I joined a food swap, and the first swap is coming up next week, so I decided to make Irish Stew.
While researching Irish Stew, I couldn’t find a recipe I liked, so I decided to wing it.
I also have yet to attempt to use my slow cooker, so I thought this would be a great opportunity to do so. Here’s hoping it turns out ok…
Ingredients:
- 3 medium-size onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder, or 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into chunks (can substitute in beef)
- 7 carrots, chopped
- 3 leeks, chopped
- 3 tablespoons pearl barley
- 5 cups beef stock
- 1 bottle of Guinness
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- 1 bouquet of parsley, thyme, and bay leaves, plus more parsley for garnish
- 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped (leave this to prep last)
- 1 cup frozen peas
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| the ingredients took up my entire counter |
First, prepare all your ingredients, except the parsnip. Parsnips turn dark if left out too long after peeling. To avoid this, peel and chop the parsnip last.
To chop the leeks, cut off the dark leaves at the top, you eat only the whitish part. Cut the roots off the bottom, and then cut the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse the halved leeks in a bowl of water to remove any sand. Chop the leeks into bite size pieces.
Cut the carrots into bite sized pieces. I used 7 carrots, but use as many or as few as you’d like.
Chop the onions to whatever size makes you happy. I used three medium-sized onions.
Peel and chop the potatoes into 1-inch pieces.
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| Finished prepping |
To begin cooking, add the olive oil and butter to a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent.
Add the dried thyme, garlic powder, and leeks to the onions and stir. (If you have garlic cloves, use three minced garlic cloves).
Cook until fragrant. Transfer the mixture to the crock pot and turn the crock pot on low. Add the lamb to the saute pan and sear over high heat to brown on all sides.
| Don’t fully cook the meat |
Transfer the lamb to the crock pot. Everything from now on will be added straight to the crock pot. Add the carrots and pearl barley.
Pour the Guinness into the pot.
Add the stock so that it almost covers the meat and vegetables. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bouquet and Worcestershire sauce. Cover for now, while you peel and chop the parsnip.
Cut the parsnip into bite-sized pieces.
Add the potatoes and parsnips on top of the stew, cover, and cook for 8 hours on low or until the potatoes and lamb are fork tender.
| 8 hours is a cruel amount of time |
After 8 hours, remove the bouquet of spices and turn off the crock pot. Stir in the peas and allow to cool slightly.
I was really worried how this would turn out. It’s difficult to walk away from a dish for 8 hours and not be able to mix or even season it. So I was pretty apprehensive to try the stew.
| it looks edible at least… |
So… this was delicious! The lamb was super tender, the potatoes were soft but kept their shape. The Guinness and Worcestershire sauce added a nice flavor that wasn’t overpowering. I hope everyone at the food swap enjoys this!
This made about 8 servings. To freeze, split the stew into individual containers and allow to cool completely before putting in the freezer.
Irish Stew
Ingredients
- 3 medium-size onions, chopped
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder, or 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into chunks
- 7 carrots, chopped
- 3 leeks, chopped
- 3 tablespoons pearl barley
- 5 cups beef stock
- 1 bottle of Guinness
- 1 tablespoon Worchestershire sauce
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- 1 bouquet of parsley, thyme, and bay leaves, plus more parsley for garnish
- 6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 parsnip, peeled and chopped (leave this to prep last)
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- First, prepare all your ingredients, except the parsnip. Parsnips turn dark if left out too long after peeling. To avoid this, peel and chop the parsnip last.
- To chop the leeks, cut off the dark leaves at the top, you eat only the whitish part. Cut the roots off the bottom, and then cut the leeks in half lengthwise. Rinse the halved leeks in a bowl of water to remove any sand. Chop the leeks into bite size pieces.
- Chop your carrots, and onions. Peel and chop the potatoes into 1-inch pieces.
- To begin cooking, add the olive oil and butter to a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the dried thyme, garlic powder, and leeks to the onions and stir. (If you have garlic cloves, use three minced garlic cloves).
- Cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker. Add the lamb to the saute pan and sear over high heat to brown on all sides.
- Transfer the lamb to the slow cooker.
- Everything from now on will be added straight to the slow cooker.
- Add the carrots and pearl barley.
- Pour the Guinness into the slow cooker.
- Add the stock so that it almost covers the meat and vegetables (if it doesn't add more).
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Add the bouquet and Worcestershire sauce.
- Now peel and chop the parsnip, cutting into bite sized pieces.
- Add the potatoes and parsnips on top of the stew, cover, and cook for 8 hours on low or until the potatoes and lamb are fork tender.
- After 8 hours, remove the bouquet of spices and turn off the slow cooker. Stir in the peas until they are thawed, and allow to cool slightly.
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yum, yum – can’t wait to try it!!!
I was reading the recipe ingredients and trying to decide what in the world was lab shoulder. Not until I came to the directions to add the meat did I realize it was lamb. haha! Made me laugh. Sounds really good. Wondering if beef would mesh with the flavors and be just as tasty?
Beef works nicely. Lamb is traditional but beef os OK.
i’m guessing the slow cooker is on low setting for this?
Yes Phyllis! I will update this to note that it should be cooked on low. Thanks for catching that!
– Kaitlin @ I Can Cook That
Looks amazing. Thank you for sharing