A good old-fashioned brown casserole is hard to beat. The dumplings are made from a soft savoury scone mixture; when they are cooked on top of your casserole they absorb its flavours to make a hearty, warming meal, served with green vegetables. The smells coming from the oven are very aromatic.
For the lamb
2 Tbsp | Olive oil |
1 | Onion, chopped |
4 | Garlic cloves, crushed |
2 | Celery stalks, sliced |
2 | Carrots, sliced into chunks |
800 g | Lamb, diced leg or shoulder (Main) |
1 Tbsp | Paprika |
1 cup | Beef stock |
½ bottle | Red wine |
1 tin | Tomatoes, diced (Main) |
2 stalks | Thyme |
For the dumplings
180 g | Self raising flour |
½ tsp | Salt |
80 g | Cold butter, grated |
¼ cup | Chopped parsley |
¼ cup | Grated tasty cheese |
1 dash | Water |
Directions
- Preheat an oven to 160C.
- Heat the oil in a heavy-based ovenproof dish. Add the onion, garlic, celery and carrot, cooking for 4 or 5 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and set aside.
- Brown the lamb in 2 or 3 batches. Return the vegetables to the pan. Stir through the paprika for 1 minute.
- Add the stock, wine, tomatoes and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and place into the oven for 1½ hours until the meat is tender.
- While the lamb is cooking, make the dumplings. Into a bowl place the flour, salt and butter. Using your fingers, mix to resemble fine breadcrumbs. Add the parsley and cheese, then a little water to make the dough. Divide into eight pieces.
- Remove the casserole and place the dumpling balls on top. Return covered to the oven for 30 minutes.
- Serve the casserole hot with a side of green vegetables.
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