Irish Stew

Irish stew is the common denominator of all the meat and potato daubes and, by virtue of its purity, it may be the best. The French have long since adopted it, and it is, apparently, closer to theirs than to the Irish heart, possibly because of its affinity to cool, young Beaujolais. A typically French refinement consists of using two different potato varieties in alternating layers, one a firm, waxy-fleshed type that will not cook apart and the other a soup variety that melts into a