Warming beef stew with cheese scone dumplings
Fluffy dumplings make the stew extra-special, along with a touch of heat from the cayenne.
SERVES 4 PREP 20 mins COOK 30 mins EASY
1 batch of beef stew (recipe above)
1 tbsp Dijon mustard cooked green veg, to serve
For the cheese scone dumplings
225g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tsp baking powder
75g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
100g mature cheddar, grated, plus extra for the topping small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
85ml milk
1 If the beef stew is frozen, defrost overnight in the fridge first.
Transfer to a flameproof casserole and stir through the mustard.
2 Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Tip the flour into a large bowl and stir in the cayenne, baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Rub in the butter using your fingertips to combine – it should have a sandy texture. Use a cutlery knife to stir in the cheese and parsley.
3 Pour in the milk and use the knife to stir it in until the mixture clumps together. If it looks dry, add a little more milk. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until any dry floury patches are incorporated – try not to overmix, as you’ll end up with tough scones. Roll or pat the dough until it’s roughly 1cm thick. Use a 5cm cookie cutter to stamp out the scones – we made 18. Arrange the scones on top of the beef stew in a single layer, leaving space for them to expand during cooking. Place any others on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Sprinkle each with a little more cheese, cover the casserole with a lid and bake for 15 mins along with the extra scones.
4 Remove the tray of scones from the oven and leave to cool. Uncover the casserole and return it to the oven for another 15 mins, or until the scones on top are puffed and golden. Serve with cooked green veg, if you like.
GOOD TO KNOW calcium • folate • fibre • vit c • iron • 1 of 5-a-day
PER SERVING 876 kcals • fat 43g • saturates 22g • carbs 58g • sugars 10g • fibre 6g • protein 62g • salt 4.3g