Beef and Mushroom Stew with Dumplings

Right then this is good British grub simple, and delicious. It wont win a Micheline star but it will put a smile on the face of the eater.

Ingredients

500g stewing steak cut into chunks
6 mushrooms
one onion
1 beef stock cube
2 tbs turkey gravy granuals
two bay leaves
6 dashes of Worcester sauce
1/2 pint beer
flour
50g suet
100g self raisimg flour
a few sprigs of fresh thyme

Method

Start by softening the onion (roughly chopped)in a casserole dish with a tablespoon of sunflower oil. Add the stewing beef tossed in seasoned flour.

When the beef is browned add the mushrooms (cut in two) and add 500ml of boiled water mixed with the stock cube and turkey gravy (lighter and fresher than beef gravy granuals). Drop in the bay leaves and Worcester sauce and cook for an hour and a half.

To make the dumplings mix the suet, self raising flour and finely chopped thyme (remember to season them up with salt and pepper) with a few tablespoons of water. The consistency should be non sticky to the hand but still feeling moist.

Make golf ball sized dumplings and add to the stew. If you want soem veg add it at this point. I lobbed in some broccoli but carrots are a good choice as well. Given the flour basis of the dumplings there is no need for extra carbohydrates e.g. potatoes.

Add some extra moisture (I used half a pint of beer) and cook for 20 minutes and then serve.

Steak Frites

As a youngster I remember going to France on a camping holiday and having steak frites on the ferry - dead simple, bloody in the centre and charred on the outside. Chips all crispy and the juice of the steak there to be mopped up with the last of them.

For this don't use fancy cuts like fillet or rump - the thin frying steak is perfect. Use a griddle pan (ensure well heated before putting your meat in) oil the meat before putting into the pan then add a good cube of butter on top.

I griddled a tomato to go with and a bit of lambs lettuce (it made me feel better about the healthiness (or lack of)).