Luck of the Irish (Stew)

Fall is my favorite season for a number of reasons, but one of the things I love the most about the autumn and winter months is warming up to a piping hot bowl of Irish Stew. 

I discovered this recipe a couple years ago on the Food Network. They had hosted a contest for the world's best stew, and this traditional Irish dish beat out all the others. You'll understand why as soon as you taste it! 

The flavor is so unique - it's really like nothing I've ever tasted - and everyone I've made it for just loves it too. The recipe is a little detailed, and it does take about three hours combined prep and cook time, but it smells so good cooking you wouldn't want to leave the kitchen anyway!

Here it is!

Ingredients:

3 lamb chops

¼ cup flour

½ bag peeled carrots

1 onion

½ cup red cooking wine

4 cups beef stock

1 cup barley

4 potatoes

1 stick butter

3 cloves garlic

About ½ cup olive oil

Spices: salt, pepper, bay leaves, cloves, thyme, parsley

Directions:

1. In a thick ceramic oven-safe pot heat up ¼ cup olive oil on stove.

2. Wash and cut three lamb chops in half.

3. Sprinkle salt and pepper on chops and roll in flour mixed with more salt and pepper.

4. Sear lamb chops on both sides 4-5 minutes.

5. Take out meat and use excess juices to cook carrots and onions.

6. Add 1 cup wine and 4 cups beef stock. Simmer for 10 minutes.

(of course the cook gets a glass!) ( ;

7. Add spices: 3 bay leaves, 4-5 cloves, pinch thyme. (It's the bay leaves that really give this stew its distinct flavor!)

8. Add one cup barley and mix.

9. Add lamb chops back in and put in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

10. While cooking, make garlic butter (see below).

11. After one hour, take out stew, salt, and stir.

12. Peel and chop in large chunks 3 large potatoes.

13. Put on top of stew and drizzle olive oil.

14. Put back in oven and bake for 1 hour.

15. After 1 hour, take out stew, stir, brush on ¾ garlic butter, and bake for 15 minutes.

16. Take out stew, brush on rest of garlic butter, and serve.

Garlic Butter:

1. Mince 2-3 whole cloves of garlic.

2. Drizzle olive oil on top.

3. Sprinkle with salt.

4. Chop garlic and grind to paste texture.

5. Fold in ½ bunch parsley, chop, and mix together.

6. Turn pan on low and melt 1 stick butter.

7. Combine with garlic mix.

The stew is so thick when it comes out of the oven you can stand up a spoon in the bowl!

This delicious dish will make any hungry guy or gal feel as lucky as the Irish. ( ;

If you decide to give this recipe a go, let me know how it turns out!

~ Nel ~