chapter XXV - mamon wellman cooks 04

stew and dumplings

This was one of my mum's winter standards, and one of my least favourite as a child. I never appreciated this dish until much later in life. Mum and my sister's loved it, devoured every drop and savoured each dumpling. So much of a favourite, as I write I have a text from my elder sister requesting my stew and dumplings for dinner when she visits this week. 

Dumplings are a firm favourite all over the world; dim sims of China, ravioli of Italy, pierogi of Poland, mandu of Korea, momo of Nepal, knopfel of Germany and of course the three type of gnocchi of Italy.  

And of course the good ole suet dumpling of the UK. It was this that my mother always made to go with her stew and the only part of the dish I enjoyed and continue to love to this day. So much so, I have eaten all the international dumplings mentioned above and in their countries of origins. The following recipe can also be made up and used to make a savoury cobbler. 

note - suet is the shredded protective fat that surrounds the kidneys 

recipe - dumplings a la mamon

300 gm  self raising flour 

150 gm  suet

recipe - preparation method

Combine the flour and suet and season well with salt and pepper (I love to add plenty of cracked pepper and chopped chives or parsley). Make a well in the centre and gradually add cold water while combining with the fingers until a good form paste is achieved and mixture comes away from the sides of the bowl. With damp hands, form into golf ball sized dumplings (remembering they will double in size when cooked) 

recipe - beef stew a la mamon

001 kg   stewing beef

001 can concentrated tomato soup

002 pc   beef oxo cubes

002 pc   potatoes (large) 

002 pc   carrots

001 pc   onion

              dumpling mix 

recipe - preparation method

Cut the beef into large cubes, place into a pot of cold salted water and bring to a boil, allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes. Drain in a colander and quickly rinse away any scum. Place beef back into a large pot and add all the vegetables; peeled cut into large dice. Empty the soup into a bowl, sprinkle in the stock cubes and thin down with boiled water from the kettle. Pour into the saucepan with the beef and bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer gently for at least one hour until all ingredients are almost tender. Taste and season if required. 

Add the dumplings and simmer gently with a lid for a further 30-40 minutes until the dumplings have doubled in size and cooked all the way through. 

                                                                                                                                           

recipe - cheffie's dumplings 

250 gm  self raising flour 

125 gm  suet
002 pc   shallot
001 tbs  chopped chives or parsley

recipe - preparation method

Combine the flour, suet and chopped herb. Season well with Maldon sea salt and freshly milled pepper Make a well in the centre and gradually add sufficient cold water while combining with the fingers until a good form paste is achieved and mixture comes away from the sides of the bowl. With damp hands, form into golf ball sized dumplings (remembering they will double in size when cooked) 

note - depending on their use, I like to mix this recipe up and to the centre of the dumpling add an olive, roasted garlic clove or a small piece of sundried tomato. Or flavour them up with chopped garlic or chilli. 

recipe - cheffie's beef stew cobbler

001 kg   stewing beef
004 tbs  olive oil
002 pc   garlic cloves
002 tbs  flour 
001 tbs  smoked paprika

002 tbs  tomato concentrate/paste
001 lt     beef stock

010 pc   baby onions
002 pc   potatoes (large) 

002 pc   carrots
002 pc   celery stalks

              dumpling mix 

recipe - preparation method

Cut the beef into very large cubes. Heat the olive until almost smoking and brown the meat pieces. Add the chopped garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the flour and paprika and stir to combine through, allow to colour slightly. Stir in the tomato concentrate and cook until it darkens to almost brown. 

Slowly add the stock, while stirring and gently bring to a simmer. 

Peel all the vegetables; leave the onions whole, cut the potatoes into large dice, the carrot in half lengthways and and then on a 45 degree oblique, and the same for the celery. Place into cold salted water and bring to a boil, simmer for 5 minutes, rinse under cold water and add to the stew. Simmer gently for 45 minutes, taste and season if required. 

Transfer to a casserole dish and carefully add the dumplings, evenly spacing them out around the sides. Cover with a lid and bake in a pre-heated oven (170C) for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes.

next week - mum's toad in the hole .......