Beef Cobbler James Martin 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.

BEEF AND MUSHROOM COBBLER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a 1-quart capacity au gratin dish or other casserole on a baking sheet and set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the beef and onion until the beef is no longer pink. Stir frequently to prevent sticking. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stir in the mushrooms, thyme and 2 tablespoons flour. When the flour is all stirred in, add the Worcestershire sauce and deglaze the pan with the chicken stock, bring mixture to a boil, then simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, make the dumpling topping by putting the 2/3 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mixing bowl and rub in the lard. Stir in the milk and thyme. Set aside.
• When the filling has simmered 10 minutes, transfer it to the au gratin dish and top with rounded tablespoonfuls of topping. Bake in the middle of the oven about 25 minutes, or until dumplings are cooked through.