Snow and "Stoup"

We had our first snow in NYC about nine days ago. It was really beautiful and also the perfect weather to try a new stew recipe. This one came from Rachel Ray's "Cooking 'Round the Clock" cookbook and was absolutely delicious!

Beef and Watercress Dumpling "Stoup"

2 lbs beef sirloin, cubed

2 tbsp olive oil

4 slices hickory smoked bacon, chopped

2 medium onions, chopped

4 ribs celery, chopped

2 bay leaves

4 sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried

2 tbsp flour

1 cup dry red wine

1 tounded tbsp grainy Dijon mustard

1 quart beef broth

1/2 tsp Liquid Smoke

salt and pepper

2 1/4 cup Bisquick

2/3 cup milk

1 cup chopped watercress or mache

Pat the meat cubes dry with a paper towel.

Heat a large stock pot over high heat. Add oil, then meat in a single layer, working in batches if necessary. Sear meat until caramelized, about 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a shallow dish and tent with aluminum foil. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add bacon to the pan and cook until edges are browned. Remove bacon and drain all but 1 tbsp of the fat from pot. Return bacon to pot along with onions, celery, bay leaves, and thyme. Stir and cook 5 minutes. Sprinkle in flour, stir, and cook another minutes. Whisk in wine and mustard and scrape up pan drippings. Add broth. Cover and bring to a boil, 1 to 2 minutes.

In a mixing bowl, combine Bisquick and milk. Stir in the watercress or mache.

Add meat back to the stock pot and settle it in so that it is covered with sauce. Add liquid smoke and season with salt and pepper. Drop large spoonfuls of dumpling mix onto the surface of the stew and cover the pan. Cook until dumplings are plump and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Serve hot.