Ireland's national dish is Irish stew. A traditional Irish stew was always made with mutton, but more often nowadays, is made with lamb. Controversy reigns over whether vegetables other than potatoes should be added; adding onions, leeks and carrots not only adds extra flavour but also nutrition to the stew. The choice is yours! 

Ingredients

• 300-350g lamb, cut into small chunks
• 2 tbsps vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 celery stick, chopped
• 2-3 tbsps pearl barley
• 600ml water
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of black pepper
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 3 medium potatoes, chopped
• 80g kale or spring greens
• Makes 2 adult and 2 children's portions

How to make Irish Lamb stew 

1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pot with lid and wait until it is very hot. Brown the lamb pieces quickly then set the meat aside
2. Turn the heat down and add 1 tbsp of oil, the onion and celery, cook gently for 3 minutes
3.  Return the meat into the pot, add the barley, thyme, bay leaf, black pepper and enough water to cover the meat. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook covered for 1 hour, stirring occasionally
4. After 1 hour, add the carrots and potatoes and simmer covered for further 1 hour
5.  Add the kale or spring greens and cooked for 5 minutes before serving

Serving suggestion
Tip: for a speedier version, use minced lamb and cook everything together until tender. Add the kale or spring greens at the end as above.


Recipe from Organix.com