St. Patrick's Day Recipe: Irish Lamb Stew!

St. Patty’s Day is this Sunday and I thought, why not get festive with some dinner?! Poking around Pinterest I discovered this blogger Kevin, his blog is called Closet Cooking because he has the tiniest kitchen but still manages to make the most incredible dishes! I couldn’t believe all of the amazing recipes this guy had, I will be trying more for sure. As soon as I saw the pictures of his Irish Lamb Stew, I knew I had to make it.. I also made some Irish Soda Bread for dipping in the glorious thick gravy that is born after two hours of braising the lamb. 

If you have any questions about the recipe, feel free to message me on my Facebook page! I will be making this again!https://www.facebook.com/TinyTaster/ 

Irish Lamb Stew

Servings: makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours


Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil
1 pound lamb, cut into bite sized pieces (I did 1 pound and 1/4)

1 onions, diced

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2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 Guinness (or other dark stout)

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beef stock (I had to use 2 big boxed stocks)

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1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste
2 white potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
4 carrots, cut into bite sized pieces
1 handful parsley, chopped

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Directions:

Heat the oil in a large pot. I set my heat to about medium/high.
 
Add the lamb and brown on each side. You wanna sear them pretty good so they hold in their own delicious juices and get really tender. 

Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute.
 
Sprinkle in the flour and stir.

Add the Guinness and enough beef stock to cover.

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Add the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
 
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the lamb it fork tender, about 1-2 hours. Braise it. Braise it goooood. Your liquid will reduce and this is what it should look like. This is why you will need lots more stock later! 

Add the potatoes and carrots and some more beef stock to cover.

Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until they are tender, about 20-60 minutes depending on cut. Mine took about 25 minutes. Just keep checking on the potatoes until they are the desired texture.
 
Plate and garnish with chopped parsley.

The lamb was melting in my mouth… The soda bread was perfect for soaking up the broth too. I paired this meal with a nice Merlot and of course some delicious cheese for picking while I cooked. I found this Apple Smoked Fontina Cheese that was so creamy and soft I almost ate the whole wedge! 


Before I forget, here is the quick and easy recipe for the bread! This is a picture of how mine turned out. 

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk

Directions:
1. Mix the flour, baking soda, salt and rolled oats in a bowl.
2. Mix in the buttermilk and form a dough.
3. Shape the dough and place it on a baking sheet or in a loaf pan. I used a disposable large loaf pan. 
4. Bake in a preheated 375F oven for 40 minutes (the top should be golden brown).

I hope your stew turns out perfect! Again, feel free to ask any questions you may have. I hope everyone has a delicious and fun St. Patrick’s Day weekend! 

"For each petal on the shamrock; this brings a wish your way; good health, good luck and happiness; for today and every day"
xoxo, Tiny Taster 

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