Irish Stew

What you need

Ingredients

Measured for 12 servings.

• 300 gWhole wheat berries, dry
• 2000 gBoneless lamb loin, cubed
• 120 mlOlive Oil
• 840 gShallots
• 320 gCarrots
• 2 pcs (approx. 200 g)Turnips
• 1 pcs (approx. 100 g)Celeriac
• 350 gCharlotte potatoes
• 150 mlWhite wine
• 4 gcaster sugar
• 4 gfresh thyme
• 4 gdried oregano
• 450 mlWater

Make it

Method

1. 01

   The night before, soak 300 g dry whole wheat berries in plenty of water for at least 8 hours; drain and rinse. Then boil the soaked wheat in fresh water for about 60 minutes until chewy-tender and drain. The 8-hour soak is passive and included in the total time, not the 20-minute active prep; boiling the wheat is part of the cooking time.

2. 02

   Cut 2000 g boneless lamb loin into even 3 cm pieces; halve the 840 g peeled shallots and dice 320 g carrots, 200 g turnips, 100 g celeriac and 350 g Charlotte potatoes. Use the measured 120 ml olive oil across batches to brown lamb without crowding, about 4 minutes per batch; remove it. Brown shallots and the firm roots in the same pot.

3. 03

   Pour in 150 ml white wine, stir in 4 g sugar, 4 g thyme and 4 g dried oregano and simmer 2–3 minutes to reduce the wine. Add browned lamb, vegetables, cooked wheat and the listed 450 ml water. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook in a 180°C oven for about 75–90 minutes until lamb is tender and the roots are soft; check the liquid during cooking.

4. 04

   If the stew is thin, reduce it briefly uncovered on the hob. Check the largest lamb cube is fully hot and tender; remove woody thyme stems if present. Divide meat, wheat, vegetables and sauce evenly into 12 portions. This water-based variation does not silently assume the missing stock from the source recipe.