For the coldest wintry evenings, tuck into a rich beef stew with fluffy dumplings to warm you right down to your toes.
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
- 2 tbsp
- 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
- 125g/4½oz
- To serve
mashed potato - 1 tbsp chopped flatleaf
parsley
Preparation method
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
For the beef stew, heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof casserole and fry the beef until browned on all sides.
Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.
Add the garlic and all the vegetables and fry for 1-2 minutes.
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.
Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and cook for about two hours, or until the meat is tender.
For the dumplings, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl.
Add the suet and enough water to form a thick dough.
With floured hands, roll spoonfuls of the dough into small balls.
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.)
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.