Equipment
Ingredients
Stew Base
- 800 g beef chuck, cut into 4cm cubes
- 200 g spanish chorizo, cured, cut into 1cm slices
- 20 g plain flour
- 15 ml olive oil
- 2 yellow onion, diced
- 3 carrots, cut into 2cm chunks
- 2 celery, sliced thickly
- 4 garlic, minced
- 30 g tomato paste
- 200 ml dry red wine
- 750 ml beef stock, hot
- 5 g fresh thyme, tied in a bundle
- 2 bay leaves, dried
Dumplings
- 150 g self-raising flour
- 75 g beef suet, shredded
- 60 ml whole milk, cold
- 5 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
- 2 g salt
Horseradish Mash
- 1000 g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into equal chunks
- 50 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 100 ml whole milk, warmed
- 40 g prepared horseradish
- 5 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Place the Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced chorizo and cook until browned, allowing the spiced red oil to render out. Remove the chorizo with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.
Toss the beef cubes with the plain flour, ensuring all pieces are evenly coated. Tap off any excess.
Add olive oil to the rendered chorizo fat if the pan seems dry. Sear the floured beef in batches over medium-high heat until deeply browned on all sides. Transfer the beef to the bowl with the chorizo.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the diced onions, chunked carrots, and sliced celery to the pot. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften and pick up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste. Cook for 1 minute until the tomato paste darkens slightly. Pour in the red wine, scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any fond. Let the wine reduce by half.
Return the beef and chorizo to the pot. Pour in the hot beef stock, and add the thyme bundle and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently. Alternatively, place the covered pot in a 160C/320F oven. Ensure the meat internal temperature reaches at least 74C/165F during the prolonged braise.
About 30 minutes before the stew is done, place the peeled potato chunks in the saucepan. Cover with cold salted water, bring to a boil, and simmer until tender.
While potatoes boil, prepare the dumplings. In a mixing bowl, combine the self-raising flour, salt, suet, and parsley. Add the cold milk gradually, mixing with a fork until it just comes together into a soft dough. Roll gently into 6 equal-sized balls.
Remove the lid from the stew. Drop the dumpling balls gently onto the surface of the simmering liquid. Replace the lid tightly and cook without peeking for 20 minutes.
Drain the cooked potatoes and return them to the warm saucepan off the heat. Let them steam dry for 2 minutes. Mash thoroughly, then beat in the cubed butter, warm milk, and prepared horseradish. Season with salt to taste.
Spoon a generous portion of the horseradish mash into wide, shallow bowls. Ladle the rich beef and chorizo stew alongside the mash, ensuring plenty of the paprika-infused gravy is included, and crown each portion with a steamed dumpling.
Chef's Notes
- Using a high-quality Spanish semi-cured chorizo provides an intense paprika-infused oil that forms the foundational flavour profile of the entire stew.
- For the lightest dumplings, handle the dough delicately. The steam trapped inside the pot provides the necessary lift, which is why a heavy, tight-fitting lid is absolutely crucial.
- Allowing the boiled potatoes to steam-dry after draining prevents a watery mash and helps them absorb the butter and milk much more effectively.
- The pungency of prepared horseradish can vary wildly by brand. Start with half the recommended amount, taste your mash, and adjust upwards as desired.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 days — Store stew, mash, and dumplings in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the stew only; mash and dumplings will degrade in texture.
Reheating: Reheat stew gently on the stovetop. Steam leftover dumplings above the stew. Microwave mash with a splash of milk.
