Buffalo Rising Online

Mar 15th 2007, 11:27am By Christa Glennie Seychew

The holiday weekend is upon us, and folks are preparing for the feast that will accompany the celebration. Tables all over our fair city will be adorned with corned beef and cabbage, Irish soda bread and pints of good Irish beer.

Additionally, it’s perfect cooking weather- a little chilly and a lot of cozy. Best suited to this weather are recipes that sit atop the stove for hours, bubbling and steaming, filling the house with heavenly aromas.

Today the Lexington Co-op is going to help us prepare for good ol’ St. Pat’s with a recipe for classic Irish Lamb Stew.

Ingredients:

2 lb stew lamb, cut into cubes • 5 medium carrots • 12 pearl onions • 8 potatoes • 1 1/2 cups peas • 3 to 3 3/4 cups stock, lamb or beef • 1 sprig fresh thyme • 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp roux (recipe follows) • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley • 1 1/2 tbsp fresh chopped chives (optional) • 1 stick butter • scant 1 cup flour •

Instructions:

This stew can be finished on the stove or in the oven. If you choose to use the oven, preheat it to 350 F.

Cut the lamb into 1” cubes. Peel the onions and scrape the carrots. Cut the carrot and onions into chunks, (leave pearl onions whole).

Lightly brown the meat in a pan then transfer it to casserole dish or Dutch oven. Layer carrots and onions on top of the meat in the dish. Season each layer with salt and pepper. De-glaze the pan that was used to brown the lamb and pour the juice into the pot. Peel and cube the potatoes, layering them in the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Add a sprig of thyme to the pot; bring it to a boil on top of the stove, then cover. You can finish the stew either in the oven, or on the stove stop, cooking 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Prepare the roux. Melt 1 stick of butter in a skillet, allowing it to brown a little. Add the scant 1 cup flour, stirring until smooth. Roux is used as a thickener for stews and soups.

When the stew is done cooking, pour the liquid into a saucepan and skim off the fat. Thicken the sauce with a little roux, and then add the parsley and chives, seasoning to taste. Pour the sauce back over the stew meat and vegetables and bring it back to boiling on the stove.

Serve in large bowls with crusty bread.

Lexington Coop, 807 Elmwood, 886.2667