Haileo, and welcome to Ireland! Russia isn't the only country known for loving potatoes, Irish love them too!
The potato was introduced in the 1500s, and soon replaced older staples, but their reliance on the spud in
their diet hit a heavy toll with the potato famine in the 1840s. The potato that they grew specially was
particularly susceptible to disease, but, after around a decade when the famine was resolved, the Irish
continued to love potatoes.
A typical dinner in Ireland would probably consist of cabbage, potatoes, and meat (usually lamb, beef, or
pork). However, Irish stew has been recognized as the national food for at least two centuries, poetry has even
been written about the satisfaction received when eating it:
Then hurrah for an Irish Stew
That will stick to your belly like glue.
picture from Fullersedinburg.com
Recipe for Irish stew:
Ingredients
-4 potatoes, thinly sliced
-4 medium onions, thinly sliced
-6 carrots, sliced
-1 pound Canadian bacon, chopped
-3 pounds lamb chops, 1-inch thick, trimmed, and cut into small pieces
-Salt and pepper to taste
-2½ cups water
-4 potatoes, halved
-Fresh parsley, finely chopped
Procedure
-To make Irish stew, all the ingredients are assembled in layers in a large stew pot.
-Begin with layers of sliced potatoes, onions, and carrots.
-Top with a layer of Canadian bacon and lamb.
-Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.
-Repeat these steps until all the ingredients are used.
-Add enough water to just cover the ingredients.
-Arrange the halved potatoes on top of the stew, but not in contact with the water, so they can steam as the rest is cooking.
-Simmer over a very low heat for about 2 hours.
-Sprinkle liberally with the chopped parsley and serve in soup bowls.
Yield: 4 to 6 servings.
It's usually served with fresh soda bread, made from whole-wheat flour and buttermilk, it's crusty and tasty.
