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To Ragout a Breast of Veal
Appears in
By David Bowers
Published 2014
Cut a breast of veal in small pieces about two inches square season it with pepper and salt then fry it till it is half ready then put it into two quarts of green peas two or three onions half a pound of bacon cut as small as dice a bunch of sweet herbs cover it with small broth or boiling water let it still till it is tender and serve it up.
—from an 18th century Irish cookbook manuscript
The Irish excel at stews, and not just Irish stew. There are many variations that feature chunks of meat and tender vegetables in rich gravies. Some are highly regional, such as Coddle, a stew that is so closely identified with Dublin it’s barely been heard of, much less eaten, in other parts of Ireland. Others, such as Beef in Guinness, are more modern but no less beloved and have developed over the years to take advantage of our obvious local ingredients. That’s where seafood chowders come in: they are a big favorite, turning up all across the country, and usually each bowl is absolutely loaded with lots of varieties of seafood, chunks of fish, mussels, and prawns. And that’s why it belongs in stews, not soups.