Beef and Horseradish Casserole with Caraway Dumplings

Cooking Time:      2 hrs 20 mins
Serves:                  6 People

What you need

1kg John Penny diced braising steak
2 tablespoons oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
300g shallots, peeled
250g smoked bacon, chopped
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1cm slices
15g fresh thyme, removed from the stem and chopped
2 beef stock cubes, made up with 750ml boiling water
350ml red wine
300g button mushrooms, wiped
3 tablespoons horseradish sauce
Freshly ground black pepper

For the dumplings
200g self raising flour
100g suet – ask your butcher for the suet
1 tablespoon caraway seeds, toasted and crushed (optional)
100ml water
Flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped to garnish

How to cook

Preheat the oven to Gas 5, 190°C, 170°C fan, 375°F.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in an ovenproof casserole dish and cook the steak for 8-10 minutes in batches until browned, then remove and put to one side.

Add the remaining oil, garlic, shallots, bacon, carrots and thyme and brown over a medium heat.

Stir in the stock and wine, return the beef to the dish then bring to the boil, cover and place in the preheated oven for 1½ hours.

For the caraway dumplings: Mix together in a blender the flour, suet and caraway seeds, add in the water to form a soft dough. Divide the mixture into 8 pieces and roll into balls.

Remove the casserole from the oven; add in the mushrooms, horseradish and dumplings then cook for a further 30 minutes.

Serve immediately sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley.