Traditional Irish Stew

Ingredients

• 1.2kg bone-in lamb neck chops or shoulder on the bone
• 1kg floury potatoes, half cut into chunks and half sliced thick
• 3 onions, cut into thick wedges
• 4 carrots, cut into 3cm lengths
• 2 leeks, sliced into thick rounds
• 1.2 litres lamb stock or water
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• Small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 tbsp butter
• Salt and white pepper

Before you cook

• Trim any thick surface fat from the lamb and season the pieces well with salt and white pepper.
• Peel the potatoes and cut half into large chunks and half into 2cm slices.
• Cut the onions into wedges through the root so they hold together.
• Chop the carrots and leeks and roughly chop the parsley.

Steps

1. Put the lamb in a large heavy pot and pour over the stock.
2. Bring the pot slowly to the boil over medium heat.
3. Skim off the grey foam that rises to the surface using a ladle, and keep skimming for the first five minutes.
4. Add the bay leaves and thyme, turn the heat to its lowest setting and cover the pot.
5. Simmer the lamb for one hour, keeping the liquid barely trembling rather than bubbling.
6. Add the onion wedges, carrots and the potato chunks that will break down.
7. Cover and cook for a further forty minutes.
8. Press one of the potato chunks against the side of the pot with a spoon to crush it into the broth, then repeat with a few more to thicken the stew.
9. Add the sliced potatoes and the leeks, laying them on top so they steam rather than disintegrate.
10. Cover and cook for twenty-five minutes until the sliced potatoes are tender all the way through.
11. Lift out the bay leaves and thyme stalks.
12. Taste the broth and season with salt and white pepper until it tastes clean and savoury.
13. Stir in the butter and half the parsley.
14. Ladle into deep bowls and scatter over the remaining parsley with soda bread alongside.