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Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
It probably comes as no big surprise that you won’t find corned beef being served on our table this St. Patty’s day. I probably should feel a little guilty seeing as I married into an Irish family and all, but instead…I will serve Irish Lager Stew!
This even got the thumbs up from my Dad who is a huge corned beef fan (I’m still working on him!).
A hearty portion of mushrooms is used in this recipe, helpful for creating an “umami” flavor. Umami is the Japanese term for deliciousness. The umami flavor in certain foods comes from glutamic acid, an amino acid associated with savory or meaty flavors. Mushrooms contain a significant amount of glutamic acid and are considered an umami-rich food. (www.hsph.harvard.edu) Other natural umami enhancing foods used in this recipe are miso and tomatoes.
I used barley to “beef” up the stew, but you can omit for a gluten free version. The original recipe used quick-cooking tapioca to add a sheen and create a gravy-like texture. I’ve never used tapioca in a stew before, have you?
Irish Lager Stew
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs. vegetable oil
- 8 oz. button or shiitake mushrooms
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium leek white part only, diced (1 cup)
- 3 small red potatoes cut into 1-inch cubes (1 ½ cups)
- 2 medium carrots peeled and sliced (2 cups)
- 1 ½ tsp. tomato paste
- 1 15- oz. can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
- ⅓ cup barley
- 3 cups shredded cabbage
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme tied in bundle, plus 1 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
- ½ cup lager beer such as Harp
- 1 Tbs. white miso mixed in a small bowl with a tablespoon of water to make a paste
- 2 Tbs. chopped parsley
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tbs. oil in large pot over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic; sauté 8 minutes, or until mushrooms are browned.
- Add remaining 1 Tbs. oil to pot. Add leek, and cook 5 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, and tomato paste. Cook 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, broth, barley, cabbage and thyme sprigs; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Nutrition
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