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Yields:
4 - 6 serving(s)
Prep Time:
10 mins
Total Time:
3 hrs
I adore stew. There's just something so nice and comforting about a pot of it simmering on the stove for hours on end. This recipe is a spin on classic Irish stew made with lamb, and it’s just the thing to make for a feast of traditional Irish dishes on St. Patrick's Day. If you're not a fan of lamb recipes, you can swap in beef chuck roast for an equally scrumptious meal. This stew tastes even better when you make it a day ahead and reheat it on the stove! The longer the flavors have to meld, the more delicious it gets.
What's in traditional Irish stew?
The meat in traditional Irish stew is typically mutton or lamb. (Mutton comes from a sheep that's a little older than a lamb.) For this recipe, I used lamb because it's easier to find in grocery stores. As far as the other ingredients, sticklers for tradition only include potatoes, onions, and water. However, I am not one of those sticklers for tradition, so I threw in carrots, parsnips, leeks, onion, and a handful of other ingredients to create a hearty stew.
Is Irish stew thick or watery?
This is definitely a stew and not a soup! What I mean is that it’s a thick, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal rather than a light, brothy dish. Stew should not be watery! It gets its thickness from the starch in the grated potatoes, and the flour sprinkled over the vegetables.
Can you use beef stock instead of beef bouillon concentrate?
You can, but you’ll lose out on some flavor. Beef bouillon concentrate is essentially super-concentrated stock. In this recipe, 1/4 cup of bouillon is mixed with 6 cups of water, creating a cooking liquid that’s richer and more robust than your typical boxed beef stock. If you do make the switch, use 6 cups of beef stock instead of the bouillon and water. Taste the stew and adjust the seasonings—you'll likely need to add more salt.
What do you serve with Irish stew?
A big hunk of this freshly baked Irish brown bread would be perfect for sopping up every last drop of stew! For dessert, make this Irish apple cake or Irish cream poke cake.
How long does Irish stew last in the fridge?
Leftovers will stay good for up to three days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can reheat it on the stove over low heat or in the microwave.
Can you freeze Irish stew?
Yes, you can freeze it in an airtight container for up to three months. Just know that the potatoes may change texture after freezing and reheating. The grated russet potato in this recipe melts into the broth, so you won’t notice much of a difference there. But the red potato chunks will lose some of their firmness and might break down a bit.
If that doesn’t bother you, go ahead and freeze the stew as is. If you want to avoid soft red potatoes, just fish them out before freezing the stew and add fresh ones when you reheat it. Let the stew simmer until the potatoes are tender, and you’re good to go.
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Ingredients
- 1/4 cup beef bouillon concentrate
- 6 cups hot water
- 2 lb. boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-in. pieces
- 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp. salted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 medium leek, thinly sliced and thoroughly rinsed
- 1 medium russet potato, peeled and coarsely grated
- 6 medium red potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-in. chunks
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-in. chunks
- 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-in. chunks
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- Finely chopped parsley, to serve
- Thinly sliced chives, to serve
Directions
- Step 1Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the beef bouillon concentrate and hot water; set aside.
- Step 2Pat the lamb dry with paper towels. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sear the lamb, working in batches as necessary to avoid crowding the pot, until deeply golden all over, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining lamb.
- Step 3Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the pot. When the butter is melted and bubbling, add the onion, leek, and grated potato. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
- Step 4Add the red potatoes, carrots, and parsnips to the pot. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to thoroughly combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, then add the bouillon broth from step 1 and bay leaves, stirring well so the flour doesn’t clump and scraping any additional fond off the bottom of the pot. Return the lamb to the pot, along with any accumulated juices. The broth should just cover everything—if necessary, add a little water. Bring to a boil, then immediately cover, remove from the heat, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours—more if needed.
- Step 5Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Uncover the stew and give it a good stir, then continue cooking until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Season with salt and pepper, and remove the bay leaves. Serve topped with parsley and chives.
Tip: While lamb is the traditional meat in an Irish stew, it can be substituted with beef chuck roast if that's your preference.
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