Great ingredients and the choice of meat are at the heart of a ‘traditional’ Irish stew but so many get it wrong – Beef is totally wrong as is diced lamb. Lamb chops are perfect because those lovely bones give your stew extra flavour. Alternatively, a good flavoursome cut that tastes better with long cooking, like neck, will do just as well. And there’s also no Guinness or garlic in the recipe.

So here’s what you’ll need (serves 4)

• 1.5kg lamb chops (like Gigot chops)
• 1kg carrots, peeled and chopped into chunks
• 1kg potatoes, peeled and cut into good size chunks
• 4 onions, peeled and cut into quarters
• a sprig of thyme for cooking
• chopped fresh parsley to garnish
• sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to season
• dripping (ideally rendered from the excess fat on the chops or from your butcher) but some light oil for frying

Method
Brown the lamb chops over a medium heat in the dripping or some oil, and put to the side.
Saute the carrots and onions in the fat leftover from frying the meat. Return the lamb to the pot with the thyme and cover with water or lamb stock before leaving to boil for a good hour or so. Add the potatoes and continue to boil until soft. Then season to taste and serve with the parsley on top. This is also when you can add the Guinness; but in a glass – Enjoy!