To Ragout a Breast of Veal

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.