Comforting

Classic ragu with polenta dumplings

Name: Classic ragu with polenta dumplings
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 130 min
Total time: 145 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 tbs olive oil; 1kg gravy beef, cut into 4cm pieces; 100g pancetta or bacon, coarsely chopped; 2 anchovy fillets; 2 celery stalks, finely chopped; 1 onion, finely chopped; 1 large carrot, finely chopped; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; 3 fresh or dried bay leaves; 125ml (1⁄2 cup) red wine; 375ml (1 1⁄2 cups) tomato passata; 250ml (1 cup) chicken stock; 150g (1 cup) self-raising flour; 120g (2∕3 cup) polenta; 40g (1⁄2 cup) grated pecorino or parmesan, plus an extra 2 tbs for a cheesier top; 125ml (1⁄2 cup) milk; 2 eggs

1 rating

15m

2h 10m

Jump to recipe

by Matt Preston

delicious. senior editor

Jun 10, 2018

I view cobbler toppings or dumplings with stews to be a great way of doubling the pillowy, wintry comfort of these dishes. Plus, they give you a radically different texture to play with and provide something to soak up all those meaty juices, says Matt. Recipe and image extracted from Yummy, Easy, Quick by Matt Preston, published by Plum, RRP $39.99, available now.

2 tbs olive oil 
1kg gravy beef, cut into 4cm pieces 
100g pancetta or bacon, coarsely chopped 
2 anchovy fillets 
2 celery stalks, finely chopped 
1 onion, finely chopped 
1 large carrot, finely chopped 
4 garlic cloves, crushed 
3 fresh or dried bay leaves 
125ml (1⁄2 cup) red wine 
375ml (1 1⁄2 cups) tomato passata
250ml (1 cup) chicken stock

Polenta dumplings

150g (1 cup) self-raising flour
120g (2∕3 cup) polenta 
40g (1⁄2 cup) grated pecorino or parmesan, plus an extra 2 tbs for a cheesier top
125ml (1⁄2 cup) milk 
2 eggs

Method

1.

Preheat the oven to 180°C fan-forced. Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat and cook the beef in batches for 2–3 minutes until browned. Transfer to a bowl.
2.

Heat the remaining oil in the dish over medium heat. Add the pancetta and anchovies. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring and mashing up the anchovies.
3.

Add the celery, onion, carrot, garlic and bay leaves. Cook, stirring, for 5-6 minutes until soft. Add the wine and simmer for 5 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half.
4.

Add the beef, tomato, passata and stock. Cover and bake for 2 hours or until the beef is tender. Taste and season well.
5.

To prepare the dumplings, combine the flour, polenta and cheese in a bowl. Add the milk and eggs and stir until well combined. Remove the beef from the oven about 30 minutes before the end of cooking and spoon 1⁄4-cupfuls of dumpling mix on top of the beef. Sprinkle the dumplings with the extra cheese. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the dumplings are tender and fluffy.