Beef stew with cheese scone dumplings

• portion of beef stew1

  (see recipe in “Suitable for” section)

• Dijon mustard↗1 tbsp tbsp
• boiled green vegetables

  for serving

• self‑raising flour↗225g g

  plus extra for dusting

• pinch of cayenne pepper↗
• baking powder↗1 tsp tsp
• cold unsalted butter↗75g g

  cut into cubes

• aged cheddar↗100g g

  grated, plus extra for sprinkling

• small bunch of parsley

  finely chopped

• milk↗85ml ml

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   If the beef stew is frozen, thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Transfer it to an oven‑proof pot and stir in Dijon mustard.

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 200 °C/180 °C with convection/gas 6. Pour the flour into a large bowl and add cayenne pepper, baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Rub in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles sand. Using a kitchen knife, add the cheese and parsley and mix.

3. 3

   Pour in the milk and stir with a spoon until the dough comes together in clumps. If it seems dry, add a little more milk. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until the dry flour spots combine – do not over‑mix or the scones will be tough. Roll or press the dough to about 1 cm thickness. Use a 5 cm cutter to cut out scones – we made 18. Arrange the scones on top of the beef stew in a single layer, leaving space for them to rise while baking. Place the remaining scones on a parchment‑lined tray. Sprinkle each with a little more cheese, cover the pot with a lid and bake for 15 minutes together with the extra scones.

4. 4

   Remove the tray with the scones from the oven and let them cool. Uncover the pot and return it to the oven for another 15 minutes, or until the scones on top have risen and turned golden. Serve with the boiled green vegetables, if desired.