Stout Stew
stew season is here and this stout stew is what winter nights are made for. The stout adds a deep, rich flavour with just a hint of bitterness. Topped with herby dumplings its a great crowd pleaser.
Serves
Ingredients
Stew Ingredients
<item-todo-done>3 tbsp olive oil<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>500g baby potatoes<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 onion<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 carrots<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 leek<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 parsnips<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>350g mushrooms<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>3 cloves of garlic<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>4 tbsp flour<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>1 tin of - stout<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>500ml vegetable stock<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> salt and pepper to taste<item-todo-done>
Bouquet Garni
<item-todo-done>6 sprigs of thyme<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 sprigs of rosemary<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>2 bay leaves<item-todo-done>
Dumpling Ingredients
<item-todo-done>300g self raising flour<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>100g plant-based butter<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> chives<item-todo-done><item-todo-done>150ml plant-based milk<item-todo-done><item-todo-done> salt and pepper to taste<item-todo-done>
Before you start
Large deep ovenproof frying pan or pot with lid | Preheat the oven to 160ºC
Prepare the vegetables and sauté the base
- Roughly chop the carrots, parsnips, onion and leeks into chunks
- Roughy chop the mushrooms
- Mince the garlic
- Tie the thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf together with kitchen twine to create a bouquet garni - if you don’t have twine then replace the quantities of thyme and rosemary by half and very finely chop
- In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat
- Add the potatoes, onions carrots, celery, parsnips and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing the vegetables to caramelise a little to create flavour and colour
- Add the minced garlic for a minute until fragrant
- Scatter in the flour cook for one more minute
Add Stock and Bouquet Garni
- Pour in your dark beer of choice and stir very well, beating out any lumps that form and bring to a simmer
- Allow it to cook for about 5-7 minutes until reduced by half
- Add the vegetable stock to the pot
- Season with salt and black pepper to taste
- Add the bouqet garni, bring the stew to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low
- Cover and cook in the oven or simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender while you make the dumplings
Make the Dumpling Dough
- In a mixing bowl, combine the self-raising flour, a pinch of salt, and some black pepper
- Microwave the plant-based butter and stir it into the flour with the chives and plant-based milk, mixing until a soft dough forms
- Divide the dough into small balls (about the size of a golf ball - they will expand when cooked)
Add Dumplings to the Stew
- Once the vegetables in the stew are tender, carefully place the dumplings on top of the stew
- re-cover the pan return to the oven for a further 15-20 minutes, until the dumplings are fluffy and cooked through
Serve
- Remove the bouquet garni from the stew
- Taste and season with salt and pepper if needed
- Serve the stew in bowls with plenty of vegetables and the dumplings on top