Beef stew and dumplings
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 braising steak, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 175g/6oz baby onions, peeled (or large onions, sliced)
- 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 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
- 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
- 125²µ/4½´Ç³ú plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp baking powder
- pinch salt
- 60²µ/2½´Ç³ú suet
To serve
- mashed potato
- 1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
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 puffed up 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.
Recipe Tips
The swede in this beef stew can be swapped for other root veg such as parsnips, celeriac, turnips, or even squash.
You can replace the red wine with a bit more stock, or even strong black tea if you don't want to use alcohol.
If you don't have suet in, you can substitute in 25g/1oz cold butter, rubbed in to the flour to form a breadcrumb consistency. Then bind the dumplings with a combination of plain yoghurt and water, to add extra tenderness.
This beef stew freezes very well, though without the dumplings. Cool completely, then store in an airtight box or bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Always make the dumplings fresh.
