Beef & Stout Stew with Cheddar Dumplings

Ingredients

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 10 x shallots peeled
• 1.6kg shin of beef, cut into 5cm chunks
• 3 tbsp plain flour, seasoned
• 1 bunch of fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 Bay leaf
• 500ml Stout or ale if you prefer
• 400g Chantenay Carrots
• 500ml of good quality vegetable stock

Dumplings

• 150g Self raising flour
• Barber’s 1833 – 95g
• 70g suet
• Parsley chopped -25g

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees/180 degrees fan
2. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large casserole over a medium heat and fry the onions for 2-3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
3. Dust the beef in the seasoned flour. Heat the remaining oil in the casserole over a high heat and fry the beef, in batches, for 3-4 minutes, until browned all over
4. Reduce the heat to medium, return the onions and all the beef to the casserole and add the stout, stock, carrots, tomato puree and herbs. Season well and bring to the boil
5. Reduce to a simmer and cook with the lid on the pan in the oven for 2 hours until the meat is meltingly tender. Half and hour before the stew is cooked add the dumplings. Remove the lid and turn the oven up to 190 for the final 10 min to crisp the dumplings up. Season before serving half the stew with creamy mashed potato

Dumplings

1. Whilst your stew is bubbling, make the dumplings. Weigh the flour into a bowl and add ½ tsp salt. Stir through the suet and grated cheddar and parsley, if using. Make a well in the centre and add 3 tbsp cold water, mix to a dough, adding more water until the dough is firm but pliable. Divide into 8 equal pieces and roll in a little more flour into balls. Chill until needed
2. When the stew has about 30 mins to go, arrange the dumplings on top and cover with a lid. With the oven at 160C/140C fan/gas 3, cook the stew and dumplings for 20 mins, then remove the lid and cook for another 10 mins until they’re brown and puffed up.