Method
- If using the oven to cook the stew, preheat it to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4.
- Trim and roughly chop the celery, then peel and roughly chop the onions. Peel the carrots, slice lengthways and roughly chop.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a casserole pan on a medium heat, add all the vegetables and the bay and fry for 10 minutes.
- Add the beef and flour, then pour in the booze and tomatoes, breaking them up with the back of a spoon. Give it a good stir, then season with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper.
- Bring to the boil, put the lid on and either simmer slowly on the hob or place in the oven for 3 hours, or until the meat falls apart easily. Remove the lid for the final half hour of simmering or cooking.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving, then taste and tweak the seasoning, if needed.
