Beef Stew

Call me nostalgic, but I can't think of anything to conjure up childhood memories quite like good old fashioned dumplings do. I saw them on a pub menu a few weeks ago and I've been yearning to have them in a rich thick stew ever since.

So at the weekend I gave into my cravings. I made a rich beef stew with lashings of sticky, glossy, gelatinous gravy, plus eight soft, fluffy, white dumplings to mop it all up with. It was the ultimate comfort food, soothing and restorative. Quite frankly, it was heaven in a bowl.

Beef Stew

The great thing about dumplings besides adding interest to soups and stews is their subtle ability to stretch a meal further at virtually no extra expense. Added to this, everyone loves them. You can tell this is so just by the way their faces light up at the mention of stew and dumplings.

Luckily for me, my Grandma made the softest, lightest and fluffiest dumplings ever! Her's were little puffballs of pleasure that melted on the tongue. The trick she employed was simply to add a handful of fresh breadcrumbs in to the mix. She always swore it was the finely grated white breadcrumbs that were responsible for making her dumplings so wonderfully light and moreish. Besides this one trick, everything else is pretty much similar to other dumpling recipes.

When it comes to fat, you can use either a light vegetable suet, (it keeps ages in a cool cupboard and doesn't need refrigerating), or frozen, grated butter.

The other choice you need to decide upon is whether to bake or steam the dumplings. But different rules apply depending on the method you choose.

Baked In The Oven - means you need to cook the dumplings without a lid

Steamed On The Stove - means you need cook the dumplings with a lid

If you're opting for the steaming method and want your dumplings to fluff and puff up to their full potential make sure you cover them with a tight fitting lid and whatever you do, don't remove it during the steaming process. Other points to remember are these, follow them to the letter and I promise you won't go wrong...

1) Measure the ingredients - accuracy is important here

2) Don't be heavy handed, work quickly with a light touch

3) Add sufficient water so the dough is soft and elastic, not sticky

4) Leave space between each dumpling allowing them to double in size

5) Cook the dumplings in gently simmering, not rapidly boiling liquid

And Now For The Dumpling Recipe... 8 Dumplings

Makes:

Preparation & Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Effort Level: easy

Shelf Life: eat immediately

Ingredients:75g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

50g fresh white breadcrumbs

50g Atora light vegetable suet

75ml water approx

¼ tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Equipment:Bowl

Sieve

Fork

Here's What You Do:Tip all the dry ingredients in a bowl including any seasonings and lightly mix together with your finger tips or a fork.

Make a well in the centre of the bowl and pour in the cold water bit by bit. Draw the dry ingredients into the liquid and lightly mix them both together until a soft pliable dough is formed that comes away cleanly from the bowl.

Lightly flour your hands and divide the dough into eight small pieces, then roll into little balls the size of walnuts.

Lower the dough balls into the gently bubbling stew, cover with a tight fitting lid and leave to cook for 15-20 minutes.

Alternatively if you're baking the dumplings, increase the oven temperature to 200°C Gas 6. Arrange the dumplings in the stew then slide the casserole onto the top oven shelf. Bake without a lid for roughly 25 minutes and the dumplings are a deep golden colour.

Additional Flavourings To Try:-2 tsp dried sage

1 tsp English mustard powder

1 tbsp hot creamy horseradish

1 tbsp finely chopped spring onion

1½ tbsp grated parmesan

1½ tbsp caramelised onions

1 tbsp finely chopped fresh herbs - parsley or chives work best

Dumplings, A Great British Classic

Uma Wylde is a natural born cook. She specialises in creating stunning tastes. If you're having trouble getting food to taste the way you want it to or are just bored cooking the same old things, try following some of her carefully explained recipes at http://www.umawylde.com. Unlike traditional recipes, which often leave you dangling, hers show you how to bring the whole meal together, so everything turns out perfectly.

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