Chicken Casserole with English ale and Stilton and Walnut Dumplings

Ingredients

For the casserole

• 8 pieces of chicken
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 2 ozs seasoned flour
• 4 ozs of unsalted butter
• 8 slices of streaky bacon, chopped
• 4 leeks, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 carrots
• 2 sticks of celery
• 1 Spanish onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 4 sprigs of thyme
• 1 tsp of sugar
• a bottle of beer – Old Speckled Hen
• 1 tsp of malt vinegar
• 1 tbs Dijon mustard
• 1 pint of chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ lb of small turnips
• 2 parsnips

For the dumplings

• 50g Stilton
• 25g walnuts, chopped
• 100g flour
• 50g suet
• 2 egg yolks
• ½ tsp salt
• A good grate of nutmeg
• A pinch of pepper