Beef Stew and Dumplings

Serves6

Ingredients

Stew

• 900g ( 2 lb ) Stewing or braising steak


• 3 tbsp plain flour


• Vegetable oil


• butter


• 3 carrots


• 2 large onions


• 1 tsp tomato puree


• Few springs thyme


• A bay leaf


• 1 pint good beef stock


• Maldon salt and freshly ground black pepper


• Chopped curly parsley (to serve)

Dumplings

• 110g (4oz) self raising flour


• 50g (2oz) shredded suet


• Chopped parsley


• Crusty bread to serve

Method

Preheat the oven to 150C (300F) gas mark 2.

Trim the meat of excess fat, dice into cubes (at least an inch square) and roll in seasoned flour.Peel and chop the carrots and onions into large chunks.

In a heavy based lidded casserole pot (or a separate frying pan) add some oil over a high heat, brown the meat on all sides and set aside. Turn the heat to medium, add a knob of butter and add the carrots & onions and cook, stirring for about 5 mins.
Put the carrots, onions and meat in the casserole dish over a medium heat, add whatever flour is left and stir to cook a little.

Add the tomato puree and herbs then slowly add the stock and stir.

Season and put in the oven for a good 2 hours.

In the meantime make the dumplings. Mix the flour, suet and parley together then slowly add drops of water and use your hands to pull the mixture together into a dough. You do not want it wet and soggy so as it starts to pull together add literally a drop at a time.Roll into small walnut sized balls, turn the oven up to 180C (350F) gas 4, and add the dumplings to the stew.

Cook for a further 30 mins until the dumplings are big and fluffy.
Garnish with parsley to serve.

This is delicious with fresh crusty bread but can also be served with baby new potatoes.

The Red House Nether Broughton

Well I have to say that I was really looking forward to Sunday lunch out yesterday and had chosen the Red House at Nether Broughton (Leicestershire) to meet up with some old friends for an informal get together and some decent food.

We've been here a few times with the children and the food and service has always been great - in fact we went there for Mothers Day last year and I had a fab time!

So what has happened since?? This was the most disappointing meal out for a long time. we should have realized things were amiss when we discovered we were one of only 2 tables booked in for the entire lunch service. Previously we have always had to book in advance to secure a table.

The service was very friendly as normal and the menu, though limited, looked OK. I never have a problem with a limited menu because surely that means everything is cooked fresh as ordered?? The staff were friendly and made us feel welcome as well as welcoming children without a problem.

The starters looked great and we ordered 2 prawns tempura and a wild mushroom bruscetta. The prawns were OK but the bruscetta was lacking any depth of flavour whatsoever. It needed salt and pepper and the creamy sauce was bland with the wild mushrooms bizarrely adding nothing to the dish!

I'm not a big fan of roast Sunday dinner out so was delighted to see Steak & Kidney Pudding on the menu as well as the obligatory roast beef, pork and chicken. My husband & I both ordered the pudding whilst everyone else ordered a roast of some sort. The dauphinoise potatoes that came with the chicken were hard and tasted too garlicky (it was almost raw) and the vegetables were OK but a little dull. The biggest disappointment was the Steak & Kidney Pudding. Obviously heated up - dry filling and hard chewy pastry that was far too tough.

We skipped pudding but with 2 glasses of wine and a few soft drinks the bill for 4 children & 3 adults was just short of £100. What a disappointment and we won't be visiting again in a hurry!