Beef Dumpling Stew

1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
2. Heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof casserole and fry the beef until browned on all sides.
3. Sprinkle over the flour and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and all the vegetables and fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Stir in the wine, stock and herbs, then add Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar to taste and season with salt and pepper.
6. Cover, move to the oven and cook for about two hours, until the meat is tender.
7. For the dumplings, sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, add the suet and enough water to make a thick dough, then roll spoonfuls into small balls with floured hands.
8. After two hours, take off the lid, sit the dumplings on top of the stew, cover, return it to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes, until the dumplings have swollen and turned tender (leave the lid off if you want them golden on top).
9. Serve with a spoonful of mashed potato, the stew and dumplings piled on top and a scatter of chopped parsley.

Tips from the ZestyPlate Kitchen

• Brown the beef well and cook the flour for a couple of minutes; it thickens and enriches the gravy.
• Keep the dumplings light by handling the dough gently and stopping the moment it comes together.
• Add the dumplings only for the last 20 minutes so they stay soft and don't dissolve into the stew.
• Leave the lid off at the end if you want the dumpling tops to go golden and crisp.