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While most foods in Ireland are likely to excite only moderate levels of controversy, people can get really excitable over Irish stew.

(It should be mentioned here that in Ireland it's not usually referred to as "Irish stew", but as "lamb stew".)

It seems possible to get into an argument about nearly anything about lamb stew (except the potatoes). Some folks will complain that you shouldn't really be using lamb to make it at all, but mutton (in other words, the meat from mature sheep, one to three years old, rather than from sheep less than a year old). Fortunately, after a downswing in its popularity, in many places it's becoming possible to find good mutton again if you're willing to look a little.

Other people will get all steamed up about the actual cut of lamb you should be using. Many people insist it should be one of the cheap cuts that requires long, slow cooking, like shin or "scrag end". Others say you should use better cuts, lamb chops from the neck or shoulder, or just plain old chopped up "stewing lamb" bought from the butcher, normally offcuts from the leg or round. You also get people who insist that, whatever the cut of meat involved, the real business of the stew is in the spicing, and that all modern or "fancy" spices should be excluded -- meaning that (in this school of thought) the only spicery proper for a lamb stew is salt, pepper and parsley.

But the liveliest arguments tend to start up over the issue of the presence or absence of carrots...

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Agineres Me Avgolemono (Artichokes with Egg and Lemon Sauce
Categories: Greek, Vegetables, Ceideburg 2
Yield: 4 Servings

Text Only

The classic Greek sauce, avgolemono, is a great low-fat alternative to the
melted butter, mayonnaise or vinaigrette dipping sauces usually served with
artichokes.

Snap the stems off four large artichokes and trim the bases so that they
will sit upright on a plate. Boil a potful of water to which you have
added the juice of a lemon and a pinch of salt. Drop the artichokes in and

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: Irish Stew (1) [Ballymaloe Cookbook]
 Categories: Meats, Main dish
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      3 lb Lamb neck chops
      4 x  Med-sized carrots
      4 x  Med-sized onions
      1 tb Butter
      1 x  Lamb fat or beef dripping
      4 x  Potatoes
      1 x  Salt and pepper
  2 1/2 c  Stock or water
      1 tb Chopped parsley
      1 tb Chopped chives
 
  Shred some of the lamb fat and render it down in a heavy casserole.
  Peel onions and potatoes, scrape carrots.  Cut the meat into 8