Braised beef stew with oat dumplings

Serves 6

1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil 500g stewing beef, cubed 150g smoked bacon lardons 5 shallots, finely chopped 3 parsnips, peeled and chopped 1 medium turnip, peeled and chopped 3 carrots, peeled and chopped Salt and black pepper 3 thyme sprigs 3 bay leaves 400ml red wine 500ml beef stock

For the oat dumplings:

70g fine porridge oats 70g plain flour, plus extra if needed 1 heaped tsp baking powder 1 tsp salt 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves 80g cold butter, finely chopped or grated 5 tbsp water

1. Preheat the oven to 170˚C/150˚C fan/gas mark 3.

2. Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, brown the beef on all sides, then transfer to a plate.

3. Add the bacon lardons to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to the plate with the beef, reserving the fat in the pan.

4. Reduce the heat to medium and cook the shallots, parsnips, turnip and carrots for 5-6 minutes until softened and slightly coloured. Season with salt and black pepper and add the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

5. Add the wine and bubble for 2-3 minutes, scraping any sticky bits from the bottom using a wooden spoon. Pour in the stock and return the beef and bacon to the pan. Bring to the boil, then season with salt and black pepper, cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Cook for two hours until the beef is very tender.

6. Meanwhile, make the oat dumplings. In a bowl, combine the porridge oats, flour, baking powder, salt and thyme leaves. Stir well to combine. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the water and mix to form a dough. Roll the dough into small balls, adding a little flour if necessary.

7.Remove the stew from the oven and turn the temperature to 200˚C/180˚C fan/gas mark 6. Carefully lower the dumplings into the stew, spaced a little apart. Cover with a lid and return to the oven for 20 minutes until the dumplings rise.

8. Ladle into serving bowls and enjoy.

Per Serving: 562kcals, 25.6g fat (11.6g saturated), 36.9g carbs (6.2g sugars), 34.2g protein, 6g fibre, 1.077g sodium