Beef & Guinness Stew with Dumplings

Beef and Guinness Stew with Dumplings

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Source: Adapted from the recipe found using the Jamie Oliver Recipes, app for ipad. 2012.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. diced stewing  beef
6 oz shallots
3 garlic cloves
2 celery stalks
4 portobello mushrooms
1/2 C. dried porcini mushrooms
15 oz Guinness
2 1/2 C. beef stock
7 T cold butter, diced
1 T all purpose flour
1 2/3 C. self-rising flour (or convert regular flour to self-rising flour)
3 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh parsley
2 oz cheddar cheese
ground nutmeg
olive oil
salt
pepper

Preparation:
Season the beef with a little salt and pepper and dust all over with the all purpose flour until evenly coated. Add two good lugs of olive oil into large pot on medium high heat. Add the beff, shaking off the excess flour. Fry until brown all over, stirring now and then.

Peel and cut the shallots and garlic. Trim and chop the celery. Peel the thin skin off the top of the mushrooms and cut them into big chunks. Place the porcini mushrooms into a mug and half fill with boiling water.

Put the shallots, garlic, celery and bay leaves in the pot with the beef and turn the heat down to medium. Keep stirring and frying until the vegetables are soft and lightly colored. Take the porcini mushrooms out of their soaking liquid. Chop them and add to the stew, along with the portobellos. Pour in the mushroom soaking liquid (leaving behind any gritty sediment at the bottom). Then add the Guinness and beef stock, and bring to a boil.

Place the lid on the pot, and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.

Add the butter and flour to a mixing bowl, with a few pinches of salt, pepper and nutmeg. Rub the fat into the four with your fingertips. Grate in the cheese and add just enough cold water to bind the mixture together to make a dough. Roll into balls, roughly the size of a large cherry tomato then place on a baking sheet, cover and place in the refrigerator.

When the stew has cooked for 1 1/2 hours, take it out of the oven and remove the lid. Drop in the dumplings and poke them under the surface of the sauce using a wooden spoon. Replace the lid and simmer for an additional 30 minutes.

The dumplings should be risen and puffed up now so remove the stew from the heat. Quickly chop the parsley and sprinkle over the top. Enjoy!