Beef Stew

Chop the onions and finely chop the garlic.

Pat the beef dry with kitchen paper, trim off any thick pieces of hard fat and cut it into 4 cm chunks. Just before browning, toss the chunks in a large bowl with the flour and a generous seasoning of salt and black pepper until every piece is lightly coated.

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large, heavy casserole of about 6 litres over medium-high heat. Shake the loose flour off a third of the beef and brown it for 5 to 6 minutes, turning the pieces, until deep brown on at least two sides, then lift it onto a plate. Brown the rest in 2 more batches, adding another 1 tbsp of oil each time and lowering the heat a little if the base starts to blacken.

Lower the heat to medium, add the onions and cook for 8 minutes, stirring and scraping up the browned bits from the base, until soft and golden. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, until the paste darkens a shade.

Pour in the wine, if using, and let it bubble for 1 minute. Return the beef with its juices, add the stock, Worcestershire sauce, thyme and bay leaves, and scrape the base of the pot clean with a wooden spoon. The liquid should just cover the meat.

Bring to a simmer, put the lid on and cook over the lowest heat for 1½ hours, stirring now and then so nothing catches on the base. Towards the end of that time, peel the potatoes and carrots, and cut the potatoes into 4 cm chunks, the carrots into 2 cm rounds and the celery into 2 cm pieces.

Stir in the potatoes, carrots and celery, pushing them down into the liquid. Cover again and simmer for 45 to 60 minutes, until the beef gives way easily to a fork and the potatoes are tender but still hold their shape.

Fish out the thyme stalks and bay leaves. If the gravy is thinner than you would like, simmer it uncovered for 10 minutes. Stir in the peas and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until hot through.

Taste and season with salt and black pepper. Chop the parsley, scatter it over the stew and serve.