It’s a blustery day in Cumbria not quite cold yet but with a definite feel and smell of Autumn in the air and the promise of approaching winter. I say promise because I like the feel of Autumn still sunny and sometimes warm but with rustling falling leaves and the garden slowly turning to orange and gold. I like the Winter as well but it has to be a proper one with frosty mornings and proper snow, only at the weekends, so I don’t have to drive in it. I’ve got out my warm coat, scarves and gloves so I’m ready for anything. I’m looking forward to lighting the fire for the first time and looking forward to some cosy nights in with my favourite people.
This mince and dumplings is comfort food at it’s best everyone I have spoken to about this have said……………………..Oh.oooooo I love them. But most have never made them possibly because they are not sure how to and don’t realise how easy it is. For my generation they remind us of childhood and for me of school dinners. Yes school dinners!! Maybe there is a touch of rose tinted memories here but we certainly had some memorable ones such as mince and mash, chocolate sponge with green peppermint custard (sounds absurd but we loved it), Apple pie with grated cheese-again rather odd but I was always told it was a ‘Yorkshire thing’. I think even at my tender years I thought that even odder because the cheese was always white, grated Lancashire cheese! Maybe this was some historical culinary attempt at reconciliation between Yorkshire and Lancashire. Mince and dumplings was also on the menu probably because it was relatively cheap to make and filling for all us growing girls…………………..
This is my version which lives up to that memory when I suppose the recipe was very much the same. It’s childs play to make and can be cooked from start to finish in about an hour and for most of the time it will cook merrily by itself. So you just have time to pull those curtains, light the fire and pull on that baggy old cardi you only keep for winter (shapeless and quite probably bobbly-I know you have one) and cosy up for the night………………………..
MINCE AND DUMPLINGS
Serves 4/5
For the mince:
A little vegetable oil
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
800g beef mince meat
3 carrots, peeled and chopped
About 165g turnip, peeled and diced
2 beef stock cubes
750ml water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- In a large pan with a lid (I prefer to use a large, open shallow one with a lid) heat up a little oil and add the onions. Cook until golden.
- Add the mince and stir every now and then until it is all browned. Add the chopped carrots and turnip-I have used quite a lot of vegetables so there is no need to serve more vegetables with the meal.
- Crumble the stock cubes into the meat, add the water and stir until dissolved-this is quite a lot of water because the dumplings will absorb some of it.
- Season with black pepper. Replace the lid and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Taste and adjust and more salt and pepper if you prefer.
For the dumplings:
250g self-raising flour
½ teasp salt
100g shredded suet e.g. Atora
1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped or 1 teasp dried parsley or mixed herbs
About 8 tbsp. of water.
- Mix all the dry ingredients together. Add the water to make a softish dough.
- Make into about 8 balls. Roll in a little flour if they are sticking.
- When the mince is cooked, drop the dumplings in and spoon over some of the liquid. Put the lid back on and cook for about 20 minutes until they are risen and cooked through.
- If you think it is too wet then remove the lid and simmer until the liquid is reduced.
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