Beef Stew & Crispy Dumplings

Trim any excess fat from the beef and cut it into large, stew-sized chunks.

In a bowl, add the plain flour and coat the beef chunks thoroughly.

Prepare the vegetables by peeling and chopping the carrots, onion, turnip, and leek into large pieces. Finely chop the garlic.

Save about 100g of the outer green leaves of the leek for the dumplings later.

Heat vegetable oil in a large frying pan and brown the floured beef chunks in batches on all sides.

Once all beef is browned, deglaze the pan with a little of the beef stock, scraping up any browned bits, and pour this into the rest of the stock.

Preheat your oven to 160°C (320°F / Gas mark 3).

Heat a little oil in a Dutch oven on the hob. Add all the chopped vegetables, followed by the browned meat, and give it a mix.

Add the freshly ground pepper, salt, chopped garlic, and dried thyme to the pot. Mix everything together.

Pour in the beef stock and the strong brown ale or stout. Stir to combine all the ingredients.

Bring the stew to a boil on the hob, then cover with a lid and place it in the preheated oven to cook for 2 hours.

While the stew is cooking, prepare the dumpling mix. Finely chop the leek leaves you set aside earlier.

In a large bowl, add the self-raising flour and baking powder. If using plain flour, add 4 tsp of baking powder. Whisk to combine.

Add the butter and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Mix in the chopped leeks, followed by the beef or vegetable suet.

In a separate container, whisk the egg and milk together.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Use a knife to gently combine everything into a sticky dough.

Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let the dumpling mix rest at room temperature until needed.

Prepare a thickening agent by mixing two heaped teaspoons of corn flour with 150g of cold water.

After the stew has cooked for 2 hours, remove it from the oven. Place it on the hob over a low heat and stir in the corn flour slurry to thicken.

Using a dessert spoon, add dollops of the dumpling mix on top of the stew. Dip the spoon in the gravy to prevent sticking.

Place the pot back in the oven, uncovered for crispy dumplings. Increase the oven temperature to 180°C (356°F / Gas mark 4) and cook for a further 30 minutes.

Remove the stew from the oven, let it rest for a few minutes, then serve hot.