Irish Lamb Stew with Potatoes and Carrots
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
Lamb shoulder is browned then slow-braised in the oven with onions, potatoes and carrots for a thick, simple, deeply comforting one-pot stew.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Season the lamb. Heat the oven to 160°C (fan 140°C). Pat the lamb dry with kitchen paper and season all over with the salt and pepper; drying the meat first helps it brown rather than steam in the pan.
- 2
Brown the lamb. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large ovenproof casserole over medium-high heat and brown the lamb in 2 batches, 5-6 minutes per batch, without moving the pieces until they release easily. Set the browned lamb aside; the caramelised crust left behind, along with the browned bits stuck to the pot, will flavour the whole stew.
- 3
Cook the onions. Lower the heat to medium, add the remaining oil and the onion wedges, and cook for 8 minutes, scraping the base of the pot, until browned. Stir in the flour for 1 minute to cook it out slightly, then gradually stir in the water and stock until smooth.
- 4
Braise in the oven. Return the lamb and its juices to the pot with the thyme and bay leaves, bring to a simmer on the hob, then cover and transfer to the oven for 1 hour. The gentle, even heat of the oven keeps the stew at a steady simmer so the tough shoulder meat softens without drying out.
- 5
Add the vegetables. Stir in the carrots and potatoes with the vegetable salt, pushing them down under the liquid, then cover and return to the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the lamb is very tender and the potatoes are cooked through. Check a potato chunk with a knife; it should give way easily with no resistance.
- 6
Serve. Skim off any fat from the surface, remove the thyme stalks and bay leaves, then stir in the parsley. Serve in bowls with slices of bread for mopping up the gravy.
Storage
Cool leftovers within 2 hours, refrigerate for up to 3 days, and reheat until piping hot (74°C) throughout before serving.
Why this label?
40.6 g protein for 808 kcal = 5 g per 100 kcal, so protein gives about 20% of the energy. High Protein needs at least 20% (5 g per 100 kcal), the condition in the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
EU nutrition claims
- Low sugars: 4.1 g sugars per 100 g (limit ≤ 5 g)
Per 100 g of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 255 g a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
2.3 g per serving
4.6 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 9.2 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- large ovenproof casserole (Dutch oven, 6 litres) with lid
- tongs
- wooden spoon
- oven gloves
- ladle
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 808 kcal |
| Protein | 40.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 60.7 g |
| of which sugars | 10.5 g |
| of which free sugars | 2.3 g |
| Fat | 44.7 g |
| of which saturates | 17.5 g |
| Fibre | 7.4 g |
| Salt | 2.53 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
5 g meets High Protein (≥ 5 g, 20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
