Beef stew with dumplings
Ingredients
For the beef stew
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 25g/1oz butter
- 750g/1lb 10oz beef stewing steak, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 175g/6oz baby onions, peeled
- 150g/5oz celery, cut into large chunks
- 150g/5oz carrots, cut into large chunks
- 2 leeks, roughly chopped
- 200g/7oz swede, cut into large chunks
- 150ml/5fl oz red wine
- 500ml/18fl oz beef stock
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 3 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley
- Worcestershire sauce, to taste
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, or to taste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the dumplings
- 125g/4½oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 60g/2½oz suet
- water, to make a dough
To serve
- mashed potato
- 1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
Method
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Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
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For the beef stew, heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof casserole and fry the beef until browned on all sides.
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Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
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Add the garlic and all the vegetables and fry for 1-2 minutes.
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Stir in the wine, stock and herbs, then add the Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar, to taste. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
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Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and cook for about two hours, or until the meat is tender.
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For the dumplings, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
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Add the suet and enough water to form a thick dough.
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With floured hands, roll spoonfuls of the dough into small balls.
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After two hours, remove the lid from the stew and place the balls on top of the stew. Cover, return to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the dumplings have swollen and are tender. (If you prefer your dumplings with a golden top, leave the lid off when returning to the oven.)
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To serve, place a spoonful of mashed potato onto each of four serving plates and top with the stew and dumplings. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.