Irish Stew

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 20 g butter
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 600 -800 g lamb, cut of your choice, in fairly large pieces
• 4 slices bacon, cut into strips
• 1 teaspoon plain flour (all-purpose)
• 600 g potatoes, peeled and sliced thickly
• 3 carrots, unpeeled and sliced thickly
• 1 onion, cut into 16 wedges
• 1 leek, sliced thickly
• 150 g cabbage, sliced thinly
• 500 ml stock
• 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped (a mix of parsley and mint with lamb, is also nice)

Recipe

• 1 heat butter and oil in a casserole dish or large heavy-based saucepan over medium-high heat.
• 2 cook meat in 2 or 3 batches (meat browns better if it is spread out in the pan, otherwise it starts to braise), stirring occasionally until browned, about 1 minute on each side, removing each batch to the side as it is done.
• 3 add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes.
• 4 remove to a different plate than the meat. leave drippings in the pan. lower heat to medium if things start to get a little darkened too quickly.
• 5 sprinkle flour into drippings and stir to combine.
• 6 remove the pan from the heat and layer half the vegetables in order - potato, carrot, onion, leek, cabbage - then half the bacon.
• 7 arrange the all meat over the bacon, and then repeat the vegetable layers, and finish with the remaining bacon.
• 8 pour in enough of the stock to just cover, then bring to the boil over high heat.
• 9 reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for about 90 minutes, or until the meat is very tender and the liquid is slightly reduced.
• 10 season well, and serve sprinkled with parsley (or parsley/mint).