Beef & Ale Stew with Herb Dumplings

Ingredients

Stew

• 1 kg braising beef, cut into large chunks
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp oil
• 2 onions, sliced
• 3 carrots, in chunks
• 500 ml dark ale
• 400 ml beef stock
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 2 bay leaves

Dumplings

• 150 g self-raising flour
• 75 g suet (or grated cold butter)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 7 tbsp cold water

Method

1. Brown the beef. Toss the beef in the flour and season. Brown in batches in the oil in a large casserole for about 10 minutes. Set aside.
2. Soften the vegetables. Cook the onions and carrots for 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato purée.
3. Braise. Return the beef, add the ale, stock and bay. Cover and cook in the oven at 160°C (140°C fan) for 2½ hours.
4. Make the dumplings. Mix the flour, suet, parsley and a pinch of salt. Add the water to make a soft dough and shape into 12 balls.
5. Add the dumplings. Sit the dumplings on the stew, cover and cook for 25 minutes more until risen and fluffy.