Recipe: Irish Lamb Stew

Irish Lamb Stew

Makes 4 to 6 servings Irish Lamb Stew

My co-author of Tomato Imperative!, Sharon Nimtz, introduced me to lovage. A big, handsome herb, lovage is best planted out of the way, as it can take over. I dry some to use in the winter. It has a strong celery flavor and a few leaves in this stew are very tasty. This may be the dish to offer St. Patrick's Day for a change from corned beef and cabbage.

2 pounds lamb shoulder or stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound carrots, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
4 cups water
1/4 cup Irish whiskey
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
A few dried lovage leaves or fresh celery leaves
2 cups 1-inch chunks unpeeled boiling potatoes
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour mixed with 1/2 cup water until smooth
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves

Place the lamb, carrots, and onions in a 4-quart pot. Add the water and whiskey and bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming off any foam. Add the salt, thyme, pepper, and lovage. Stir well, cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the meat is tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Add the potatoes, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Skim off any fat from the sauce. Restir the flour-and-water mixture and stir into the stew, cooking until the sauce thickens. Adjust the seasoning and sprinkle with parsley leaves before serving.

Country Tips and Tales:

Stew and soup always taste better the next day when the flavors have had the chance to mellow.

From:
Country Suppers
Simple, Hearty Fare For Family and Friends
by Ruth Cousineau
Illustrations by Warren Kimble
William Morrow & Co., $22.00/hardcover
270 pages; November 5, 1997
Recipes and photos reprinted by permission.