Getting Better At Making Irish Lamb Stew
Written by Angela West - Thursday, 09 October 2008
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 What makes a lamb stew recipe traditionally Irish? According to the Joy of Cooking, the act of not browning the meat makes it an Irish stew.
That being said, we live in a society where we feel a little bit more comfortable about cooking meat, at least a little, before it goes into the stew pot in order to avoid bacterial contamination.
It is probably better to qualify a stew as being Irish with the addition of potatoes, but in truth there really is no way of telling whether a stew is Irish. What is true is that the Irish loved stews, being a fast and cheap way to cook the evening meal. In Irish, it is called Stobhach Gaelach.
Lamb gives a full, rich and delicious flavor to the stew which the potatoes always take on well, if they are cut in cubes. Ideally, there should be no large chunks of potato or meat; the size of the potatoes in the picture is to be avoided. The larger the ingredients, the less likely they are to mesh well with each other.
Mutton should be used in the place of lamb where possible – it is fattier and more tender than lamb. Both will taste good, but mutton will taste better. Lamb is technically meat that comes from a sheep that is less than a year old, while mutton is from a more mature sheep.
Our first recipe is without bacon, which some people may object to in a lamb stew and others love. I find that the flavors of bacon and lamb complement each other perfectly in a stew, but those out there looking to trim calories may disagree. In keeping with this theme, lamb is recommended in the first recipe and mutton in the second.
Lighter Irish Lamb Stew
- 4 lbs leg of lamb, cubed
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse grind black pepper
- 2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped finely
- 4 medium potatoes, quartered
- 8 small white onions, peeled
- 1 package frozen peas, (16 oz)
- 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup flour
Over medium heat, brown lamb in butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add water, broth, and seasonings; cover and simmer for 1 hour. Skim fat off of top. Add potatoes and onion; simmer, covered, until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Add peas and simmer for 5 minutes. Combine milk and flour; stir until smooth. Add to simmering stew and simmer for about 1 minute, or until thickened.
Irish Lamb Stew with Bacon
- 1 1/2 pounds thickly sliced bacon, diced
- 6 pounds boneless mutton, cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1/2 cup water
- 4 cups beef stock
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 4 cups diced carrots
- 2 large sweet onions, cut into bite-size pieces
- 3 large potatoes
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup white wine
Directions:
- Place bacon in a large, deep skillet.
- Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble, and set aside.
- Put lamb, salt, pepper, and flour in large mixing bowl. Toss to coat meat evenly. Brown meat in a frying pan with the bacon fat.
- Place meat into stock pot (leave 1/4 cup of fat in frying pan). Add the garlic and yellow onion and sauté till onion begins to become golden.
- Deglaze frying pan with 1/2 cup water and add the garlic-onion mixture to the stock pot with bacon pieces, beef stock, and sugar.
- Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours.
- Add carrots, onions, potatoes, thyme, bay leaves, and wine. Reduce heat, and simmer covered for 20 minutes until vegetables are tender.
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