Pork and Fennel Stew with Dumplings
This stew will warm your heart and soul. A charred poblano provides a very subtle heat, while fennel and orange take the center stage. An all in one dinner for 6.
Servings: 4-6
Recipe by Tierney Larson
Dumpling Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver
For the Stew:
2 lb pork stew meat, cut into 1 1/2-2 inch cubes
kosher salt
a few grinds of fresh nutmeg, or a pinch of pre-ground
1 onion, diced
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed, halved and cut into 1/4 inch half moons
1 poblano pepper
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbl tomato paste
1 28oz can of crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup beef stock
2, 2 inch strips of orange zest
2 tbl flour
For the Dumplings:
1 3/4 cups or 250g of All-Purpose Flour *See below
3 tsp of baking powder
125g or 1/2 cup of unsalted butter, cold
A pinch of Kosher Salt
Some black pepper
*if you’re in the UK just use Self Raising Flour and skip the baking powder, if you’re in the US, you can also just use self rising flour, but skip the BP and the Salt if you choose to do so.
Ok so…
Season the pork with kosher salt and nutmeg on all sides. Just a light dusting of the nutmeg is plenty.
Preheat your oven to 325F. Set the poblano on a sheet tray and place it under the broiler for a few minutes or on a burner over medium heat so that the skin gets black and charred. Turn it with tongs so that it gets some charring on all sides. Remove from the heat and place inside a kitchen towel to cool slightly, for about 5 min. Then run the poblano under cold water and remove whatever skin you can. Remove the stem and seeds, dice and set aside.
Set a Dutch oven over medium heat. When the Dutch oven is hot, add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the onions and a pinch of kosher salt and cook, stirring now and then for about 7 minutes, or until tender. Then add the fennel and poblano and stir. Add another pinch of salt and let cook for about 3 minutes until the fennel is slightly tender. Next add the garlic, fennel seeds, orange zest and tomato paste. Cook, stirring for 1-2 minutes until the tomato paste is slightly darker and the fennel and garlic are fragrant.
Add in the pork and flour and stir to coat. Then add the beef stock and crushed tomatoes along with another pinch of salt and some grinds of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and then cover and place in the oven for 1 and 1/2 hours, stirring now and then.
To make the Dumplings:
Place the flour, a pinch of kosher salt and some grinds of black pepper in a medium sized bowl and whisk together to combine. Then, using the large holes of a grater, grate the cold butter into the flour mixture. Then using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until you have a breadcrumb texture. Fill a measuring cup with 1/2 cup of very cold water (throw some ice in it if you have) and add 1 tbl of cold water at a time, tossing to combine the water and the flour mixture until you have a dough that’s not too wet but not crumbling apart. If the butter feels like it’s getting a bit melty, pop the dough in the fridge for about 15 minutes before you shape. When the dough is chilled, tip it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 24 a bit smaller than a golf ball balls. Set aside in the fridge to chill until your stew is almost done. Have a cup of boiling water nearby for when it’s time to add the dumplings, they absorb a lot of moisture, so you’ll need to add it to the stew.
When your pork is fully cooked and tender, your stew is ready for the dumplings. Remove the dutch oven (be careful it’s hot!!! I always forget). and place it on the stove top and put over medium low heat. Using a ladle, skim the top of the stew to remove any fat that’s accumulated at the top and discard. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. If all is well, add the cup of boiling water to the stew, give it a good stir and then place the dumplings in so that they’re halfway submerged in the stew. Cover and let simmer over medium low for 20-25 minutes until they’re puffed up and cooked. Serve with some torn fennel fronds over top.
