Beef and Guinness casserole

Ingredients

• 400 grams Beef, in 4cm cubes
• 1 tablespoon Plain flour
• 2 tablespoons Oil
• 2 Brown onions, diced
• 2 Carrots, thickly sliced
• 2 Sticks celery, sliced
• 440 mL can Guiness
• 2 cups Beef stock
• 2 tablespoons Tomato paste
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 1 sprig Thyme
• 200 grams Small button mushrooms
• 600 grams Chat potatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup Roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Place flour in a bowl and season with pepper, then toss the beef through the flour.
2. Heat 1 tbs of the oil in a heavy dutch oven over medium heat.
3. Add the beef and cook in batches.  About 3 minutes or until browned.  Remove and set aside.  You’ll probably end up with flour stuck to the bottom of the pan – this is the flavour!
4. Add the remaining oil to the casserole dish and cook the onion, carrot and celery for 5 minutes until they begin to soften.
5. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add the beef, Guinness, stock, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme.
7. Bring tot he boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 1.5 hrs, stirring occasionally.  Add the dumplings if making in the last 30 minutes.
8. Add mushrooms and potatoes, then simmer, uncovered, for 10-15 more minutes.
9. To serve stir in the parsley and serve with green veges.