Saint Patrick's Day: Irish Beef and Stout Stew

Goodness, it's that time of year again. Saint Patrick's Day is almost upon us and suddenly everyone seems to be discovering their Irish genes and planning to celebrate some way or other. Maybe it's because March seems so very far away from the festivities of Christmas and summer seems so very far in the distance that the world has taken to celebrating Saint Patrick's Day with such gusto. Growing up in Dublin we kids loved Saint Patrick's Day and not simply because of the day off school (we still had to go to Mass). You see, in our house at least, we took Saint Patrick's Day as a 'day off' our Lenten Fast! Yes, yes, I know it wasn't strictly playing by-the-book BUT it was our rule and we stuck to it.

This 'break' was particularly welcome when Easter took place in early April and we had had weeks of 'being good' and not eating sweets. We always gave up eating sweets at Lent. I'm not sure we ever made it to the end of Lent sweet-free if I'm honest (OK, you look me straight in the eye and swear YOU finished the fast... hmmm) but we did fill bags and jars with saved sweets, all rattling around, for Easter Sunday's binge.

Anyway, Saint Patrick's Day is the perfect excuse to cook some great traditional Irish recipes and there are not many dishes more deliciously irish than Beef and Stout Stew (apart from Irish Stew I guess, but y'know, another today...).

Irish Beef and Stout Stew

Serves 6-8

800 grams stewing beef, cubed
500 mls bottled irish stout (approx)
2 carrots, large, peeled, chopped
2 parsnips, peeled, chopped
2 medium onion, sliced100 mls water, approx
2 bay leaves
sprigs of thyme
salt & pepper
2-3 tablespoons flour
light oil

Toss beef in flour. Brown in batches with some light vegetable oil in a deep saucepan.

Add the sliced onions and soften. Add about 350 mls of the Guinness. Stir scrapping all the bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the water/stock and bring to a simmer.

Add the chopped vegetables, bay leaves, thyme and season.Cover and reduce heat to a gentle simmer and leave cooking for 1.5 - 2 hours until meat is soft and melting. You'll probably need to add some Guinness if the stock reduces too much.

Serve with some buttery mashed potato.

Beannachtai na Feile Padraig! Happy Saint Patrick's Day!