Beef Casserole With Stilton Parsley Dumplings

Total Time: 2 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 1/2 lbs stewing beef, cut into cubes
• flour, for dusting
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/4 cups red wine
• 2 1/2 cups beef stock
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 4 large carrots, peeled and quartered
• 2/3 cup port wine
• 6 ounces self-raising flour
• 2 1/2 ounces shredded suet
• 2 1/2 ounces stilton cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• water, for mixing

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350°f
• 2 toss the beef in the flour then shake it to get rid of the excess flour.
• 3 heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a casserole dish. fry the beef in batches, browning on each side, then removing with a slotted spoon.
• 4 pour the red wine into the casserole dish and heat through, scaping the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze it.
• 5 add the browned beef to the wine. add the stock and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• 6 heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a frying pan and fry the onion until tender. add the fried onion to the beef mixture.
• 7 cover the casserole and bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
• 8 meanwhile, make the dumplings. in a mixing bowl mix together the flour, suet, stilton and parsley. season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• 9 make a well in the centre. add a little water and, using a spoon, mix in the dry ingredients, adding more water as need to form a soft dough. using wetted hands shape the dough into small dumplings.
• 10 once the casserole has baked for 1 and a half hours add the potatoes, carrots and port wine. top with the dumplings. return to the oven and bake for a further 30 minutes until the dumplings have risen and the beef is tender.