Irish Stew

What better meal to begin with than that of Ireland’s most infamous dish – Irish stew.

Celebrated around the world and a personal favourite, Irish stew is full of nutritious goodness and a much-loved winter warmer. But where did it begin?

The Bronze Age saw the introduction of cauldrons where The Celts realised a new method of cooking – stewing.  Mutton (in relation to this dish, the neck of a lamb is used) is the meat at the heart of the meal, boiled and stewed with whichever vegetables The Celts were growing at the time. Over two and a half millennia later potatoes were added to the dish. Sixteenth century Ireland realised that the potato thickened the meal, soaking up the boiled goodness making it an unforgettable tasty meal.

Traditionally the meal is comprised with Lamb (whether on the bone or not is up to those cooking it), potatoes, carrots and onions. However, different families and chefs throughout Ireland tend to put their own mark on the traditional dish by adding other ingredients, and choose whether to make their own stock or use store bought stock. I know what you’re thinking, how could it be traditional Irish stew if it is being changed? Well, just as the potato was introduced to Ireland many moons ago, lots of other potential ingredients came to the country over the years. In times were certain crops failed or were scarce, improvising was not only important to bulk up the meal, but for survival. The secret is, as long as the four main ingredients are present: lamb, carrots, onions and potatoes, anything can be added to the pot and it will still be classified as Irish stew.

At first I wanted to follow the method of a notorious Irish chef, but after watching a few cookery shows, I didn’t like most of the methods or the extra ingredients I seen. I followed the recipes of RTÉ One’s (Ireland’s equivalent to BBC 1) top chefs Donal Skehan, Paul Flynn and Neven Maguire but found that none of them were to my taste. With Skehan preferring to cook the meal in a casserole dish via oven, Flynn adding pearl barley and cabbage to the mix, and Maguire favouring to use boned meat, I wasn’t convinced to recreate any of their versions of the dish. I then thought of cooking the dish using the old, traditional style and method when it clicked, whose better method and ingredients to follow than that of the best cook I know, my father.

An unprofessional chef but learned in the art of cooking my dad’s Irish stew is divine. Having prepared the meal with him in the past I knew the basic essence of the dish, but after a quick phone call I was ready to get stuck in and make a meal suited for six people unassisted.

Here’s how it went.

Ingredients

You’ll need:

680g Diced Lamb (or neck bone if you prefer)

6x Large Potatoes

(I chose Maris Piper potatoes as they’re fluffy - ideal for soaking up stock)

2x Carrots

1x Parsnip

1x Large Onion

1x Leek

4x Mushrooms

2x Bacon Rashers

2x Lamb Stock (beef if you prefer)

1x Beef OXO Cube

1x Tablespoon of Vegetable Oil

Pinch of Salt and Pepper

Method taken:

Potatoes, Carrots & Parsnip

Begin by pealing the potatoes, and preparing the other vegetables. Slice the potatoes into quarters and dice the other vegetables to any size you wish - I feel the chunkier the better as the veg really soaks up the stock and juices from the meat. Put the potatoes, carrots and parsnip into an average sized saucepan, fill with water so that the vegetables are submerged, and bring to the boil.

Brown the Lamb

Once the saucepan is boiling, heat a frying pan and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil, before adding the chopped leek, onion and lamb pieces. Stir the leek and onion in the lamb juices and once the lamb has been browned, remove from heat.

Create the stock mixture by crumbling two lamb stock cubes in to a measuring jug, add 1 ½ pints of boiling water and stir well. Personally, I like to add a beef OXO cube for extra flavour.

All together

Next, drain the water from the saucepan containing the vegetables and add the stock mixture along with the browned lamb, chopped leek and onion, and juices from the pan. Don’t worry if your potatoes aren’t yet cooked. If necessary, you may need to use a larger saucepan. Depending on the size of your saucepan, you should just about see the top of your potatoes above the stock mixture – if not, make and add more. Add a pinch of salt and a spray of pepper for extra flavour.

Place the lid on your saucepan, turn the hob to a low heat, and allow the stew to slowly simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Tuck in!

If you wish to experiment by adding other ingredients you certainly can. 10 minutes into simmering I added 2 diced bacon rashers and 4 healthy hewed mushrooms, simply because I love both foods and wanted some extra bulk.

Some simmering times may vary depending on your cooker, but as long as the potatoes are cooked through you will have nothing to worry about. The potatoes are the tell-tale ingredient in the mix; when they’re ready, you know your meal is ready and can proudly say you’ve created Irish stew. Enjoy!

Additional notes:

This portion of stew is intended for six people but don’t worry if you don’t have six mouths to feed. The stew is much tastier the next day. The vegetables continue to soak up the meaty nutrients and the stock mixes with juices from both the lamb and vegetables overnight. You can simply reheat the saucepan the following day, for as the old saying goes – waste not, want not! If you made too much stock mixture, don't worry, just butter some bread to use for dipping.