How to make Irish stew – recipe | Felicity Cloake's Masterclass

This classic dish needs no deviation from its time-honoured traditions – but mastering it does require some skill

The first time I dared to write a recipe for Irish stew, I was invited on to the national broadcaster, RTÉ, to discuss my choices live on air. And, to my considerable relief, it was eventually decided that I had not dishonoured the memory of my ancestors. It’s tempting for modern cooks to meddle with such resolutely plain classics. Do not! It’s delicious just as it is.

Prep 20 min
Cook 2 hr
Serves 6

3 large onions
2 tbsp oil, or lamb fat
10-12 very floury potatoes, depending on size and hunger
1 neck of lamb, or hogget or mutton, cut into thick slices (see steps 1 and 2)
2 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
6 carrots, or, if you like, substitute some for chopped turnip, swede or leek
Chopped parsley, or chives, to serve (optional)

1 A note on the meat

Traditionally, an older, less productive animal would have been used here – and the slow cooking time reflects this – but modern recipes tend to favour lamb. What you use is largely a question of taste, though: mutton will have a stronger flavour than lamb, while hogget (a sheep between the age of one and two years) is a good middle ground.

2 …. and on the cut of meat

The cut is flexible: shanks, breast, even chunks of stewing lamb are also good choices, though without bones the gravy might need a little stock to help its flavour (you can strip the meat from the bones before serving, if preferred). If you have a butcher, I’d recommend getting neck, cut into thick, bone-in slices/chops.

3 A note on the potatoes

The potatoes, meanwhile, ought to be as floury as possible, so they partially break down during cooking and help to thicken the gravy. The best commercial varieties are golden wonder or kerr’s pink, but the more common likes of rooster, desiree and maris piper will also do. Avoid anything described as a waxy or salad potato.

4 Start the base

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4. Peel the onions and cut them into thick slices. Put the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium flame, then sweat the onions until soft and golden, rather than brown. Meanwhile, peel four potatoes and cut them into fairly thin slices.

5 Layer the dish

Turn off the heat, scoop the onions into a bowl and use the sliced potatoes to line the base of the pan. Tip the onion back into the pot along with the meat and thyme, season generously and pour in 850ml cold water (if using boneless lamb, use 500ml lamb or chicken stock and 350ml water).

6 Now for the veg

Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, then cover the pot with a lid, foil or a baking tray, and bake for an hour and a half. Meanwhile, scrub the carrots (if you prefer, you can swap in turnips, swede, leeks, parsnips and so on, or a mixture of them) and peel the remaining potatoes, then cut both into large chunks.

7 Cook until tender

Test the meat – it probably won’t be tender yet, but if it’s still very tough, cook for another 30 minutes before adding the remaining vegetables; otherwise, stir in the chopped carrots, put the potatoes on top and cook for roughly another 30 minutes, this time with the lid slightly ajar, until the meat is soft and the sliced potatoes at the bottom are all but disintegrated.

8 Drain off the fat

Unless you particularly relish lamb fat, set a colander over a heatproof bowl and spoon the stew into it. If you’re planning on eating immediately, spoon off the grease from the top of the liquid in the bowl, then recombine the liquid with the stew. Otherwise, chill the gravy separately, then lift off the solid fat from the top before returning it to the casserole.

9 Reheat and serve

Gently heat the stew until hot, taste the gravy for seasoning, then serve topped with chopped herbs, if using, and steamed greens or pickled cabbage on the side, plus bread to mop up the gravy. The stew can be made several days in advance and chilled. If you plan to freeze it, however, this is best cooked without the carrot and potato chunks; cook those separately and add only when reheating.