What’s cooking? World recipes

Nothing is more warming and filling than a delicious bowl of Irish stew, a popular dish from Ireland and loved the world over. It was traditionally made with mutton (sheep), but it is now often made with the easier-to-find lamb. Either meat will make a delicious, hearty stew.

Controversy reigns over whether adding vegetables other than potatoes makes the perfect Irish stew, but the choice is yours. Adding onions, leeks, carrots, and cabbage does add extra flavor and nutrition to the stew and means that little else is needed to make it a meal.

Though a hugely popular dish on St Patrick’s Day, it’s far too good to reserve for a few days a year—eat it when you want something comforting and warming. Serve with crusty bread to soak up all of the delicious sauce.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 pound lamb cutlets or mutton (bones removed, cut into 2-inch/5-centimeter chunks), divided
2 pounds potatoes (peeled and cut into quarters), divided
1 cup roughly chopped carrots, divided
1 cup roughly chopped onion, divided
1 cup finely sliced leeks, cleaned and divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups dark beef stock (1 1/2 pints)
2 or 3 cabbage leaves, thinly sliced, optional
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients. Preheat the oven to 350 F/180 C/Gas Mark 4.

In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil until hot but not smoking. Add half of the lamb pieces and brown all over by turning in the hot oil.

Remove the lamb pieces with tongs and place them in a Dutch oven or ovenproof stockpot.

Cover with half of the potatoes, half of the carrots, half of the onion, and half of the leeks.

Add the remaining oil to the frying pan and heat. Add the remaining lamb and brown all over as before and add to the Dutch oven.

Cover with the remaining potatoes, remaining onion, remaining leeks, and remaining carrots.

Add the flour to the still-hot frying pan and stir really well to soak up any fat and juices. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes.

Add the stock a ladle at a time and mix until you have a thick, lump-free sauce. You will not add all of the stock.

Pour this sauce over the lamb and vegetables.

Add the remaining stock to the Dutch oven, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and cook in the preheated oven for 1 hour.

Add the cabbage (if using), replace the lid, and cook for another hour. Check from time to time to make sure the stock hasn’t reduced too much. If it has, add a little boiling water. The meat and vegetables should always be covered in liquid. If the sauce is too runny at the end, you can always cook the stew a little longer with the lid removed.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve piping hot and enjoy.