Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I like to go a traditional route for St. Patrick's Day dinner. We usually have Guinness beef stew, soda bread, and I have a Guinness. I modify a couple recipes to make my stew. Here is a rough recipe, as the veggies can vary in quantity and variety. The prunes add a nice sweetness that compliments the bitterness of the Guinness. 

Guinness Beef Stew with Herbed Potatoes 

Stew:

1 onion, chopped

1 large turnip, peeled and chopped

2 medium parsnips, chopped into similar size pieces (narrow end in circles, fat end halved)

6 medium carrots, chopped into circles

2 lb boneless chuck roast, cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks (don't use stew beef unless you like chewing erasers)

1 cup pitted prunes, halved

Salt and pepper

2 bay leaves

1 bottle of Guinness

2 cups water

Potatoes:

2lb small new potatoes, halved if large

4 T unsalted butter

Salt and pepper

1t dried thyme

For stew: place all ingredients in 6 qt crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until meat is tender. I like to thicken mine with a little instant potato flake. Add it by the tablespoon until desisted thickness. 

For potatoes: melt butter in a large heavy pot with lid (I use my enameled cast iron Dutch oven). Add potatoes (wet from rinsing) and salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low heat 30 minutes, until tender. Do not remove lid to stir, but shake the pot, so steam doesn't escape. Turn off heat and let sit 5 minutes. Add thyme and shake. 

Serve in bowls with stew on potatoes.