Celebrate St. Paddy's with beef and Guinness stew

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large cooking pot and brown the meat in two batches, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Remove and set aside on a plate.

Add another tablespoon of oil if you need it and fry the onion, carrots and celery for 6 minutes, until the onion is soft. Return the meat to the pot, along with the garlic. Pour in the stock and Guinness, add the bay leaf and season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer gently for about 1 ½ hours until the liquid has reduced and the meat is tender, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick.

Serve nice and hot in deep bowls with lots of bread to soak up all those delicious juices!

Preheat the oven to 230°C (450°F), gas mark 8. Combine all the dry ingredients, except for the oats, in a bowl.

Make a well in the middle and pour in the buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon, combine the wet and dry ingredients until you have a sticky mixture.

Use your hands to shape the dough into a ball. Place it on a floured baking tray and sprinkle over the oats. Cook in the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 200°C (400°F), gas mark 6 and cook for another 20 minutes until nicely browned on top. The bread is done when you tap it underneath and it sounds hollow.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slathering with a good bit of Irish butter and devouring!