Meaty Beef Stew

Step 1:Peel the onions and push the cloves into the onion. Bunch together the thyme, the bay leaf, the celery and the parsley.

Step 2:Leave to simmer on a low heat for three hours. Remove the froth which forms on the surface at regular intervals.

Step 3:Put the beef together with the herbs and celery in a large cooking pot with 20 cups of cold water. Bring to the boil and season with salt and pepper.

Step 4:50 minutes before the end of cooking time, remove the meat from the pot and pour the juices through a sieve. This will improve the presentation of the dish. Put the meat and the juices back in the cooking pot. Gradually add the vegetables.

Step 5:Add the carrots and the turnips first, followed by the cabbage 10 minutes later and the leeks twenty minutes after the the cabbage. The potatoes should be cooked separately.