Thank You, Mrs. Quinn

Two new things today.  I've never posted two blogs in one day--much less posted two blogs about Colin Quinn.  Also, I've never cooked a traditional Irish meal for St. Patrick's Day.  Colin showed up on Martha Stewart today, in honor of his favorite drinking day, St. Paddy's.  I'm pretty sure they're all the same to him, but let's give the man some credit;  He wore a clean green shirt and behaved himself in front of the Great One.   So simple sounded his mother's lamb stew, that I decided to take the recipe home and give it a go.  

When I watch cooking shows, the recipes I'm most likely to reproduce are those I can memorize.  I purchased the ingredients, and threw it all together.  When I tracked the actual recipe down on Martha's website, I realized that I'd inadvertently halved the recipe.  You'll get the half recipe so that I don't blatantly plagiarize the real one.  I also forgot one ingredient.  So while I was ovenning (is that a word?) during round one, I walked to the store, found the forgotten pearl barley, and allowed myself get some of that Kerrygold Irish butter Martha's been raving about all week.  After having a bite, I declared it officially raveworthy.  I fear I might spoil my dinner with butter and bread.

Mrs. Quinn's Irish Lamb Stew

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 medium sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch squares
4 carrots, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 large russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 lbs lamb stew meat
3 c. homemade beef stock
2 tsp fresh thyme
1/4 c. pearl barley
1/4 c. heavy cream
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325˚.  Heat oil in Dutch oven, and sauté onions until golden.  Add lamb and cook 5 minutes each side.  Add potatoes and beef stock.  Stir, cover, and transfer to oven.  Bake for 1 hour.

Remove Dutch oven, marvel at how good the stew already looks, add carrots, barley, thyme, and cream.  Stir gently and return to oven.  Bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until lamb is tender.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with a nice loaf of crusty bread and lots of Kerrygold butter!