The Joy of Stew

The Joy of Stew

I love the summer with the variety of salads, many barbeques and last minute picnics are a pure joy but this summer has largely been a washout. However as we dive headlong into autumn I can’t help myself willing it along. I was introduced to the joy of a slow cooker last year, not having used one before they seemed like a kitchen gadget best left in a different decade. But no, I love it. To be sure there is often some preparation prior to bunging in all the ingredients, browning the meat and the onions definitely improves the flavour of a good stew but from then on a slow cooker makes it all so simple.

Coming home from work and opening the front door the smell of a good beef stew or rich lamb shanks in red wine that have been bubbling away merrily for eight hours or more is hard to beat. The depth and richness of the sauces from any of the above cannot be rushed and although all can be cooked adequately on the hob or in a conventional oven, I didn’t quite believe leaving a meal alone for that long without intervention, not even a stir could produce such results.

No doubt over the next few months there will be a few stew recipes posted on this blog but with temperatures dropping quickly by early evening, here’s one of our favourites. I’ve written this recipe for a slow cooker but once prepared this can be placed in a casserole with a lid and cooked in a conventional oven for 2 ½ hours.  There’s a little preparation to do at the start and adding the dumplings for the last hour of cooking (30 mins for oven cooking) but other than this, it cooks itself.

Beef In Red Wine Stew with Parmesan Herbed Dumplings

Serves 6

For the Stew

2 large onions cut into chunky pieces
2 cloves garlic sliced
2 bay leaves
spring of thyme and fresh oregano
600g stewing steak or other braising cut cut into 1 inch large-ish chunks
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
4 medium carrots, cut into big chunks
500ml good quality beef stock
300ml full bodied red wine
1 large potato, diced into 1cm cubes
1 tbsp redcurrant jelly

For the dumplings

50g vegetable suet
50g plain flour
1 tsp mustard
Few sprigs of fresh chopped herbs, I used thyme and oregano
20g grated parmesan
Milk to bind (amount will vary depending on flour)
Salt and pepper

Method

• In a frying pan, saute onions, garlic and bay leaves until golden. Add to slow cooker pot.
• In a bowl mix flour, paprika and salt and pepper and coat meat thoroughly.
• Heat oil in frying pan, brown meat in small batches and add to onions with all the juices..
• Add carrots, potato chunks, herbs, beef stock, wine and red currant jelly, leave to cook on low setting for at least 6 hours.
• Season stew with salt and pepper as necessary.
• In a bowl, add suet, flour, mustard, herbs and parmesan and mix. Add enough milk to shape into sticky golf ball sized dumplings, add to stew. Baste with sauce after 20 minutes.
• The dumplings should double in size and be slightly firm to touch after 40 minutes. Serve in deep bowls with creamy mash or crusty bread.