Name: Beef stew and dumplings
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil plus extra for frying (optional); 3 tbsp plain flour; 1kg braising beef steak cut into 4cm pieces; 1 onion diced; 2 carrots diced; 2 sticks celery diced; 1 bay leaf; 2 tbsp tomato purée; 1 litre beef stock; 125g plain flour plus extra for dusting; 1 tsp baking powder; a handful flat-leaf parsley finely chopped, plus extra to serve (optional); 60g suet

2 tbsp olive oil
plus extra for frying (optional)
3 tbsp plain flour
1kg braising beef steak
cut into 4cm pieces
1 onion
diced
2 carrots
diced
2 sticks celery
diced
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 litre beef stock

DUMPLINGS

125g plain flour
plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
a handful flat-leaf parsley
finely chopped, plus extra to serve (optional)
60g suet

Method

step 1
Heat the oil in a casserole over a medium-high heat. Tip the flour onto a plate and season well. Toss each piece of beef in the flour until well coated. Fry in batches, adding more oil if needed, for 4-5 minutes or until golden, scooping out the cooked pieces onto a plate.
step 2
Heat the oven to 160C/ fan 140C/gas 3. Tip the veg and bay leaf into the casserole with a pinch of salt and cook for 10 minutes, scraping the bottom, until softened slightly. Stir in the tomato purée and any of the remaining seasoned flour. Cook for another minute before adding the stock and browned beef. Bring to the boil, put on a lid and cook in the oven for 2 hours. Remove the lid for 30 minutes more, or until the beef is meltingly tender and the gravy has thickened.
step 3
To make the dumplings, mix together the ingredients with plenty of seasoning and 80-100ml of water to make a dough. Form into eight balls, then dust lightly with flour and roll again to neaten. Nestle into the top of the stew. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 30 minutes until the dumplings are cooked through and golden. Serve scattered with more parsley, if you like.