Haves some Scottish-Irish Stew in you Meal

Full of flavors that meld together and melt lusciously in the mouth this crock pot recipes for Scottish-Irish stew adapted from Graham Kerr’s Creative Choices Cookbook is made with lamb neck and a long list of ingredients, each adding a magical touch to make a harmonious and unbelievably delicious dish. Serve this with some ice-cold beer and crusty bread for an unforgettable weekend with some friends. 

Ingredients

For the Broth:
28 oz. chicken stock
14 oz. beef stock
1 bay leaf
2 fresh sprigs of thyme
6 peppercorns
2 whole cloves
4 sprigs fresh parsley
1 medium potato, cut into thin slices
1 cup water
For the Base:
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, coarsely chopped
1 ½ cups beef stock
1 ¼ lbs. lamb necks
¼ cup pot barley, well rinsed
¾ cup boiling water
For the Vegetables and Herbs:
2 medium carrots, sliced into ½ in. circles
3 medium potatoes, cut into ½ in. chunks
16 boiling onions, about 1 ½ in. in diameter, peeled
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 fresh sprig (3 to 8 in.) rosemary
16 whole medium mushrooms
1 lb. fresh spinach leaves

Preparation:

1.Cut a piece of cheesecloth into a square and place all the fresh herbs listed under “Broth” (the bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, cloves, and parsley) in the center. Pull up the sides and tie with a thin strip of cheesecloth, creating what’s called a bouquet garni.

2. Pour all the ingredients for the broth into a large saucepan, including the bouquet garni. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain this broth and pour it back into the saucepan.

3. Make the stew base by heating the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the 1 chopped onion and sauté until just limp. Add the 1 ½ cups stock and lamb necks. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 2 hours. When done, the lamb meat should fall off the bone.

4.In the meantime, pour the barley and ¾ cup of boiling water into another saucepan. Stir for a few seconds, then cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes. Drain.

5.When the stew base is done, remove the lamb (meat and bones) from the stew base. Remove all the meat from the bones. Strain the stew broth. Pour the broth into the large saucepan. Add the carrots, potatoes, boiling onions, and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat until it simmers very gently. Add the rosemary and lamb. Simmer for 10 minutes.

6.Stir in the barley and simmer another 10 minutes. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve by line 4 soup bowls with spinach leaves. Ladle the soup over these.