Slow-Cooked Beef Stew with Herb Dumplings
Tender chunks of beef are simmered with vegetables in a rich gravy before being crowned with herby dumplings that soak up the delicious flavour.
How long will it take?
3 ½ hours
What’s the serving size?
Serves 6
What do I need?
- 1 kg gravy beef, cut into 3-centimetre pieces
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, sliced
- 2 carrots, cut into chunky pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 500 mL beef stock
- 250 mL red wine (optional)
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
For the Herb Dumplings
- 200 g self-raising flour
- Pinch of salt
- 50 g cold butter, diced
- 2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 50 g grated cheddar
- 125 mL milk
How do I make it?
- Preheat oven to 180C.
- Add flour to a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add beef and toss to coat in the flour.
- Heat oil in a large ovenproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches, then transfer to a plate.
- Add onion, celery and carrots to the casserole dish and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Stire in garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Return beef to the pot and add stock, wine, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer.
- Cover and cook in oven for 2 ½ hours or until the beef is tender.
- Remove stew from the oven and discard the rosemary and by leaves.
- Make the dumplings by adding flour and salt to a bowl. Rub the butter in with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
- Stir through parsley, chives and cheese. Add milk and mix until a soft dough forms.
- Lightly flour your hands. Divide mixture into 8 large equal portions. Gently roll each portion into a rough ball, with your hands. Don’t work them too much to retain their fluffiness.
- Place dumplings on top of the hot stew leaving a little space between each as they will expand while cooking.
- Return the stew to the oven and cook, uncovered for 25-30 minutes or until the dumplings are puffed and cooked through.
TOP TIPS
- No red wine? Replace it with extra beef stock.
- The stew can be made a day ahead. Simply add the dumplings before reheating and baking.
- Leftover stew freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.
