Description
Jamie oliver’s hearty stew and dumplings showcase British comfort cuisine at its finest. Rich, slow-cooked beef melds with herbed dumplings, creating a warming meal perfect for chilly evenings you’ll savor to the last spoonful.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.2 kg (2.6 lbs) braising steak, cut into roughly 4 cm chunks
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 2 medium parsnips, cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
- 2 medium carrots, cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces
- 1 large leek, cut into 1 cm (0.5 inch) slices
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- Plain flour, to dust
- 3 tbsps tomato purée
- 200 ml (7 fl oz) red wine
- 600 ml (20 fl oz) beef stock
- 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 125 g (4 oz) self-raising flour
- 60 g (2.5 oz) suet
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Preparation: Calibrate oven to 160°C (320°F), positioning rack centrally, ensuring optimal heat circulation for slow cooking.
- Aromatic Foundation: Gently caramelize onions in a saucepan over medium heat until translucent, releasing their sweet essence and creating a flavor base.
- Meat Preparation: Meticulously dry meat pieces, then delicately coat with flour, eliminating excess to promote perfect browning and texture.
- Flavor Layering: Amalgamate sautéed onions, vegetables, tomato purée, red wine, meat stock, rosemary, and seasonings in the saucepan, ensuring ingredients are completely submerged; supplement liquid if necessary.
- Cooking Technique: Elevate heat to trigger a gentle simmer, seal with a snug lid, and transfer to preheated oven for a transformative slow-cooking process.
- Tenderization: Allow stew to evolve for 2.5-3 hours, enabling meat to become meltingly tender and flavors to harmonize completely.
- Dumpling Creation: Craft dough by blending flour, suet, parsley, and seasonings, introducing cold water to form a cohesive, slightly tacky mixture.
- Final Assembly: Shape dumplings into uniform orbs and nestle them atop the stew during the concluding 30 minutes of cooking, allowing them to steam and absorb the rich, complex flavors.
Notes
- Meat Preparation Tip: Thoroughly pat meat dry and coat evenly with flour to create a perfect golden crust that locks in flavors and helps thicken the stew.
- Slow Cooking Magic: Low and slow oven temperature ensures meat becomes incredibly tender, breaking down tough fibers and developing rich, deep flavors.
- Liquid Level Control: Always ensure meat and vegetables are fully submerged in liquid during cooking to prevent drying out and maintain moisture.
- Dumpling Technique: Shape dumplings uniformly and add during the last 30 minutes of cooking to prevent them from becoming soggy and maintain a light, fluffy texture.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 hours 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 550
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 30 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg