IRRESISTABLE IRISH STEW, Slow cooked, Wallet Friendly, good for kids & the elderly

A classic family dish, with good reason 

Low-cost lamb & lots of root veg equals an intensely savoury meal

'A great hearty winter meal, cooked to perfection.' Taster

This gorgeous intensely flavoured budget-friendly dish is quintessentially Irish.  

Neck of lamb, some bones and a few hours provides a wonderfully tasty, warming stew thick with meat, veg and exquisite broth.

Classic Irish stew requires good stock, preferably made from lamb bones. It takes at least 24 hours for best results.  And that would seem a lot of bother were it not for the cook's best friend, a slow cooker.  

Slow cookers make life easier and the stew richer, tastier and more satisfying. And more than worth the effort.  The slow cooker can even simplify the cooking method though the 2-step method, for 67, wins hands down.

Traditional Irish stew is heavy on the potatoes; 67 replaced some of them with swede and celeriac but parsnips are good, too.

Three cooking methods are offered: if time and funds permit, option 2 is recommended. 

Cost: £4-6
Feeds: 6

Ingred:

   12 oz/ 400 gm lamb neck fillet plus
   1 lb/500 gm lamb bones OR
   2 lb/1 kilo neck of lamb, (usually sliced)

   1-2 large onions
   1 tsp fresh or 1/2 tsp dried thyme

The following in 1/2 in/1 cm slices    
   8oz/250gm King Edward or similar floury potatoes
   8oz/250gm waxy potatoes
   8oz/250gm swede
   8oz/250gm parsnips
   1lb/500gm peeled carrots

     just over 1 litre/2 pints good stock, preferably lamb (scroll down for lamb stock recipe)

       fresh parsley
   
Method:

Simple method using neck of lamb on the bone:

1. Make stock. Put lamb neck slices in a heavy-bottomed pan; add a whole large onion, stick of celery cut in two, just over a litre water, a bay leaf, a few sticks of fresh thyme or a large pinch of dried, half a dozen peppercorns
2. Bring to a boil; allow to bubble 5 mins, scooping off the scrum which will rise to the surface 
3. Meanwhile, thinly slice or coarsely process one onion; layer on bottom of slow cooker
4. Add a layer of floury potato then a layer of swede or celeriac
5. Retrieve slices of lamb neck from stock and lay on top of potatoes and swede; salt lightly & pepper 
6. Add a layer of parsnips, then waxy potatoes; season lightly
7. Pour over boiling stock, including whole onion and large sticks of celery
8. Cover with cooker lid; Cook on low for 5-6 hours or overnight until meat is nearly falling off the bone
9. Discard whole onion and celery sticks; remove meat to a platter; set aside
10. Remove other veg to a bowl, try not to break them up 
11. Scoop liquid into a heatproof container. 
12. Allow liquid, meat and veg to stand one hour; cover with cling film and refrigerate a few hours or overnight, until fat on liquid has solidified
13. When ready to serve, lift off fat from liquid 
14. Remove meat from lamb neck, discarding fat and gristle 
15. In a large pot, bring veg, meat and stock to a boil and simmer 10 mins.
16. Ladle into deep bowls; sprinkle with parsley 
17. Serve with zucchini 'fries' 

2-step method lamb bones and fillet - more intense taste:

1. Make lamb stock: place bones in a large heavy-bottomed pot; add a large onion, a couple of carrots, a large stick of celery, half a dozen peppercorns (opt) and a bay leaf ; pour over 1 1/8 litres/ 2 and a bit pints water; bring to the boil; allow to bubble gently 5 mins, skimming off any scrum which arises; carefully pour into slow cooker; cover & cook on low several hours or overnight
2. Allow to cool; strain through a sieve lined with a clean rinsed j-cloth or muslin; cool an hour & refrigerate until fat solidifies and can be lifted off   
3. When ready to prepare Irish stew, cut lamb neck fillets into generous bite-size chunks
4. Follow instructions 3-17 but using chunks of lamb neck fillet where lamb neck on the bone was used

(See Ultra-frugal Irish Stew below)

Comments:
'The lamb and vegetables are cooked to perfection.  It's a great hearty winter meal.  One small point is I prefer a thicker gravy but that's personal taste'.  Political Agent

Tips:

• The ultra frugal: try making a stock with a kilo of the meaty lamb bones available at Morrisons, stripping the meat from the bones, and adding it with a small neck fillet (or not) to the veg mix before pouring over stock.  Cook as for Lamb Bones and Fillet.  This will reduce the cost by half without loss of flavour or goodness.   
• If you haven't stock to hand and haven't time to make it, try Marigold Bouillion powder.  The vegan one is good.
• Recipes page has two slow cooker recipes for shoulder of lamb

   Go to Nav Bar/RecipesI:lamb for similar recipes... 

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.