Classic and comforting Irish stew

This is a fantastic meal for warming you up. I got the recipe from an Irish friend of mine, but I’ll accept that doesn’t necessarily make it ‘authentic’.

In addition to it being a healthy and hearty dish, I also liked that any leftovers could be frozen for another day. Having the odd freezer meal available is great when you’ve got nothing on the go.

You can serve this dish with some pickled red cabbage or some slices of crusty bread.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbs olive oil, plus extra to serve
• 1.2kg lamb neck (or shoulder), in 4cm dice
• 2 carrots, chopped into 4cm pieces
• 2 sticks celery, chopped into 4cm pieces
• 6 each rosemary and thyme sprigs
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup (125ml) white wine
• 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
• 2 Desiree potatoes, chopped into 4cm pieces
• 5 eschalots, peeled and halved

Method

1. Heat oil in a large, heavy-based pan over medium-high heat. In batches, brown lamb on all sides. Remove and set aside.
2. Reduce heat to medium-low, add the carrot and celery, and cook for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Add herbs, garlic and wine. Simmer 5 minutes or until wine is reduced by half. Return the lamb. Pour over stock plus 2 cups (500ml) water, and season.
3. Bring to a boil, then reduce to slow simmer. Skim off fat, cover and cook for 1 hour.
4. Add potato and eschalots, and cook for a further 30-40 minutes or until meat is tender. Rest for 10 minutes.