Shepherds Stew With Dumplings Recipes

BEEF STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a bowl, toss cubed beef with flour to coat.
• Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Place flour in a bag or bowl, and add beef cubes. Toss to coat with flour. Place coated cubes in the skillet and fry until well-browned on all sides; remove from pan and set aside.
• Cook onion and garlic in same pan until tender. Return meat to pan with water, parsley, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed. Stir in potatoes, carrots, celery, and green pepper, and continue cooking another 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, and stir in mushrooms.
• In a small bowl, mix together baking mix, 3 tablespoons melted butter, and milk until just blended. Drop dough by the tablespoonful into stew. Simmer, uncovered, approximately 10 minutes. Cover, and simmer 10 minutes more, or until dumplings are cooked through, but not dry.

BEEF PEPPERPOT STEW WITH SPILLERS' DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• For the pepperpot: Wash the stewing beef and pat it dry with paper towels. Cut the meat into cubes around 5/8-inch thick and transfer to a large ovenproof casserole or heavy-bottomed saucepan. Combine the beef with the liquid, thyme, ginger, onion, garlic, bay leaf, and allspice berries, then adjust the seasonings with salt, and pepper. Bring the ingredients to a boil, skim the froth from the top of the liquid, cover with a lid, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Peel the yams, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin. Cut the yam into pieces the size of large potato wedges. Cut the sweet potato and pumpkin into 1 1/2-inch chunks. Discard the pumpkin seeds. Bash the green onions with a heavy knife to release their flavor. Dice the chiles (wear gloves), and add with the vegetables to the pot along with the coconut milk and lima beans. Stir the ingredients, and simmer gently, covered, for another 25 to 35 minutes, or until the meat and vegetables are tender, and cooked through. Add the greens around 13 minutes before the cooking time is up.
• For the dumplings: Mix the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl, and then gradually stir in the water to form a dough. Pull off 24 small pieces from the dough 1 piece at a time, and roll them into rounds or long pointy-ended ovals. Cook's Note: If you want bigger dumplings, use a double-sized piece of dough, and roll it into a round, pressing a small indentation into the top of it with your thumb.
• Drop the dumplings into the hot pot immediately after rolling, around 8 minutes before the cooking time is up. Taste the dumpling, and add extra salt, and pepper, if necessary.

WINTRY BEEF VEGETABLE STEW WITH FLUFFY HERB DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Cook and stir beef in shortening in heavy 8-10 quart stock pot, until beef is well browned. (Note: If too much liquid builds up to prevent adequate browning, pour off excess liquid into a bowl and reserve. Continue to brown the beef and when well browned, add the reserved liquid back into the pot.).
• Add 5 cups hot water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and the black pepper.
• Heat to boiling; reduce heat.
• Cover and simmer until beef is almost tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Stir in potato, turnip, rutabaga, carrots, green pepper, green beans (if using), celery, onion, bouquet sauce, the bouillon cube and bay leaves.
• Cover and simmer until vegetables are tender (but do not overcook), stirring once, about 25 minutes.
• Prepare dough (see below) for Dumplings; set aside.
• Using a fork, blend together 1 cup cold water and the 4 tablespoons flour in a small mixing bowl; stir gradually into stew.
• Heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
• Boil and stir 1 minute; reduce heat.
• Do ahead tip: After boiling and stirring 1 minute, stew can be covered and refrigerated no longer than 48 hours. To serve, heat to boiling over medium-high heat. Continue as directed.
• DUMPLINGS:.
• In a large bowl, cut shortening into combined flour, baking powder, salt, parsley and herbs until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
• Stir in milk.
• Drop by heaping tablespoons onto hot meat or vegetables in boiling stew (do not drop directly into liquid).
• Cook uncovered 15 minutes.
• Cover and cook about 15 minutes longer. Cut a dumpling in half to test for doneness; you want them done but not dry!
• Serve stew piping hot, with a buttered baguette and a glass of cider, ale, or wine. As with all good stews, this stew is even better reheated the next day, after flavors have had a chance to meld. Stew leftovers freeze and reheat beautifully, and would make a delicious cottage or shepherd's pie.