An Oldie But A Goodie....Irish Stew!
There are many recipes out there that hark back to simpler times. They are often overlooked as we lean toward more modern, and maybe fancy types of dishes. But, often taking a step back in time can produce something really delicious. Usually these old fashioned recipes are simple and use "real" ingredients like meat and veggies with a few sauces and seasonings to give it flavour. Now days "real" ingredients are often referred to as "whole" foods but to me they will always just be "food". I don't believe in bad food or good food...I believe in cooking from scratch as much as possible and eating food that comes from a natural source more often than not. So here is an oldie but a goodie. This is something both my Nan and my Mum have made many times. I remember it often used to be served on toast! Now I like to serve it alongside some steamed beans and peas but you can do whatever works. It's definitely not the most attractive dish but trust me...it tastes a whole lot better than it looks!
If you have a VZUG or Wolf Combi-Steam you will have an automatic option called BakeOMatic "Braising Meat" which makes cooking this an absolute breeze. If you don’t you can also cook it using your Hot Air+Steaming or Combination Steam function at 150°C for 2-3 hours (for variable Steam set 20-30%) or until the meat is lovely and tender and falling off the bones.
Using either method you are looking for nice tender meat with some browning. The veggies should be really soft and the sauce thickened and almost creamy. As with most stews, braises and curries it's even better a day or two after cooking so feel free to make it ahead, refrigerate covered and then use your reheat or Regenerate function at 160°C for 30-40 mins to reheat the whole dish.
Hope it warms your tummy and brings an old school smile to your face!
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For more comforting recipes you can also check out my downloadable cookbooks.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
8 lamb chops (I like neck ones)
3 medium red skinned potatoes (peeled & sliced into 1cm thick rounds)
1 large brown onion (diced)
2 sticks celery (sliced)
2 medium carrots (sliced into rounds)
2 small parsnips (sliced into rounds)
1/2 bunch parsley (stalks finely sliced, leaves roughly chopped)
1/2 cup plain flour
3 cups chicken stock
2 tbs tomato ketchup or sauce
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 heaped tbs dijon mustard
zest of 1 lemon
Method:
Place the flour in a large zip lock bag with a big pinch of salt and pepper. Add the chops and shake around to coat in the flour mix.
Place about half of the veggies and half of the parsley stalks into the bottom of a large baking or casserole dish.
Place 4 of the chops on top. Add the remaining veggies and parsley stalks on top then lay the remaining chops on top.
Whisk the left over flour from the bag in a large jug with the stock, sauces and mustard. Season with some salt and pepper..
Pour the stock mixture over the chops and veggies. Give the dish a gentle shake to move the liquid all around. (the liquid should almost cover everything but there should be some pieces of the chops sticking out - if you need more you can add a little water or don't use all of the liquid as it will vary depending on your dish)
Place into the Combi-Steam on a rack. Select Combination Steam (Hot Air+Steaming). Set the temperature to 150°C. (For variable Steam select 20-30%). Cook for 2.5 hours.
After 2.5 hours check to see if the meat is tender and easily pulled from the bones. If not continue to cook for a further 30 minutes or until very tender. Remove and rest for 15 minutes.
Serve either as whole chops or pull the meat from the bones and gently stir back into the sauce. Combine the lemon zest with the chopped parsley leaves and sprinkle over the top..
Tips:
*In a V-ZUG or Wolf Combi-Steam place the dish into a cold oven. Select BakeOMatic - Braising Meat - Medium Brown. Remove at the end of the automatic cooking time and allow to rest for 15 minutes. BakeOMatic will set the temperature, function and cooking time.
*If you're feeding a bigger crowd or preparing to freeze some for another time feel free to double the recipe and make two batches in two separate dishes and cook them at the same time.
Hope this one makes an appearance on a few family tables really soon.
Happy Combi-Steaming!
Yours in the kitchen,
The CSQ..