Your Basic Dumplings

Dumplings

Serves 6

This recipe is adapted from:
                   Jamie's Ministry of Food

Ingredients
    250 g self-raising flour (two heaping cups)
    125 g butter, really cold (a bit less than 1/2 cup)
    sea salt (1/4t)
    freshly ground black pepper (1/4t)

Method

• Preheat your oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5 (if intending to bake)
• Put your flour into a mixing bowl
• Using a coarse grater, grate your cold butter into the flour
• Add a pinch of salt and pepper
• Using your fingers, gently rub the butter into the flour until it begins to resemble breadcrumbs
• Add a splash of cold water to help bind it into a dough
• Divide the dough into 24 pieces and gently roll each into a round dumpling. The dumplings will suck up quite a bit of moisture so if your stew looks dry - add a cup of boiling water and give it a good stir
• Place the dumplings on top of your fully cooked stew and press down lightly so that they're half submerged
• Cook in the oven or on the hob (stove) over a medium heat with the lid on for 30 minutes