Pork Stew with Dumplings
Pork Stew with Dumplings
Any seasonal root vegetables can be used for this hearty stew. Serve with a bright vegetable to add colour to the plate.
Serves 8
25g/1oz dripping or lard
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
700g/1 ½ lb potatoes, diced
225g/8oz turnips, diced
4 sticks of celery, chopped
8 pork chops
25g/1oz seasoned flour
600ml/1 pint chicken or vegetable stock
1 bay leaf
Suet dumplings:
225g/8oz plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
Salt
100g/4oz shredded suet
Melt the dripping in a frying pan and fry the onions, potatoes, turnips and celery until softening. Drain and transfer to a flameproof casserole dish. Dip the chops in the seasoned flour and brown in the hot frying pan. Lay the chops on the top of the vegetables. Add the stock to the pan and bring to the boil and pour over the meat. Add the bay leaf. Cover the casserole and bring to the boil and then transfer to the Simmering Oven for 1-1 ½ hours.
Make the suet dumplings: place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix with enough water to make a soft but manageable dough and then form into 8 dumplings.
Remove the casserole from the oven and place the dumplings on top of the gravy. Replace the lid and put the casserole on the shelf on the floor of the Roasting Oven for 20-30 minutes, until the dumplings have risen.
Conventional cooking: Fry off the vegetables and chops on the hotplate. Bring the casserole contents to the boil on the hotplate then transfer to the oven at 150ºC (300ºF), fan oven 130ºC, Gas Mark 2 for about 1½ hours. Turn the oven up to 200ºC (400ºF), fan oven 180ºC, Gas Mark 6. Place the dumplings on top of the casserole contents, replace the lid and return to the oven for 20-30 minutes, until the dumplings have risen.
NB: for the photograph we added 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley to the suet dumpling mixture.
