I am very very very happy with this gluten free beef stew and dumplings recipe, having made it repeatedly for the last few weeks in order to get the flavours right. The resulting stew is rich, comforting and guaranteed to give you a happy, full tummy on these cold winter evenings.
The dumplings in this recipe use half oat flour, as this really lightens the texture (and makes them perfect for soaking up lots of tasty sauce). However, if you are really stuck (or can’t tolerate oats) you can use plain gluten free flour instead for a stodgier dumpling. Still tasty, but the oat flour really works a charm on these.
I usually get my gluten free oat flour from Shipton Mill (they sell loads of different gluten free flours, at brilliant prices) but you can also make it from whole oats at home – Google will show you how!
You can also make oat flour at home by blitzing up gluten free oats in a blender until they are super fine. Sift out any large oats that have escaped and you’ll end up with a nice homemade oat flour.
Gluten Free Beef Stew with Dumplings (Serves 4)
Scroll down below the method for photos of the cooking process, in case you need any extra guidance as to what each stage should look like.
Beef Stew with Gluten Free Dumplings
The perfect warming dinner, this rich beef stew with carrots and parsnips is topped with buttery gluten free oat dumplings. Serve with baked potatoes and fine green beans.
Ingredients
For the beef stew:
- 600g lean braising steak/chuck steak, cut into chunks
- 1 large white onion, finely diced
- 2 large carrots, chopped into rounds
- 1 large/2 medium-szied parsnips, chopped into chunks
- 2 tbsp gluten free plain flour OR cornflour
- 1 tbsp Henderson's relish/gluten free Worcester sauce (optional – can omit if you don’t have this in your store cupboard)
- 300ml red wine
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 litre beef stock (I would highly recommend using the Knorr Rich Beef Stock pots, I use the onion and thyme variety and it really boost the flavour, I was impressed!)
- Cooking oil
- Black pepper
For the dumplings (enough for two dumplings per person)::
- 130ml water
- 130g gluten free plain flour
- 1 tsp gluten free baking powder
- 80g oat flour
- 120g unsalted butter, chilled
- 1 tsp Maldon salt
Instructions
- Place a casserole dish (cast iron ideally) on the hob over a high heat with a couple of tablespoons of cooking oil. Add the beef to the casserole dish and stir it constantly until it has coloured nicely on the outside. If any excess liquid comes off the meat, cook until this has evaporated off.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the onion to the casserole dish. Allow it to cook for a couple of minutes, stirring it through the beef.
- Next add the carrot and parsnip to the casserole dish, along with the gluten free flour and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the Henderson’s relish/Worcestershire sauce to the dish and stir it through the meat and veg mix, before adding the red wine. Stir well and use a wooden spoon to scrape any stuck bits off the bottom of the dish, integrating them into the sauce base. Cook for a couple of minutes.
- Now add the stock and the bay leaves to the dish and bring the stew to the boil before turning it down to a low simmer. Partially-cover the stew with a lid and leave to cook for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring every now and then.
- When that cooking time has nearly run out, you can start preparing the dumplings. Grate the butter into a large mixing bowl, then sift the gluten free plain flour, oat flour and baking powder on top. Sprinkle the salt into the bowl too and then gently mix everything together with your fingers – you want to almost lift and combine to get the butter strands well coated with flour, rather than squishing the butter into a blob. Now gradually add the water (you may or may not need the last 10ml so go slow), mixing as you go, until you have a sticky, slightly damp dough. Set aside.
- Take the lid off the casserole dish then use your hands to shape the dough into round dumplings and carefully place on top of the casserole. The dough will be a bit sticky but don’t worry if they don’t look perfect as they will puff up during cooking. Place the lid back on and leave to cook for a further 20 minutes.
- After this the beef stew is ready to serve! Sprinkle with some fresh herbs if you have them and serve with baked potatoes and green vegetables for a belly-busting feast of a dinner. This stew is sooo gooooooooood.
For more gluten free meal ideas, check out some of my other recipes while you are here:
Enjoy! x
