With the last name McDuffee, you’d think I’d do more of the Irish cooking, wouldn’t you? Two things: I inherited the name through marriage and my in-laws think they’re Polish, so I’m really at an impasse with the Irish cooking. A good stew, however, is worth writing about, and perhaps you’ll find one that you’d like to make on Wednesday, St. Patrick’s Day.
Irish colcannon is a traditional winter vegetable stew cooked up in milk … that can’t possibly suck. I love that this can be made by layering the veggies in a crock pot … kale, cabbage, parsnips, leeks … and potatoes of course.
Irish stew with herbed goat cheese dumplings … now there’s a new twist on an old favorite. Food Network kitchens uses veal stock and lots of fresh herbs, so this ought to be a tasty one.
Sweet potato and wild mushroom lamb stew again twists on tradition, with sweet potatoes and toasted pumpkin seeds, a little mustard and a lot of mushrooms.
What could be more Irish than soaking a bunch of meat in a vat of simmering Guinness for hours? This beef and Guinness stew does just that, and let me tell you — I’ve made this one and it’s gooood.