Ingredients

• 1.4kg/3lb 1oz collar of bacon
• skin on
• soaked in cold water overnight in the fridge or in a cool place
• 1 fresh bay leaf
• 10 black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 1 large onion
• peeled
• 600ml/1 pint 2fl oz good cider
• 25g/1oz unsalted butter
• 4 large garlic cloves
• peeled
• 8 small shallots
• peeled but with root end intact
• 10 white peppercorns
• 4 medium carrots
• sliced on the diagonal to 5mm/¼in thick
• 3 sticks celery
• sliced on the diagonal to 5mm/¼in thick
• 90g/3½oz self-raising flour
• pinch salt
• 1 tsp English mustard powder
• 45g/1½oz shredded suet
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• freshly ground black pepper
• to taste
• English mustard
• to taste

Directions

• To boil the bacon
• remove the bacon joint from the soaking water and put it into a large
• deep
• lidded saucepan. Add the rest of the ingredients for boiling the bacon.
• Pour in enough cold water to cover the joint by 2.5cm/1in. Cover with a lid
• place over a high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook
• covered
• for one hour.
• Test to see if the meat is tender by piercing it with a blunt table knife. If's difficult to insert the blade
• then continue cooking for another 20 minutes and test again. When the meat is tender
• remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• To stew the bacon
• preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Place a large lidded ovenproof casserole on the stove and heat until hot. Add the butter
• then add the garlic
• shallots and peppercorns and fry for one minute.
• Add the carrots and celery and fry gently for about five minutes until lightly coloured. Remove the bacon collar from the liquid the meat was boiled in.
• Cut and lift off the bacon skin with a sharp knife - it should come off in a single piece. Put the skinned bacon joint on top of the vegetables in the casserole. Add enough of the poaching liquid to cover the vegetables by 2.5cm/1in (you may need to top up with water if there is not enough).
• Cover with the lid and place in the oven for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile
• for the dumplings
• sieve the flour
• salt and mustard powder into a bowl. Stir in the suet
• chopped parsley and freshly ground black pepper
• to taste.
• Add enough cold water to make a stiff dough that doesn't cling to the sides of the bowl. Using your hands
• divide the mixture into large walnut-sized pieces and roll into neat balls in the palms of your hand.
• Add the rolled dumplings to the casserole
• around the joint
• and place the casserole back into the oven to cook for a further 25-30 minutes. When done the dumplings should be cooked through
• puffed and light. The meat will be tender and unctuous
• the vegetables will have collapsed a little and the cooking liquid will have thickened.
• To serve
• carefully lift the meat from the casserole onto a board and cut into generous slices. Divide the vegetables equally among four plates
• top with slices of the meat
• surround with a few dumplings and spoon over the thickened juices. Serve with English mustard.