Irish Lamb Stew

Food is my favorite aspect of celebrating holidays, and this St. Patrick's day felt particularly festive with this Irish Lamb Stew. It was my first experience with lamb, period. I'd never tasted it, yet alone purchased it from the meat counter. I don't like raw meat. I've learned to tolerate it, because otherwise I wouldn't make a very good cook. Buying lamb made me feel like a real carnivore. I buy fish and poultry all the time (and beef and pork occasionally), but somehow this felt different. More wild, more intense. Luckily my little lamb was slaughtered back in New Zealand and I was far enough removed from the situation that I didn't have to think about it too much. If I had to witness such a thing first hand it would almost be enough to make me a vegetarian. Almost. But that's an issue I just don't want to get into right now. Or ever.

Little Bo Peep stew was delicious! Tender and flavorful, with a slightly different taste than beef. If you aren't feeling adventurous you could always use this same recipe to make a beef stew. If you can, use fresh herbs. I only had dried on hand, but fresh would make the dish even better. You could also add celery or any other vegetables you like in your stew. Serve with a thick slices of hearty bread, such as Irish soda bread.

Irish Lamb Stew

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. lamb (cut into bite sized pieces)
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. flour
beef stock
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
potatoes, chopped (I used baby Yukon golds)
carrots, chopped
handful fresh parsley, chopped for garnish

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the oil in a large pot. Add the lamb and brown on each side. Add the onions and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Sprinkle in the flour and stir. Add enough beef stock to cover. Add the rosemary, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the lamb it fork tender, about 1-2 hours. (Instead I threw mine in the slow cooker on high for 3 hours.)

2. Add the potatoes and carrots and some more beef stock to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until they are tender, about 20-60 minutes depending on cut. (I added the carrots and potatoes to the slow cooker and let it go for another hour until they were tender.)

3. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Serves 4.

(Adapted from Closet Cooking)