Veggie Stew with Tarragon Dumplings
You can make the casserole a day in advance and whip up the dumplings when you’re almost ready to serve. Swap ins: Any onion is fine, and use any pumpkin to replace the squash. Dates can be used instead of apricots and thyme instead of rosemary. Leftovers: Blitz up the stew into a soup, or fold through some peas and cover with leftover pastry to make a pie. Serves 4–6. Time 1 hour 50 minutes
1 butternut squash, trimmed, cut into 4cm chunks (keep the seeds)
1 large onion, chopped 6 garlic cloves, grated 100g dried apricots,
halved
6 spring onions/scallions
trimmed, quartered 1 celery stalk,
cut into 1cm pieces 10g fresh rosemary 100ml plus 1 tbsp white wine (reisling or sauvignon blanc) 1 litre vegetable stock 150g pearl barley
2 bay leaves
For the dumplings
1 cup plus 2 tbsp wholemeal/ whole-wheat self-raising/rising flour
10g freshly chopped
parsley
1 tsp sea salt roasted butternut squash seeds and any pulp from left
⅓ cup plus 2 tbsp
buttermilk sea salt and freshly
ground black pepper olive oil, for frying crème fraîche, to serve
Preheat the oven to 200ºC fan/220ºC/Gas 7.
Put the squash onto a large baking sheet and add the seeds at one end. Drizzle with a little oil, season, then roast in the oven on the top shelf for 30 minutes.
Heat a large casserole dish with a drizzle of oil and, once hot, add the onion. Sweat for 5 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the garlic, apricots, spring onions/scallions, celery and rosemary. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, then de-glaze with the white wine. Let the liquid bubble for about 30 seconds, then add the stock, pearl barley and bay leaves. Bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and let it very gently bubble away whilst you wait for the butternut squash to finish its 30 minutes of roasting.
As soon as it is ready, remove from the oven and add the squash chunks to the casserole. Reduce the oven to 170ºC fan/190ºC/Gas 5. Add a lid to the casserole and place in the oven for 45 minutes.
For the dumplings, add the flour, parsley, salt and roasted squash seeds (and pulp) to a bowl. Mix to combine, then add the buttermilk. Bring together with a metal spoon, then briefly knead on a clean work surface to bring together. Divide into six chunks, roll into six rough balls, place on a plate and pop in the fridge until needed.
When the stew has had its time, remove from the oven and taste to check for seasoning. Place the dumplings on top of the casserole. Return to the oven (without its lid) for 20 minutes until risen and golden. Let the casserole sit for 5 minutes before serving, then spoon into bowls, and serve with crème fraîche.