Irish Stew
Irish stew seems to be a much prettier name for a good old mutton and barley soup. Either way this delicious, hearty, nutritious and cost effective meal is always a winner. Pop in a thermos and take on an adventure or sit beside the fire and enjoy with a good book.
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
Broth
- 500 grams or more of lamb or mutton (Necks and shanks are good un-utilised pieces to make this soup with)
- 4 litres of cold water
- 2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar
- 1 onion quartered (skin and all)
- 1 large carrot (wrinkly ones from the veggie drawer are the best for broth)
- Chopped celery stalk
- 1 bayleaf
- A few peppercorns
Soup
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 onion
- 2 beef stock cubes (or powdered equivalent)
- 400 g canned tomatoes
- Chopped fresh rosemary
- Chopped fresh thyme
- 11/2 cup pearl barley
- 2 potatoes peeled and diced
- 2 carrots peeled and chopped (or you could grate them)
- Salt and pepper
- Splash of red wine or red wine vinegar (optional)
Instructions
Stove Top
- Cover your cuts of lamb or mutton with cold water and add the onion, carrot, bayleaf and peppercorns and place on a medium heat.
- Simmer for two hours.
- Strain the broth and discard the bones and vegetables. Chop the meat into small chunks and place into the strained broth.
- Pop the broth into the fridge and allow the fat to solidify on the surface.
- Once the broth is cold and there is a layer of white fat set on the top, use a slotted spoon to scoop the fat off.
- Make sure to start with a clean pot.
- Add a little butter or oil and sauté the onion, garlic and herbs. Return the lamb or mutton to the pot and coat it with all the flavour.
- Turn the heat down and add the tomatoes and both.
- Now the barley and vegetables. Simmer on a low heat for another hour until the barley is soft.
Magic Pot
- Cover your cuts of lamb or mutton with cold water and add the onion, carrot, bayleaf and peppercorns.
- To make the broth pressure cook for 30 minutes (or if you have a broth/soup button use that).
- Strain the broth and discard the bones and vegetables. Chop the meat into small chunks and place into the strained broth.
- Place in the fridge and allow the fat to solidify on the surface.
- Once the broth is cold and there is a layer of white fat set on the top, use a slotted spoon to scoop the fat off.
- Make sure to begin your soup in a clean bowl.
- Add a little butter or oil and press the sauté button. Sauté the onion, garlic and herbs.
- Return the lamb or mutton to the pot and coat it with all the flavour. Cancel the sauté function.
- Add the tomatoes, broth, barley and vegetables.
- Press the soup button or manually pressure cook for 30 minutes.
To Serve
- Add a splash of red wine or red wine vinegar to the soup just before serving to give a flavour boost.
- Season to taste.
- Give it all a good stir and make sure to get a good amount of veggies and meat with each ladle full.
- Serve with something yum to mop it all up.
Notes
Tips and Tricks
- If you don’t have access to a supply of mutton - use lamb. Have a conversation with your butcher and see if they can put aside these pieces for you. Or alternatively check for soup bones at your butcher or supermarket and pop a stash in the freezer.
- It is quite tasty with beef too.
- Use your own stash of freezer tomatoes if you have them. I recommend https://pphouse.org/membership.php freezing your surplus tomatoes in summer in 500 gram amounts for such occasions.
- Dried herbs will do just fine too.
- Fresh herbs from the supermarket never do last all that long (even if you try and plant them). Pop to your garden store and grab a few herbs seedlings and some cute pots for your kitchen bench. Simply just snip off what you need as you need it. Just don’t forget to water them.
- I make my broth the day before I need to make the soup. Then I simply scoop the layer of fat off in the morning and continue making the soup.
- Place the discarded fat on your bird feeder. They love it!