StewsIrishEasy

Irish Lamb Stew

Name: Irish Lamb Stew
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 2 h 15 min
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: Irish
Ingredients: 3 lb (1360 g) boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of thick surface fat, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes; 2 tsp (8 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste at the end; 1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil, such as sunflower or canola; 2 large (about 14 oz) (400 g) large yellow onions, peeled, halved and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) thick slices; 3 cups (720 ml) low-sodium lamb or chicken stock; 2 cups (480 ml) water; 6 sprigs (6 g) fresh thyme sprigs, left whole; 2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves; 1 lb (450 g) carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks; 1 lb (450 g) russet (floury) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks, kept in cold water; 1 lb (450 g) Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks, kept in cold water; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A classic, pared-back Irish stew: tender lamb shoulder, sweet onions and carrots, and two kinds of potato, one that melts to thicken the broth and one that holds its shape. It simmers gently on the stovetop with thyme and finishes with fresh parsley.

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 2 hr 15 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 2 hr 50 min
Makes: About 3 quarts (2.8 L), 6 generous bowls

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Ingredients

6 servings

3 lb (1360 g) boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed of thick surface fat, cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) cubes
2 tsp (8 g) kosher salt, plus more to taste at the end
1 tsp (2 g) black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp (30 ml) neutral oil, such as sunflower or canola
2 large (about 14 oz) (400 g) large yellow onions, peeled, halved and cut into ½-inch (1 cm) thick slices
3 cups (720 ml) low-sodium lamb or chicken stock
2 cups (480 ml) water
6 sprigs (6 g) fresh thyme sprigs, left whole
2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves
1 lb (450 g) carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks
1 lb (450 g) russet (floury) potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks, kept in cold water
1 lb (450 g) Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks, kept in cold water
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems, finely chopped

Equipment (6)

6-quart (5.5 L) heavy-bottomed lidded pot (enameled cast iron or stainless steel)
Large chef's knife and cutting board
Wooden spoon
Slotted spoon or tongs
Large spoon or ladle for skimming
Vegetable peeler

Steps

Before you start

Take the lamb out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking and pat it very dry. Dry meat browns. Wet meat steams.
Read the timing: the stew needs about 2 hours 15 minutes on the stove. The vegetables go in at two different times, so don't add everything at once.
Use a heavy pot with a lid, about 6 quarts (5.5 L). A thin pot will scorch the browned bits on the bottom. This recipe is entirely on the stovetop, so you don't need to turn on the oven.
Prep all the vegetables before you start browning, and keep the two kinds of potato in separate bowls of cold water.

1
Season the lamb
- Pat the lamb cubes very dry with paper towels.
- Toss them in a large bowl with the kosher salt and black pepper until evenly coated.
- Let them sit while you slice the onions and peel the carrots and potatoes.
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Ready when: Lamb looks dry on the surface and evenly speckled with pepper.
Tip: Cut the lamb into even cubes so all the pieces cook at the same rate.
2
Brown the lamb
- Heat the oil in the pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
- Add about a third of the lamb in a single layer with space between the pieces.
- Sear without moving for 3 minutes, then turn and brown the other sides for 2 to 3 minutes more.
- Move the browned lamb to a clean bowl with a slotted spoon.
- Repeat with the rest in 2 more batches.
- Leave the browned bits and fat in the pot.
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Ready when: Lamb is deep golden brown on most sides and releases easily from the pot.
Tip: Don't crowd the pot. Crowded lamb steams and turns grey instead of browning. If the browned bits start to blacken, lower the heat to medium.
3
Soften the onions
- Lower the heat to medium.
- Add the onions to the pot with the leftover fat and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Cook for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the onions soften and look glossy.
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Ready when: Onions are soft, translucent and just starting to pick up a little color.
Tip: If the bottom looks very dark, add a splash of the stock to loosen it.
4
Bring to a simmer
- Return the lamb and any juices from the bowl to the pot.
- Add the stock, water, thyme sprigs and bay leaves, and stir.
- Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, about 6 minutes.
- Skim off any grey foam from the surface with a spoon.
- Reduce the heat to low so the liquid barely bubbles.
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Ready when: Liquid is boiling, foam has been skimmed, and the lamb is almost covered by the liquid.
Tip: A hard boil makes lamb tough and the broth cloudy. Aim for a bubble or two every second.
5
Simmer the lamb
- Cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar.
- Simmer on low for 1 hour, stirring once or twice halfway through.
- The lamb will be partly tender but still a little firm at this point.
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Ready when: A piece of lamb can be pierced with a fork but is still slightly chewy.
Tip: Keep the heat low enough that the surface only trembles with small bubbles.
6
Add carrots and russets
- Drain the russet potatoes.
- Stir the carrots and russet potatoes into the stew, pushing them under the liquid.
- Add a splash of hot water if the lamb is not mostly covered.
- Cover again with the lid slightly ajar and simmer on low for 20 minutes.
- The russets will begin to soften at the edges and thicken the broth.
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Ready when: Russet edges are soft and the broth looks slightly cloudy and thicker.
Tip: The floury russets are meant to break down. Don't worry if some of the chunks fall apart.
7
Add waxy potatoes
- Drain the Yukon Gold potatoes and stir them into the stew.
- Cover and simmer on low for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring gently once or twice so the potatoes don't break up.
- The stew is ready when the lamb is very tender and the waxy potatoes are soft all the way through.
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Ready when: A lamb cube shreds easily with a spoon (about 195°F/90°C inside), and a knife slides into a potato with no resistance.
Tip: If the lamb is still chewy, keep simmering and check every 10 minutes. Shoulder cuts vary.
8
Skim, season and rest
- Turn off the heat.
- Fish out the thyme stems and bay leaves.
- Tilt the pot and skim the fat from the surface with a large spoon.
- Taste the broth and add more salt and pepper if it needs it.
- Cover and let the stew rest for 10 minutes so the flavors settle and the broth thickens a little.
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Ready when: Broth tastes well seasoned and has a silky, slightly thickened body.
Tip: Season at the end. The broth reduces during cooking, and early salting can make it too salty.
9
Finish and serve
- Stir in most of the chopped parsley, saving a pinch for the top.
- Ladle the stew into warm bowls so each gets lamb, carrots and both kinds of potato.
- Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve hot.
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Ready when: Parsley is bright green and the stew is steaming hot.
Tip: Serve with soda bread or crusty bread to soak up the broth.

Good to know

Tips

Lamb shoulder has enough fat and connective tissue to turn tender and rich on a long, gentle simmer. Leaner cuts like leg turn dry.
Using two kinds of potato gives you a naturally thick broth without flour, plus chunks that hold their shape.
Chill the stew and lift off the layer of fat for a lighter result.
Keep the simmer low. A rolling boil toughens the meat and breaks up all the potatoes.

Make ahead

The stew tastes even better the next day. Cool it, refrigerate overnight, and lift off the solid fat from the top before reheating. You can also cook through step 6 and add the waxy potatoes when you reheat, but the finished stew keeps best as is.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Refrigerator: up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freezer: up to 3 months, though the potatoes will soften further. Reheat gently in a pot over medium-low heat, stirring now and then, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C), adding a splash of water if it is too thick. Thaw frozen stew overnight in the fridge first.

Substitutions

boneless lamb shoulder → bone-in lamb shoulder chops or lamb neck. Use about 4 lb (1.8 kg) with the bone and cook 15 to 30 minutes longer. Remove the bones before serving.
low-sodium lamb or chicken stock → water. Traditional Irish stew is often made with water only. Use 5 cups (1.2 L) of water in total and add a little more salt at the end.
russet (floury) potatoes → more Yukon Gold potatoes. The broth will be thinner. Mash a few potato pieces against the side of the pot at the end to thicken it.
fresh thyme sprigs → dried thyme. Use 1½ teaspoons of dried thyme in place of the 6 sprigs.