- 2 leek
- 2 celery stick
- 500g beef stir-fry strips
- 4 carrots
- 600g parsnips
- 2 tbsp horseradish mustard
- 2 bouquet garni
- 2 beef stock cube
- 300g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 ltr boiling water
- 4-6 tbsp warm water
- Large pan with a lid
- Measuring jug
- 1.
Fill your kettle and boil it. Trim the root and top 3cm off the leek. Halve it and rinse out any grit, then finely slice the leek. Trim the dry ends off the celery stick and then finely slice it.
- 2.
Warm a large pan on a medium-high heat for 2 mins, then add ½ tbsp olive oil and the beef stirfry strips. Fry for 4-5 mins, stirring a few times, till the beef strips are browned all over. Lift them out of the pan onto a plate and set aside.
- 3.
Add another ½ tbsp olive oil to the pan along with the leek and celery and a pinch of salt and pepper. Turn the heat down to medium and fry for 5-6 mins, stirring now and then. The veg should be glossy but not too browned. If they start to brown, turn the heat down and add a splash of water.
- 4.
While the veg fry, trim and peel the carrots and parsnips, then slice them on the diagonal into 1cm-thick rounds.
- 5.
Stir the beef back into the pan, along with the carrots and parsnips. Add ½ tbsp of the horseradish mustard and stir to mix. Drop in the bouquet garni (if you have kitchen string you can tie the herbs together to make them easier to fish out later) and crumble in the stock cube. Pour in 1 ltr boiling water. Stir, cover and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 10 mins.
- 6.
While the stew simmers, make the dumplings. Tip the flour into a mixing bowl and add 1 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk with a fork to mix. Add ½ tbsp horseradish mustard to a separate bowl and whisk in 1 tbsp olive oil and 4 tbsp warm water. Add the mustard mixture to the flour and stir to make a loose dough. If it’s a little too dry, add another 1-2 tbsp water and mix.
- 7.
Divide the dough into 4 pieces and shape it into dumplings. Take the lid off the stew, taste and add a pinch more salt or pepper if you think it needs it. Add the dumplings to the pan and pop the lid back on. Simmer for another 20 mins, till the dumplings have doubled in size and the veg and beef are tender.
- 8.
Ladle the stew and dumplings into 2 warm bowls, discarding the bouquet garni, and serve.