Parker's beef stew

Method

Parker's beef stew

1) Place the beef in a bowl with the red wine, crushed garlic and bay leaves. Place in the refrigerator and marinate overnight.

2) The next day, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper. Lift the beef out of the marinade with a slotted spoon and discard the bay leaves and garlic, saving the marinade. In batches, dredge the cubes of beef in the flour mixture and then shake off the excess.

3) Preheat the oven to 150C/Gas 2. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pan and brown half the beef over a medium heat for 5 to 7 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Place the browned beef in a large oven-proof Dutch oven or cast iron casserole with a tight fitting lid. Continue to brown the remaining beef, adding oil as necessary if the beef is very lean.

4) When all the beef is browned, heat another 2 tablespoons of oil in the large pan and add the onions, carrots, mushrooms and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Place all the vegetables in the Dutch oven or casserole on top of the beef.

5) Add 600ml of the reserved marinade to the empty pan and cook over a high heat to deglaze the bottom of the pan, scraping up all the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock, rosemary, sun-dried tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon of pepper.

6) Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables in the Dutch oven or casserole and bring to a simmer over a medium heat on top of the stove.

7) Cover the casserole and place it in the oven to bake for about 2 hours, until the meat and vegetables are all tender, stirring once during cooking. If the stew is boiling rather than simmering, lower the heat to 140C/Gas 1.

8) Before serving, stir in the frozen peas, season to taste and serve hot.