James Martin's easy beef stew and dumplings slow cooker recipe can be made in just 30 minutes

Stew is a firm favourite for those wanting a quick and easy dinner, and using a slow cooker not only ensures the meat and veggies are melt-in-the-mouth delicious but also cuts down on kitchen time.

Celebrity chef James Martin has dished out his take on beef stew and dumplings with BBC Good Food, boasting a prep time of just 30 minutes. Perfect for setting up in the morning or over lunch, let it simmer throughout the day to enhance its rich flavours.

True to form for a James Martin creation, butter makes an appearance on the ingredients list.

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Ingredients for the beef stew include:

• 2 tbsp olive oil.

• 25g/1oz butter.

• 750g/1lb 10oz beef braising steak, cut into bite-sized pieces.

• 2 tbsp plain flour.

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed.

• 175g/6oz baby onions, peeled.

• 150g/5oz celery, chopped into large chunks.

• 150g/5oz carrots, chopped into large chunks.

• 2 leeks, roughly chopped.

• 200g/7oz swede, diced.

• 150ml/5fl oz red wine.

• 500ml/18fl oz beef stock.

• 2 fresh bay leaves.

• 3 tbsp fresh thyme leaves.

• 3 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley.

• Worcestershire sauce, to taste.

• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, or to taste.

• salt and freshly ground black pepper.

• For the dumplings.

• 125g/412oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting.

• 1 tsp baking powder.

• pinch salt.

• 60g/212oz suet.

• water, to make a dough.

To serve:

• Mashed potato.

• 1 tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley.

Method

Start by preheating the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Then heat the oil and butter in an ovenproof casserole dish and brown the beef on all sides, reports NottinghamshireLive.

Sprinkle over the flour and cook for a further two to three minutes. Add the garlic and all the vegetables and fry for one to two minutes.

Next, stir in the wine, stock and herbs and then add the Worcestershire sauce and balsamic vinegar, to taste. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

You should then cover it with a lid and transfer it to an oven and cook for around two hours. Make sure the meat is tender.

For the dumplings, start by sifting the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. Add the suet and enough water to form a thick dough.

Then, with floured hands, roll spoonfuls of the dough into small balls. After the stew has been in the oven for two hours, remove the lid from the stew and place the balls on top of the stew.

Cover the pot, return to the oven and cook for a further 20 minutes, or until the dumplings have puffed up and are tender. (If you prefer your dumplings with a golden top, leave the lid off when returning to the oven.).

To serve, spoon on a portion of mashed potato onto each of the four plates and top with the hearty stew and dumplings. Finish off with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

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