LAMB STEW WITH ROSEMARY DUMPLINGS

SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 3 HOURS 15 MINS

◆ 1kg lamb forequarter chops

◆ 1/ cup olive oil

3

◆ 2 large onions, sliced thinly ◆ 3 garlic cloves, crushed

◆ 1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary

◆ 1 large carrot, chopped finely ◆ 1 stalk celery, trimmed, chopped finely

◆ ½ cup tomato paste

◆ 1 litre beef stock

◆ 2 tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

ONION & ROSEMARY DUMPLINGS

◆ 1½ cups wholemeal self-raising flour

◆ 75g butter, chopped

◆ 1 egg, beaten lightly

◆ ¼ cup milk

1 Preheat oven to 160°C.

2 Season lamb. Heat half the oil in a large heavy-based ovenproof saucepan over high heat. Cook lamb, in batches, 5 mins or until browned. Remove from pan. Add ¼ cup water to same pan. Cook, stir, lift any pieces stuck to bottom of pan. Add remaining oil, onion, garlic and rosemary. Reduce heat to medium. Cook, covered, stirring occasionally, 20 mins until onion is lightly browned and tender. Remove half the onion mixture, set aside.

3 Add carrot and celery to onion in pan. Cook, stirring, 4 mins until carrot and celery have softened slightly. Add paste. Return lamb to pan with juices. Increase heat to high. Cook, stirring, 3 mins.

4 Add stock to pan, bring to the boil. Cover, transfer pan to oven. Cook, stirring twice, 1 ¾ hours or until meat comes off the bone.

5 ONION & ROSEMARY DUMPLINGS Meanwhile, sift flour into a large bowl. Season. Rub in butter with fingertips until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in centre. Stir in combined egg, milk and reserved onion mixture to form a soft dough. Gently knead on a floured surface. Roll level tbsps of dough into 16 balls.

6 Place dumplings on top of stew about 2cm apart. Return pan to oven. Cook a further 30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of a dumpling.

7 Serve stew and dumplings immediately, topped with parsley.