Irish Stew

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to Rosemary Zwick for this one:

A woman rushed into the supermarket to pick up a can of tuna and six
eggs. She headed for the express line where the clerk was talking on the
phone with his back turned to her. "Excuse me," she said, "I'm in a
hurry. Could you check me out, please?"

The clerk turned, stared at her for a second, looked her up and down,
smiled and said, "Not bad."

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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I took some heat once for publishing a non-traditional recipe for Irish
stew - one which called for beef rather than lamb. Here is a recipe I
hope will satisfy the purists among my readers.

Irish Stew

2 lbs (900 g) boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1-inch (3 cm) pieces
1 Tbs (15 ml) chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp (5 ml) dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cups (1 L) chicken broth
2 lbs (900 g) boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 lb (450 g) carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2 cm) pieces
6 stalks celery, trimmed and cut into 1-inch (2 cm) pieces
1/4 cup (60 ml) all-purpose flour
1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil

Combine the lamb, parsley, thyme, salt, pepper, and 3 cups (750 ml)
broth in a large saucepan and simmer covered over moderate heat for 90
minutes. Add the potatoes, onion, carrots, celery, and remaining broth
and simmer, covered, 1 hour. In a small bowl whisk together the flour
and oil until smooth and stir into simmering stew until well
incorporated. Simmer uncovered 3 to 5 minutes, until thickened.
Serves 4 to 6.
Received on Tue Sep 23 18:31:07 2008