Can you get a more hearty meal? I don't think so. This is a classic and one which will warm you from the inside out on a cold winters night. I typically use leftovers from a roast, but it's equally as easy to fry some diced lamb off. Traditionally my mum would make a Lancashire Hotpot, but I really wanted dumplings that day, so I made dumplings. That's what being an adult really is, choosing your own dinner. It's all I wanted growing up, so why do I wish now I had her choosing for me?

Serves: 4

Cooking time: 2 hours

For the Stew:

• 500g Leftover Roast Lamb Shoulder/ Diced Lamb Shoulder
• 1 Onion
• 2 Carrots
• 1/2 Swede
• 2 Parsnip
• 3 Garlic Cloves
• 500ml Lamb Stock
• 1 tbsp Flour
• 75 ml Red Wine
• 1 tbsp Ketchup
• 1 tbsp Worcester Sauce
• 1 tbsp Mint Sauce
• 1 tbsp Redcurrant Jelly
• 1 tbsp Cornflour
• Rosemary
• Salt & Pepper
• Olive Oil

For the Dumplings:

• 150g Self Raising Flour
• 70g Suet
• 1/2 tsp Salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 150℃ and begin preparing the vegetables; dice the onion, peel and chop the carrots, parsnip and swede into decent size chunks, and crush the garlic cloves.
2. If you aren't using leftover lamb from a roast and have diced fresh lamb, fry this off in a deep casserole dish in a glug of oil until browned and put to one side.
3. Place the casserole dish on a low heat on the hob with a little more oil if necessary and throw in the onions to sweat and soften for 5 minutes before adding the garlic in and sautéing some more until slightly golden.
4. Meanwhile, make up the lamb stock.
5. Add in a heaped tbsp of flour to the onions and stir until coated. Follow this with the stock, stirring while it slightly thickens. Follow this with the wine, ketchup, Worcester sauce, mint sauce, and redcurrant jelly.
6. Stir through to form a thick gravy and throw in the lamb followed by all the vegetables. Season generously and add a few sprigs of rosemary.
7. Put the lid on the casserole dish and place in the oven for an hour.
8. Meanwhile, measure out the flour, suet, and salt. Add 3 tbsp of cold water and stir through with a knife/your hands until a ball forms, adding more water or flour where necessary. Split this into 6 rounded dumplings on a floured surface.
9. When the stew has been cooking for an hour, remove from the oven. If the gravy is slightly too liquidy, place a heaped tbsp of cornflour in a little dish and remove some of the cooking liquor from the stew to stir through and form a paste. Stir this back into the stew.
10. Give the delicious gravy a taste test, and add a little more (1 tsp) mint sauce and redcurrant jelly if you want that extra oomph.
11. Place the dumplings on top of the stew and replace the lid before placing back in the oven for 20 minutes. After which time, remove the lid and leave to cook for a further 10 minutes.

Serving note: Best served with a large glass of wine, listening to some Percy Sledge and enjoying a nice heaped portion in front of a lovely warm fire, living the dream.