Hearty Irish Stew Enhanced with Pearl Barley and Cheese-Laced Dumplings
Sit by the fire on a chilly night, feeling the nip in the air and a growl in your stomach? Nothing hits the spot quite like a comforting, filling stew. And when it comes to scrumptious one-pot meals that keep you cozy, the Irish Stew with Cheddar Dumplings from Donal Skehan's "Donal's Meals in Minutes" is a fantastic choice.
While the specific recipe from his book evades our reach right now, let me walk you through a casual take on this Irish delight. Hang in there, as we'll dive into the main ingredients and create a mouthwatering soup that's sure to keep the cold at bay.
Hearty Irish Stew with Cheddar Dumplings
Ingredients:
- 1 kg lean lamb shoulder or neck, trimmed of fat and cut into large chunks
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1 cup pearl barley
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 4 cups lamb or beef stock
- 1 bay leaf
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 200g self-raising flour
- 50g Irish cheddar, grated
- Pinch of salt
- 45 ml cold water
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 320°F (160°C).
- Season the lamb with salt and pepper, then coat in flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large casserole dish over medium heat and brown the lamb, working in batches. Set the browned lamb aside.
- Add the remaining oil to the casserole, add the chopped onions and minced garlic, and sauté until soft – around 3-5 minutes. Pop in the chopped carrots and stir well.
- Add the pearl barley, lamb chunks, thyme sprigs (or dried thyme), bay leaf, stock, and season with salt and black pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover the pot, and place it in the oven for 1 hour.
- While the stew cooks, combine the self-raising flour, grated cheddar, salt, and water in a bowl. Stir using a fork until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Using floured hands, shape the dough into 8-10 equally-sized balls. Set the dumplings aside.
- After 1 hour, remove the casserole from the oven and increase the temperature to 375°F (190°C). Place the dumplings around the edge of the stew, and cover the pot. Return it to the oven and cook for an additional 20 minutes.
- Remove the casserole from the oven, uncover, and cook for an extra 5 minutes to brown the dumplings. Serve your Irish stew hot in deep bowls.
And there you have it – a delicious Irish-inspired stew with cheddar dumplings that'll keep you warm on even the chilliest nights! Enjoy!
- This easy Irish Stew recipe with Cheddar Dumplings calls for 1 kg of lean lamb shoulder or neck, which you should trim of fat and cut into large chunks.
- For nutrition-conscious home cooks, this recipe also includes 2 tbsp of all-purpose flour, 3 tbsp of olive oil, 2 large onions, 3 cloves of garlic, 3 medium carrots, 3 medium potatoes, and 1 cup of pearl barley.
- To add some unique flavors to the stew, celery could be added to the mix of vegetables, following Donal Skehan's casual take on his Irish Stew with Cheddar Dumplings recipe from "Donal's Meals in Minutes".
