Beef and ale stew with dumplings

Tender chunks of beef with cheesy dumplings...you can't go wrong with this hearty stew recipe

By The GH Kitchen TeamPublished: 15 October 2014

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Good Housekeeping

Cooking Notes: about 4hrs 25min

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Yields:

6 - 6

Prep Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

20 mins

Ingredients

50 g
plain flour
1.2kg chuck, stewing or casserole beef steak, trimmed and cut into 5cm (2in) chunks
4 Tbsp.
olive oil
2 large onions, sliced
300 ml
beef stock
500 ml
ale
1
bay leaf
4
sprigs fresh thyme
200 g
button mushrooms, halved if large
None
2 large carrots, cut into 5cm chunks

For the dumplings

100 g
plain flour
1 tsp.
baking powder
50 g
butter
1 Tbsp.
fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus extra to garnish
1 tsp.
fresh thyme, leaves picked
50 g
extra mature Cheddar cheese, grated

Directions

1. Step 1
  Put the flour in a large mixing bowl and season. Toss a third of the beef in flour to coat, shaking off excess. Heat 1tbsp oil in a large casserole over medium heat. Fry meat until browned all over. Set aside. Repeat with the remaining meat using 1tbsp oil each time. Add 75ml water to pan,
  scraping up brown bits.
2. Step 2
  Reduce the heat. Add remaining oil and onions to pan. Cover and cook for 15min until soft, adding a splash of stock if dry.
3. Step 3
  Return beef to pan with stock, ale and herbs. Bring to boil. Turn down heat, partially cover and simmer for 2-3hr until tender.
4. Step 4
  Add the mushrooms and carrots; simmer for 30min.
5. Step 5
  Meanwhile, make dumplings. Heat oven to 200°C (180°C fan) mark 6. Mix all ingredients, apart from cheese, in a bowl with plenty of seasoning, or
  pulse in a food processor until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add cheese and mix in to form larger flakes, then sprinkle over 1–2tbsp water to bring the dough together. Roll into 6 balls and dot around stew leaving a 2cm gap between them. Put into oven uncovered and cook for 20min until dumplings are puffed and golden. Sprinkle over extra parsley, if you like, and serve.
  
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Full-on flavour

Browning the meat is the secret to a rich stew. Don't overcrowd the pan or it will boil rather than brown.

Per Serving:

Calories: 613
Fibre: 4 g
Total carbs: 27 g
Sugars: 7 g
Total fat: 31 g
Saturated fat: 12 g
Protein: 52 g

What to read next

The GH Kitchen Team

A crack team of highly skilled food content producers, the GH Kitchen Team are Good Housekeeping’s resident recipe developers and all-round food obsessives. GH Kitchen Director Sarah Akhurst is our resident hosting pro and loves nothing more than putting on a foodie feast for friends. Senior Cookery Writer Alice Shields is a former pastry chef and baking fanatic who loves making bread and would have peanut butter with everything if she could. Lover of all things savoury, Senior Cookery Writer Grace Evans can be found eating nocellara olives at every opportunity, and will take the cheeseboard over dessert any time. With a wealth of professional kitchen experience between them, they’re dedicated to ensuring every Good Housekeeping recipe is the best it can be, so you can trust they’ll work every single time.

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