Irish Stew

You know what’s a good, hearty meal to have in the colder months? Irish stew. Always made from sheep (mutton, traditionally, but also lamb), a slow-cooked stew always hits the spot.

This is how I make it, based off a recipe given to me by an Irish friend. I always use a slow cooker for this, but it can be done in a large pot on a stove as well.

• • 800g lamb shoulder

• • 500g russet potatoes

• • 1 large white onion

• • 3 cloves of garlic

• • 2 medium carrots

• • 2 stalks of celery

• • 1 liter of stock (preferably lamb, beef works too, or even veggie)

• • 1 tbsp olive oil

• • 1 small bunch of thyme

• • 1 bay leaf

• • 1 small knob of butter

• • A sprig of parsley

• • Salt to taste.

1. 1. Cut the lamb into evenly-sized chunks and lightly season them with salt.

1. 1. Dice the onion, celery, and carrots into medium sized pieces.

1. 1. Coarsely chop the garlic.

1. 1. Heat the oil in a pan to a high heat, and sear the lamb chunks for a minute or so to get some color on them. Drop in the knob of butter to give a nutty finish to the lamb.

1. 1. Remove the lamb from the pan, then reduce the heat to a medium. Put in the garlic, onions, celery, and carrots and saute them, adding a pinch of salt to them as well as they cook. Once the veggies are wilted, remove them from the pan and put them in the pot you want to cook in. Deglaze the pan with a bit of stock, and add it to the pot as well. Add the thyme and bay leaf too.

1. 1. Add the lamb into the pot.

1. 1. Fill the pot with the stock until it covers all the ingredients, bring it to a boil.

1. 1. Once it’s boiling, lower the heat to a simmer and let it stew for at least an hour if you’re on a stove. If you’re using a slow cooker, you can stew the lamb even longer for 4-6 hours. Don’t add the potatoes until about 20-25 before you finish cooking, or they’ll disintegrate (tip from my Irish friend).

1. 1. Once the stew is almost done, peel and chop the potatoes into decently-sized pieces, and add to the stew. Let it cook in the stew for 20-25 minutes. Taste the stew to see if you need any more salt, and add if necessary.

1. 1. Once the potatoes are cooked you are ready to serve. Garnish with parsley when serving. This recipe will give you about 3-4 servings.