WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
Hearty Irish stew is made from meat and root vegetables in a richly flavored base. The recipe can vary from town to town and household to household, though the traditional meat is lamb. Some versions use only potatoes for the vegetable component, but we think that’s a shame and prefer our Irish stew to also incorporate peppery turnips, pungent onions, and sweet carrots. We chose lamb shoulder chops for the meat, because we found that slicing the meat off the bone from a lamb shoulder chop, browning it, and adding the bones and meat to the stewing liquid gave us a great stew with a rich-tasting broth and the velvety texture that only marrow-rich bones can contribute. If possible, try to buy the shoulder chops from a butcher. In most supermarkets, lamb shoulder chops are sold too thin, often only about ½ inch thick. Though we prefer chops cut 1½ inches thick, 1-inch-thick chops will suffice.
SERVES: 6
TOTAL TIME: 2 hours 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
- 4½ pounds lamb shoulder chops (blade or round bone), 1 to 1½ inches thick, trimmed, meat removed from bones and cut into 1½-inch pieces, bones reserved
- Salt and pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2½ pounds onions, chopped
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups water, plus extra as needed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 3 carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick
- 8 ounces turnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup minced fresh parsley
INSTRUCTIONS:
- SEASON AND BROWN LAMB: Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Pat lamb dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Brown half of lamb on all sides, about 8 minutes; transfer to bowl. Repeat with 1 tablespoon oil and remaining lamb; transfer to bowl.
- COOK ONIONS AND ADD FLOUR: Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, onions, and ¼ teaspoon salt to fat left in pot and cook over medium heat until onions are softened and lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Stir in flour and cook until onions are evenly coated, about 1 minute.
- ADD WATER AND SEASONING: Stir in 1½ cups water, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Gradually add remaining 1½ cups water, stirring constantly. Stir in thyme and 1 teaspoon salt and bring to simmer. Add reserved bones and lamb along with any accumulated juices and return to simmer. Cover, transfer pot to oven, and cook for 1 hour.
- ADD CARROTS AND TURNIPS: Remove pot from oven and place carrots and turnips on top of lamb and bones. Cover, return pot to oven, and cook until lamb is tender, about 1 hour.
- FINISH AND SERVE: Remove pot from oven and discard bones. Stir carrots and turnips into stew. Using large spoon, skim excess fat from surface of stew. Adjust consistency with extra hot water as needed. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve
