Beef Brisket Stew with Festive Chestnut Dumplings
Ingredients
- 800 g brisket beef cut into chunks
- 5 carrots chopped into bite-size
- 2 onions sliced
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 sticks celery chopped
- 100 g Mushrooms Sliced
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tbsp whole grain mustard
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 500 ml red wine
- 500 ml stock
- Salt and pepper
Herb dumplings:
- 200 g self-rising flour
- 50 g chestnuts cooked and chopped – optional
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 shallot chopped
- 3 tbsp parsley
- 60 ml buttermilk
- Salt and pepper
Method
- In a large saucepan, heat a little oil. Add the pieces of beef and fry quickly until coloured or sealed all over.
- Add the vegetables, stir, and continue to sear for a further 3-4 minutes until all the vegetables are well coloured.
- Next, add the tomato puree and a spoon of mustard if desired. Stir to coat and colour for a few seconds up to a minute.
- Pour in the stock and red wine. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer over a gentle heat for 2.5hours to 3 hours, covered with a tight-fitting lid until the meat is tender.
- Meanwhile, prepare the dumpling. Mix the self-rising flour, salt, shallot, Dijon mustard, chestnut and fresh parsley together. Mix well.
- Slowly pour and stir in the buttermilk until the dough comes together. With a knife, a pastry cutter or simply with your hands create or cut out the dumplings. They should be not bigger than a golf ball. Leave them to set in the fridge until required.
- About ½ hour before the stew is ready to serve, drop in the dumplings. Leave them to cook in the stew for about 25-30 minutes until plump with the cooking juices and oozing of flavour.
- Serve while piping hot.
