Irish Lamb Stew Recipe

Using a large frying pan, saute the bacon . Reserve the fat and the bacon.

In a large mixing bowl place the lamb , salt, pepper, and flour. Toss to coat the meat evenly. Reheat the frying pan. In batches, toss the meat in the flour to coat evenly, then brown in the reserved bacon fat. If you run out of fat, use a little oil. Transfer the browned meat to a 10-quart stove top casserole, leaving about 1/4 cup of fat in the frying pan.

Add the garlic and yellow onion to the pan and saute until the onion begins to color a bit. Deglaze the frying pan with 1/2 cup of water and add the garlic-onion mixture to the casserole, along with the reserved bacon pieces, beef stock, and sugar. Cover and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, or until tender.

Add the carrots, onions, potatoes , thyme , bay leaf, and wine to the pot and simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Check for salt and pepper before serving. Top with the parsley garnish before serving.

Yield: 12 servings Recipe Source: The Frugal Gourmet On Our Immigrant Ancestors by Jeff Smith (William Morrow & Co)

Reprinted with permission.