A steaming bowl of authentic Irish stew contains a hearty mix of lamb and vegetables. According to Margaret Fulton in "Encyclopedia of Food and Cookery" an authentic Irish stew contains 2 lbs. of potatoes and 8 oz. of onions for each pound of lamb. Cuts of lamb neck meat often feature, as they cost less to buy than other cuts and stew very well. Because of the bulky nature of the stew, it can feed six people -- or expect to freeze a lot of leftovers.
Step 1
Buy enough lamb neck cuts to provide around 2 lbs. of actual meat. Purchase around 4 lbs. of lamb with the bone still in to use for stock, as Irish chef Richard Corrigan suggests on the BBC Good Food website. Remove any large lumps of fat.
Step 2
Cut the lamb into large chunks of meat and put the bones into a large pot. Chop a carrot, onion and length of celery into quarters and throw into the pot. Add sprigs of fresh thyme and parsley, plus the bay leaf and black peppercorns. Add 2 1/2 quarts of water and bring to the boil. Leave to simmer for two hours.
Step 3
Peel the potatoes. Cut most in half, but slice five or so to add variation. Peel and roughly chop the remaining carrots. Chop the remaining two white onions into chunky pieces. Add all of the vegetables to a large pot.
Step 4
Put the lamb meat in with the potatoes and other vegetables and stir. Add pepper and salt to taste. Pour over the stock and cover. Cook gently at a very low heat for 2 hours.
Step 5
Serve when the stew is thickened -- not watery. Ladle into large bowls and eat with crusty bread.
Tips and Warnings
- Try adding leeks and pearl barley for a slightly different texture to your Irish stew. Skip out making stock if you're in a rush. Simply add water to the meat and vegetables and follow the cooking instructions.
- Skim off any scum that forms on the surface of the stew. This tends to taste unpleasant.
Things You'll Need
- 4 lbs. lamb neck (bone-in)
- 2 lbs. carrots
- 3 large onions
- Celery stick
- Thyme
- Parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp. peppercorns
- 4 lbs. floury potatoes
- Crusty bread
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