IRISH CUISINE (II)

· THE IRISH STEW

It is another traditional peasant dish which has evolved from a basic lamb, potato, carrot and onion stew to more elaborate versions approaching gourmet status. Some versions may have different meat substituted for lamb or mutton. As with any recipe, feel free to modify it to meet the needs and tastes of your own family.

Ingredients

§ 1 lb lamb shoulder, cut into cubes

§ 3 medium or 4 large potatoes

§ 2 medium onions, roughly chopped

§ 2 large carrots, cut into quite thick pieces

§ 3 cups stock

§ Small knob of butter

§ Fresh parsley

§ 2 Bay leaves

§ Sprig of Thyme

§ 1 lamb bone, the larger the better

§ Salt and pepper.

The lamb bone is optional, but does add a lot of flavour.

For the stock, chicken or vegetable will do, lamb is ideal. If you are using stock cubes rather than home-made stock, leave out the salt when seasoning – they tend to be very high in salt already.

Also you will need a large casserole dish with a tight fitting lid.

Makes enough for 3-4 people for a light meal. Serve with fresh bread rolls to mop up the delicious juice.

Method

Melt the butter in a pan over a fairly high temperature and fry the meat until it is browned all over, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to the casserole. Fry the onions on the same pan for about a minute or two, remove them to the casserole just before they start to brown.

Pour half the stock into the pan, turn the heat up as high as it will go and scrape the pan as the stock boils to get all the meat juices. Pour both portions of stock over the meat and onions; add the bay leaves, the thyme and the lamb bone. Season with a little salt and pepper. Cover and put in the oven for about 45 minutes to one hour.

Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut potatoes into three pieces.

Remove the stew from the oven. Add the carrots, mixing them in well with the meat, and then lay the potatoes over the top of the stew. Return to the oven and cook for another 45 minutes or so – check whether it is done by testing if the potatoes are cooked through.

Before serving, remove and discard the bone, the thyme and the bay leaves. Pour off the cooking liquid and leave to stand for a few minutes. This will bring the fat to the top and allow you to remove it.

Return the defatted liquid to the stew, mix the potatoes into the rest of the stew and stir in a handful of roughly chopped parsley. Return to the oven for about 10 minutes.

Note that the sauce is not thickened – if you get a stew with a thickened sauce, it may be very nice but it’s not Irish stew!.

If you decide to cook , the following video will help you from a visual manner ! So, Bon Appetit !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBJLXgFpMQY