We obviously had the right idea in Ireland for convenience food when we designed the Irish Stew, it makes modern “convenience” food like hamburgers and chips look vastly complicated in comparison.
The traditional stew, without doubt made from mutton, no-one would have sacrificed a precious lamb for the pot, was put into water with onions and potatoes and left to simmer, most likely in a pot over the fire, until tender.

There are of course in Ireland endless arguments as to the ingredients,
I have even heard of beef being used as the basic meat.
Carrots and pearl barley are also sometimes used.
Myrtle Allen has a delicious version which she thickens with flour, Rachel her grandaughter-in-law adds lashings of garlic and in my house an Irish Stew has to be generously flavoured with chopped thyme.

Now as I spend most of my time in the South of France I decided to work on a version of Irish Stew which would take in some of the flavours of the Mediterranean.
I was partly inspired to do this because my butcher, here in the village as well as selling delicious (but expensive) lamb from the mountains of the Ardeche also sells much cheaper mutton from the same place.
What better way to cook mutton than in an Irish Stew ?

If you can get your hands on some mutton it does work well for this dish, but lamb also does a perfect job.

Languedoc Irish Stew
(for 4)

1kg (2 lbs) Leg Steaks of Mutton or Lamb(or Gigot Chops)
90g (3 oz.) Streaky Bacon Rashers
175g (6 oz.) Peeled Shallots
280g (10 oz.) Vine Tomatoes
1 glass red or white wine
2 fat cloves garlic (peeled and sliced)
1 Teaspoon of chopped fresh Thyme
1kg (2 lbs.) Potatoes
Olive oil, salt and black pepper

• First season the chops or steaks and then fry in hot oil in a large pan until they are browned on both sides, put to one side.
• Chop the bacon and fry in the same oil until crisp, spoon out with a slotted spoon and retain.
• Slice the shallots and garlic and soften these gently in the same pan , with a lid on for about 5 minutes.
• Then add the tomatoes, roughly chopped (or you could use tinned chopped tomatoes) the wine and a mug full of water.
• Toss the bacon back in the pan, add the thyme and then taste and season the mixture.
• Place the mutton or lamb on top of the other ingredients, it does not have to be covered with the sauce.
• Put a lid on the pan (ot transfer the whole mixture into a casserole ) and cook gently on the stove top for about 90 mts if using mutton (and check from time to time to make sure it does not dry out, add more water if necessary) , about 20 mts. if using lamb.
• Then peel and slice the potatoes thickly and put these in a layer on top of the dish.
• Continue to cook gently like this until the potatoes are tender.
• Check the pan from time to time, do not allow it to dry out but you do not need too much liquid, the potatoes should steam rather than boil.
• Once it is ready to eat light the grill and paint a little oil on the potatoes.
• Put the pan under the hot grill until the potatoes brown.

It needs no further additions, the perfect meal in a pot...