Irish stew

Name: Irish stew
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 lb diced lamb for stewing, raw, boneless lamb shoulder or neck, trimmed of fat, in 4 cm (1 1/2-inch) chunks; 1 1/4 tsp salt; 1 tsp black pepper; 2 tsp olive oil; 2 large onions, in thick slices; 5 medium carrots, in thick chunks; 3 3/4 cups chicken broth, or lamb stock; 6 sprigs fresh thyme; 2 leaves bay leaf; 2 lb gold potatoes, peeled; a third cut small, the rest in large chunks; 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce; 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

145 min · 35 g protein · 387 cals / serving

Ireland's plain and perfect one-pot dinner: tender chunks of lamb, potatoes, onions and carrots simmered slowly with thyme until some of the potatoes collapse and thicken the broth, while the rest stay whole. Finished with a big handful of parsley and lots of black pepper.

Irish stew

145 min · 35 g protein · 387 cals / serving

Servings6

Ingredients

2 lb diced lamb for stewing, raw, boneless lamb shoulder or neck, trimmed of fat, in 4 cm (1 1/2-inch) chunks
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp olive oil
2 large onions, in thick slices
5 medium carrots, in thick chunks
3 3/4 cups chicken broth, or lamb stock
6 sprigs fresh thyme
2 leaves bay leaf
2 lb gold potatoes, peeled; a third cut small, the rest in large chunks
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (optional)

To serve

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Steps

Season the lamb with half the salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat and brown the lamb lightly in two batches. (Many Irish cooks skip the browning for a paler, cleaner stew; both are traditional.)
Return all the lamb to the pot with the onion, carrot, broth, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, skim off any froth, then cover and simmer very gently for 1 hour.
Add the potatoes: the small pieces will fall apart and thicken the broth, the large ones stay whole. Simmer, partly covered, for 40–50 minutes more, until the lamb is very tender and the potatoes are cooked through.
Remove the thyme stalks and bay leaves, stir in the Worcestershire sauce if using, and season with the rest of the salt and pepper. Skim off any fat on the surface. Serve in deep bowls with the parsley scattered over.

Good to know

Lamb or mutton?

Mutton was the original and has a deeper flavour; lamb shoulder or neck is easier to find and very tender. Avoid leg: it is too lean for long simmering and goes stringy.

Beef instead?

Irish beef stew is a different dish, usually made with stout. This one is lamb, potatoes and onion, and that simplicity is the point.

Make ahead?

Like every stew it tastes better the next day. Chill it overnight and lift off the fat that sets on top before reheating gently with a splash of water.

Alternatives

Per

Calories: 88
Protein: (37%); 8 g
Fat: (27%); 3 g
Carbohydrates: (36%); 8 g
of which sugar: 2 g
Fiber: 1 g
Sodium: 270 mg

More meals

Computed from the ingredients with our published formula, not yet kitchen-tested. General guidance, not medical advice. Talk to your prescriber. How

As written, 2322 kcal goes into the pot and 3444 g of ingredients comes out as about 2650 g of food: 88 kcal per 100 g. Cooking moves water and energy density is the score's biggest lever, so the dish is scored as cooked, not as an average of its parts. Every ingredient links to its food page, with the same data and score. The label's percentages are each macronutrient's share of the calories. The full formula.

Irish stew

Irish stew