🇮🇪 Ireland · Lamb
Traditional Lamb & Barley Stew
A generous lamb-shoulder stew with pearl barley, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and fresh herbs.
Behind the plate
This is classic nourishing pot cookery scaled for a professional kitchen. Lamb shoulder is browned first, then simmered slowly with vegetables until it is almost tender before barley enters the pot.
Adding the barley later prevents it from breaking down during the full meat cook. Fresh parsley is reserved for the finish, bringing colour and freshness to the deeply savoury broth.
Why this recipe works
Browning lamb builds roasted depth, shoulder becomes tender under a slow simmer, and pearl barley both cooks into the broth and contributes natural body. Flour is used only if the final liquid still needs correction.
The recipe
Ingredients
- 100 ml vegetable oil
- 5 kg lamb shoulder, diced
- 6 white onions, diced
- 50 g garlic, minced
- 15 carrots, diamond cut
- 2 heads celery, chopped
- Water, enough to cover by a small margin
- 800 g pearl barley, rinsed
- 3.5 litres chicken stock
- 50 g fresh thyme
- 50 g fresh rosemary
- 100 g fresh parsley, chopped
- Fine salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
- Plain flour and cold water, only if needed for thickening
Method
- Heat the oil in a broad heavy pan and brown the lamb in batches until golden. Return all the meat to the pan.
- Add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Season lightly with cracked pepper and salt.
- Add the carrots and celery and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Tie the thyme and rosemary, add them to the pot and pour in enough water to sit just above the ingredients.
- Simmer gently until the lamb is almost tender.
- Add the rinsed pearl barley and chicken stock. Continue simmering until the barley is cooked and the lamb is fully tender.
- Remove the herb bundle and correct the seasoning. If needed, whisk in a smooth flour slurry and simmer until the broth reaches the desired thickness.
- Stir in the chopped parsley immediately before serving.
Chef’s notes
- Rinse barley before adding it and stir the base regularly because it can settle and catch.
- Add barley only when the lamb is nearly tender so it retains shape.
- Tie the woody herbs for clean removal before service.
- Use flour only after the barley has finished cooking; barley may thicken the stew sufficiently on its own.
At the table
Serve in warm bowls with soda bread, extra parsley and cracked pepper.