Warm Up With Lamb Knuckles & Dumplings [Recipe]

The best thing about winter is that you get to indulge in soups, stews and other wonderfully rich dishes. So, if you’re looking for a the perfect dish to warm your tummy during the cooler months then look no further than this recipe for Lamb Knuckles and Dumplings. The recipe was created by well-known foodie, Thuli Gogela for Nederburg Wines. Served in spoon licking good sauce, that is cunningly enriched by prunes along with delicious dumplings this lamb dish will prove to be a real winner for your next dinner party.

Recipe (Serves: 6 to 8 people):

Ingredients:

Dumplings

875ml (3½ cups) cake flour

5ml (1 tsp) instant yeast

5ml (1 tsp) salt

10ml (2 tsp) sugar

375ml (1½ cup) warm water

Lamb knuckles

15ml (1 Tbsp) canola or olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped

+/- 800g lamb knuckles

1 litre (4 cups) boiling water

1 bay leaf

5ml (1 tsp) medium curry powder

1 chicken stock cube

1 red chilli, chopped

15ml (1 Tbsp) soya sauce

30ml (2 Tbsp) chutney

45ml (3 Tbsp) tomato paste

15ml (1 Tbsp) balsamic vinegar

5 ml(1 tsp) fresh rosemary, chopped

5 prunes, halved, pits removed

Freshly milled black pepper to taste

Method:

Dumplings

1. In a big bowl, combine the flour, instant yeast, salt, sugar and warm water. Knead for around 10 minutes until a pliable and elastic dough is formed.

2. Cover the dough, keep in a warm place and let it rise until double in size.

Lamb knuckles

1. While the dough is rising, heat the oil in a large casserole and sauté the onion and garlic until soft.

2. Add the knuckles, boiling water, bay leaf, curry powder, stock cube, chilli, soya sauce, chutney, tomato paste and balsamic vinegar and stir through.

3. Close with a lid, lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for around 20 to 25 minutes until the knuckles are cooked and the flesh is soft.

4. Add the rosemary and prunes, and make sure there’s still enough liquid in the pot before adding the dumplings.

5. Form small dumplings with the dough and place them on top of the stew. Sprinkle the dumplings with black pepper.

6. Replace the lid and let the stew simmer at a low temperature until the dumplings are cooked.

7. Garnish with fresh rosemary and serve with roasted or steamed vegetables.

Notes: This dish pairs well with Nederburg 56Hundred Cabernet Sauvignon.