Irish Stew
There is something very comforting about stew. I had never tried making Irish Stew before, but now I make this recipe from Rachel Allen’s Irish Family Food Cookbook often for my family. The first time I made this stew, it wasn’t a terribly cold day. In fact, it was one of those rather warm, spring-like days where shorts and flip flops were appropriate. But still I assembled this Irish Stew and put it into the oven around noon. It simmered for a couple of hours and delivered a scent to our kitchen that was decidedly welcome. It became an instant dinner hit with my family. This stew is best eaten right out of the oven- the lamb is so pull-apart tender and delicious. Author Allen suggests making it with bone-in chops for the greatest flavor results. Those are tough to find around my neck-of-the-woods, so I make it with lamb stew meat instead. It still turns out fabulous, and it would be a great choice for a St. Patrick’s Day dinner.
It’s actually a little bit odd that I had never made an Irish Stew before. My husband (Brian Patrick Michael) is about as Irish as they come. He’s quite drawn to Irish Pubs- loves sampling the beer and enjoys the food too. And so it came to be that this cookbook from Ireland’s #1 bestselling cookbook author arrived in the mail. I was thrilled to flip through and read about recipes that you’d never find in an Irish pub in America: Fish Cakes, Kale & Bean Stew, Pork Chops with Sage & Apple, Hot Buttered Lobster, Crumbed Bacon Chops with Sweet Whiskey Sauce (yes!), Roast Pork Belly with Cumin and Garlic Rub, Beef and Red Wine Hot Pot, Sticky Cumin and Apricot Roast Carrots & Parsnips, Cauliflower Cheese, Spotted Dog, Fluffy Lemon Pudding and Brown Bread Ice Cream.
Rachel’s Irish Family Food is a beautiful cookbook with a ton of photos and easy to follow, traditional Irish recipes. If I were hosting a St. Patrick’s Day party this year, I’d be making this Irish Stew and then choosing more recipes from this book! If you have a section on your cookbook shelf where you like to collect ethnic-style cookbooks, this is a good one to add to your collection.
Here are a few more Irish recipes you might enjoy:
Irish Corned Beef Cabbage and Carrots Irish Whiskey Brownies Guinness- Braised Beef Stew Irish Apple Crisp Apricot- Glazed Corned Beef with Colcannon and Sauteed Cabbage Irish Mojito How to Make Irish Butter Irish Soda Bread Muffins
