Slow Cooked Lamb Stew with herb Dumplings

This time of year we should be eating summer dishes, because of the wet and windy weather we are eating Autumn dishes. Today's dish is slow cooked lamb dish with lots of vegetables. It is being served with herb dumplings instead of potatoes. When you prepare the basic dumpling mix instead of herbs, grain or English mustard can be added or if you are making a pork casserole you can add diced apple to the mix.
It is a good time of year for the cheaper cuts of lamb, it is still fairly young and does not take that long to cook.



Ingredients
750g Diced neck or shoulder of lamb
1 Diced stick of celery
250g large diced carrot
1 Medium sized diced onion
1Tin of chopped tomatoes
1 1/2Lt Beef stock using cube
200g Flour
Salt /Pepper
4 Small whole onions for garnish
Method
Season the lamb and dust with flour
Fry off in a hot pan until brown
Or seal in a hot oven
Sweat off the celery,onion and carrot
Add in the chopped tomatoes
Pour in the stock
Bring to the boil and simmer for 1 hour
Add in the whole onions and continue cooking for 15 mins
Add in the shaped dumplings, cover with lid
Continue cooking for 30 mins
Check consistency and seasoning and serve

Dumplings
Ingredients
1 Cup of self raising flour
1/2 cup suet (atora)
200Ml milk
Salt /Pepper
Tablespoon chopped mixed herbs of your choice
Method
Place all the dry ingredients into a bowl
Pour in the milk
Mix to a smooth paste
Shape into ball size of your choice
Place into stew and allow to cook