Irish Lamb Stew

This traditional dish is great to make if you’ve got 3 hours and a pantry of root vegetables to use up! Purists generally only want potatoes and onions in their Irish stew, but there’s nothing wrong with adding some turnips, parsnips, or carrots for some extra flavor and color. Searing the meat will give a boost of flavor - it’s worth the extra 10 min.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

3 lb lamb chops, trimmed of fat and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

2 lbs (~6) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

2 c chicken broth

salt and black pepper, to taste

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme (optional)

In a Dutch oven or wide pot, heat a teaspoon of oil. Sear the cubes of meat in a single layer over medium-high heat until well-browned (~4 min per side). Transfer to a large plate and repeat with remaining meat.

Wipe out the pot and heat the remaining tablespoon of oil. Sauté the onion over medium-low heat until light brown, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon (~10-15 minutes).

Add the meat and accumulated juices to the pot, along with the potatoes (and any other root vegetables you decide to use) and broth. Add salt and pepper to taste and add thyme (if using). Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2-2.5 hours. If the liquid evaporates significantly, add more broth.

*Serves 4 to 6