Main Course
Hearty British Irish Stew
Original name: Irish Stew
About this dish
This is the sort of stew my Yorkshire grandmother would have approved of – robust chunks of lamb, swelling potatoes, and sweet carrot, all simmered slowly until the gravy turns rich and sticky. It's a cosy one-pot supper that rides the line between Irish tradition and British comfort, with a good glug of Worcestershire sauce and a fistful of fresh parsley to lift it.
Serve it with a bread roll to mop up every last drop.
Ingredients
UK and US measurements are both included for every recipe.
Lamb neck fillet
protein600 g
Imperial measurement: 1.3 lb
Sunflower oil
fat1 tbsp
Onions
vegetable2 large
Carrots
vegetable3 large
Baby potatoes
vegetable750 g
Imperial measurement: 1.65 lb
Beef stock
liquid350 ml
Imperial measurement: 1.5 cups
Worcestershire sauce
seasoning2 tbsp
Bay leaf
herb1
Cornflour slurry
other2 tsp
Fresh parsley
herbHandful
Method
Brown the lamb
10 minutesCut the lamb into 3cm chunks. Heat the oil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the lamb in two batches until well coloured all over. Set aside on a plate.
Soften the onions
5 minutesReduce the heat to medium and add the onions to the same pot. Cook for 5 minutes until softened, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom.
Add carrots and lamb
2 minutesTip in the carrots, baby potatoes, and the browned lamb. Stir everything together.
Add liquid and aromatics
3 minutesPour in the beef stock and Worcestershire sauce, then tuck in the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer.
Simmer gently
1.5-2 hoursCover the pot with a lid and simmer very gently for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is completely tender and the gravy has thickened naturally.
Check seasoning and thicken
2 minutesSeason with plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper. If you like a thicker gravy, stir in the cornflour slurry and simmer for 2 more minutes.
Garnish and serve
1 minuteFish out the bay leaf. Scatter over the chopped parsley and serve steaming hot, with crusty bread by the side for mopping up.
Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed pot (about 4 litre capacity)
- Wooden spoon
- Chef's knife and chopping board
- Plate for resting the meat
Nutrition facts
Tips
- To make the stew even more flavoursome, brown the lamb really thoroughly – good colour means deep flavour.
- If you have a nice ham hock or leftover roast lamb, use it in place of part of the meat if you fancy frugal cooking done properly.
- Pair it like I do in Yorkshire with thick-cut white bread and copious butter, or go British with proper beer-battered chips on the side if you want a whopper.
Serving suggestions
- I serve this stew with a generous hunk of crusty bread – preferably from a proper farmhouse loaf – and a decent smear of salted butter for each diner to help themselves.
- For.
- For a Yorkshire twist, try a slice of warburtons toast underneath, old school bread and butter under stew is a truely lush combo.
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Recipe by
Oliver Whitmore
Specialises in British cuisineOliver makes Sunday roast with Yorkshire puddings the size of your face. He says 'gravy is a beverage'.
Describe yourself in three words: Roasty, gravy boat, Yorkshire pride.