Easy Irish Stew with Dumplings Recipe

I am not so sure about this being a genuine Irish recipe, but that’s the name, so I’ll stick with it. This is a very tasty, easy recipe, because basically you just throw everything into a casserole dish and leave to cook. I like to add dumplings and for me, that’s what makes this the perfect meal. It’s a very inexpensive meal and the only thing that takes any real time is a small amount of preparation and a little time making the dumplings. There are lots of ways to make dumplings, but if you follow this recipe, you will have light, fluffy dumplings that complement this stew perfectly. An interesting variety is to add parsley to the dumplings. But only add it if you can find fresh parsley – dried will not do, it’s too strong. This serves 4.

You will need:

Equipment:

• A large heavy saucepan with a lid or a deep, flameproof casserole dish. If using a saucepan, make sure it is all metal as it will be going in the oven later – so no plastic handles.
• A sharp knife
• A cutting board
• A large bowl
• A slotted spoon
• A large serving dish

Ingredients:

For the stew:

• 3lbs lean lamb or mutton, middle neck and scrag end
• 1lb onions, sliced
• ¼ carrots, sliced
• 2 leeks, washed and sliced
• 2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 1 tablespoon pearl barley
• 2 tablespoons seasoned flour
• Water
• Vegetable oil
• Salt and pepper

For the dumplings:

• 5 oz self raising flour
• 2 ½ oz suet
• A hand full fresh chopped parsley (if available)
• Salt and pepper
• Cold water

First, peel and slice the vegetables and set aside. Now, make the seasoned flour in a large bowl: add a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of pepper to two tablespoons of plain flour and mix well.

Take the meat, cut of any excess fat and cut the meat into bite sized pieces. Put the meat into the bowl with the seasoned flour and toss well.

In a large saucepan or deep casserole dish, take a paper towel, dip in vegetable oil and wipe all around the pan. Add a layer of meat to the bottom of the dish. Now add a layer of mixed vegetables. Keep layering until all the ingredients are used. Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Sprinkle the pearl barley on top of the meat and veggies. Place the saucepan or casserole dish over a medium heat and add about 2 pints of hot water, just covering the meat and veg. Bring to a boil, turn down to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for about 2 hours. After about 30 minutes, remove the lid and skim off any scum that has floated to the top. Re-cover and continue cooking.

15 minutes before the stew is finished cooking, begin making the dumplings. To make the dumplings, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl. Be sure to use self raising flour! At the same time, preheat the oven to 400F. Add a little cold water and make a fairly stiff dough that doesn’t stick to the bowl. Shape into 12 dumplings.

Bring the liquid in the casserole to a boil, season to taste and add the dumplings. Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes uncovered, until the dumplings are crispy on the top. Serve immediately with boiled cabbage or green beans. (A pint of Guinness goes well with this.)

Bon Apetit!