Irish Stew

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Country of Origin: Ireland

Description

A rustic, traditional Irish stew featuring tender mutton or lamb, potatoes, carrots, and onions simmered simply in stock.

Presentation & How It's Eaten

Served piping hot in large rimmed bowls, eaten with traditional Irish soda bread and salted butter.

Ingredients

• 2.5 lbs lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

• 4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks

• 4 carrots, peeled and sliced into thick coins

• 2 large yellow onions, sliced

• 4 cups lamb stock or beef stock

• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

• 2 bay leaves

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Step-by-Step Directions

1. Layer Ingredients: In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, arrange half the potatoes, onions, and carrots.

2. Add Lamb: Season lamb generously with salt and pepper, then place meat over vegetable layer.

3. Top Layers: Cover meat with remaining onions, carrots, and potatoes. Add thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

4. Simmer Stew: Pour in lamb or beef stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and simmer gently for 1.5 hours until lamb is fork-tender.

5. Serve: Discard thyme and bay leaves. Check seasoning and ladle into warm bowls.

Optional

• Stout Addition: Replace 1 cup of stock with Irish stout (Guinness) for a darker, deeper gravy broth.

Cooking Tips

• Potato Starch Thickening: Yukon Gold or Russet potatoes break down slightly as they boil, naturally thickening stew without needing flour.

Nutrition Facts

(Estimated per serving, based on 6 servings)

• Calories: ~430 kcal

• Total Fat: 20g

• Saturated Fat: 8g

• Cholesterol: 105mg

• Sodium: 540mg

• Total Carbohydrates: 28g

• Dietary Fiber: 4g

• Sugars: 4g

• Protein: 35g