Recipes

Winter Root Vegetable Stew with herby dumplings

Ingredients

For the stew:

-          1tbsp olive oil

-          1 knob of butter

-          2 large leeks

-          2 floury potatoes

-          2 carrots peeled

-          2 parsnips

-          ½ turnip

-          4oz pearly barley

-          1 ½  pints vegetable stock

-          Salt and pepper

For the dumplings

-          2oz vegetable suet

-          4oz self raising flour

-          150ml of cold water

-          1tsp dried mixed herbs

-          1tsp mustard powder

-          Salt and pepper to season

1. Heat the butter and olive oil into a large saucepan / stock pot.
2. Chop the leeks into ½ inch slices and add to the pan, cooking on a low heat until softened.
3. Peel and chop the remaining vegetables into ½ inch cubes and add to the pan. Cook, covered, on medium heat for 10 minutes.
4. Add the vegetable stock, pearl barley and season to taste. Stir.
5. Bring to the boil, and then reduce to a gentle simmer for 1 ¼ hours, ensuring that the pan is partially covered.
6. Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, using the water to bind, until it comes together in a fairly stiff dough. Form into six small dumplings.
7. Drop the dumplings into the stew and cook for a further 10 minutes covered and a final 10 minutes uncovered.
8. Ladle into bowls and serve with grated cheese on top, or for an extra special treat with rashers of crispy bacon!