Brazilian pork stew and corn dumplings

Try this simple one-pot take on the traditional Brazilian Feijoada, using pork shoulder - throw in leftover chorizo, ham or bacon.

Freeze before adding dumplings

900 g pork shoulder, cut into 4cm chunks

2 tbsp sunflower oil d

2 onions, finely chopped

2 celery sticks, finely chopped

3 bay leaves

1 tbsp oregano leaves (or 2 tsp dried), plus extra, to serve

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp ground coriander

1 tbsp allspice

1 stock cube (beef, pork or chicken)

2 x 400 g cans chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp cocoa powder

2 tbsp soft dark brown or muscovado sugar

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

zest and juice 2 oranges 

2 red chillies, halved lengthways - seeds in or out, depending on whether you like it spicy

Bunch spring onions, finely sliced

400 g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3-4cm/1¼in - 1½ in chunks

2 red peppers, deseeded and cut into chunks

2 x 400 g cans black beans, drained and rinsed

For the dumplings

100 g cold butter, diced

200 g self-raising flour

140 g cornmeal or finely ground polenta, plus extra for dusting

½ tsp bicarbonate of soda 

140 g sweetcorn, from a can, drained, or freshly cut from a cob (just boil for 3 mins first)

75 ml buttermilk

1 medium egg, beaten

Start by getting your biggest flameproof casserole dish and sealing the pork chunks in the oil – they don’t have to be very well browned. Do in batches, then transfer to a plate and tip three-quarters of the onions, the celery, bay and oregano into the dish. Add a splash more oil, if you need, and fry gently until softened.

Tip in the spices, stir for 1 min to toast, then return the pork to the dish. Crumble in the stock cube and stir in the tomatoes, cocoa, sugar, 2 tbsp of the vinegar, the zest and juice from 1 orange, and 3 of the chilli halves. Bring to a simmer, then cover and leave to bubble for 1 hr

Meanwhile, finely chop the reserved chilli half and mix with the remaining onions, the spring onions, and red wine vinegar and the zest and juice from the last orange. Keep cold in the fridge.

After 1 hr, stir the sweet potatoes and red peppers into the stew, then re-cover and simmer for another 30 mins

When the stew has about 15 mins to go, make the dumplings. Rub the butter into the flour until it resembles fine crumbs, then stir in the cornmeal, bicarb and sweetcorn. Finally, mix in the buttermilk and all but 1 tbsp of the egg to make a soft dough. Season with some salt and roll the mixture into 12 soft dumplings, then roll in a little more cornmeal to coat the tops. Brush the tops with the reserved beaten egg.

Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Stir the beans into the stew, then taste for seasoning. Sit 6 of the dumplings on top of the stew and the rest on a baking tray lined with baking parchment. Put both in the oven – the stew without its lid – and cook for 25 mins until the dumplings are golden and risen.

Carry the stew straight to the table, and sprinkle over a little more oregano before spooning into bowls. Serve the extra dumplings alongside for those who fancy another one, and the onion relish.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, October 2014