This is a classic for a reason and you really shouldn’t wait until St Patrick’s day to make it; although for some reason that’s what we do every year. It’s a meal in a bowl but if you want to go all out you can serve it with colcannon and turnip mash with bacon and onions. Beware… we kept on taking seconds … and thirds…
Wine Suggestion: The Irish have a great affinity with Spanish wine, so we picked a Mencia from Bierzo, the Dominio de Tares “Baltos” which was full of flavour as well as vibrantly fresh with resolved and mildly spice tannins.
Irish Stew – serves 6 to 8
- 900g boneless lamb neck or shoulder, trimmed and cut into cubes
- 900ml lamb or chicken stock, home-made preferably
- 50g pearl barley, washed
- 225g potatoes, cut into chunks
- 225g carrots, thickly sliced
- 225g leeks, well trimmed and thickly sliced
- 225g pearl onions, peeled (if you can’t get these you can use halved shallots)
- 100g smoked bacon, diced
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- chopped flat-leaf parsley to garnish
Put the lamb pieces into a large flameproof casserole and pour over the stock.
Bring to the boil, then skim off any scum from the surface and stir in the barley. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 50 minutes, until slightly reduced and the lamb should be almost tender.
Add the potatoes, carrots, leeks, pearl onions, smoked bacon and thyme and simmer for 30 minutes or until the lamb and vegetables are completely tender but not falling apart. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Scatter the parsley over the top and serve.
(Original recipe from Neven Maguire’s Complete Family Cookbook, Gill Books, 2016.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
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