Beef Stew with Cheddar Cheese Dumplings

INGREDIENTS

For the stew:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2x 470g Dunnes Stores Fresh Irish Diced Stewing Beef
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 1 onion, sliced
• 2 Large Dunnes Stores Organic carrot, peeled and diced
• 3 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 200ml red wine
• 750ml beef stock

For the dumplings:

• 50g Dunnes Stores Sweet & Nutty Mature cheddar, grated
• 250g self raising flour
• 100g butter
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped, plus extra to serve
• 100ml milk
• Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. In a large bowl, toss the beef in the flour and season well with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large casserole pan over a medium high heat. Add the beef and fry until brown on all sides. Do this in batches if needs be. Remove and set aside.
3. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and thyme and sauté for 5-6 minutes until softened without much colour.
4. Add the red wine, using the wooden spoon to remove any residue on the base of the pan and allow to reduce almost by half before returning the beef to the pan with the stock. Cover and put in the oven for 1 hour 30 mins or until tender.
5. When it has almost finished cooking, make the dumplings. Add the flour, parsley and butter to a large bowl with the cheddar. Using your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour. Season well and gradually add the milk into the mix until well combined. Shred the beef a little and stir through the sauce before rolling the dough into walnut-sized pieces. Arrange the dumplings on the surface of the stew, leaving a little gap between each.
6. Cover and place in the oven to cook for 30 minutes until the dumplings have risen, remove the lid and cook for another 15 minutes until they’re golden.
7. Serve in deep bowls with a sprinkle of chopped parsley. Enjoy!