Irish Stew
Lamb, potatoes and onions simmered slowly until tender: the plain, comforting stew of the Irish home kitchen.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 2 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 20 min
- Makes
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
Irish stew is at heart a very simple dish: lamb or mutton, potatoes and onions, cooked slowly in water or stock. Whether carrots belong in it is one of Ireland's favourite kitchen arguments. Many families add them, purists do not.
Use a cut with bone and some fat, such as neck, which gives the broth its body. Some of the potatoes should be floury so they break down and thicken the stew.
Ingredients
- 1kglamb neck, on the bone, cut into pieces (or 800 g boneless shoulder)
- 1kgpotatoes, a mix of floury and waxy, peeled and cut into chunks
- 2onions, thickly sliced
- 2carrots, in chunks (optional)
- 750mllamb stock or water
- 4thyme sprigs
- salt and ground white pepper
- chopped parsley, to serve
Equipment
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- Large heavy casseroleHow to chooseShop on Amazon UK(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Chef's knifeHow to chooseShop on Amazon UK(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Method
- 1
Trim any excess fat from the lamb and season it. Prepare the potatoes, onions and carrots, if using.
Photo: Kolforn (Kolforn) I'd appreciate if you could mail me (Kolforn@gmail.com) if you want to use this picture out of the Wikimedia project scope. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. You are free: to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work to remix – to adapt the work Under the following conditions: attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. share alike – If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same or compatible license as the original.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0CC BY-SA 4.0 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 truetrue · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) - 2
Layer the lamb, onions and carrots in a large heavy casserole or pan, with the floury potatoes on top.
Photo: Alabama Extension · CC0 - 3
Pour in the stock, tuck in the thyme and bring to the boil. Skim, then cover and simmer very gently for 1½–2 hours (or cook at 160°C / 140°C fan / gas 3 in the oven), adding the waxy potatoes for the last 40 minutes.
Photo: Kolforn (Kolforn) I'd appreciate if you could mail me (Kolforn@gmail.com) if you want to use this picture out of the Wikimedia project scope. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. You are free: to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work to remix – to adapt the work Under the following conditions: attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use. share alike – If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same or compatible license as the original.https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0CC BY-SA 4.0 Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 truetrue · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) - 4
When the lamb is falling off the bone, check the seasoning. Scatter with parsley and serve in deep bowls with soda bread.
Photo: Rob Bertholf · CC BY 2.0 (cropped)
Tips
Better the next day: cool and chill overnight, then lift off the fat that sets on top before reheating.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Meat is tough | Cooked too fast or not long enough | Keep it at a bare simmer and give it more time |
| Broth thin | Only waxy potatoes used | Include floury potatoes, or crush a few into the broth |
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