Ingredients

• 5 tbsp vegetable oil
• 75g/2¾oz unsalted butter
• 900g/2lb lamb neck
• cut into 2cm/¾in cubes
• 200g/7oz bacon lardons (preferably oak smoked)
• 1 bunch spring onions
• chopped (white and green part)
• 2 garlic cloves
• chopped
• 5 fresh sage leaves
• chopped
• 500g/1lb 2oz shop-prepared butternut squash and sweet potato mix
• 25g/1oz sun-dried tomatoes
• chopped
• 4 tbsp plain flour
• 50g/1¾oz dried porcini mushrooms
• chopped
• 2 tbsp plum or cherry jam
• 1 bay leaf
• few shakes of Worcestershire sauce
• 250ml/9fl oz port
• 500ml/18fl oz beef stock
• 1 tbsp English mustard powder
• 4 tbsp freshly chopped flatleaf parsley
• to serve
• salt and black pepper
• 150g/5½oz self-raising flour
• 75g/2¾oz shredded beef or vegetable suet
• small handful fresh thyme leaves
• 1 medium free-range egg

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
• Heat a lidded casserole dish and add the oil and butter. Once melted
• add the lamb in batches and fry until browned all over. Remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the bacon lardons to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes or until crisp. Add the spring onions
• garlic and sage and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Add the butternut squash and sweet potato mix and stir. Add the sun-dried tomatoes
• flour
• mushrooms
• jam and bay leaf and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
• Return the sealed lamb to the pan along with the Worcestershire sauce and port. Cook until the port has reduced by half. Add the stock
• mustard powder and season with salt and pepper stir. Cover with the lid and transfer to the oven for 20 minutes.
• For the dumplings
• place the flour
• suet and thyme leaves into a large glass bowl and mix to combine. Add the egg and 50ml/2fl oz water
• mix and bring to a dough. Roll the mixture into 12 evenly-sized dumplings.
• Remove the stew from the oven and stir in most of the parsley.
• Place the dumplings on top of the stew and place back in the oven with the lid on for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for a further 15-20 minutes
• or until the dumplings are golden-brown.
• To serve
• spoon some of the stew and dumplings into shallow serving bowls and garnish with the remaining parsley.