I love stew. There's just something so comforting about a pot of thick, glossy stew simmering on the stove for hours. This is a spin on traditional Irish stew made with lamb. But if you're not a fan of lamb recipes, you can swap in beef chuck roast. I can't think of a better meal for a traditional Irish feast on St. Patrick's Day or really any cold, dreary day when you need some comfort food. This stew tastes even better when you make it a day ahead and reheat it on the stove! The longer the flavors have to meld, the more rich and luscious it gets.
What's in traditional Irish stew?
The meat in traditional Irish stew is typically mutton or lamb. (Mutton comes from a sheep that's a little older than a lamb.) For this recipe I used lamb because it's easier to find in grocery stores. As far as the vegetables, sticklers for tradition only include potatoes, onions, and water. I, however, am not one of those sticklers for tradition, so I threw in carrots, parsnips, leeks, onion, and a handful of other ingredients to create a hearty stew.
Is Irish stew thick or watery?
This is definitely a stew and not a soup! What I mean is that this is a thick, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal rather than a light, brothy dish. Stew should not be watery! It gets its thickness from the starch in the grated potatoes, and the flour you sprinkle over the vegetables.
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- Yields:
- 4 - 6 serving(s)
- Prep Time:
- 10 mins
- Total Time:
- 3 hrs
Ingredients
- 1/4 c.
beef bouillon concentrate
- 6 c.
hot water
- 2 lb.
boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-in. pieces
- 3 Tbsp.
vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp.
salted butter
- 1
medium yellow onion, diced
- 1
medium leek, thinly sliced and thoroughly rinsed
- 1
medium russet potato, peeled and coarsely grated
- 6
medium red potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-in. chunks
- 3
medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-in. chunks
- 2
medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-in. chunks
- 1/4 c.
all-purpose flour
- 2
bay leaves
Kosher salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Finely chopped parsley, to serve
Thinly sliced chives, to serve
Directions
- Step 1Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the beef bouillon concentrate and hot water; set aside.
- Step 2Pat the lamb dry with paper towels. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sear the lamb, working in batches as necessary to avoid crowding the pot, until deeply golden all over, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining lamb.
- Step 3Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the pot. When the butter is melted and bubbling, add the onion, leek, and grated potato. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Step 4Add the red potatoes, carrots, and parsnips to the pot. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to thoroughly combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, then add the bouillon broth from step 1 and bay leaves, stirring well so the flour doesn’t clump and scraping any additional fond off the bottom of the pot. Return the lamb to the pot, along with any accumulated juices. The broth should just cover everything—if necessary, add a little water. Bring to a boil, then immediately cover, remove from the heat, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours—more if needed.
- Step 5Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Uncover the stew and give it a good stir, then continue cooking until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Season with salt and pepper, and remove the bay leaves. Serve topped with parsley and chives.
Tip: While lamb is the traditional meat in an Irish stew, it can be substituted with beef chuck roast if that’s your preference.
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