Irish Beef Stew with Stout & Parsley Dumplings
I practically got a standing ovation for this last night, even though I called en route home and asked Mike to pop it from fridge to stovetop and didn’t suggest he check the level of liquid inside, and then I didn’t either, and by the time the biscuits had cooked through it was starting to burn on the bottom.
To be a true Irish stew this would have to be made with chunks of lamb, which you could use just as easily and without having to change anything – bison would do well, too. In keeping with the beer theme of St. Patrick’s Day tomorrow, you could make this with stout – a nice dark Wild Rose Oatmeal Stout, or Guinness – but more stock would work just as well. Mushrooms would do well in this, too. The dumplings are simple – they’re just cream biscuits, scooped (I used a little ice cream scoop with a lever, which was oh-so-satisfying) onto the top of the simmering stock. They will steam through with the lid on, but if you want them golden, take the lid off and run it under the broiler for a few minutes. It’s amazing what a golden crust does for the appeal of a biscuit.
Beef Stew with Stout & Parsley Dumplings
canola or olive oil, for cooking
2-3 lb beef stewing meat, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 bottle or can of stout beer (or a couple cups of beef stock)
2-3 cups beef stock
4 thin-skinned potatoes, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
1/2-1 cup frozen peasParsley Dumplings:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup heavy (whipping) creamIn a large, heavy pot, brown the meat in a drizzle of oil in batches (without crowding) over medium-high heat. Transfer to a bowl and cook the onions in the same pot. Pour in the stout or stock and bring to a simmer, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Return the meat to the pot, cover and put into a 300F oven for 2 1/2-3 hours.
Remove from the oven and add the stock along with the potatoes and carrots, cover and cook on medium-high on the stovetop for another 20-30 minutes. Meanwhile, make the dumpling dough: in a medium bowl, stir together the flour, parsley, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the cream and stir just until the dough comes together. Drop the biscuit batter by the large spoonful on top of the simmering stew, cover and cook for 15 minutes, until the biscuits are cooked through. If you like, put the pot under the broiler for a few minutes to allow them to brown. Serves 6.
March 16 2011 10:13 am | beef
Jen on 16 Mar 2011 at 11:23 am #
Your Irish Beef Stew look delicious. A very nice recipe and a great idea for St. Patrick’s Day. Thanks Julie.
Laurie from Burnaby on 16 Mar 2011 at 11:24 am #
This looks so wonderful! I’ll make it with lamb to try it.
Ashley on 16 Mar 2011 at 11:40 am #
Julie, you mention that Mike took it out of the fridge and put it on the stove. Did you do the 2 1/2 hours in the oven and then stop and finish the next day? This sounds really good, but I won’t be around to cook for several hours tomorrow.
JulieVR on 16 Mar 2011 at 11:42 am #
Yes – I had cooked the meat part the day before and put it in the fridge – yesterday he took it out, put it on the stove, brought it to a simmer and I added the veg and continued on from there. It worked great! but might have needed a bit more stock!
Michelle on 16 Mar 2011 at 1:13 pm #
Wow! That looks amazing! One pot wonder. I am about to make your black and tan cup cakes with a little twist!
Lori on 16 Mar 2011 at 5:25 pm #
And it’s in your pretty Le Creuset dish. sigh
Dana on 16 Mar 2011 at 10:28 pm #
I was thinking of stew for St. Patrick’s day, but it seems as though the day is going to be frought with the busies. Looks great!
Tracy on 17 Mar 2011 at 7:52 am #
Happy I found your blog, great recipes and pics! Happy St. Paddy’s Day, the stew looks amazing!
Elaine on 17 Mar 2011 at 9:04 am #
I’m so excited for the return of warm weather, but I WILL miss dishes like this–it looks wonderful!
Meredith on 17 Mar 2011 at 7:09 pm #
Made this for dinner tonight. It was fantastic! Thanks for the inspiration!
R on 17 Mar 2011 at 7:18 pm #
JV!
Made a vegetarian version of this tonight – subbed cremini mushrooms for the beef. I did not need to braise it as long in the oven before adding the veggies.
It was great – especially good with a Guinness on the side!
Sabrina on 17 Mar 2011 at 9:10 pm #
Thanks for the delicious recipe; made it tonight
and it was a big hit….
erlfisher on 18 Mar 2011 at 3:08 pm #
This looks amazing! And R – I will absolutely try the vegetarian version – thanks for the suggestion!
Rochelle on 18 Mar 2011 at 7:52 pm #
Forget St. Pat’s day…. this looks good enough to eat anytime! Yummy…..