As part of my ongoing human lessons, I am being forced to relearn cooking. This involves standing up, using knives and heat exposure. In other words I am being tortured.
However Irish stew is one of my favourite foods from childhood. We used to take it down to the primary school Harmony day as food from our ethnic origin, despite our kids begging us not to. Virtually no students would ask for it even when I added leprechaun signs. But teachers loved it & any kid who tried it asked for seconds. And shut up I know a lot of people think they are Irish but I had a great grandmother on both sides + further back, besides like a lot of ‘Anglo Australians’ I’m a complete bitzer (bits of this and bits of that). Scottish is the only bigger proportion & we weren’t allowed to bring sweets (shortbread, I love shortbread).
Any who Gavin lost the recipe a few years back & has been making it from memory so the three of us; husband, support worker – F. and me, worked this out and it tasted delicious. Gavin, Cat (eldest) and Tash (youngest) will not eat it, so all the more for us. It lasts a week in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave, oven , slow cooker or stovetop. This does the 3 of us up to 4 main meals.
All I have to do is tune out the eldest’s constant complaints about the smell & the futility of trying to make me human.
Irish Stew
Knock Knock
Who’s there?
Irish Stew
Irish Stew Who?
Irish Stew in the name of the law
Gavin’s contribution.
Ingredients
1 ½ kg Lamb (Mutton is better) chops (mix 2/3 forequarter & 1/3 steak or meatier chops)
3 Onions peeled and fine chopped
6 Potatoes peeled & thick chunk cut
3 Carrots peeled & thick chunk cut
1 Parsnip peeled & thin sliced
Roix:
6 cups Water
1 ½ cups Flour
¼ teaspoon of Salt
1 ½ tablespoon of Oil (+ enough for frying)
Method
- Prepare Vegetables (except onion) and place in the slow cooker. Do not turn on.
- Trim fat from chops & cut into small chunks.
- Brown chops & onions together in a frypan in olive oil; include fat & bones that were trimmed off (they create the stock)
It may be better to use 2 frying pans ensure the onions and meat are shared between the pans.
Start frying the onions in the pan first, after they begin to brown remove them to a plate. Fry the meat until it is almost browned and then add the onions back. This stops the onions burning while allowing the full flavour through the meat.
- Add chops & onions to slow cooker & mix around with a large spoon.
-
Roix:
Into a bowl put water, salt & 1 ½ tablespoons of oil. Slowly add flour while whisking. Whisk together until flour is dissolved.
- Pour Roix into slow cooker and stir in. Ensure meat & vegetables are covered in liquid.
- Put lid on slow cooker & turn it on to high. After ½ hour stir and turn down to low.
If the sauce has not thickened enough after 1 hour; take approx. 2 cups of sauce from them slow cooker and place in a bowl. Whisk in ½ cup of flour until dissolved. Add this back to the slow cooker and mix through. Allow to cook on.
However this stew can be enjoyed with thin sauce.
- Cook for 4 to 6 hours, stirring every hour or so.
- Serve hot.
autistsix 