Saint Patricks Day Irish Stew
Want to make an authentic Irish Stew? Well, you’ve found the recipe that will bring the real Irish flavour to your tongue!
Ingredients:
4-5 tbsp. olive oil
1.5 tbsp. sugar
75g plain flour
Salt and Pepper to taste
90g butter
3 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 pints stout
600g small or button onions, whole and peeled
1 large onion, diced
4 carrots, cut into thick pieces
Thyme Leaves (from 3-4 large sprigs)
5 fresh bay leaves
450g whole chestnut mushrooms, rinsed and wiped clean
400g large field mushrooms, rinsed, wiped clean and thickly sliced
2kg braising steak, cut into chunks
400ml beef stock
Method:
Heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large casserole dish. Add small onions and fry until they are lightly browned. Set these small onions aside on a plate. Add the onion, carrots and sugar and fry until nicely browned. Place this with the small onions browned earlier.
Put the flour into a large bowl and season with the salt and pepper. Add the beef and toss together well. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil in the casserole and fry the beef in batches until lightly browned on all sides. Place each batch aside with the vegetables as it browns.
Add 40g of the butter to the casserole and stir in the remaining seasoned flour from the bowl. Gently stir in the stout, rubbing the base of the pan to release all the juices remaining. Stir in the stock, followed by the beef and vegetables, thyme leaves, bay leaves, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning. Bring to the boil, part-cover and leave to simmer very slowly on the top of the stove for approx 1.5 hours.
Melt the remaining butter in a large frying pan, add the mushrooms and quick fry for 2 minutes. Add them into the casserole, part-cover, and simmer for another 1 hour until the beef is tender.
Most importantly, sit back, relax and enjoy with family and friends. Now your stew is genuinely an Irish Stew 
