
3. Add the cider and bring to a vigorous simmer.
4. Add the mussels, cover and cook for approximately 5–7 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally, until the shells open and the mussels are thoroughly cooked.
5. Discard any mussels that remain closed after cooking.
6. Stir in the cream and parsley, warm briefly and finish with black pepper.
7. Serve immediately with sourdough.

Wine pairing: Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine. Lean, citrus-driven and refreshing, Muscadet is a classic companion for mussels, especially when served with a light cream sauce. For an entirely Irish pairing, serve a well-made dry Irish cider.

Recipe 4. Venison with Beetroot, Celeriac Purée & Red Wine Jus

60 minutes · Serves 4 · Special occasion

This is the dinner-party dish. Rich venison, sweet earthy beetroot and silky celeriac purée combine to create a very elegant autumn plate.

Ingredients — for the venison

• 600–700g venison loin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 25g butter
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• Salt and black pepper

For the vegetables

• 500g celeriac, peeled and cubed
• 75ml cream
• 25g butter
• 4 medium cooked beetroots, quartered
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp honey

For the jus

• 150ml red wine
• 250ml beef stock
• 1 finely chopped shallot
• 1 tsp redcurrant jelly

Method

1. Boil the celeriac in lightly salted water for 15–20 minutes until tender. Drain thoroughly, then blend with the cream and butter until smooth.
2. Toss the cooked beetroot with balsamic vinegar and honey. Roast at 190°C (170°C fan) for 15 minutes.
3. For the jus, soften the shallot in a small pan. Add the wine and reduce by approximately half. Add the stock and redcurrant jelly, then simmer until lightly thickened.
4. Season the venison and sear in a hot pan with olive oil. Add butter and rosemary, turning and basting the meat until cooked to your preferred doneness. Use a meat thermometer; for a conservative food-safety target, cook whole venison cuts to 63°C and rest for at least 3 minutes. Farmed or wild venison may have different handling guidance.
5. Rest the venison, slice and arrange over the celeriac purée.
6. Add the beetroot and finish with the red wine jus.

Wine pairing: Northern Rhône Syrah. A Crozes-Hermitage or Saint-Joseph brings dark fruit, black pepper and savoury notes that complement venison beautifully.

Recipe 5. Warm Irish Apple & Almond Cake with Whiskey Cream

65 minutes · Serves 8 · Make ahead

Nothing says November quite like warm apple cake. This version brings together Irish cooking apples, ground almonds, butter and a lightly sweetened whiskey cream.

Ingredients

• 3 medium Bramley apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 150g softened butter
• 150g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 150g self-raising flour
• 75g ground almonds
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp milk
• 30g flaked almonds
• 1 tbsp brown sugar

For the cream

• 200ml whipping cream
• 1 tbsp Irish whiskey (optional)
• 1 tbsp icing sugar

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin.
2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then fold in the flour, ground almonds and cinnamon.
4. Stir in the milk to make a soft batter.
5. Spoon into the tin, arrange the apple slices over the top and sprinkle with flaked almonds and brown sugar.
6. Bake for 40–50 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. If the apples brown too quickly, loosely cover with foil.
7. Whip the cream with icing sugar and whiskey, if using.
8. Serve the cake warm with a generous spoonful of cream.

Wine pairing: Coteaux du Layon. A sweet Loire Chenin Blanc offers honeyed apple, citrus and refreshing acidity. Choose a wine at least as sweet as the cake.

3. Your November Seasonal Dinner Party Menu

These recipes can easily become a beautiful Irish autumn dinner party for six to eight guests.

The November Table	Wine
To begin Roasted Parsnip, Apple & Thyme Soup	Loire Chenin Blanc
Second course Irish Mussels with Cider & Leeks	Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine
Main course Venison, Beetroot & Celeriac	Northern Rhône Syrah
Dessert Warm Irish Apple & Almond Cake	Coteaux du Layon

4. Your seasonal shopping checklist

November market basket — 12 things to look for

• Irish parsnips
• Carrots and beetroot
• Celeriac
• Kale or cabbage
• Leeks
• Irish mushrooms
• Bramley apples
• Irish potatoes
• Fresh mussels
• Irish venison
• Irish cheddar
• Irish butter and cream