Tsimmes with dumpling

Ingredients

Directions

Trim excess fat off the meat, leaving a thin edging, then cut into 1½-inch (4 cm) chunks. Peel the carrots and cut into ½ inch (1¼ cm) cubes. Put the carrots and meat into a pan, barely cover with hot water, add 2 tablespoons of the syrup, the pepper and ½ teaspoon of salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 hours either on top of the stove or in a slow oven. Skim, or if possible, chill overnight, so that most of the fat can be removed.

4 hours before you want to serve the tsimmes, make the dumping by rubbing the margarine into the flour and salt. Mix to a soft dough with the water. Put the dumpling in the middle of a large oval earthenware, enamel or enamelled-iron casserole. Lift the meat and carrots from their cooking liquid with a perforated spoon and arrange round it. (Without a dumpling, simply put the carrots and potatoes into the casserole.) Mix the cornflour with enough water to make a smooth cream, then stir into the stock from the carrots and meat.

Bring to the boil and pour over the carrots and meat. Peel and cut the potatoes into large cubes and arrange on top, adding extra boiling water if necessary so that they are just submerged. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and 2 tablespoons of syrup. Cover and bring to the boil on top of the stove, then transfer to a slow oven, Gas No. 2 (300 degrees F/150 degrees C), for 3 ½ hours. Uncover and taste, adding a little more syrup if necessary.

Allow to brown for a further half an hour, then serve. The potatoes and the dumpling should be slightly brown and the sauce slightly thickened.

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