Instructions: Several days before you need it, remove the peel from the tangerine.

Spread on a baking sheet and dry out on top of the oven or in a warm place. When totally dried, save in a jar until needed. Drying concentrates the flavour.

Preheat the oven to 150C/gas 4.

Trim the shin and cut into 11/2 inch cubes.

Mix the flour and seasonings and toss the beef in it to give a light dusting.

Chop the bacon.Wipe the mushrooms. Peel the shallots. Make the bouquet garni. Crush the garlic.

Heat a cast iron pan. Melt dripping and brown the beef very well on all sides. Only deal with a quarter of the beef at a time. Deglaze the pan with a little red wine each time.

Pour the beef and the deglazed juices into a deep ovenproof dish.

Repeat until all the beef is done and the pan juices degassed, saving a little dripping for the shallots.

Heat the remaining dripping in the pan and add the prepared shallots.

Keep shaking the pan until the shallots are brown. Add the garlic and tangerine peel and deglaze with the remaining wine. Pour into the ovenproof dish with the beef.

Fry the chopped bacon to release the fat and the flavour and add the mushrooms. Fry lightly. Add to the beef in the dish. Tuck the bouquet garni in amongst the stock.

Bring the whole casserole back to the boil. Then put a tight fitting lid on the casserole dish or cover it tightly with foil.

Simmer in a moderate oven (150C/gas 4) for approximately 3 hours. This really depends on your oven and the quality of the beef. You will have to test to see if it is done. The shin should be tender but juicy and the gelatinous parts should have melted into the sauce to give a rich unctuous finish.

Remove the bouquet garni and tangerine and discard.

Drop tablespoonsful of the dumpling mixture (see below) into the liquid of the casserole. Put the lid back onto the casserole dish and cook for another 15-20 minutes until the dumplings are cooked and are light and fluffy.

Serve in the cooking dish with a sprinkling of freshly chopped chives or parsley.

To make the dumplings:
Sieve flour and baking powder into a bowl. Rub butter into flour until it resembles breadcrumbs.

Stir in the finely chopped onion, thyme leaves and salt and pepper.

Make a well in the centre and add the milk and 1tbsp cold water.

Bind together with the spoon, adding more water as necessary to form a very soft dough consistency.

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