BEEF CASSEROLE WITH ROSEMARY DUMPLINGS

Prep time 15 mins Cooking time 2 hours 30 mins Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1kg stewing beef, cubed

1 tbsp butter

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 onion, finely chopped 1 fennel bulb, sliced

2 tbsp grainy mustard

½ cup flour, seasoned with salt and pepper

2 cups non-alcoholic beer 2 cups beef stock

5 tsp chopped parsley, plus an extra sprig, to garnish 200g baby carrots

FOR THE DUMPLINGS

150g cake flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 tbsp dried chopped rosemary FOR THE GRILL

3 tbsp melted butter

4 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese

METHOD

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add beef in batches and sauté until golden. Remove the cubes and set aside.

Add butter to the pot and when foaming, toss in garlic, onion and fennel. Cook until golden, then add the mustard.

Return the beef to the pot and stir to coat with the mustard mixture. Add flour, mix well, then pour in the non-alcoholic beer, stock and parsley. Season with salt and pepper, cover and cook for 2 hours.

To make the dumplings, mix all the ingredients together to form a soft dough. Roll into a thin sausage and slice into 2cm pieces.

Remove the pot from the heat, and add carrots and dumplings. Cook again, covered, until the dumplings rise to the top and are cooked through.

Turn on an oven grill. Brush the dumplings with melted butter, sprinkle with Parmesan and grill until golden. Return the dumplings to the pot. Serve the casserole with your choice of side dish.