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New West Beef Stew

3 1/2 pounds beef chuck, trimmed, cut into 2-inch chunks
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup water
4 cups beef broth
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried whole leaf thyme
1 teaspoon salt
2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch chunks
16 small turnips, peeled, halved
4 carrots, peeled, sliced 1/2-inch thick
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

1. Coat beef cubes in flour.
2. Place oil in a wide, deep ovenproof skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, add meat in batches and brown on all sides. Repeat until all meat is browned. Remove meat and set aside.
3. Remove pan from heat and discard fat and any burned pieces of meat stuck to bottom of pan. Add water, and scrape bottom of pan with wooden spoon to dislodge any browned bits. Strain and reserve liquid.
4. Return empty skillet to burner. Add browned beef, reserved strained liquid, beef broth, bay leaves, and dried thyme. Liquid should just reach top of meat without actually covering it. Simmer slowly, covered, until meat is very tender, 2-3 hours.
5. Meanwhile in an 8-quart stockpot bring 3-4 quarts water to rolling boil over high heat. Add salt and potatoes. Cover and cook until potatoes are just tender, 8-10 minutes. Test with tip of sharp knife. Remove potatoes with large skimmer and set potatoes aside.
6. Add turnips to pot of water and boil until tender, 5-8 minutes. Remove turnips and set aside with potatoes. Add carrots to water and cook until tender, 5-8 minutes. Drain and add to potatoes and turnips. Set aside until ready to use. NOTE: Recipe may be completed hours in advance up to this point.
7. When beef is tender, do the following: Preheat oven to 350°F. Taste cooking liquid and season with salt and pepper. Add potatoes, turnips, carrots, peas, and corn to beef and stir together carefully without breaking up meat or vegetables. Cover pan and place into oven until piping hot and peas and corn are cooked, about 15 minutes.
8. To serve, transfer beef and vegetables to large soup bowls with slotted spoon and ladle some broth into bowls. Sprinkle with the chopped fresh herbs and serve immediately. If you are not going to serve stew right away, cool,* cover, and refrigerate.

Makes 8 servings.

*The safest, fastest way to cool a large volume of hot food is to divide the food among 3-4 smaller containers. Place these containers into a sink or pan. Fill the sink or pan with cold or ice water NO MORE than about 1/2 way up the outsides of the food containers. Take care to not splash any water into the food, but stir each container periodically; when temperature reaches below 140°F cover and refrigerate immediately.