Beef cobbler with cheddar and rosemary scones

Ingredients

For the stew

• 90ml/3fl oz vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 900g/2lb chuck steak or stewing steak, cut into cubes
• 2 onions, sliced
• 2 carrots, cut into chunks
• 2 sticks celery, cut into 2cm/1in pieces
• 1 leek, washed and cut into thick rings
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 600ml/1 pint red wine
• 600ml/1 pint beef stock
• 1 bay leaf

For the wholemeal cheese scone topping

• 80g/3oz self-raising flour
• 100g/3½oz wholemeal self-raising flour
• 65g/2¼oz malted flour
• pinch salt
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 150g/5½oz cheddar cheese, grated
• 175ml/6fl oz full fat milk
• 1 free-range egg, beaten
• extra flour for dusting
• parsley, to garnish

Method

1. To make the stew, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

2. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Toss the steak in the four so each piece is coated.

3. Heat half the oil in a casserole dish and fry the meat in batches until browned all over. Remove from the pan and set to one side.

4. Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and fry the onion, carrots, celery and leek until just coloured. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for another two minutes.

5. Pour the wine into the pan and heat through. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any charred meat and vegetables from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, bay leaf and return the beef to the pan.

6. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 1½ hours in the preheated oven (alternatively cook on the hob over a very low heat for 1½ hours).

7. Meanwhile, make the cobbler topping. Mix the flours in a bowl. Add the salt, chopped rosemary and 100g/3½oz of the cheese. Slowly add the milk and bring the mixture together. You may not need all of the milk. Try not to overwork the mixture by mixing it too much as this will toughen the end result.

8. Tip the mixture onto a floured surface and bring together to form a soft dough. Form the dough into a rough circle keeping it quite thick, about 2.5cm/1in. Cut out eight scone-sized circles. Brush the tops of the scones with beaten egg and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.

9. Remove the stew from the oven and place the scones on top of the stew. Increase the oven temperature to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Return the stew to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until the scones are golden-brown. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.