Rosemary's Beef Stew with Dumplings!

Hearty Beef Casserole with Herby Dumplings
 
Ingredients
 
800g chuck steak
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons of plain flour
2 tbsp oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
200g button mushrooms
1 small handful of fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, bay leaf)
50mls red wine
450ml good beef stock
200g of chopped tomatoes
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbs chopped flat leaf parsley
 
For the dumplings
150g vegetable suet
300g self-raising flour
pinch of salt
120ml of water (enough to make a soft not sticky dough)
2 tsp of dried mixed herb spices
2 tsp of fresh parsley, chopped
 
 
Method
 
1. Brown beef in batches, remove from pan and set aside.
2. Cook the onion until soft and starting to caramelise, add flour continue to cook for a
minute, deglaze pan with red wine and cook for a minute.
3. Add the beef into pan along with the button mushrooms, tomatoes and sugar, season
and allow to simmer for 5 minutes. Place into the oven at 150c for about an hour
checking the meat is starting to fall apart. Check seasoning. If the sauce is too liquid,
remove the meat and reduce the sauce to a coating consistency and add back to the
pie.
4. To make the dumplings, sift the flour and salt into a bowl and mix in the vegetable
suet. Add enough water to make a soft not sticky dough. Roll into mini
dumplings (about 20g each).
5. Add the dumplings on top of the pie and cover and continue to bake for about 20
minutes, turning the dumplings halfway through, sprinkle with flat leaf parsley and serve!

R xx