National Dishes of the World

EN PL

Irish stew
Photo: A Healthier Michigan from Detroit, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

main dish

Irish stew

Lamb or mutton slowly stewed with potatoes and onions, the simple, filling heart of Irish home cooking.

Eaten in: Ireland

Prep
20 min
Cooking
2 h
Total
2 h 20 min
Servings
6

Jump to recipe

About the dish

Irish stew is the emblem of Irish home cooking: lamb or mutton, potatoes and onions simmered slowly in water or a light stock with thyme until the meat is tender and some of the potatoes break down and thicken the broth. The oldest versions used only those three ingredients, and whether carrots belong in it is a matter of good-natured argument in Ireland. It was once made with tough mutton or lamb neck, and today shoulder is also used. It is eaten in winter and on St Patrick’s Day, with soda bread and butter to mop up the plate, and in pubs it sometimes comes with a pint of stout.

Main ingredients

  • lamb or mutton
  • potatoes
  • onions
  • thyme
  • carrots

More: Wikipedia (en)

Recipe

Irish stew

https://foodmap.ominuvo.com/dish/irish-stew

Ingredients

6 servings

6 servings

Method

  1. Peel the potatoes. Slice the floury ones thinly and cut the waxy ones into large chunks.

  2. Layer half the onions and the sliced potatoes in the bottom of a large pot, put the lamb on top, season with salt and pepper, then cover with the rest of the onions and the carrots.

  3. Pour in the water or stock, add the thyme and bay leaf and bring slowly to the boil. Skim off any scum.

  4. Cover and simmer very gently for about an hour.

  5. Add the chunks of waxy potato and cook for another 45–60 minutes, until the meat is very tender and the thin potato slices have collapsed and thickened the broth.

  6. Remove the herbs, adjust the seasoning, scatter with parsley and serve in deep plates with soda bread.

From the same kitchen