Irish stew

I can provide you with the recipe for Irish Stew, a traditional Irish stew. It’s a simple and nourishing dish, often made with lamb or mutton, potatoes, carrots, and onion. But let me add an Italian touch by suggesting the use of typical herbs from our cuisine, such as rosemary or bay leaf, to give it a more Mediterranean flavor. Here is the basic recipe:

Ingredients

• 600 g of lamb or mutton, preferably chosen from cuts rich in connective tissue like the shoulder
• 4 large potatoes
• 2 large carrots
• 2 onions
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 750 ml of meat broth or water
• 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary (Italian addition)
• 2 bay leaves (Italian addition)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil or butter as needed

Preparation

1. Cut the lamb into cubes and salt it lightly.
2. In a large pot, heat a drizzle of oil or a bit of butter and brown the meat on all sides until golden.
3. Coarsely chop the onions and mince the garlic, then add them to the pot, frying them together with the meat.
4. Cut the potatoes and carrots into evenly sized pieces, then add them to the pot.
5. Pour the meat broth or water into the pot until the ingredients are covered and add the rosemary and bay leaves.
6. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer with the lid on for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until the meat is tender and the liquid has slightly reduced. During cooking, remove any impurities that surface with a skimmer.
7. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
8. Serve hot, accompanied, if desired, by a slice of rustic bread.

Fun Fact

Irish Stew is a dish that originated as a peasant recipe, with farming families using available ingredients to create an inexpensive but hearty meal. Tradition has it that it’s cooked in large quantities and consumed over several days, as the flavor intensifies with time.