It Wasn't the First Time I've Been Called Bitter...

So in light of my string of pub style cooking as of late, and being the month of March with St. Patrick's coming up, I decided a dish of Irish Lamb Stew and Soda Bread was appropriate.

Now the Lamb Stew I used a pretty standard recipe you can find about anywhere (being 1 can of Guinness, beef stock, lamb chunks and root vegetables, and herbs). I also added some of my own additions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and a small bit of sharp cheddar cheese.

The soda bread however has a wide range of different recipes available, caraway seeds, raisins, oats, straight buttermilk, butter and buttermilk, etc etc. Usually I make mine with caraway seeds, this time however I used oats and just buttermilk.

I used to use both butter and buttermilk in my Soda Bread, until making it once I used a recipe requiring 1 stick of butter. Being unfamiliar with stick of butter being an American measurement, I thought it meant to use a full pound of butter. Needless to say my Soda Bread was more like Cake by the end, and whilst tasty, not exactly healthy. I now use just buttermilk as it seems more traditional.

The stew turned out quite nice, with a light bitter after taste. The bread however was a tad over bitter, although I question the integrity of my whole wheat flour.

And finally a word to the wise; If ever your mother asks you what you will be preparing for St. Patrick's Day, replying "Liver Failure" isn't the correct answer.