Also know as 'Pound Stew' because the weight is roughly a lb of each main Ingredient. Although traditionally cooked in the oven I often do this is the slow cooker for 8 hours.
Ingredients£
450g Stewing beef fat trimmed and in 1½ cm cubes
3 tblsp oil
450g Onions sliced
450g Carrots sliced in chunks roughly same size as beef
3 tblsp well seasoned plain flour
Salt and Pepper
Water to cover
Directions:
1. Toss the beef in the seasoned flour and heat the oil in a frying pan then seal the meat by turning it in the hot oil till all sides are browned.
2. Put sealed meat in the casserole dish and add the onions to the frying pan and soften.
3. Add the onions and the carrots to the casserole dish.
4. ‘Deglaze’ the frying pan to do this add some water and bring to the boil use the spoon to remove the meat juices and flour from the bottom of the pan. Pour this into the casserole dish, season with salt and pepper and top up with water to just cover the ingredients.
5. Cover with a lid or foil and cook in the oven on 160ºC/gas3/325ºF for 3 hrs.
6. Mix dumplings. Wet your hands and take roughly dessert spoonfuls of dumpling dough, roll into balls and drop into the stew leaving space between them for them to double in size.
7. Return to the oven for 15-25 minutes depending on the size of the dumplings added.
Herbs such as thyme or a bouquet garni can be added into the stew straight into the casserole dish before cooking or finely chopped herbs such as thyme or parsley can be added to the dumpling dry mix.
