Hello. I wonder if anyone could help me. I want to make a beef/chicken stew or a hotpot. I've got no idea how to make one and the internet recipes aren't very good. Can anyone tell me their favourite stew/hotpot recpies? As its my first attempt, easy recipes will be most welcome! Also, how do you make dumplins?

I'm fed up of living on processed microwave meals and its about time I learnt how to make a decent meal.

Thanks in advance.
Zip.

Simple recipe that always works for me!

Fry off some onions, add beef, add stock, add veggies (carrots, potatoes, leeks, peas etc) and leave for about 40 mins to an hour (low heat). Add gravy granuals. Buy dumpling mix from supermarket (cheating but very easy!) make following directions on packet and add to stew. 20 mins later and stew & dumplings are ready to eat.

Add Hendersons relish to taste (optional but yum).

Good luck!

First of all you could do with a large pan.
I make stew / Ash by using the following fresh veg.

1 whole onion, cut up into 1/2" bits for flavour.
potatoes, cut into 1" squares.
Carrots, cut into any shape you want.
1 turnip or swede cut into same size bits as potato.
1lb of stewing steak.
1 parsnip cut up same as carrots.
Handful of garden peas (frozen will do)
1 tin of vegatable soup (optional)

Cook the stewing steak in a seperate pan for around 1/2 hour.
Peel and cut up all the veg, and place in a large pan.
Drain the stewing steak and put in the large pan so everything is in together.

cook for around 1/2 hour adding 3 or 4 oxo cubes, salt and pepper.

I say a large pan, so it should last a few days if you make enough.

Basic Stew : Throw meat (any type), onions, carrot, leek, (almost any root veg actually) into casserole dish. add 1 tablespoon plain flour (to thicken). add 3 oxo cubes ground-up, mixed herbs and some hendersons relish (optional). Add enough boiling water to just cover everyhting, stick lid on and cook at 150 centigrade for about 2 hours in oven, keep checking every half hour to stir and make sore there is enough liquid in the casserole.

You can also add beer, or red wine, but reduce the amount of boiling water accordingly.

Dumplings : Take one part suet and two parts self raising flour (I use 2 oz suet and 4 oz four). add pinch of salt (and some herbs if you want) and mix adding cold water until it makes a firm (not too wet) ball. Divide into balls about size of plum, then drop into casserole, cover and cook for a further 20 minutes, then take lid off and return to oven for about 10 mins until top of dumplings have gone brown.

The mixture you make for dumplings is exactly the same as for suet pastry (just roll it out but keep if fairly thick) and is the easiest pastry there is to make.

No-one mentions adding a tin of tomatoes or tomato puree,
Adds to the flavour
hazel

Originally posted by hazel
No-one mentions adding a tin of tomatoes or tomato puree,
Adds to the flavour
hazel

Yes, that works well with sausages instead of meat, and add a tin of borlotti or canneloni beans for extra fibre.

Thanks everyone. I'm going to attempt to make one on sunday. Wish me luck!

By the way, whats suet and where do you buy it from?

Zip.

Originally posted by ZIPPYZ
Thanks everyone. I'm going to attempt to make one on sunday. Wish me luck!

By the way, whats suet and where do you buy it from?

Zip.

Any store will have suet.
Look around where the stuffing is

Suet is fat from somewhere inside a cow, but you can buy a vegetarian version (though it doesn't have the same taste)

Almost every supermarket will sell it, in the baking section.

Originally posted by nick2
Suet is fat from somewhere inside a cow, but you can buy a vegetarian version (though it doesn't have the same taste)

Almost every supermarket will sell it, in the baking section.

From memory, it is fat from around a cows kidney - nice :gag: :gag:

K x

Try aunt bessies ready made frozen dumplings they are mouthwatering get mine from morrisons.

Originally posted by nikita
Try aunt bessies ready made frozen dumplings they are mouthwatering get mine from morrisons.

Noooooo, they are so simple to make, and I bet Aunt Bessie adds all sorts of other "ingredients".

I do the same basics as everyone elsebut put Tortellinis in, a change from spuds, they come frozzen, cheese or meat stuffed.

Originally posted by nick2
Noooooo, they are so simple to make, and I bet Aunt Bessie adds all sorts of other "ingredients".

Aunt Bessies are on the Sudan1 list, so I guess your right.

Are you sure they are on the sudan 1 list i have not seen them and i am just about to cook some .?

Originally posted by nikita
Try aunt bessies ready made frozen dumplings they are mouthwatering get mine from morrisons.

Tell you what, (slightly off topic) I use frozen Yorkshire puds, and they are very good for in the week with Ash.

Sorry should have been more explicit, dumplings aren't...however the brand name 'Aunt Bessies' is for other items.

Originally posted by Skatiechik
Sorry should have been more explicit, dumplings aren't...however the brand name 'Aunt Bessies' is for other items.

Not oven chips I hope, they are the only ones I like now ASDA don't do Harry Ramsden ones.

Originally posted by viking
Tell you what, (slightly off topic) I use frozen Yorkshire puds, and they are very good for in the week with Ash.

Remind me please, how do you make ASH, i remember it being white, but thats all !

I usually make mine by burning a pedant.

uncleheed usually has some nice recipes to share.
where are you uncleheed.
I usually make my own dumplings with suet and flour.
i once tried aunt bessies dumplings and when i put them in my stew they sank like big bricks.
think its best to make your own.
mind you at the mo im having to do a lot of slimming world recipe's as my weight's crept up.
anyone any alternatives to gravy for stew . to make it less fattening, or any decent slimming world recipes.

Originally posted by ZIPPYZ
I've got no idea how to make one and the internet recipes aren't very good.

Delia Online. Try lancashire hotpot (http://www.deliaonline.com/recipes/r_0000000797.asp)

We did this the other day using a bottle of ale instead of water and it worked a treat. We put the potatoes in the stew and dumplings on top about half an hour before it's ready - dead simple Atora (=suet), self raising flour and water. Instructions on Atora box.

Once you get the basic idea you can make allsorts of substitutions for the meat and veg (I realise kidneys aren't everyone's cup of tea :gag: ).

Happy cooking!

I put diced beef, carrots, an onion, potatoes, leeks, mushrooms in a pot, add 3 oxo cubes, tomato puree, mustard, mixed herbs, loads of hendersons. Cover with hot water, bung in the oven for about 2 hours at 150. Check every half hour or so, stir it and add more water if needed. Thicken if needed with cornflour, serve in a bowl with crusty bread.

Originally posted by tara

anyone any alternatives to gravy for stew . to make it less fattening,

Brown your meat on it's own, first and then pour off the fat before continuing.

I made my stew at the weekend. I was gorgeous. I used lean stewing steak, onions, carrotts, potatoes, peas ready made stock, oxo cubes and a bit of relish.

Thanks everyone for all your ideas. I'm going to do another one next weekend. I'm a pro now!

Originally posted by ZIPPYZ
I made my stew at the weekend. I was gorgeous. I used lean stewing steak, onions, carrotts, potatoes, peas ready made stock, oxo cubes and a bit of relish.

Thanks everyone for all your ideas. I'm going to do another one next weekend. I'm a pro now!
One stew and you go "on the game", that's an unusual reaction. ;)

Zippy, now you are lord of all stews, why not branch out... sausage casserole maybe?

Now i'm a pro(fessional!) I think I might try sausage casserole. Dont s'pose you know how to make it do you? Same as a stew but with sausages maybe? All this talk of food it making me hungry, I cant wait till sunday!

Zip.

Originally posted by ZIPPYZ
Now i'm a pro(fessional!) I think I might try sausage casserole. Dont s'pose you know how to make it do you? Same as a stew but with sausages maybe? All this talk of food it making me hungry, I cant wait till sunday!

Zip.

Yeah, same process, but you need good quality meaty sausages.

Make sure you brown your sossies first... otherwise they look like stewed "dead man's parts". Can of mixed beans (or baked beans'll do), couple of of sliced peppers, sliced onion, maybe chuck in some chunks of aubergine. Garlic and herbs if you fancy. Add a can of chopped toms, and some water. Splash of the old magic ingredient (Hendo). Cover, then cook for about an hour.

Nice served with mash, boiled rice or some crusty bread.

Originally posted by ZIPPYZ
I cant wait till sunday!

Zip.

Surely you don't only eat on Sunday ?!!

Chorizo sausage makes wonderful stews, and it's fairly easy to buy. :thumbsup:

Chorizo does give a good flavour, but isn't it a bit fatty ?

I'm definitely going to make sausage casserole this sunday. I only have time to cook properly on sundays as I work full time, all I want to do when I get in from work is veg out in front of the telly! Thats why i'm looking forward to sunday, a proper meal for once.

I'm going to invite my parents round next weekend to try either my stew (which is lovely) or sausage casserole (we'll see how it goes this weekend)

Thanks everyone.

Originally posted by nick2
Chorizo does give a good flavour, but isn't it a bit fatty ?

Not if you buy the decent stuff, it's a bit like any sausage you get what you pay for.

Originally posted by owdlad
It's a bit like any sausage you get what you pay for.

There's a joke in there somewhere :)

Originally posted by nick2
There's a joke in there somewhere :)

Thats what I heard our neighbour say to her husband ;)

I'm going to have a go at making beef stew(1st time), there are a hundred different ways of making it, and am not sure which I'm going to go for but my question is:

After you have made the stew and dumplings can they be frozen (dumplings also) into seperate portions.

Any dumplings out there with an answer?

First of all you could do with a large pan.
I make stew / Ash by using the following fresh veg.

1 whole onion, cut up into 1/2" bits for flavour.
potatoes, cut into 1" squares.
Carrots, cut into any shape you want.
1 turnip or swede cut into same size bits as potato.
1lb of stewing steak.
1 parsnip cut up same as carrots.
Handful of garden peas (frozen will do)
1 tin of vegatable soup (optional)

Cook the stewing steak in a seperate pan for around 1/2 hour.
Peel and cut up all the veg, and place in a large pan.
Drain the stewing steak and put in the large pan so everything is in together.

cook for around 1/2 hour adding 3 or 4 oxo cubes, salt and pepper.

I say a large pan, so it should last a few days if you make enough.hey vike,you forgot the guiness, and pearl barley,and the uncut bread, im off to do one now,thanks mate thats my afternoon settled :hihi:

I love my hot pot with lots of thick tomato sauce,cheap cut of beef lots of carrots & usual veg,for people watching the fat intake ,dumplings are almost as good useing veg fat instead of suet,and for the purists i did say almost.

When my wife and I were first married (44 years ago) and both at work my mother in law (god rest her soul) used to make a giant beef stew. My wife used to go to her mum's for lunch as she worked only 10 minutes away from her old home.
Every tuesday M in L would fill one of those big sweet jars (anyone remember those?)with the stew and my wife would take it back to work.
It looked disgusting but I tell you, reheated stew is much, much better than when it's first prepared. It tasted fantastic that evening. So make it at least 24 hours in advance.
Happy days!!

Thanks everyone. I'm going to attempt to make one on sunday. Wish me luck!

By the way, whats suet and where do you buy it from?

Zip.
I prefer the 'Lite' suet. Try grating a little bit of onion into your dumpling mixture and this will keep them nice and moist inside.