Stew over my one-pot hits

STEWS are one of the most quintessential Irish dishes, so here are my lovely slow-cooked dishes that are hearty and full of flavour.

They’re easy on the pocket as cheaper cuts of meat are used, but through the long cooking process the meat is meltingly tender when served.

Firstly, my beef stew served with dumplings, (lamb pieces could be used either).

As with all stews, this starts in much the same way; by browning and sealing the beef for flavour before adding the vegetables. Don’t overcrowd the pan when sealing the beef as it will steam rather than seal the meat, thus reducing the flavour once cooked.

Once the meat and vegetables are browned, a sprinkle of flour or cornflour will thicken the stock for a lovely sauce.

Sometimes it can be bulked out with pearl barley or potatoes, but for a change I have used dumplings.

My bacon and lentil casserole is a real hearty dish for cold evenings. Try this with some meaty sausages or pork chops as an alternative to bacon. The secret is to use good stock (or the cooking liquor) and plenty of fresh herbs to season. L

Traditional beef stew with tarragon dumplings

Serves 4

1lb lean stewing beef, cut into bite-sized cubes

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, cut in slices

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1/2 turnip-chopped into small dice

1 parsnip-peeled and chopped

2 sticks celery

30g cornflour

1 large teaspoon of tomato puree

750ml beef stock, warmed

Salt & pepper to season

For the herb dumplings:

200g self-raising flour

Pinch of salt

½ medium onion, very finely diced

1 dessert spoon of freshly chopped tarragon

60ml buttermilk

1 In a large saucepan, heat a little oil. Add the beef in a couple of batches and seal.

2 Next add the vegeta­bles and cook for six to eight minutes, until all the vegetables are glazed and softened.

3 Next, stir in the tomato puree and sprinkle the cornflour over the mixture (this will act as a thicken­ing agent). Then pour the warmed stock into the pan and stir to combine.

4 Allow this mixture to come to the boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for one-and-a-half to two hours, until the meat and vegetables are tender and the sauce is a nice consist­ency.

5 About half an hour before the stew is ready, you need to drop in the dumplings. To prepare the dumplings, mix the flour, salt, diced onion and fresh tarragon together.

6 Gently stir in the butter­milk. Do not add all the milk at once because it may not all be required. The mixture should be similar to a soft dough. Knead the dough very gently, just until it comes together and then cut out the dumplings using a cup or a scone cutter. They should be no thicker than three-quarters of an inch.

7 Gently drop them into the stew to cook for the final 25 to 30minutes. If you wish you can finish the stew off in the oven by transferring it to a casserole dish with a lid and placing in a moderate oven.

Streaky bacon & lentil casserole

Serves 4

800g streaky bacon joint

1 carrot, halved

1 large onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 bay leaf

1 clove

2 tbsp parsley

1 tbsp crushed black pep­percorns

For the lentils:

250g puy lentils, well rinsed

½ onion, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 celery stick, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 bay leaf

1 sprig of thyme

1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

2 rosemary sprigs

1 First, soak the lentils in a bowl of cold water for about an hour.

2 In the meantime, place the streaky bacon joint in a pan with a carrot, onion and celery. Add the herbs and cover with cold water. Bring the pan slowly to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 30 to 40 minutes, or until completely tender. Skim the surface to remove any foam or impurities.

3 Once the bacon is cooked, remove the joint from the cooking liquour. Pour the liquour through a sieve, retaining the clear liquid for use with the lentils. Slice the bacon into four thick slices.

4 To cook the lentils, place the lentils, chopped onion, garlic, celery, carrots, bay leaf and thyme in a pan and pour in 700ml of the cooking reserved liquor. Add the bacon to the pan and cover. Bring to a simmer and cook on a low heat for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender.

5 Remove the bay leaf and thyme and stir in the parsley. Check the seasoning and serve with slices of the cooked bacon.