DUMPLINGS WITH BEEF STEW RECIPES

Season the flour with a good pinch of salt and pepper, then toss the beef in the seasoned flour to coat

Cook the beef in batches in 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan over high heat, turning occasionally, for 5-10 minutes or until brown all over. Transfer to a slow cooker

Cook the vegetables, garlic and mushrooms in the remaining oil in the pan over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until vegetables begin to brown. Stir in the herbs, tomato purée and chopped tomato and cook for a couple of minutes. Add to the beef in the slow cooker

Pour in the stock and cook for 4 hours on high (or 6 hours on low), until the meat is very tender

To make the dumplings, combine all the flour, suet and herbs in a bowl and add enough milk to just bring it together. Season with salt and pepper. Roll into 6-8 small balls

Stir the stew, remove the bay leaves and season to taste

Evenly top the surface of the stew with the dumplings. Cover and cook for an additional hour with the lid on

Serve topped with the combined parsley and garlic if using. 

Season the flour with a good pinch of salt and pepper, then toss the beef in the seasoned flour to coat

Cook the beef in batches in 1 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan over high heat, turning occasionally, for 5-10 minutes or until brown all over. Transfer to a slow cooker

Cook the vegetables, garlic and mushrooms in the remaining oil in the pan over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until vegetables begin to brown. Stir in the herbs, tomato purée and chopped tomato and cook for a couple of minutes. Add to the beef in the slow cooker

Pour in the stock and cook for 4 hours on high (or 6 hours on low), until the meat is very tender

To make the dumplings, combine all the flour, suet and herbs in a bowl and add enough milk to just bring it together. Season with salt and pepper. Roll into 6-8 small balls

Stir the stew, remove the bay leaves and season to taste

Evenly top the surface of the stew with the dumplings. Cover and cook for an additional hour with the lid on

Serve topped with the combined parsley and garlic if using. 

1. If using the oven to cook the stew, preheat it to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
2. Put a large shallow ovenproof casserole pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil.
3. Trim the celery, wash the carrots, peel the onions, then roughly chop it all about the same size as your beef chunks, adding the veg to the pan as you go.
4. Season the veg with sea salt and black pepper, and fry for 10 minutes, or until softened and starting to caramelise, stirring occasionally.
5. Strip in the rosemary leaves, stir in the flour for 2 minutes, then pour in the booze and let it cook away.
6. Pour in the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of the spoon. Fill the tin with water, swirl around, and pour into the pan.
7. Bring just to the boil, then stir in the meat, season, and cover. Either simmer slowly on the hob or place in the oven for 2 hours, or until the meat falls apart easily.
8. Taste the stew and tweak the seasoning, if needed, then serve with rice or mashed potato, and some lovely veggies, or check out the topping ideas below.

1. For this recipe, you will need 1 leftover chicken carcass, plus up to 300g leftover cooked chicken. Strip all the meat you can find off the chicken carcass, and put aside.
2. Place the carcass and any bones in a large pan and use a rolling pin to smash them all up. Cover with 1 litre of water, bring to the boil, then simmer for at least 30 minutes, skimming away any scum from the surface.
3. Meanwhile, finely slice the bacon and place in a large casserole pan on a medium heat with a lug of oil, while you peel and chop the onions, carrots, and potatoes or celeriac into 2cm dice.
4. Add to the pan along with the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
5. Halve and stir in the mushrooms, along with the leftover chicken and plain flour.
6. Pour the stock through a sieve straight into the pan (topping up with a little water, if needed) and let it simmer for 20 minutes, or until thick and delicious, while you start your dumplings.
7. Place the self-raising flour and a pinch of sea salt in a mixing bowl. Coarsely grate in the butter and rub together until it resembles breadcrumbs.
8. Add 100ml of cold water and bring into a ball of dough. Divide into 12 pieces and roll into balls.
9. When the time’s up, loosen the stew with a good splash of water if needed, season to perfection, then transfer it to an ovenproof pan and place the balls on top.
10. Pop the lid on and bake at 190°C/375°F/gas 5 for 30 minutes, or until hot through and the dumplings are fluffy and cooked. Serve with some seasonal greens.

Start by making the dumplings. Rub the butter into the flour and mix with the Cheddar and thyme. Add just enough cold water to bring the mixture together to a soft dough and divide into 5–6 small dumplings.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish and fry the onion and celery over a low heat for 10 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the flour into the pan, whisking constantly to make a roux. Add in the Marmite and tomato purée followed by the stock, a glug at a time, whisking all the while to make a smooth base to the stew.

Throw the carrots, parsnips, swede, sweet potatoes, rosemary and bouquet garni into the dish and bring to a boil. Cook the stew, with the lid off, for 5-7 minutes. The vegetables should be cooking nicely but still have a bite to them. 

Rinse the orzo pasta well, in a sieve, and the pour into the casserole along with the chestnuts. Season well and place the dumplings on top of the casserole. Sprinkle over a little chopped rosemary and bake in the oven, with the lid off, for 20-30 minutes until the dumplings are puffed up and nicely cooked and the vegetables are tender. 

1. If using the oven to cook the stew, preheat it to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
2. Put a large shallow ovenproof casserole pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil.
3. Trim the celery, wash the carrots, peel the onions, then roughly chop it all about the same size as your beef chunks, adding the veg to the pan as you go.
4. Season the veg with sea salt and black pepper, and fry for 10 minutes, or until softened and starting to caramelise, stirring occasionally.
5. Strip in the rosemary leaves, stir in the flour for 2 minutes, then pour in the booze and let it cook away.
6. Pour in the tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of the spoon. Fill the tin with water, swirl around, and pour into the pan.
7. Bring just to the boil, then stir in the meat, season, and cover. Either simmer slowly on the hob or place in the oven for 2 hours, or until the meat falls apart easily.
8. Taste the stew and tweak the seasoning, if needed, then serve with rice or mashed potato, and some lovely veggies, or check out the topping ideas below.