Aim to impress

Glorious meals to enjoy with family or friends, from slow-roast pork belly to garlicky linguine

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Beef, ale & parsnip pudding

This hearty pudding is straightforward to prepare, but it does take a little time. So make life easier for yourself by cooking the filling the day before.

Serves 4

Pep 20 mins

Cook 3/2 hrs

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 100g smoked bacon lardons

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 500g lean stewing beef, cubed

• 2 tbsp plain flour

• 3 parsnips, cubed 500ml brown ale

• 300ml beef stock

• 2 tbsp cranberry or redcurrant jelly

• 4 thyme sprigs gravy and greens, to serve

FOR THE SUET PASTRY

• butter, for the basin

• 300g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting

• 2 tsp English mustard powder

• 140g shredded suet

1 Heat a large pan and cook the onion and lardons together for 5 mins until golden. Scoop out with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add the oil to the pan, dust the beef with the flour, then evenly brown over a high heat.

2 Add the parsnips, ale, stock, jelly, thyme and lardon mixture to the pan. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 1/2 hrs until the meat is tender. Chill overnight if making ahead.

3 Generously butter a 1.5-litre pudding basin. To make the pastry, mix together the flour, mustard powder, suet and 1/2 tsp salt. Add enough cold water, about 150ml, to make a soft dough. Remove 14 of the dough and set to one side. On a heavily floured surface, roll out the remaining dough to make a large round, big enough to line the basin.

4 Carefully lay the pastry in the basin (aim to have 1cm of pastry overhanging the rim), then press the edges of the join together to seal. Roll out the remaining into a circle big enough to cover the top.