Today we are still in lockdown in the UK due to Covid-19. This morning I woke up in a cooking mood. At first I wanted to cook 3 meals for today, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

However I ended up only cooking 2 meals. Brunch of roast chicken with noodles and dinner is traditional old British stew.

So early in the morning I phoned my mother in law and went over with her the steps for cooking this dish. I have watched her enough time cooking it but it’s nice to hear her instructions kekekekekeke She did give me a very crucial information that I did not know before!!! Then I realised why I don’t like cooking stews. It sticks to the bottom of my pan and I need to soak overnight to wash!

However due to my mother in law’s tip I cooked the best stew ever and nothing stuck to the bottom of my pan. My son woofed down 5 dumplings when he came back from. I will definitely cook this for him again! His ‘so good mum’ makes me so happy.

It is seldom that I cook stew because I am also not a big fan of stew but today I cook for my son as I know he loves a good stew with dumplings, lots of my special dumplings. Also when he last went out to do shopping with his Dad a fortnight ago he bought a stew pack – a packet from the supermarket containing the root vegetables for stew. I think that is a big HINT!

I have a few potatoes left so I decided to add them in too to bulk it up a bit. Both the hubby and the son were really happy!

Note – Traditionally you can serve this with mashed potatoes but I prefer to stew the potatoes as well. One step of work less.

The British Stew

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Ingredients

Stew Ingredients

3 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Plain flour
1 kg Beef (I used beef and lamb chops)
3 Potatoes
2 Onions
3 cloves Garlic
1 small Swede
2/3 Parsnip
2/3 Carrots
1 cup Red wine
2 cup Beef Stock
2 Beef OXO cube
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
2 Bay leaf
1 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
1 tin Oxtail Soup
1 tin baked Beans
Freshly ground pepper
Freshly ground salt
Leeks/ Celery/ Peas (optional)

Dumplings

120 g Flour + baking powder if not self-raising
60 g Suet
Salt
Pepper
Water

Instructions

Chunked your meat and dust them with flour, Seasoned with some salt and pepper. Fry in melted butter.
When your meat is browned, removed and set aside.
Fry your onions and garlic till fragrant then add back in your protein and beef stock.
Put in your oxo cubes, the Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar. Cover and simmer for an hour till the meat is soft and tender.
While your meat is STEWING make your dumplings. Just add everything and form to a ball then into smaller balls.
When your stewing beef is tender enough add in your root vegetables and oxtail soup. Stew for another 30 minutes.
When your root vegetables are tender enough add in your baked beans. bring the whole pot to boil and place your dumplings around the sides. Cover and stew for 12 minutes or so and it's ready to be served.

Notes

TIP – You must add the baked beans in LAST, bring to boil and add your dumplings in immediately or your stew will stick to the bottom of your pan! I found out today it is TRUE!!!!

TIP – I did not have enough beef today so I mixed beef and lamb.

TIP – I did not have leeks and celery so I used some peas, sweet corn mix vegetables from my freezer.

TIP – Beside the root vegetables pack for stew I added a few red potatoes.