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Ireland, Europe · Irish Stew

Green Chile Lamb and Potato Stew (Irish × New Mexican)

Irish stew's lamb, potatoes and carrots meet New Mexico's green chile stew: blistered peppers, cumin and oregano in the broth, lime and coriander on top, warm tortillas alongside.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time2 h
DifficultyMedium

Method

  1. Cut the lamb into 2.5–3 cm chunks, trimming off thick hard fat, and toss with half the salt and the cumin. Chop the onions, finely chop the garlic, cut the potatoes into 3 cm chunks and the carrots into 1.5 cm slices.

    Add in this stepBoneless lamb shoulder 400 gSalt 0.4 tspGround cumin 1 tsp

  2. Heat a dry 24 cm frying pan over high heat. Add the whole chillies and the bell pepper and cook for , turning with tongs, until the skins are blistered and blackened in patches. Put them in a bowl, cover with a plate and leave for 10 minutes; the steam loosens the skins. Peel off the loose skin, remove the stems and seeds and chop the flesh. Wear gloves or wash your hands well afterwards and never touch your eyes, because chilli burns. Keep some seeds if you like it hotter.

    Add in this stepJalapeños or other fresh green chillies 2Green bell pepper 1

    high heat

  3. Heat the oil in a heavy 20 cm pot over medium-high heat. Pat the lamb dry and brown it in a single layer, in two batches if needed, for in total, until well browned on all sides.

    Add in this stepVegetable oil 1 tbsp

    medium-high heat

  4. Turn the heat down to medium heat, add the onions and cook for , until soft and golden at the edges; stir in the garlic and oregano for the last minute, just until fragrant.

    Add in this stepOnions (medium) 1Garlic cloves 3Dried oregano 1 tsp

    medium heat

  5. Pour in the stock, add the chopped roasted peppers and the rest of the salt and stir, scraping up the brown bits. Bring to the boil over high heat (about ), skim off any foam, then lower to low heat, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for .

    Add in this stepChicken stock 700 mlSalt 0.4 tsp

    high heat→low heat

  6. Add the potatoes and carrots, push them under the liquid, cover and simmer over low heat for , until the potatoes are tender and the lamb is soft enough to cut with a spoon.

    Add in this stepPotatoes 500 gCarrots (medium) 1

    low heat

  7. Mash a few pieces of potato against the side of the pot to thicken the broth, squeeze in the lime juice, taste and adjust the salt. Warm the tortillas in a dry pan for about 20 seconds per side. Ladle the stew into bowls, scatter over the coriander and serve with the tortillas for dipping.

    Add in this stepLime ½Fresh coriander (cilantro), chopped 2 tbspFlour tortillas (to serve) 2

Cook's tip

Heat varies a lot between chillies: taste a small piece of the roasted flesh first and add it gradually. For a mild stew, use mostly bell pepper and just one jalapeño with the seeds removed. If you can find mild long green chillies such as Anaheim or Hatch, use them instead of the bell pepper for the most authentic flavour.

Cooking it at camp

This stew is made for the campsite: blister the peppers directly on the grill grate or over the open flame of your stove, then simmer the stew in a cast-iron pot. Warm the tortillas on the grill too. Chop the vegetables at home and keep the lamb in a cooler below 5 °C.