Smoky Sirloin Stew With Watercress Dumplings Recipes

SPANISH STYLE CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• In a small sauce pot combine the stock and saffron, bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer to allow the saffron to steep.
• In a large deep skillet with a lid or a Dutch oven heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and render and brown for 2 minutes, then add the chicken and lightly brown. Stir in the mushrooms, onions and garlic as you chop them and add the bay leaves, salt and pepper, to taste, and thyme. Put a lid on the pot and increase the heat to high for 5 minutes to soften the vegetables. Stir in the flour, add the sherry and stir a minute more, then add the saffron broth.
• While vegetables soften, put the biscuit mix in a bowl and stir in the parsley and paprika. Add the liquids to package directions for the biscuits.
• Drop 8 small mounds of biscuit dough onto the surface of the chicken and sauce. Cover with tight fitting lid and cook for 5 to 6 minutes.
• Ladle into shallow serving bowls and serve.

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.

ITALIAN CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Place a large pot of water on to boil for gnocchi.
• Heat a pot with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, a turn of the pan, over medium-high heat. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, and lightly brown. Remove to a plate and add another tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter and heat. Add mushrooms, carrots, celery, and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper. Soften 5 minutes, sprinkle in flour and cook 2 minutes. Whisk in 2 1/2 cups stock, slide the chicken back into the pot and simmer to allow sauce to thicken.
• Place the remaining 1/2 cup stock in food processor with basil, parsley, garlic, pine nuts and cheese, salt and pepper. Turn processor on and pour in the remaining few tablespoons oil.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat with the zest of 1 lemon.
• Salt cooking water and drop gnocchi in the water, cook until the gnocchi floats, drain and add to the lemon butter and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Toss the gnocchi 2 to 3 minutes in lemon butter until light golden at edges.
• Turn heat off chicken and stir in pesto sauce. Serve the chicken in shallow bowls and top with lemon butter dumplings.

MOM'S HEARTY BEEF STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering, and place the onion and beef into the hot oil. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the steak seasoning, stir the meat and onions well, and sprinkle with 1 more teaspoon of seasoning. Add the celery, and cook and stir until the meat is browned, about 10 minutes.
• Pour in 2 cups of water to just cover the meat, onion, and celery, bring to a boil, and stir and scrape the browned bits of flavor from the bottom of the pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer until the beef is very tender, about 2 hours. Remove the meat and celery pieces from the pan, set the meat aside, and discard the celery.
• In a bowl, whisk together the gravy mix with 4 cups of water. Add the mixture to the juices in the pot, bring to a boil, and stir the meat back into the gravy mixture. Stir in the turnip and carrots, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the potatoes, cover, and simmer an additional 20 minutes.
• To make dumplings, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Cut the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or two knives until the mixture looks crumbly. Pour in the milk, and lightly stir the mixture just until it combines to form a dough.
• Remove 2 cups of gravy from the pot, and reserve. Drop the dumplings by heaping tablespoon onto the meat and vegetables in the pot, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Do not peek until the time is up. Pour the reserved gravy back over the dumplings, stir lightly, and serve.

LIGHTER BEEF STEW & DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or deep sauté pan. Tip in the onions, bay leaves and thyme sprigs, and fry over a medium heat for about 8 mins, stirring often, until the onions are turning golden. Raise the heat, add the steak and stir-fry briefly until it starts to lose its raw, red colour. Pour in the wine, stir to deglaze the brown sticky bits from the bottom of the pan, and let it bubble briefly. Lower the heat, sprinkle in the flour and mustard powder, and stir for 1 min. The meat should now be coated in a thick, rich sauce.
• Mix in the tomatoes, stirring to break them down. Stir in the stock and bring to the boil. Tip in the carrots, squash and mushrooms, lower the heat, cover with a lid and leave to simmer gently for 1 hr 40 mins, stirring occasionally. Uncover and cook for a further 20 mins, still on a gentle simmer, until the meat is very tender. Season with pepper.
• When the stew is nearly cooked, heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Put a 2.25-litre casserole dish in to heat it up. Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Put the flour, mustard powder, some pepper and a pinch of salt in a bowl, then stir in the spring onions and parsley. Mix the oil and buttermilk together and gently stir into the flour. Add a drop or two of cold water, if needed, to pick up any dry bits on the bottom of the bowl, and stir to make a soft and slightly sticky dough. Be as light-handed as you can, as overmixing or overhandling will toughen the dumplings. Cut the dough into 8 pieces and very lightly shape each into a small, rough ball.
• Carefully transfer the stew to the hot casserole dish and remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Sit the dumplings on top and press them down into the gravy to very slightly submerge. Put the dish on a baking sheet and cook for about 20 mins until the dumplings have risen and are golden on top. Serve with a light scattering of thyme leaves.

WHISKEY SIRLOIN STEAK

Steps:

• In a shallow dish, combine the first 5 ingredients; add the beef and turn to coat. Cover; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight., Drain and discard marinade. Place beef on a broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 7-8 minutes on each side or until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a thermometer should read 1e5°; medium, 140°; medium-well, 145°).