Lifestyle

Clodagh McKenna’s Irish lamb stew with pearl barley



A good lamb stew is one of my all-time favourite comfort foods and, I think, perfect at this time of the year when we crave something hearty in the evening.

I grew up having this exact recipe once a week and I would imagine the same goes for a lot of Irish people, for whom stews are a staple — a fantastic midweek supper for the whole family which can be made the night before and reheated.

You can substitute the stewing lamb for lamb chops, which will add more flavour because of the bones, or you can also use stewing beef. I also like to add 100g of pancetta to the lamb to bring out a smoky flavour.

There are also lots of variations that you can make to the vegetables, too — parsnips, turnips and butternut squash added would all be delicious in there. So have a comfort-filled evening, cosied up at home with this hearty stew and a lovely glass of Rioja.

Irish lamb stew with pearl barley

Serves: 6

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1.5 hours

Serve with: Cune Rioja Reserva, £13.39 from Waitrose

Ingredients

  • 15g butter
  • 900g stewing lamb
  • Sea salt, freshly ground
  • black pepper
  • 4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 4 medium onions, peeled and cut into thin wedges
  • 6 waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces
  • 125g pearl barley
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 litres of lamb or vegetable stock, hot

For the roux

  • 15g butter
  • 15g plain flour

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C.

2. Place a casserole dish over a high heat, melt the butter and add the lamb. Season with salt and pepper, and stir until it is a nice brownish colour. Transfer to a plate and repeat the process, browning the vegetables, before also transferring them to a plate.

3. Spoon all the vegetables, lamb, and pearl barley into the casserole dish, placing the potatoes on top — this stops them from getting mushy. Remove all the leaves from the thyme, discarding the stalks, and then add them to the dish. Cover with the hot stock and place in the pre-heated oven for 1 ½ hours.

4. While the lamb stew is cooking, make the roux. Melt the butter in a saucepan and beat in the flour until it forms a paste. Once the casserole has cooked, ladle the juices from the stew into a saucepan and slowly beat in the roux. Cook, stirring until thickened and smooth, then pour the thickened gravy back into the stew, before serving and pouring yourself a glass of wine.

Follow Clodagh on Instagram @clodagh_mckenna





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