Fresh take on Irish stew with lamb, Guinness and soda bread

Chicken and dumplings is a wonderfully simple, deliciously comforting dish — a thick, meaty stew bubbling away beneath a patchwork of moist, pillowy dumplings.
So we decided to channel that comfort for a dish suited for St. Patrick’s Day. Taking inspiration from classic Irish ingredients and dishes, we came up with this over-the-top savory lamb stew with a rich broth made from beef stock, Guinness beer and fresh rosemary.
And dolloped over the top? Soda bread-style dumplings that are at once hearty and tender.
Like most stews, this one only improves with age. For a do-ahead option, prepare the stew as directed, but chill it after the pureeing and recombining steps. When ready to serve, return stew to a simmer, then proceed with the dumpling portion of the recipe.
GUINNESS LAMB STEW WITH WALNUT IRISH
SODA BREAD DUMPLINGS
Start to finish: 1½ hours
2 lbs. lamb stew meat, cut into 1½-inch pieces
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
1 lbs. mixed mushrooms, sliced
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 small potato, peeled and diced
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 Tbsp. finely minced fresh rosemary
12-ounce bottle Guinness beer
3 cups low-sodium beef stock
½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
1½ cups white whole-wheat flour
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
1½ cups buttermilk
1 egg
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
Season lamb with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium-high. Add lamb and sear until well browned. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the lamb to a plate. Add mushrooms to the pot and cook until well browned and tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer mushrooms to a bowl and set aside.
Add onion, carrots, celery, potato, cumin and rosemary to the pot. Cook until beginning to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Return lamb to the pot. Add Guinness and broth. Cover and cook for 45 to 60 minutes, or until lamb is tender and vegetables are cooked through. Using tongs, transfer chunks of lamb to the bowl with the mushrooms.
Working in batches if necessary, ladle vegetables and broth into a blender and blend until smooth. Return mixture to the pot, along with lamb and mushrooms. Return to a low simmer.
In a medium bowl, stir together the walnuts, both flours, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg and melted butter. Gently mix the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture. Using a spoon or a cookie/ice cream scoop, dollop the dough on top of the stew. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the dumplings are cooked through.
Servings: 6
Nutrition information per serving: 680 calories; 220 calories from fat (32 percent of total calories); 25 g fat (9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 155 mg cholesterol; 66 g carbohydrate; 9 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 46 g protein; 780 mg sodium.
--By ALISON LADMAN
The Associated Press