Beef & brown ale stew with horseradish dumplings

1. Heat oven to 160⁰C / 140⁰C fan/ gas 3. Tip the flour into a large plastic food bag with the mustard powder and some seasoning, and mix well. Add the meat and shake well to evenly coat each piece of meat.

2. Put half the lard in a large, heavy based, flameproof dish with a tight fitting lid, and heat over a medium heat until hot. Brown the meat on all sides in batches, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside in a large bowl. Add more lard, if needed, until all the meat is browned. Do not over fill the pan or the meat will steam rather than brown.

3. Heat the remaining lard, then add the onions and cook until soft and lightly browned. Return the meat to the pan, add the carrots and Worcestershire, ketchup, ale, thyme, bay leaves, stock cubes and 200ml water. Gently bring to the boil, then cover with the lid and transfer to the oven for 3 hours until the meat is tender. You will need to stir it occasionally. Once the meat is tender increase the oven temperature to 200C / 180c fan / gas 6 and quickly make the dumplings.

4. Mix the flour, suet and thyme in a large bowl. Season well. Add the horseradish gradually, starting with 4 tbsp, add enough cold water to form a soft dough that won’t stick to the side of the bowl. Divide the dough into 12 small pieces and roll each into a ball. Do not over knead. Remove the lid from the dish and put the dumplings on top and return to the oven., uncovered for a further 25 mins until the dumplings are cooked and golden. Serve piping with mashed potato and kale.