This Hairy Bikers lamb stew from The Hairy Bikers Cookbook is their take on a classic Irish stew, a white stew of lamb chops, potatoes and onions with very little else. And it serves four in about two hours at around 550 calories, built on the idea that a few good ingredients beat a long list.
The trick that makes this different from a chuck-it-all-in stew is rendering the fat off the chops first. You trim the fat, melt it down in a pan, and brown the chops in their own fat before they go near the pot, which builds a depth most stews skip.
The other thing that matters is going low and slow with the onions and potatoes at the start. They sweat for half an hour before the stock even goes in, so they turn creamy and sweet rather than just boiling in liquid.
Hairy Bikers Lamb Stew Recipe
Description
Si and Dave’s Irish lamb stew where chops are browned in their own rendered fat, then simmered slowly with onions, garlic and potatoes in lamb stock until everything is meltingly soft. A proper white stew with very few ingredients.
Ingredients
For the Lamb Stew:
Instructions
- Sweat the onions and potatoes: Heat the oil and butter in a large pan and sweat the onions and garlic gently for about fifteen minutes, teasing the flavour out slowly. Add the potatoes and turn them in the creamy juices, then season well. Leave on a very low heat for another fifteen minutes, adding a splash of stock if they start to stick.
- Render and brown the chops: Trim the fat off the chops and melt it in a frying pan over a low heat. Once the fat has rendered, lift out any solid bits, then brown the chops in that fat until golden on both sides.
- Deglaze the pan: Move the browned chops into the pot with the onions and potatoes. Pour a little stock into the frying pan and scrape up all the savoury jammy bits, then tip that into the pot too.
- Simmer low and slow: Pour in the rest of the stock to just below the level of the ingredients. Put the lid on and leave over a low heat for one and a half hours.
- Rest and serve: Stir in some chopped parsley about ten minutes before the end if you like. Take off the heat and rest for ten minutes, then taste, adjust the seasoning and serve.
FAQs
What is the difference between a lamb stew and a lamb casserole?
There is barely any difference, and people use the words for the same dish. A stew traditionally simmers on the hob in plenty of liquid, while a casserole often goes in the oven and can be a bit thicker. This Irish stew is a hob stew, but you can just as easily cover it and cook it in a low oven, which makes it a casserole by name.
So if you searched for a lamb casserole and landed here, you are in the right place. The recipe works the same either way, and for another oven-baked option the Lancashire hotpot layers the same kind of lamb under a crisp potato top.
Can I make a richer version with Guinness?
Yes, and Si and Dave did exactly that after travelling around Ireland. Their Bistro Bonanza version swaps in 500ml of Guinness alongside the stock, adds barley, carrots, parsnips and swede, then layers everything in a pot and bakes it at 150°C for two and a half hours. The top potatoes go crisp while the bottom turns almost chowder-like.
That version is more of a special-occasion stew because of the layering and the long bake. If you want the deeper, darker flavour, the Guinness and a handful of barley are what get you there, and it is traditionally served with colcannon.
Is there a lighter, healthier version?
The Hairy Dieters Make It Easy book has a Braised Lamb and Barley at 417 calories that the bikers describe as somewhere between a thick Scotch broth and a barley risotto. It uses 500g of lean diced lamb leg instead of chops, bulked out with barley, red lentils, leeks, broad beans and greens, so it counts for three of your five a day.
It simmers for about an hour and twenty, with the greens added at the end so they keep their colour. If you are watching calories but still want a proper lamb dinner, that is the one to make, and it sits nicely next to the slow roast leg of lamb when you want something leaner from the same animal.
Can I add dumplings or make it in a slow cooker?
Both work with this classic version. For dumplings, make a simple suet dough, roll it into small balls and drop them on top for the last 25 to 30 minutes with the lid on so they steam and puff up while soaking in the gravy. For a slow cooker, render and brown the chops first because that is where the flavour comes from, then cook everything on low for six to eight hours.
The only version that does not suit a slow cooker is the Guinness one, because it relies on a crisp baked top a slow cooker cannot give you. For that, stick to the oven, the same way the lamb tagine needs its time in the pot to go properly tender.
What cut of lamb is best, and what do you serve with it?
Thick neck chops are what Si and Dave recommend because the bone and fat add richness and the meat goes soft over a long cook. They are also cheap, which suits a stew. Diced leg or shoulder works if you want it boneless, which is what the lighter barley version uses.
The potatoes are built into this stew, so it needs nothing more than crusty bread to mop up the gravy. If you want something fresh on the side after all that richness, a sharp panzanella or a crisp Caesar salad cuts through it nicely.
