STEW AND DUMPLINGS RECIPES

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.

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.