Beef & vegetable casserole

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Source

Ingredients

2 celery sticks, thickly sliced

1 onion, chopped

2 really big carrots, halved lengthways then very chunkily sliced

5 bay leaves

2 thyme sprigs, 1 whole and 1 leaves picked

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp tomato purée

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 beef stock cubes, crumbled

850g stewing beef (featherblade or brisket works nicely), cut into nice large chunks

Method

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3 and put the kettle on.

Put 2 thickly sliced celery sticks, 1 chopped onion, 2 chunkily sliced carrots, 5 bay leaves and 1 whole thyme sprig in a flameproof casserole dish with 1 tbsp vegetable oil and 1 tbsp butter.

Soften for 10 mins, then stir in 2 tbsp plain flour until it doesn’t look dusty anymore, followed by 2 tbsp tomato purée, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and 2 crumbled beef stock cubes.

Gradually stir in 600ml hot water, then tip in 850g stewing beef and bring to a gentle simmer.

Cover and put in the oven for 2hrs 30 mins, then uncover and cook for 30mins – 1hr more until the meat is really tender and the sauce is thickened.

Garnish with the picked leaves of the remaining thyme sprig.