Is it a classic or a clichΘ, the bowl of Irish stew? My vote goes to the classic status, simply because the dish has a logic about it which is unassailable. It makes the very most out of the very least and there are few dishes about we can say that about.
But the classic status is very definitely threatened when chefs start to muck about with the dish, adding all sorts of unnecessary ingredients in a move to make it more "modern". Irish stew isn't meant to be modern and it doesn't suit being monkeyed about with. It should be as simple as can be: spuds, onions, lamb, water, a scattering of herbs, and that's it.
I think its classic status is underlined by the fact that Richard Olney includes a recipe for it in his legendary book, Simple French Food, claiming it as worthy to stand alongside the staple dishes of that great cuisine. Olney understands that when done with only the basic ingredients, this is a dish worthy of the acclamation "simple".
"Irish stew is the common denominator of all the meat and potato daubes and, by virtue of its purity, it may be the best," he writes. Indeed it is.
Irish Stew
750 g (1 1/2 to 2 lbs) pounds) boned lamb
shanks or leftover lamb roast, cut into pieces or thick slices
1/2 kg (2 1/2 to 3 lbs) potatoes,
peeled and sliced thickly
750 g (1 to 1 1/2 lb) onions, thinly sliced
Salt
1 teaspoon finely crumbled, mixed, dried herbs
Water (to cover)
Arrange layers of meat and vegetables in an oven casserole, beginning with one of potatoes, then one of onions, seasoning the layers as you go with a sprinkling of salt and herbs and finishing with a thick layer of potatoes.
Press the surface firmly, pour over water to cover and cook, covered, in a 300F, 150C, gas 2 oven for from 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours.
Check after an hour or so and reduce the oven's heat if the contents are bubbling too rapidly.