Supper Club: Six Nations stew

Recipe by Domini Kemp, ITSA food group 

Home is your haven; it is your duvet, your shelter. It’s where good things come from the kitchen – to nourish, feed and give back to everyone in the home. It’s about sitting around the table and having conversations with food that matters. 

Lamb is hands-down my favourite meat and there is nothing more comforting than a bowl of mildly spicy stew with a bit of sweet umami in every bite. 

Six Nations stew
Serves 12

Ingredients

• 100ml olive oil
• 3kg diced lamb
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 red onions, thinly sliced
• 1 head of garlic, cloves peeled and sliced
• 1 big piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 2–3 tbsp harissa
• 1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
• 1.5 litres stock
• 4 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
• 4 bay leaves
• 400g stoned prunes
• 50ml soy sauce or tamari
• 50ml maple syrup

To serve

• mashed potatoes or roast sweet potatoes

Method

1. Heat some of the olive oil in a large frying pan. Working in batches, add the lamb, season it well and cook until browned all over.
2. Heat the remaining oil in a large heavy-based saucepan or casserole over a medium heat. Add the onions and sweat for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, ginger, harissa and five-spice, mix well and cook for another few minutes.
3. When the lamb is all browned, add it to the onions. Deglaze the frying pan that you cooked the lamb in with some of the stock, making sure to scrape up any crispy browned bits, and pour it all into the onions too. Stir in the tinned tomatoes and bay leaves along with the rest of the stock.
4. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer on the hob for about 1. hours, stirring occasionally. Alternatively, if you’re using a Le Creuset-style casserole, you could cook it in the oven at 160°C (140°C fan), covered with a lid, for 2–3 hours, until the meat is so tender you can cut it with a spoon. Keep the lid on for 1 hour, then remove it so the stew can reduce and thicken up.
5. When the lamb is done, add the prunes, soy sauce or tamari and the maple syrup. Cook for another 20 minutes, then allow to cool slightly and taste, adjusting the seasoning as necessary.
6. This is delicious with mash or roast sweet potatoes and tastes great the next day too.

The Gathered Table: A Taste of Home (€30) is compiled by Gather & Gather, with all proceeds going to Peter McVerry Trust. ninebeanrowsbooks.com