Irish Ham, Potato and Cabbage Stew
This typical, ham and cabbage Irish stew is salty, savory and comforting. A favorite for many years with kids. Easy to make and best all mashed together in your bowl and doused with the cooking broth. An old fashioned recipe, passed down for generations. A perfectly easy way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day.
Very important tip. Have your family, guests etc. pour the broth over the vegetables. Make sure to mash the potatoes and carrots together. The stew is best when it is cut into little pieces, so that the moisture of the broth penetrates it all. Add lots of fresh ground pepper to taste.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 35 minutes
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
1 3lb ham (without hock)
8 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
1 medium white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
3 bay leaves
2 tsp salt
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
3 Tbs fresh parsley
10 carrots cut in half
10 medium red potatoes, cut in half
1 medium cabbage, quartered
Do not stir the cabbage into the stew, it is better that it stays just a little firm and doesn’t get mushy. Keeping it in large pieces, accomplishes just that. Just place it on top and cover the pot. It’s ok if it is partially submerged and part of the cabbage floats on top. It will steam. Whether it floats or not, depends on the size of your stockpot.
Directions:
Pour all of the chicken broth and the water into a large stockpot. Add the ham, the bay leaves, the salt, the chopped onion and the thyme. Bring to a simmer. Simmer 10 minutes. Add the carrots and the potato halves. Simmer an additional 10 minutes. Place the cabbage quarters on top of the stew. Cover and simmer an additional 15 minutes. Check the carrots and potatoes by piercing them with a fork to see if they are tender. If so, then they are done. Stir in the parsley. Adjust the salt and add pepper to your liking. We like this salty.
The stew is best enjoyed when it is chopped into small bite sized pieces and served in a bowl with lots of broth poured on top. Suggest to your guests or family to mash the potatoes and carrots together into the broth.