In the grip of winter and the January blues, nothing can beat comfort food! This beef stew is a delicious example.
Ingredients
● Olive oil
● 4 Garlic cloves
● 1 white onion chopped
● 4 carrots chopped
● 2 large potatoes chopped
● 2 celery sticks chopped
● 680g of stewing beef cut into chunks
● Bay leaves
● Thyme
● 2 tbsp tomato puree
● 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
● 2 beef stock cubes, crumbles
● 2 tbsp plain flour
● 1tbsp butter
● 150 ml red wine (optional)
For the dumplings (optional)
● 125g plain flour
● 1 tsp baking powder
● Pinch of salt
● 60g suet
Method
● Pre heat the oven to 160°c
●
Soften the onion, celery, carrots and potato with some olive oil and the butter. Add salt, pepper, thyme, and the bay leaves to season.
●
Soften for about 10 minutes then stir in the flour followed by the tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock cubes dissolved in water.
●
Gradually stir and then tip in the meat. Bring to a gentle simmer and add the red wine.
●
Cover the stew and put in the oven for two hours.
●
Prepare your dumplings by combining the flour, baking powder, suet and salt with some water to form a dough.
●
Divide the dough into dumplings, you can make four big ones or multiple small ones.
●
After two hours remove the cover from the stew and add your dumplings, cook for a further 20 minutes or until the dumplings are golden.
●
Serve and enjoy.
