Hearty Irish stew

This recipe heightens the taste of a traditional stew, without straying too far from the original blueprint.

Ingredients

3 middle necks of lamb (about 1.8 kg), filleted and boned to make about 1kg
650g of floury potatoes
650 g waxy potatoes
1 kg carrots
2 white onions
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Chopped chives and parsley for garnish
Crusty bread, to serve

Stock:
Bones from lamb necks
1 large carrot, quartered
1 white onion, quartered
½ stick celery, quartered
1 bay leaf
2 large sprigs of thyme
A generous sprig of parsley
6 black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Method

To make the stock, put the lamb bones in a large, heavy saucepan with the vegetables. Pepper and salt. Pour in 3 litres of water, bring to boil and simmer uncovered for 2 hours.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve to remove bones and vegetables, then return it all to the saucepan. Boil until reduced to about 1.3 litres. You can do all this in the days before and keep it in a covered container in the fridge.
Make the stew. Cut the lamb into large chunks. Peel the potatoes (keeping both types separate) and cut them into similar sizes to the meat. Put the two different types into separate bowls of cold water to keep them white. Peel the carrots and cut into slightly smaller pieces. Slice the onions into thick rings.
Put the lamb into a large, clean saucepan. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, skimming off impurities from the surface. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 10 mins.
Add the floury potatoes, carrots and onions. Season generously and simmer for a further 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the waxy potatoes and the thyme. Simmer until the lamb is tender (15-20 mins)
Take off the heat, cover (don’t stir) and leave for 15 mins. Garnish with chives and parsley and serve with bread (and butter!)

Recipe by McLoughlin Butchers

Hearty Irish stew

This recipe heightens the taste of a traditional stew, without straying too far from the original blueprint.

6 servings

3 ½ hours

40 mins

Ingredients

3 middle necks of lamb (about 1.8 kg), filleted and boned to make about 1kg
650g of floury potatoes
650 g waxy potatoes
1 kg carrots
2 white onions
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Chopped chives and parsley for garnish
Crusty bread, to serve

Stock:
Bones from lamb necks
1 large carrot, quartered
1 white onion, quartered
½ stick celery, quartered
1 bay leaf
2 large sprigs of thyme
A generous sprig of parsley
6 black peppercorns, lightly crushed

Method

To make the stock, put the lamb bones in a large, heavy saucepan with the vegetables. Pepper and salt. Pour in 3 litres of water, bring to boil and simmer uncovered for 2 hours.
Strain the stock through a fine sieve to remove bones and vegetables, then return it all to the saucepan. Boil until reduced to about 1.3 litres. You can do all this in the days before and keep it in a covered container in the fridge.
Make the stew. Cut the lamb into large chunks. Peel the potatoes (keeping both types separate) and cut them into similar sizes to the meat. Put the two different types into separate bowls of cold water to keep them white. Peel the carrots and cut into slightly smaller pieces. Slice the onions into thick rings.
Put the lamb into a large, clean saucepan. Pour in the stock and bring to the boil, skimming off impurities from the surface. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently for 10 mins.
Add the floury potatoes, carrots and onions. Season generously and simmer for a further 10 mins, stirring occasionally. Add the waxy potatoes and the thyme. Simmer until the lamb is tender (15-20 mins)
Take off the heat, cover (don’t stir) and leave for 15 mins. Garnish with chives and parsley and serve with bread (and butter!)

Recipe by McLoughlin Butchers