Method

• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil at a low heat in a large saucepan. Lightly fry the onion and celery for about 5 minutes or until they start to soften.
• Add in the herbs of bay leaves and thyme and also the carrots and fry for an additional 2 minutes. Give it a good stir around the pan.
• Gently stir in the tomato purée and Worcestershire sauce.
• Add 600ml of boiling water (if not using your own homemade stock) and pop everything into the slow cooker. Gently crumble the stock cubes into the slow cooker and give another good stir. Season at this point with pepper if you like.
• Wipe out the frying pan and add another tablespoon of oil into the pan. Lightly dust the outside of the beef with a bit of plain flour, this helps to give it a good colour. Once hot, fry the beef in small batches in the pan. This helps to lock in the tasty flavours and develop deeper flavour throughout the dish. Once each batch is cooked, pop into the slow cooker.
• Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4 hours.
• If you want to thicken the gravy, mix the cornflour with a dash of cold water to make a cornflour paste, then stir in 2 tablespoons of the existing gravy with the cornflour. This just helps to incorporate the cornflour and ensures that there are no clumps. Pop back into the slow cooker, give it a good stir and then cook on high for a further 30 minutes. Stir in the parsley at the end.
• Remove portion for baby and blend to their preferred consistency.
• Season the remainder to your family’s preference.
• Serve with seasonal vegetables and some yummy mash

Delicious!