Beef Casserole With Scone Topping Food

BEEF COBBLER WITH CHEDDAR AND ROSEMARY SCONES

Steps:

• To make the stew, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Season the flour with salt and pepper. Toss the steak in the four so each piece is coated.
• Heat half the oil in a casserole dish and fry the meat in batches until browned all over. Remove from the pan and set to one side.
• Heat the remaining oil in the same pan and fry the onion, carrots, celery and leek until just coloured. Stir in the tomato purée and cook for another two minutes.
• Pour the wine into the pan and heat through. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any charred meat and vegetables from the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, bay leaf and return the beef to the pan.
• Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 1½ hours in the preheated oven (alternatively cook on the hob over a very low heat for 1½ hours).
• Meanwhile, make the cobbler topping. Mix the flours in a bowl. Add the salt, chopped rosemary and 100g/3½oz of the cheese. Slowly add the milk and bring the mixture together. You may not need all of the milk. Try not to overwork the mixture by mixing it too much as this will toughen the end result.
• Tip the mixture onto a floured surface and bring together to form a soft dough. Form the dough into a rough circle keeping it quite thick, about 2.5cm/1in. Cut out eight scone-sized circles. Brush the tops of the scones with beaten egg and sprinkle over the remaining cheese.
• Remove the stew from the oven and place the scones on top of the stew. Increase the oven temperature to 220C/425F/Gas 7. Return the stew to the oven and bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes until the scones are golden-brown. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped parsley.

SCONE-TOPPED BEEF CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Cube steak and brown in oil, remove to casserole dish.
• Saute onion, carrot and celery in pan until onion is soft, sprinkle in flour and stir over heat for 2 minutes, add stock and stir until thickened. Add to meat in casserole with sauce, seasoning and thyme then cover and cook in moderately slow oven (325 degrees) for 2 hours.
• Increase oven temperature to very hot (400 degrees), make scone topping and place on top of casserole, cook uncovered in oven for 15-20 minutes.
• SCONE TOPPING:.
• Sift flour into a bowl and add half the butter with the milk. Mix to a firm dough with a knife, turn onto a floured board, knead lightly and roll out to a rectangle 1/2 inch thick.
• Brush with remaining butter and sprinkle with parsley, cheese and a little onion or celery salt. Roll up firmly and cut into 1/2 inch slices with a floured knife and place on top of casserole.

BEEF CASSEROLE WITH SCONE TOPPING

Steps:

• Heat oil in a flameproof casserole dish 2-5 litre capacity, add beef in batches and cook until browned; remove from dish.
• Add onions, carrots and garlic to same dish and cook stirring until the onions are soft.
• Return beef to dish, stir in parsley, paste and mustard, wine and stock and bake covered in a slow oven 150d c about 1 3/4 hours until beef is tender.
• Place scone topping on hot beef mixture, brush with egg, bake uncovered in mod hot oven 200d 210d C for about 15 minutes or until scone are browned and cooked through.
• Serve sprinkled with extra chopped parsley.
• SCONE TOPPING: Sift flour into bowl, rub in butter, stir in parsley and enough milk to make a soft dough.
• Tun dough onto lightly floured surface and knead lightly until smooth.
• Press dough out to 2cm thickness and cut into 5cm rounds.

HERBY LAMB COBBLER

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. In a flameproof casserole, heat the oil, then sizzle the bacon for 5 mins until crisp. Turn up the heat, then cook the lamb for 10 mins until brown. Remove meats with a slotted spoon, turn the heat up to maximum, then add the onions, carrots and mushrooms. Cook for about 5 mins until starting to colour, then stir in the flour. Return the meat to the pan with the herbs, and pour over the wine, stock and Worcestershire sauce. Season, then cover and braise in the oven, undisturbed, for about 1 hr 20 mins.
• After about 1 hr, make the topping. Tip the flour and herbs into a large bowl, then season with salt and pepper. Add the butter and mix using a fork. Make a well, then add the lemon juice and 3 tbsp water. Gently bring together to make a soft dough. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to about 1.5cm thick, then cut into rounds using a 7.5cm pastry cutter. Re-roll the trimmings, then cut out more rounds until the dough is used up. After 1 hr 20 mins, take the casserole from the oven, remove the lid, then arrange the circles of dough, overlapping, around the edge of the dish, sticking bay leaves between them. Brush with egg and bake for 45 mins until golden.

MUFFIN-TOPPED WINTER BEEF STEW

Steps:

• Heat oven to 150C/fan 130C/gas 2. Toss the beef in seasoned flour. Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole. Fry the beef over a high heat until browned all over - it's easiest to do this in batches. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add 2 tbsp water and the onion to the pan, stir well over a medium heat, scraping up the crusty bits from the bottom of the pan. Lower the heat and fry gently for 10 mins, stirring occasionally until the onions have softened.
• Tip in the carrots, parsnips and bay leaf, then fry for 2 mins more. Return the beef to the pan, stir in the tomato paste, wine if using, and stock, then bring to the boil. Cover and cook in the oven for 1¾-2 hrs until the meat is tender. Can be made up to 2 days ahead or frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost thoroughly in the fridge before topping and baking. Take out of the oven and increase the temperature to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.
• To make the topping, sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl and add half the cheese. Mix olive oil and milk, then stir into the flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough. Add more milk, if necessary. Spoon the dough over the meat and vegetables, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake for about 15 mins until golden, risen and cooked through.