drpiggledy
Veteran
- Joined
- 1 Oct 2013
- Local time
- 9:27 PM
- Messages
- 8
Perhaps the most famous of Irish dishes, Irish stew can also be a controversial one. Each region, and even each family, can have its own variety.
This is the way I make it. I'm not even Irish, but the recipe in its basic form came from my mother-in-law, who is.
You need to start with the meat. Irish stew always has lamb or mutton, never beef. Nicest is a shoulder of mutton, I think, with bone in, but usually I go for convenience and just get two pounds of lamb stewing pieces. In addition, I usually add about half a pound of minced lamb.
Coat the meat with seasoned flour, then quickly brown over a high heat in some butter. Use a big pot, cast iron is best.
Next, pour in two cans of stout. Guinness is probably most easily purchasable around the world, though I usually use Beamish, as I prefer the taste.
Then add the vegetables. A couple of carrots, a few onions, some parsnips and a small turnip, all roughly chopped. Exact quantities don't really matter.
Potatoes. Ad one spud now. Chop it really small. It will dissolve in the cooking process and help thicken the gravy.
Season with salt and pepper, maybe add a dash of Worcester sauce, then bring up to a simmer.
Turn the heat down now, stick a lid on the pot and leave to simmer away for a few hours until the meat is getting lovely and tender. Then add the rest of the potatoes, peeled and quartered, and leave until they are cooked.
The real key to the perfect Irish stew is patience. Leave it on the lowest heat for as long as you can to get the tenderest meat and the best flavour. Never let it boil, that just makes the lamb tough. The gentlest simmer is what you're after. When it's done, the best thing would be to cover it, leave it in a cool place overnight, and gently reheat in the morning.
Enjoy in great delicious bowlfuls!
This is the way I make it. I'm not even Irish, but the recipe in its basic form came from my mother-in-law, who is.
You need to start with the meat. Irish stew always has lamb or mutton, never beef. Nicest is a shoulder of mutton, I think, with bone in, but usually I go for convenience and just get two pounds of lamb stewing pieces. In addition, I usually add about half a pound of minced lamb.
Coat the meat with seasoned flour, then quickly brown over a high heat in some butter. Use a big pot, cast iron is best.
Next, pour in two cans of stout. Guinness is probably most easily purchasable around the world, though I usually use Beamish, as I prefer the taste.
Then add the vegetables. A couple of carrots, a few onions, some parsnips and a small turnip, all roughly chopped. Exact quantities don't really matter.
Potatoes. Ad one spud now. Chop it really small. It will dissolve in the cooking process and help thicken the gravy.
Season with salt and pepper, maybe add a dash of Worcester sauce, then bring up to a simmer.
Turn the heat down now, stick a lid on the pot and leave to simmer away for a few hours until the meat is getting lovely and tender. Then add the rest of the potatoes, peeled and quartered, and leave until they are cooked.
The real key to the perfect Irish stew is patience. Leave it on the lowest heat for as long as you can to get the tenderest meat and the best flavour. Never let it boil, that just makes the lamb tough. The gentlest simmer is what you're after. When it's done, the best thing would be to cover it, leave it in a cool place overnight, and gently reheat in the morning.
Enjoy in great delicious bowlfuls!
