Beef cobbler

Slow-cooked beef and carrots in a rich gravy, topped with soft cheesy scones that bake golden on top and soak up the sauce underneath. One dish, no pastry, everyone happy.

Ingredients

• 800 g Stewing beef, cut into chunks
• 30 g Plain flour
• 30 ml Vegetable oil
• 2 Onions, chopped
• 400 g Carrots, cut into chunks
• 1 Celery, sliced
• 30 g Tomato purée
• 15 ml Worcestershire sauce
• 2 Beef stock cubes, made up with 600ml hot water
• 1 g Bay leaves
• 1 g Dried thyme
• 1 g Black pepper
• 250 g Self-raising flour
• 60 g Butter, cold, cubed
• 50 g Cheddar, grated
• 130 ml Milk
• 400 g Broccoli, cut into florets

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan). Toss the beef in the plain flour and pepper, then brown it in batches in the oil in a large ovenproof casserole. Lift it out onto a plate.
2. Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pan and cook for 8 minutes until softened.
3. Stir in the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce, stock, bay and thyme, scraping up the sticky bits. Put the beef back in, bring to a simmer, cover and cook in the oven for 2 hours until the beef is tender.
4. Near the end, rub the butter into the self-raising flour until it looks like breadcrumbs, stir in most of the cheese, then add the milk and bring it together into a soft dough. Pat out 2cm thick and cut into 10 to 12 rounds.
5. Take the lid off, turn the oven up to 200°C (180°C fan), take out the bay leaf and sit the scones on top of the stew. Scatter with the last of the cheese and bake for 20 minutes until risen and golden.
6. Steam or boil the broccoli for 4 to 5 minutes while the cobbler finishes.
7. Serve big spoonfuls of stew with a scone or two each and the broccoli on the side.