Who could ever have doubted that Ireland's favorite dinner is the St. Patrick's Day favorite bacon and cabbage.

Bacon and cabbage has emerged as Ireland's favorite meal according to a national food survey survey, which is part of the "Celebrate Irish Food Fortnight.”  For two years in a row the poll has shown that the Irish love this classic traditional meal.

The Irish food survey, commissioned by ARAMARK, showed that 87 percent regularly prepare meals at home. That is a nine percent increase on the results from 2010. The survey also showed that 76 percent of the 400+ people surveyed are more conscious that they need to "buy Irish" and support local suppliers.

Chief Executive of ARAMARK Ireland Joan O'Shaughnessy spoke at the launch of the "Celebrate Irish Food Fortnight.” 

"Irish food is at the heart of our food business. All our beef is 100% Irish and we are committed to sourcing local produce from suppliers across Ireland,” she said.

“Our survey shows that locally sourced, sustainable produce is a key issue for customers and ARAMARK Ireland is proud to highlight the importance of wholesome Irish food in our industry.”

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

4 pounds Irish boiling bacon
1 Savoy cabbage, trimmed, quartered, and cored
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Freshly ground black pepper
Parsley Sauce
Boiled Yukon gold potatoes, for serving

Method:

Place bacon in a large pot and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. If bacon is very salty, a white froth will form on surface of water. In this case, discard water and start again. Repeat process until no froth forms on surface of water; drain.

Cover bacon with hot water. Cover pot and simmer until almost cooked through, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, slice cabbage across the grain into thin shreds; rinse with cold water if necessary. Add the cabbage to pot with bacon and continue cooking 20 minutes more.

Remove bacon from pot; strain cabbage and transfer to a large bowl or serving platter. Add butter and season with pepper; toss to combine. Serve bacon and cabbage with parsley sauce and potatoes.