Ingredients

• 1/4 cup beef bouillon concentrate

• 6 cups hot water

• 2 lb. boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-in. pieces

• 3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

• 1 Tbsp. salted butter

• 1 medium yellow onion, diced

• 1 medium leek, thinly sliced and thoroughly rinsed

• 1 medium russet potato, peeled and coarsely grated

• 6 medium red potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-in. chunks

• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-in. chunks

• 2 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-in. chunks

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 2 bay leaves

• Kosher salt, to taste

• Ground black pepper, to taste

• Finely chopped parsley, to serve

• Thinly sliced chives, to serve

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the beef bouillon concentrate and hot water; set aside. 

2. Pat the lamb dry with paper towels. In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with a lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, sear the lamb, working in batches as necessary to avoid crowding the pot, until deeply golden all over, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining lamb.

3. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter to the pot. When the butter is melted and bubbling, add the onion, leek, and grated potato. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables are soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Add the red potatoes, carrots, and parsnips to the pot. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir to thoroughly combine. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, then add the bouillon broth from step 1 and bay leaves, stirring well so the flour doesn’t clump and scraping any additional fond off the bottom of the pot. Return the lamb to the pot, along with any accumulated juices. The broth should just cover everything—if necessary, add a little water. Bring to a boil, then immediately cover, remove from the heat, and transfer to the oven. Cook until the meat is very tender, about 2 hours—more if needed.

5. Increase the oven temperature to 400°F. Uncover the stew and give it a good stir, then continue cooking until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Season with salt and pepper, and remove the bay leaves. Serve topped with parsley and chives. 

Notes

What's in traditional Irish stew? 

The meat in traditional Irish stew is typically mutton or lamb. (Mutton comes from a sheep that's a little older than a lamb.) For this recipe I used lamb because it's easier to find in grocery stores. As far as the vegetables, sticklers for tradition only include potatoes, onions, and water. I, however, am not one of those sticklers for tradition, so I threw in carrots, parsnips, leeks, onion, and a handful of other ingredients to create a hearty stew.

Is Irish stew thick or watery?

This is definitely a stew and not a soup! What I mean is that this is a thick, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal rather than a light, brothy dish. Stew should not be watery! It gets its thickness from the starch in the grated potatoes, and the flour you sprinkle over the vegetables.