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Irish Stew
- 3 lb Lamb neck chops
- 4 x Med-sized carrots
- 4 x Med-sized onions
- 1 tb Butter
- 1 x Lamb fat or beef dripping
- 4 x Potatoes
- 1 x Salt and pepper
- 2 1/2 c Stock or water
- 1 tb Chopped parsley
- 1 tb Chopped chives
Peel the onions and slice them into rounds. Peel the potatoes as thinly as
possible. Leave them whole unless they are very large. Cut the meat into good-sized
pieces. Small chops can be left whole, larger ones divided in two. Place a layer
of onions on the bottom of a heavy casserole, and the meat on top of them. Sprinkle
chopped thyme and parsley generously, and season well. Layer the rest of the
onions with the potatoes. Sprinkle thyme and parsley again at the last. The
amount of water you need to add depends on how good the seal is between your
pot and its lid, and whether you like a "wet" or "dry" stew.
You will certainly not need more than two cups, and I use barely one. Bring
the water to a boil, cover as tightly as possible, and place in a preheated
oven at 300F for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Keep an eye on it towards the end, and adjust
the gravy by adding a little water if you think it too dry. A good stew should
have some gravy, but should not be flooded by it. "Floury" potatoes
will dissolve into the gravy, "waxy" ones will not. I tend to use
a mixture. Serve very hot with more fresh chopped parsley sprinkled on top.
White soda bread to mop up the gravy. |