Creamy Irish Potato Stew with Grandma’s Irish Bread
I was so happy that Nanni wanted to come over to my house and make some Irish bread with me on Saint Patrick’s Day! It’s a recipe she was given from a friend she used to work with, and she has been making now for decades. She doesn’t call it a “soda”bread since it uses baking powder instead of baking soda, but I think it can still fall under that category.
I wanted to make something to go with the bread, and the Cookie Connoisseur has been talking about an Irish Potato Stew he had a few years back. He told me is was chunky and creamy, so I concocted the recipe below:
Creamy Irish Potato Stew
Ingredients
- 6 Strips Bacon cut into ½ inch dice
- 1 Cup Carrots cut into ½ inch dice
- 2 Stalks Celery cut into ½ inch dice
- 1 Cup Parsnips cut into ½ inch dice
- 2 Cloves Garlic minced
- 2 Cups Leeks cut into 1 inch pieces
- 2 Cups Cabbage cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ Cup Irish Stout
- 6 to 7 Cups Russet Potatoes cut into 1 inch pieces
- 8 Cups Vegetable Stock no warmer than room temperature
- ½ Teaspoon Dill Weed
- ¼ Teaspoon Fennel Seed
- ¼ Teaspoon Mustard Seed
- 2 Each Bay Leaves
- 1 Cup Heavy Cream
- ¼ Cup Fresh Parsley chopped
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a stock over medium-low heat, render the diced bacon until the pieces of bacon are crisp. Remove bacon pieces from the rendered fat in the pot, and set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
- Add the carrots, celery, and parsnips to the rendered fat in the stock pot and cook over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add in the cabbage and leeks and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until wilted, stirring occasionally.
- Add in garlic, and cook until it is fragrant.
- Add in the stout to deglaze the pan. Then add in the potatoes and vegetable stock.
- Grind fennel seed, dill weed, and mustard seed (a mortar and pestle can be used), and add to the stew.
- Add in bay leaves and bring stew to a simmer.
- Cook stew until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Transfer ¼ of the stew to a blender, and mix until smooth.
- Run the mixture through a strainer to make it smooth, and add it back into the stew as a thickener.
- Add in heavy cream and parsley, and bring back to a simmer until thickened.
- Add in crispy bacon pieces, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve with Irish Soda Bread (optional).
