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Irish Stew Two Ways - Beginner and Expert

partysugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:01:31 -0700

Irish stew is a great dish to serve at a St. Patrick's Day dinner party. In general, stews make wonderful dinner party fare because they're a one-pot meal that must be made in advance. Originally a peasant's meal, Irish stew normally consists of lamb, potatoes, and onions. To encourage that you experiment with this traditional recipe, I've found two versions. Both are straight forward, but one cooks the stew on the stove and the other bakes it in the oven. Choose which one suits your culinary needs or combine the two to make a delicious masterpiece. For both recipes please read more.

Beginner Irish Stew
From Everyday Food magazine

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 pounds boneless lamb stew meat (preferably shoulder), trimmed of excess fat and cut into 2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 large onion, chopped
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups dark beer
1 1/2 pounds medium new potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut 1/2 inch thick diagonally
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

In a large bowl, season flour with salt and pepper. Dredge lamb in flour mixture, shaking off excess.
In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Working in batches, brown lamb on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
Pour 1/4 cup water into pot, scraping up browned bits from bottom with a wooden spoon. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated and onion is beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
Return lamb to pot; stir in thyme, beer, and 1 1/2 cups water. Cover; simmer until lamb is tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Add potatoes, carrots, and 1/2 cup water. Cook, covered, until vegetables are tender and stew has thickened, about 20 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper. Stir in parsley just before serving.

Serves 8.

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Expert Irish Stew
From Taste

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs lamb neck chops, trimmed
1/2 cup plain flour
3 brown onions, chopped
2 lbs baking potatoes, peeled, sliced
2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced into rounds
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 cups boiling water
3 beef stock cubes, crumbled
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped, to serve

Directions

Cut chops in half. Place flour in a plastic bag and season with salt and pepper. Place chops in bag and shake well to coat. Transfer chops to a plate. Reserve flour.
Preheat oven to 275°F.
Place onions, potatoes and carrots in an ovenproof dish. Top with half the chops. Repeat layers with remaining onions, potatoes, carrots and chops.
Whisk reserved flour, tomato paste and 2 tablespoons cold water in a large jug until well combined.
Slowly add boiling water, whisking constantly.
Add stock cubes and parsley. Stir to dissolve stock cubes.
Pour flour mixture over chops.
Cover and cook for 4 hours or until meat tender and sauce thickened. Sprinkle with mint and serve. You can also cook this stew in a slow cooker. Combine the ingredients as above and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours.

Serves 6.

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Sunday Slow Cooker: Irish Lamb Stew

YumSugar — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 06:00:44 -0700

If you're looking to get into the St. Patty's Day spirit with a hearty Irish dinner, you're in luck: There's no easier way than to make this rustic Irish lamb stew. Not only does it require little to no preparation work, but you can also step away from the stew as it cooks low and slow in a crock pot.

Eight hours later, you've got a festive meal that will pair perfectly with a tall glass (or two) of dark Irish stout. To see the recipe - which is beyond basic - read more.

Irish Lamb Stew
From Eating Well

Ingredients

2 pounds boneless leg of lamb, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 3/4 pounds white potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 large leeks, white part only, halved, washed (see Tip) and thinly sliced
3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup packed fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Directions

Combine lamb, potatoes, leeks, carrots, celery, broth, thyme, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker; stir to combine. Put the lid on and cook on low until the lamb is fork-tender, about 8 hours. Stir in parsley before serving.

Serves 8.

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Conan Irishes Up "His" St. Patrick's Day Stew

YumSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:18:51 -0700

Earlier this week I let you in on how Good Housekeeping published Conan O'Brien's recipe. Unfortunately it wasn't actually Conan's recipe and so a feud was born. All week long Conan has been talking about it and creating Irish recipes of his own. I sort of thought it would never end, but last night Good Housekeeping's editor in chief, Rosemary Ellis, decided to pay Conan a visit. She apologized, gave him a lifetime subscription to Good Housekeeping, offered to teach him how to cook the stew, and actually brought some in for him to try.

After tasting it, Conan decided to "Irish it up" a bit. Let's see, what would make it more Irish? How about some Jameson? Perhaps some Guinness, too? If you want to see what he did, we got the clip, watch it when you read more.

Savory Sight: St. Patrick's Day Dinner

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 16:21:58 -0700

I was checking out TeamSugar when I came across this post from member Phasekitty. She went all out and planned a fantastic-looking St. Patrick's Day dinner. She baked up some Irish Soda Bread, ate Guinness Beef Stew, and topped off the evening with a yummy green peppermint pie! It all looks so delicious, I wish I was there!

If you want to read more about her festive evening, and get links to all the recipes then, read more.

Submitted by TeamSugar member Phasekitty

This past weekend I decided I wanted to make a home cooked St. Paddy's Day dinner, so I pulled some Yum recipes together that had been hanging out in my favorites for a while, invited a few friends over, and busted out the crock pot.

Yum's Irish Soda Bread
Posted last year as part of the 52 Weeks of Baking, I preferred this recipe to the one posted this year which had raisins and caraway seeds in it. I like to keep things simple, and my boyfriend, the bread lover, wants nothing in the way of him and his bread. But if you're not into working and kneading bread dough, the new recipe is probably better for you. The one I used is described in the post as "hard to mess up" and it couldn't have been more true. There was no time listed as to how long to bake it, just "bake until golden brown," so I just popped it in and cleaned up. Then I checked it, decided it wasn't done and hopped in the shower. I was dressed and applying makeup before I realized -"Oh shoot, the bread!" I ran to the oven and bam - it was perfect. So if asked for a bake time, I'd have to say close to an hour, but you could probably just eyeball it like I did . . . and then forget about it and it'll still be okay

Also in these pictures, black and tans, my bf's favorite. Luckily we had a bartender in attendance and he did something weird by tipping the glass and using an upside down spoon to get them to look good. Normally I would have just poured it on top, but I suppose that wouldn't have worked as well.

My bf's bartender friend, Javier, also brought over that Chimay Ale from Trader Joe's. He described it as a "beer wine," but it tasted more like a "beer champagne" to me as it was very bubbly. The boys loved it, but I stuck with my typical Chardonnay.

Yum's Guiness Beef Stew
Posted last year, I'd been dying to try this recipe out for a while. I considered Yum's Irish stew recipes posted this year, but my boyfriend recently developed a love for Guiness, so I thought I'd give this one a whirl instead. It was delicious. I'm more used to a traditional beef stew, but this one had such unique and distinct flavors from the Guiness that it blew it away. Everyone loved it and it paired perfectly with the soda bread.

We forgot to take pictures of the stew right away and before we knew it, it was gobbled up. These are our leftovers - there was actually a lot more broth last night, but I didn't proportion it out very well, I guess. It was still very yummy just like this, though

Yum's St. Patrick's Day Peppermint Pie
I had this recipe printed and ready to make last year, but just never got around to it. I figured it would be the perfect way to top off my Irish dinner, but it just didn't turn out as well as it could have. First of all I think I could have used a lot more chocolate wafers for the crust, and I even added more than was required after seeing it didn't quite line my pie pan. Second, I filled the pan a little too much because I still had filling left over and I was convinced it would all fit in, but instead it spilled over onto the sides and looked very unpretty. Finally, the recipe calls for it to chill for at least 4 hours, but mine was in the fridge for about 5 or 6 hours and was still very melty. I took a look at our leftovers in the fridge this morning and it was a little bit better after being in there all night, but not by much. Perhaps my whipping cream wasn't whipped enough. I've always had issues with whipping cream. Anyway, it was a shame that I ended an awesome dinner with a lackluster dessert, but everyone still ate a piece (it was a minty, chocolatey, but still a yummy, mess) and we were so stuffed from bread and stew that it didn't matter much.

All in all our Irish dinner went pretty well! Now I just have to figure out what I'm doing for Easter dinner next Sunday!

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Unfortunately for Good Housekeeping, Conan Doesn't Have an Irish Stew Recipe

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:15:38 -0700

What do Irish Stew and Ramen noodles have in common? Apparently Conan O'Brien can't make either. Unfortunately no one told the folks at Good Housekeeping magazine that Conan O'Brien doesn't cook. You see somehow they think he does. In fact they believe it so much that they actually published his recipe for his "favorite" St. Patrick's Day dish. Problem is since Conan doesn't cook, he doesn't have a recipe. If you want to watch what he had to say about it on his show, plus check out the recipe for his "fave" stew, just read more.

Conan O'Brien's St. Patrick's Day Stew
From Good Housekeeping

Ingredients

2 c. diagonally sliced carrots
2 c. diagonally sliced parsnips
2 c. sliced onions
1 1/2 lbs. small white potatoes, each cut into quarters
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
2 lbs. boneless lamb stew meat
1 1/2 c. beef broth
4 c. plus 3 Tbsp. cold water
3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.
In heavy 6-quart Dutch oven, spread half of vegetables; season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and half of thyme. Top with meat, then remaining vegetables. Season with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and remaining thyme.
Add broth and 4 cups water.
Cover and cook in oven 2 1/2 hours or until meat and vegetables are tender.
Transfer meat and vegetables to bowl; cover and keep warm.
In cup, blend flour with remaining water; stir into hot liquid in Dutch oven.
Heat to boiling on top of range; boil 1 minute.
Skim off fat. Return meat and vegetables to Dutch oven.

Serves 6.

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Do You Know What's Cooking This Week?

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 14:30:15 -0700

In case you hadn't noticed, Party and I were feeling the luck of the Irish upon us this week as we geared up for some major St. Patty's Day debauchery. We made Irish lamb stew in the beloved slow cooker, whipped up five beer cocktails, and used Guinness to make a Welsh rarebit, as well as a few other unconventional dishes. Were you around for the festivities? We'll find out when you take our quiz!

Take the quiz

Feeling Lucky? Irish Food and Drink Facts

YumSugar — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 03:30:16 -0700

Though St. Patrick's Day may not be a food holiday on the level of Thanksgiving, it's still a great excuse to eat, whether you're making Irish soda bread for breakfast or slow-cooked stew for supper.

Do you know your Irish food and drink facts? Take my quiz to see if you get lucky.

Source

Take the quiz

Sunday Slow Cooker: Kielbasa Stew

YumSugar — Sun, 15 Mar 2009 06:00:03 -0700

Make the most of the rest of your weekend by playing hooky and celebrating the luck of the Irish rather than laboring over a Sunday meal.

Using cooked pork sausage not only cuts down on your meat prep time, but it also provides a satisfyingly smoky depth to the other elements of the stew, such as carrots, cabbage, and chicken broth.

As an added bonus, the bold spices of the sausage pair really nicely with any full-bodied beer. To see the two-step recipe, read more.

Kielbasa Stew
From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

4 cups coarsely chopped cabbage
3 cups peeled, cubed potato
1-1/2 cups sliced carrots
1 pound cooked kielbasa, sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 14-ounce cans reduced-sodium chicken broth

Directions

In a 4- to 5-quart slow cooker combine cabbage, potato, and carrots. Top with kielbasa. Sprinkle basil, thyme, and pepper over kielbasa. Pour chicken broth over all.
Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 7 to 9 hours or on high-heat setting for 3-1/2 to 4-1/2 hours.

Serves 4 to 5.

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52 Weeks of Baking: Irish Soda Bread

YumSugar — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 13:03:40 -0700

This weekend we made a Guinness Beef Stew (although why we were making stew on such a gorgeous day is beyond me...) and I figured that a good hearty Irish Soda Bread would be a nice accompaniment. So I dug out the trusty Baking Illustrated and gathered up all my ingredients.

Since the stew took over 8 hours to make, and since I am the world's greatest procrastinator, I kept saying, "Oh I'll make the bread in a little bit." The boyfriend kept asking when I was starting and I kept saying, "soon, soon..." Then suddenly, the stew was almost done, the bread was just a pile of ingredients, the butter was beyond room temp (it was really hot out and I didn't pay attention, I highly recommend room temp butter and nothing more) and I needed to get cracking!

So I pulled out the ol' mixing bowl and got to work. It was barely done in time (it could have used a little bit longer to set) and an old friend I hadn't seen in over a year arrived while I was halfway done (translation: this bread did not get my full-undivided attention). I guess the bf was right, I should have started earlier in the day...

At any rate, the bread held up really nicely and paired fantastically with the stew. If this is what I get with haste and negligence, I can only imagine what a real loaf would be like (translation: this recipe is easy and hard to screw up). For step by step pictures and the full recipe, read more

Classic Irish Soda Bread
From Baking Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen

3 cups (15 oz) low-protein unbleached all-purpose flour (although I used regular all-purpose flour and it came out okay)
1 cup (4 oz) plain cake flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp softened unsalted butter, plus 1 tbps melted butter for crust
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Pre-heat oven to 400F.
Whisk flours, sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt in a large bowl.
Work the softened butter into the dry ingredient with a fork or your fingertips. Do this until the texture resembles coarse crumbs.
Add buttermilk and stir with a fork just until the dough begins to come together.
Turn the dough out onto a flour-coated work surface. Knead until the dough becomes cohesive and bumpy (12 - 14 turns, do not overknead, you do not want it to be smooth).
Pat the dough into a round about 6 inches in diameter and 2 inches in height.
Place on a greased or parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
Score the dough by cutting a cross shape on the top of the loaf.
Bake until loaf is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the loaf from the oven and brush the surface with the melted butter.Ignore this baking pan, I just needed somewhere to set the loaf...
Cool to room temperature, 30-40 minutes.

View 14 Photos ›

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It Only Comes Once a Year: Irish Soda Bread

partysugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:13:31 -0700

My dad makes Irish soda bread once every year and it always appears in the kitchen around St. Patrick's Day. Irish soda bread is a dense bread that is quite simple to make. This traditional recipe - it's from my Irish-born great-grandmother - includes caraway seeds and raisins. While you could leave these ingredients out, they are surprisingly delicious in the bread. It's an exceptional breakfast treat especially when lightly toasted and generously buttered. It would make a wonderful hostess gift or an accompaniment to Irish stew. To check out the recipe, read more.

Irish Soda Bread
From PartySugar's Dad

My grandmother used to make this for me. It is really good hot out of the oven topped with butter. Great for St. Patrick's day. Very authentic.

Ingredients

cooking spray or butter for the pan
2 cups flour, plus more for the pan
1/2 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons caraway seeds (If you don't like them you can leave them out)
1/2 cup raisins
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Spray pan with cooking spray or rub with butter. Dust bottom and sides of pan with flour.
In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt with a wooden spoon.
Stir in seeds and raisins.
With a fork lightly beat the eggs and milk.
Gradually add eggs and milk mixture to dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture forms a sticky, thick dough.
Turn the dough into a 5 x 9 loaf pan or a round 8-inch pan. Sprinkle a little flour on the top.
Bake for 1 hour for loaf pan or 50 minutes for round.
Turn out of pan onto wire rack to cool. Slice, serve, and enjoy!

Makes 1 loaf of bread.

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