Beer Casserole with Mustard Dumplings

[lizzie]

Ok folks, there's a lot of chopping on this one but worth it. The casserole can be put in the oven on a low light all day. Just turn the heat up when it's time to cook the dumplings.

Ingrediants:

4 1/2oz (125g) pearl barley
3oz red lentils
2tbsp oil (olive is fine)
1lb 2oz (500g) baby onions or large sliced onion
2 garlic gloves finely chopped
3tbsp plain flour
9fl oz vegetable stock
500ml bottle of any pale beer. Honey Bee works quite well or any micro brewed ale
1 small swede chopped into 1" chunks
3 carrots chopped into 1" chunks
4 sticks celery chopped into 1" chunks
12oz new potatoes, halved or left whole (depends on size)
1 bouquet garnie

For the Mustard Dumplings:

9oz self raising flour
4oz shredded vegetable suet
Wholegrain mustard to taste (about 2tsp but more if you like)
3tbsp flat leaf parsley. You could also add corriander, thyme or anything you like.

Method:

Boil the pearl barley on a medium heat for halve an hour or until fairly soft.

Chop the veg and leave to one side.

Heat the oven to it's lowest setting if the casserole is going in all day or to gas 4 if cooking straight away.

Heat the oil in a 2 litre/3 1/2 pint casserole dish and fry the onions until golden. Add garlic and fry for further minute.

Sprinkle over the flour and stir for 1 minute. Then, gradually add the vegetable stock and beer, stirring continuously. Bring to the boil.

Rinse and drain the pearl barley and add to the dish, together with the rest of the vegetables and red lentils. Add the bouquet garnie and season with salt and pepper. Put the lid on and put in the oven.

If cooking straight away, pop in the oven for 45 mins. If cooking all day, pop in the oven.

Dumplings:

These can be made ahead and left in the fridge.

Method:

Sift the flour into a bowl and put the suet in, together with some salt and pepper, mustard, chopped herbs and mix with enough water to make a dough.

After the casserole cooking time, remove the lid and spoon the dumpling mixture over the top of the casserole. If the casserole has been in all day put the heat up to gas 5. Bake for about 30 mins. Serve with bit pieces of cabbage, cauli or loads of fresh, crusty bread to mop up the gravy.

[Beccy]

Lizzie you keep making me drool over my keyboard, it is most inconsiderate of you . I love cooking with beer (and drinking it too of course).

And a recipe with beer and barley, well

[johnm]

Lizzie,this recipe sounds great and as I retire soon I would like to try it on my wife who will be still working.Sadly for her she will soon have to put up with my culinary efforts but I am determined to make a decent job of it.Your recipe does not say that you have to form the dumpling mixture into dumplings.You just place the mixture over the casserole.Can you confirm.

[Tigger]

I think the key word is 'spoon' Johnm. I assume Lizzie wants us to put dollops onto the top of the mixture.

[lizzie]

Sorry chaps, my error. I'm a prat

Yes, just spoon dollops of dumpling mix over the top of the casserole. They will all spread out and form a crust over the top of the casserole.

[Beccy]

No, no, no, just human, "to err is human", dunno who said it but 'tis true. And to be a good human you have to admit your mistakes gracefully. So

[Sally]

Hi Lizzie,

I had a go at this over the weekend, but i don't think i did it justice i'm afraid

It does make quite a lot of casserole, and my average sized casserole pot was not really up to job and a lot of the liquid bubbled out. in the end it wasn't very liquidy, but it still tasted darned good. I used Young's Waggle Dance beer (yum).

I'm going to have another go and reduce the quantites slightly so it all fits in my slow cooker.

thanks for the recipe!