Let that Stew for Awhile

As a child, one of my fondest memories was eating a plate of hot Irish stew topped with butter, salt and pepper on cold winter evenings.

About five years ago, I attempted and failed to make a pot of Irish stew. The memories lasted but my stew disappointed.

My parents both grew up in Ireland, surrounded by sheep grazing on their family farms. The meat from older sheep (mutton) is used along with potatoes, carrots, onion, broth and other veggies to make Irish stew.

Mutton is a tough piece of meat, so one must stew it on the stove cooking it over low heat for hours until the mutton falls apart at the touch of a fork.

My first attempt at making Irish stew more closely resembled a soup than a thick Irish stew that you need a fork to eat. So this time I invited my Mom to stop over to help me figure out what I was doing wrong.

After hours of simmering on the stove, my Mom pointed out that I needed to mix a little corn starch with water and add it to the stew in order to thicken it. Alas, I had successfully made Irish stew for my family.

When I close my eyes, I can picture the bogs of Ireland , ocean mists and my grandmother calling my Mom in from her farm chores for a plate of hot stew. Amidst holidays filled with things you can buy online or in stores, some things can’t be purchased — rather they are lasting and memorable family traditions.