Paddy's Pot (of stew, that is)

In our house, we have no real Irish connection other than that of a few friends.  But, like many, we oddly feel it necessary to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in one way or another. In the years BC (before children), that would have meant numerous hours spent in an Irish bar, often owned an operated by someone with less connection to Ireland than us. Here we would try as best as possible to resist the urge to consume anything green – it never feels good on March 18^th.  For the last three or four years, it has meant green cakes and cookies and cupcakes and led us to the, alarming for the first time and mildly amusing since then, discovery that green food colouring comes out in exactly the same shade it went in.

Last night, after remembering that today was St. Patrick’s Day, I hastily decided to cater to Stephen’s carnivorous streak and create something a bit more hearty than what Poppy and I would usually be eating for supper. I also remembered that I promised no more sweet posts for a while. So, Steak and Guiness Stew made its way onto tonight’s supper menu (only because it is far too nice a day to make the pastry required for Steak and Guiness Pie). And, as much as we try to live by what Michael Pollan has named The Eater’s Manifesto – Eat Food. Not too much. Mainly plants - supper smells good.

This morning, I went to the bottle shop to purchase the Guiness for our braise and, feeling surprisingly unpressed for time, I took a few extra minutes to browse the not bad, for a one horse town like this, selection of specialty and imported beers available.  I decided I would go a little crazy, and in the interest of making our St. Patrick’s supper a little more local, I reached straight past the Guiness for the Martello Stout from Garrison.

We needed some potatoes to eat with the stew, it is an Irish dish after all, and colcannon came to mind but, lacking cabbage, I thought that champ might do the trick. Mashed potatoes and green onions with butter and milk and some salt and pepper, if you are really splashing out, and you have champ. Then, to try to entice my almost-four-year-old into eating mashed potato, I would make golden and crispy champ cakes. It was worth a try anyway.

Steak and Guiness Martello Stew

2 pounds stewing beef (shoulder, or chuck, cuts are really good for this, lots of flavour)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic

2 medium onions

4 carrots

3 ribs celery

1/4 cup flour

2 cups stock (Beef or veal would be best but chicken is fine.  If you are using a pre-made stock, try to find one that is low in sodium.  This cooks for a long time and reduces and could become quite salty.)

350 ml (a little over 2/3 pint which means there is some left for the cook's refreshment) Martello Stout (or Guiness or any other stout you fancy)

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Handful of chopped parsley (I prefer flat leaf and will always use it over curly but it is a matter of personal preference)

Heat oven to 350°.

Cut beef into 1-2 inch pieces. Pat any excess moisture off with some paper towel. Mince the garlic and chop all the vegetables into a large dice.

Heat a heavy bottomed pot and add 1 teaspoon of the oil.

Brown the beef off in three batches. Between each batch deglaze the pot with a little bit of the stock and pour the stock into the bowl with the browned beef. Add a teaspoon of oil to the pot before browning each batch of beef. Take care not to burn the bits that stick to the pot. This makes the base of flavour for the stew.

When all the beef is browned, put the vegetables in the pot and cook, stirring when necessary,  until the onions are translucent.  Add the flour and stir to mix.  Return all the beef to the pot with the stout, remaining stock and bay leaves.  Stir and cover.

Put the stew in the oven for about an hour.  After an hour, remove the lid and cook for another hour.  The stew should be thickened.  Season to taste and stir in parsley.

Champ Cakes

3 1/2 pounds (about 6 large-ish) potatoes

6 - 8 spring onions

3 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Peel, cut and boil potatoes.  Instead of mashing, I used the ricer to get them very fine, but mashing would be absolutely fine. 

Chop the spring onions and mix them into the mashed potatoes with the butter and salt and pepper.  Champ, traditionally, has milk in it but I left it out here because I was making cakes and I thought they would hold up better without it.

Form the potato mixture into cakes ( about 8) and gently fry on each side until golden.

Serve some of the stew with a potato cake alongside and an extra sprinkle of parsley.

 

 Happy St. Patrick's Day.  Sláinte!