back to store

800.625.8238

Wine Blog from The International Wine of the Month Club

A wine blog written by the experts from The International Wine of the Month Club

Ballymaloe Irish Stew

March 11, 2014 by Kristina Manning

St. Patrick’s Day is known for its green beer and Corned Beef and Cabbage but we decided to share another Irish classic, Irish Stew. Most households in Ireland will have their own version of this Irish staple but this particular version comes from “The Julia Child of Ireland”, Darina Allen, Ireland’s most famous chef and her Ballymaloe Irish Stew will become an instant favorite! Sláinte!

Style: "Irish trad"

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

  • 8 medium or 12 baby carrots
  • 8 medium or 12 baby onions
  • 8 -12 potatoes, or more if you like
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1½-1¾ pints stock (lamb stock if possible) or water
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 1 tablesp. roux, optional – see recipe

 Garnish:

  • 1 tablesp. freshly chopped parsley
  • 1 tablesp. freshly chopped chives

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/regulo 4.

2. Cut the chops in half and trim off some of the excess fat. Set aside. Render down the fat on a gentle heat in a heavy pan (discard the rendered down pieces).

3. Peel the onions and scrape or thinly peel the carrots (if they are young you could leave some of the green stalk on the onion and carrot). Cut the carrots into large chunks, or if they are small leave them whole. If the onions are large, cut them into quarters through the root, if they are small they are best left whole.

4. Toss the meat in the hot fat on the pan until it is slightly brown. Transfer the meat into a casserole, then quickly toss the onions and carrots in the fat. Build the meat, carrots and onions up in layers in the casserole, carefully season each layer with freshly ground pepper and salt. De-glaze the pan with lamb stock and pour into the casserole. Peel the potatoes and lay them on top of the casserole, so they will steam while the stew cooks. Season the potatoes. Add a sprig of thyme, bring to the boil on top of the stove, cover with a butter wrapper or paper lid and the lid of the saucepan. Transfer to a moderate oven or allow to simmer on top of the stove until the stew is cooked, 1-1½ hours approx, depending on whether the stew is being made with lamb or hogget.

5. When the stew is cooked, pour off the cooking liquid, de-grease and reheat in another saucepan. Slightly thicken by whisking in a little roux if you like. Check seasoning, then add chopped parsley and chives. Pour over the meat and vegetables. Bring the stew back up to boiling point and serve from the pot or in a large pottery dish.

Roux (Optional)

  • 4 ozs (110g) butter
  • 4 ozs (110g) flour

Melt the butter and cook the flour in it for 2 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Use as required. Roux can be stored in a cool place and used as required or it can be made up on the spot if preferred. It will keep at least a fortnight in a refrigerator.

Irish Stew with Pearl Barley

1. Add 1-2 tablespoons pearl barley with the vegetables.
2. Increase the stock to 2 pints (1.2L) as the pearl barley soaks up lots of liquid.

Recipe from www.CookingIsFun.ie
Photo from www.Telegraph.co.uk

Related Posts:

  • 20 DIY Wine Cork Christmas Ornaments
    20 DIY Wine Cork Christmas Ornaments
  • Grenache: A Prestigious and Prolific Crowd Pleaser
    Grenache: A Prestigious and Prolific Crowd Pleaser
  • Bordeaux: More Great Wines from Beside the Waters
    Bordeaux: More Great Wines from Beside the Waters
  • Exceptional Red and White Portuguese Wines: Still in Need of Discovery
    Exceptional Red and White Portuguese Wines: Still in Need of…

Posted in: Recipes and Pairings

About Kristina Manning

As our Customer Service Manager, Kristina Manning is dedicated to upholding one of the core principles of our company – excellent service to all of our members.

Check out our Wine Clubs

  • Premier Series Wine Club
  • Bold Reds Wine Club
  • Masters Series Wine Club
  • Collectors Series Wine Club

Wine Lovers’ Pages

  • Food & Wine Pairings
  • Old World Wine Regions
  • Grape Varietals
  • Wine Making Process

Recent Posts

  • Tuscany: The Crown Jewel of Italian Wine
  • Chile and Argentina: Viven Los Andes
  • 20 DIY Wine Cork Christmas Ornaments
  • Grenache: A Prestigious and Prolific Crowd Pleaser

Wine Topics

  • Featured Selections
  • In the News
  • Interesting Wine Info
  • Member of the Month
  • Notes from the Panel
  • Recipes and Pairings
  • Uncategorized
  • Wine Education
  • Wine Events
  • Wine Humor
  • Wine Regions
Sign up for our rss feed

Archives

The International Wine of the Month Club

The International Wine of the Month Club | 1-800-625-8238 (Outside USA call: 949-206-1904) | P.O. Box 1627, Lake Forest, CA 92609