chef john's irish lamb stew

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 1 (2 1/2 pound) boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 2-inch cubes
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 bay leaf
• 3/4 teaspoon caraway seed
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) bottle dark (such as guinness®)
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 12 brussels sprouts, halved
• 3 cups mashed potatoes, or as needed
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, or to taste

Recipe

Preparation Time: 25 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 25 mins

Ready Time: 2 hrs 50 mins


• season lamb cubes with salt and black pepper.
• heat vegetable oil in a pot over high heat. working in batches, cook and stir lamb in hot oil until browned on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes. transfer lamb to a bowl and reduce heat to medium.
• melt butter in the pot. cook and stir onion with a pinch of salt in hot butter until onion is softened and translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. add garlic; saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• stir flour into onion mixture; cook and stir until flour is completely incorporated, about 2 minutes. add bay leaf and caraway seed; cook for 2 minutes more. pour into onion mixture. cook and stir until thickened, 1 to 3 minutes.
• stir lamb, chicken broth, carrots, and celery into mixture; bring to simmer. stir 1/4 cup parsley and balsamic vinegar into stew, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until lamb is fork-tender, about 2 hours.
• bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. add the brussels sprouts and cook uncovered until almost tender, about 5 minutes. drain.
• stir brussels sprouts into stew and simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes. season with salt and pepper to taste. divide mashed potatoes between 6 bowls. ladle stew over potatoes and top each with a pinch of parsley.