Tuesday, March 12, 2013

St. Patrick's Day Recipe: Irish Lamb Stew (Delia Smith)

Saint Patrick's Day or the Feast of Saint Patrick (Irish: Lá Fhéile Pádraig) is a cultural and religious holiday celebrated on 17 March every year by the Irish. It is named after Saint Patrick, the most commonly recognised of the patron saints of Ireland. It is perhaps also one of the most well-known and celebrated British holiday in Malaysia, due to the many popular drinking events (ie Guinness) held in honour of this day.

Lately, when an occasion is coming up, I would check out recipes that I can prepare to celebrate that occasion. I feel it's good to expose my children all these different food from different cultures, and at the same time, I can explain the significance of that dish for that celebration to them. We get to eat and we get to learn :) Since St. Patrick's Day is an Irish holiday, I decided to make Irish lamb stew, a traditional dish popular in Ireland.  

Irish lamb stew

Irish stew (Irish: stobhach gaelach) is a traditional stew made from lamb or mutton as well as potatoes, onions and parsley and may sometimes also include carrots. I have made Irish stew once while I was still in UK, using a recipe by Dermot O'Leary, a popular TV and radio presenter of Irish descent, however this time I decided to try one of Delia Smith's recipes. Delia's version uses middle neck and scrag of mutton or lamb; these parts are said to be used as the bones impart delicious juices to the liquid. However, I have no idea where to get these in KL, so I settled for braising lamb (I used knuckle on this occasion) and also substituted water with lamb stock.

Other ingredients in her Irish stew are onions, carrots, leeks, potatoes, and pearl barley. I couldn't find leeks in the supermarket last weekend and since it is not a crucial ingredient in a traditional Irish stew, I did not worry too much about it. While researching Irish Stew recipes, I also came across Richard Corrigan's version, and he garnishes with spring onions and parsley and since spring onions are from the same family as leeks, I felt this would be a good substitution for leeks in Delia's recipe. 



My verdict on this Irish stew: this has to be the easiest stew I've ever made! No browning of the meat is required, all I had to do was coat the lamb with seasoned flour and arrange it in the pot along with the other ingredients and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Tender pieces of meat with a flavorful gravy - what is there not to love? My kids and both my parents enjoyed this tremendously. I served this with some hot herb and garlic loaf (aka garlic bread) to soak up the delicious gravy. (Original recipe serves this Irish stew with parsley dumplings but I could not get suet, an ingredient to make the dumplings)



Wishing all celebrating a very Happy St.Patrick's Day in advance! :)




Irish Lamb Stew
Recipe adapted from Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course
Preparation time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking time: 1 1/2 - 2 hours
Serves 4

Ingredients
600-700g stewing lamb, in thick chunks
1litre lamb or beef stock
2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned with salt and freshly milled black pepper
350g onions, quartered
225g carrots, sliced
2 medium leeks, washed and sliced
1 large potato, peeled and sliced
1 tablespoon pearl barley
Salt and freshly milled black pepper

To garnish
2 spring onions, sliced thinly at an angle
Fresh parsley


1. Wash and pat dry the meat, then dip them in the seasoned flour. Now put a layer of meat in the bottom of a large saucepan, followed by some onion, carrot, leek and potato, then season with salt and pepper. Then put in some more meat and continue layering the ingredients until everything is in.  Then sprinkle in the pearl barley followed by 1 litre of lamb stock and bring to the boil.

2. Once boiling, lower to low heat and leave to simmer for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, with lid on.

3. Check the seasoning, if required season with more salt and pepper. Place the stew in a serving bowl, then garnish with spring onions and parsley. Serve immediately with champ (recipe here) or like we did, hot herb and garlic loaf.



Soaking up all the delicious gravy

Check out my other Irish-inspired dishes such as champ, chocolate tofu mousse with Bailey's and gingerbread tiramisu with Bailey's.

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37 comments:

  1. Hi Yen! We all love stew! Especially comforting to have stew on cold days!.... but not on meatless Monday! :P

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    1. Haha we all know it would be a crime to eat this (no matter how delicious) on Meatless Monday! :P

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  2. Hi Baby Sumo, your lamp stew look awesome. You sure can cook very well, 2 thumbs up for you.

    Have a great week ahead,regards.

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    1. Thanks Amelia, happy to put good food on the table for my family :)

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  3. Happy St Patricks Day! I'd love a bowl ful of this stew to celebrate :D

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    1. SUPER easy to make - I'm sure you'll manage to whip this in no time.

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  4. Looks fantastic!!! I can imagine dipping the garlic bread in the stew already!! :P

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    1. Thanks V Vien! My family loved the combination, everything was eaten in less than 15 mins!!

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  5. I love this! Would be great with lamb shanks too...stewed like tender, the meat falling off the bone. Yummmm!!!!!

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    1. Ah yes lamb shanks would be good, though I think you need to increase the cooking time.

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  6. Hi Yen,

    St Patrick's day in Melbourne is boozy day for all... LOL! This easy-to-cook lamb stew will be great and healing to eat for any next-day hangovers :p

    Zoe

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    1. Haha Zoe, it's the same here in KL! Everyone associates it with drinking.

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  7. I hope it's also the easiest stew i ever make, if i try to do it:) i wonder if it works with beef brisket? for those who don't like lamb? :D

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    1. Traditionally, it's made with lamb but I've seen many versions with beef. So the answer is yes :)

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  8. I want a bowl of this! Maybe with some rice. I think it goes well too. hehehe.

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    1. Yes rice, or mashed potatoes. Anything that you like, really!

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  9. The gravy looks tasty and yummy!!

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    1. Yeah it was very good, I went for seconds but none left :P

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  10. I love lamb more than beef, I can down with bowls of rice just with this!

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    1. Hehe yes, the gravy will make you wanna eat extra bowls of rice :)

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  11. Looks lovely with that garlic bread!

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    1. It makes a nice change from our usual dinners.. rice/pasta/potato :)

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  12. Great looking stew! Don't you love rustic cooking? No need to brown anything :)

    Nazneen @coffeeandcrumpets.com

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    1. Haha yes! Most definitely. I had to brown something for a stew the other day and I cant stand the mess it makes!!

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  13. ooo, pearl barley! that's a nice ingredient that we don't get often enough :D

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    1. I think they're quite popular in Scottish and Irish recipes. My MIL uses it quite a lot, for example in her Scotch Broth :)

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  14. Hearty and comforting dish , Yen ! I can smell the delicious aroma of that yummy lamb stew wafting across the screen lol

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    1. Haha! I wish we all had magical screens like tht.... then we can really drool from the smell of the food!!

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  15. Yen, that's a very delicious and hearty stew! I love stews because we can just chuck everything a pot and it comes out yummy.

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  16. My Irish boy doesn't eat lamb. Going to try and track down some Corned beef for him if possible (not the canned type, of course) for Sunday's celebration! I've never tried the Irish lamb stew myself hehe.

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  17. This looks really good Yen, and I don't normally eat lamb (my husband likes it so he order it when he eats out). I should try cooking lamb more often!

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  18. Hi Yen,
    I love lamb and stews dish. Never tried a lamb stew.
    Your lamb stew looks so flavourful!
    mui

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  19. Hi Yen,
    I made this for dinner yesterday and it was delicious. Thanks for sharing the recipe! ;) xoxo

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    Replies
    1. Hi Celine, thanks so much for trying out this recipe. I'm always happy when readers/friends try out recipes from my blog and enjoy it ;) Greatest joy from blogging for me. :)

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  20. This looks really yummy & comforting especially when it's still snowing over here! I can still cook this dish & eat with that delicious garlic bread too. The perfect hearty meal for a still cold winter day!!! LOL

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  21. This really nice...
    i love your blog..keep it up.
    http://janganpercayaceritanie.blogspot.com/2013/04/destinasi-makan-ipoh.html

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