Envision a blustery November afternoon when the winds howl, the birds are silent, and time seems to stand still. As the weather transports me down memory lane, I recall my teenage adventures studying abroad in Ireland.
In the quaint coastal town of Howth, just a short train ride from Dublin, there was a delightful inn renowned for its delectable stout stew, known as stobhach. Traditionally made with mutton immersed in a rich ale gravy, my vegan adaptation replaces the meat with seitan, cabbage, and a can fine Irish stout. The gravy remains just as flavorful and hearty as the original, enhanced by the fragrant notes of thyme, bay laurel, and juniper berries.
Economical and simple to prepare, this stout stew is a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, particularly on those chilly days when the wind bites, reminiscent of that moment of inspiration!
Prep Time: 25-30 min | Cook Time: 40-45 min | Serves: 4-6
Ingredients
- 1 pound seitan, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 4 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
- 2 cups purple cabbage, cut into 2” pieces
- 1 rib celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 carrots, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp juniper berries
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 (14.9 ounce) can stout
Method
In a medium dutch oven, brown the bacon and seitan in the coconut oil, bay leaves, and juniper berries for 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off the heat and transfer bacon and seitan into a plate and set aside.
In the same dutch oven, sauté the onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Season with the salt and pepper and add the broth, tomato paste and thyme. Cover with a lid and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes then add the stout and seitan. Stew on low heat for 30 minutes until the liquid is reduced to a thick gravy.
Discard the juniper berries and bay leaves, add the bacon pieces, stir well, and serve hot with soda bread.
