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How to make suet dumplings

by Great British Chefs2 November 2015

Master the art of making the ultimate comfort food with this video guide, fluffy suet dumplings to top a hearty stew.

How to make suet dumplings

Master the art of making the ultimate comfort food with this video guide, fluffy suet dumplings to top a hearty stew.

The ultimate comfort food, there's nothing like a hearty stew topped with fluffy dumplings to warm you up on a cold winter's evening. Dumplings are traditionally made with a mixture of flour and suet, but can be flavoured with a huge range of herbs, spices and other additions to suit the dish.

Suet is used as the fat of choice for dumplings, as it traps air as it melts and therefore creates the perfect light and fluffy texture. Beef suet is most commonly used, but vegetarian versions are also readily available.

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

  • 150g of self-raising flour
  • 75g of suet
  • 1 tsp salt
  • water
1
Combine the flour, suet and salt in a large mixing bowl
2
Start to slowly add a little water at a time and begin to mix in with your hands until a dough starts to form
3
Once you have a soft dough with specks of the suet still visible stop mixing, as you don't want to overwork the dough. If it is too sticky, add a tiny bit more flour
4
Roll the dough into small balls using the palms of your hands
5
Place the balls on top of a simmering (not boiling) stew for the last 20 minutes of its cooking time. By this point, they should be fluffy and ready to serve

Variations

Before adding the water to the flour and suet, different flavourings could be added to the mixture. Try adding chopped herbs such as rosemary or thyme, some chilli flakes or mustard powder for a little heat, or some grated cheese.

The dumplings can also be baked in the oven for 10 minutes before adding to the stew, which will give a crispy exterior to the dumplings.

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