This simple Irish stew is made with tender lamb, carrots and potatoes that simmer in Guinness beer and water. As the stew simmers the flavors develop creating a rich and flavorful stew that tastes even better a day after it's made.
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Pat the lamb pieces dry with a paper towel and season them with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
Place half of the lamb in the pot with space in between each piece. Brown on both sides and then remove them from the pan. Brown the other half in the pan and then remove them.
Add the onion to the pan and cook it for a few mintues. As it cooks, it will release moisture which will make it easy to scrape up all the browned bits off the pan.
Add the browned lamb back to the pan and pour the beer and water over the top. Stir and bring it to a boil and reduce the heat to maintain a strong simmer.
Once simmering, add the carrots and potatoes. Bring the pot to a strong simmer again and cook the stew for 30 minutes.
Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and stir. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook the stew for another 10 minutes or until it has thickened to your liking. Add the black pepper, chopped parsley and serve.
Notes
If you prefer to use beef you will need to let the stew simmer longer (up to two hours). You may also need to add more water or beer.If you make the stew ahead it may thicken up as it sits in the refridgerator. To warm it up, simmer it in a pot on the stove and add a few splashes of water (or more beer) to loosen it up.