New Style Irish Stew
This recipe was found at an apparent blog setup by the Cayenne team. How long this blog will remain accessible and/or functional is not clear, so we have captured it below including the handwritten notes it was derived from. There are visibly Irish ingredients included, for example, potatoes (of course), leek and cabbage, but it is clear, as seen with many other dishes at Cayenne, there is a Mediterranean twist with use of white and thyme suggestive of Italian cookery with garlic and mint hailing from the Levant. Its name is adequate, in that it presents a new perspective on what is Irish stew.
WOW! I think I might get into trouble for calling this “Irish Stew!”
It’s not an Irish stew but is definitely inspired by it. I think that it works really well for the busy life styles we have nowadays.
ingredients | serves 4
4 large shoulder chops or 8 loin chops
½ tbsp fresh thyme leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 clove of garlic crushed (optional)
Salt
1 medium leek cut into ½ cm slices
2 medium carrots neatly sliced
½ small savoy cabbage cut into 3 cm pieces
275 g new potatoes cut into quarters
2 tbsp light olive oil
½ small onion
1 small glass dry white wine
4 tbsp cooked barley (optional)
1 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tbsp chopped mint
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
method
Mix together the thyme, oil, pepper and garlic then toss with the chops. Allow to sit for ½ hour.
Place the leek, carrot, cabbage and potatoes in a medium pot and cover with cold water and 1 tsp of salt. Cover and bring to the boil and simmer until just cooked. Drain retaining 1 cup of the cooking liquid. In a large fry pan sweat the onion and olive oil. When soft add the white win, boil quickly until reduced by half.
Add the cooked vegetables, the barley and a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid. When nicely warmed, add the lemon, herbs and extra virgin olive oil. It should be slightly sloppy and juicy to give you a simple sauce. Keep warm while you cook the chops.
Heat a large fry pan or griddle pan over a high heat. Season the chops with salt and grill for about 3-4 minutes on each side for pink chops, 5-6 mins for well done.
Serve with a generously helping of the vegetable stew.
