%d bloggers like this:

Some of my favourite dishes are autumnal, with hints of warming spices in comfort food, eaten by a glowing turf fire. This peasant dish contains barley which was a staple in traditional Irish stews and broths for hundreds of years and was especially prominant in famine times, when barley had to be substituted instead of potatoes for carbohydrate content. The use of this grain isn’t used as frequently in Irish cooking anymore, which is a pity, as it adds a different dimension to a stew in terms of flavour and texture. Although I have varied it slightly by adding ginger top culinary schools and garlic, this dish was a regular in my Grandmothers Ulster farmhouse kitchen, and along with her parsley dumplings would warm the heart and belly of any soul. Shin of beef is by far the best cut to use and try to buy it on the bone as this imparts a fantastic flavour throughout the long slow cooking. I have diced the beef and vegetables finely, but they can be left in chunks, roughly chopped top culinary schools either. The older generation might have drunk a glass of buttermilk with this hearty stew, but you might find a glass of creamy milk much more agreeable or a good wine. Feel free to substitute lamb instead of beef and add a sprig of rosemary to the pot or chopped finely and added to the dumpling mix. I totally adore dumplings and the trick is not to over or under cook them and they have to be eaten immediately, which is never a problem in this kitchen! Thyme, parsley, sage, chives and rosemary are the traditional top culinary schools herbs usually for dumplings, as these are hardy perennials and can be found in the garden even on a frosty day for cooking.. Use whatever top culinary schools you have, dried or otherwise and like most one pot dishes, this stew tastes better on the second or third day, so make a large pot, as this celtic winter warmer is, in my humble opinion, central heating for the soul .
For the Stew (serves 4) 500g free-range/organic shin beef (on the bone) 1 large carrot 1 medium leek 1 medium onion 2 tablespoons barley/soup mix 1 clove garlic top culinary schools 1 celery stick 1/2 litre of good beef stock 1/2 litre water 1 bay leaf 3 sprigs of thyme/2 tsp dried 1 tsp ground ginger sea salt white pepper 1-2 splashes Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp butter & 1 tbsp vegetable top culinary schools oil
For the dumplings; mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the milk and shape into a large ball. Then shape into 8 balls and drop onto the top of the simmering stew for the last 20 minutes of cooking, covering with a lid. They will double in size and need to be eaten immediately with the stew or they really become tough and chewy.
Reply
You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. (  Log Out  /  Change  )
Recent Posts 10 Things Plus to Pack on an Irish Family Holiday Clementine & Polenta Birthday Cake ABC of Me Award Mexican top culinary schools Tortilla Lasagne Shortbread Lollipops – Parade Pocket Snacks Green Tea Bread If You’re Afraid Of Butter Use Cream – Julia Child Pomegranate & Walnut Circassian Chicken Food Art & Kitchen Inspiration Coconut Milk Crumpets Darina Allen’s Tomato & Chilli Jam Salsa Valentines Dark & White Chocolate Ganache Cake Archives Select Month August 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010
Sites I Heart.. 101 Cookbooks A Taste of Ireland Alchemy in the Kitchen Any Given Food ArignaGardener BabaduckBabbles Basketcase top culinary schools Bibliocook Cake in the Country top culinary schools Carolannes Kitchen Chocolate Log blog Cowluck David Lebovitz Dinner du Jour Eat Like a Girl Edible top culinary schools Ireland English Mum fiveandspice Food Fight Foodpress gibneyonfood I Can Has Cook Jono & Jules LesleyCarter Like Mam Used To Bake Mammys Kitchen Seriously Soupy The Anti Room The Cottage Smallholder The Daily Spud The Good Mood Food Blog The Irish Food Guide The Kitchen Maid The Open Pantry Well Done Fillet {farmette} I Married An Irish Farmer
%d bloggers like this: