Irish Stew

From the kitchen of Carly

Hearty Irish lamb stew with root vegetables, white wine, and pearled wheat. The kind of slow-braised one-pot that fills the house with the right smell on a cold day. Mostly hands-off; the oven does the work. Brown the meat and vegetables in batches. Crowded pots steam instead of caramelizing, and that browning is the entire flavor.

Irish Stew
Prep
30 min
Cook
2 hr 30 min
Total
3 hr
Servings
6
Difficulty
medium

Ingredients

6 servings

  • 300 gpearled wheat (or barley), soaked overnight
  • 2 kgboneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 120 mlolive oil
  • 24 smallshallots, peeled and left whole
  • 4 largecarrots, cut into thick rounds
  • 2turnips, peeled and cubed
  • 1 smallceleriac, peeled and cubed
  • 350 gsmall waxy potatoes, halved
  • 150 mldry white wine
  • 1 tspcaster sugar
  • 4fresh thyme sprigs
  • 4fresh oregano sprigs
  • 450 mlchicken stock

Instructions

  1. The night before: cover the pearled wheat with cold water and let it soak. The next day, drain and rinse.

  2. Heat the oven to 350°F (180°C).

  3. Cook the soaked wheat: tip into a medium pot with plenty of fresh water. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour until tender. Drain and set aside.

  4. Season the lamb cubes with 1 tsp salt and a generous crank of pepper.

  5. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high. Working in batches (don't crowd), sear the lamb 4 minutes total, turning, until well-colored on all sides. Move to a large bowl. Repeat with the rest, adding more oil as needed.

  6. Drop the heat to medium. Add another 1 tbsp oil. Add the whole shallots and cook 4 minutes until caramelized. Tip into the lamb bowl.

  7. Repeat with the carrots, turnips, celeriac, and potatoes, browning each in turn (4 to 5 minutes per batch) and adding to the bowl.

  8. Once everything is browned and out of the pot, pour in the white wine. Add the sugar, thyme, oregano, 1 tsp salt, and a generous crank of pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat and let it bubble hard for 3 minutes.

  9. Tip the lamb, vegetables, and the cooked wheat back into the pot. Pour over the chicken stock.

  10. Cover with a lid. Boil for 5 minutes on the stovetop, then transfer to the oven and braise for 90 minutes.

  11. Pull from the oven. Check the liquid level. If too soupy, return to the stovetop uncovered and reduce for 5 minutes. If just right, leave as is.

  12. Taste, adjust salt, and serve in deep bowls.

Substitutions
  • lamb shoulder to beef chuck or lamb shanks. Beef chuck works the same; shanks need 30 extra minutes in the oven.
  • pearled wheat to pearl barley or farro. Barley is the more common Irish alternative and skips the overnight soak. Farro stays chewier.
  • celeriac to parsnips or extra carrots. Celeriac can be hard to find. Parsnips give similar earthiness; carrots make it sweeter.

Pairs well with: Crusty soda bread or a warm baguette, A pint of stout (the obvious pairing) or a Cotes du Rhone, A simple green salad with mustard vinaigrette

Adapted from TheMealDB.