Bouquet Garni: With kitchen string, tie celery, bay leaf, thyme, sage and parsley into bundle. Place in Dutch oven.

In skillet over medium heat, fry bacon until lightly crisp; remove skillet from heat. With tongs, remove bacon; chop and add to Dutch oven.

Sprinkle beef with pepper. Return skillet with bacon fat to heat; increase heat to high and, in batches, brown beef. Transfer beef to Dutch oven; mix in carrots and garlic.

Reduce heat under skillet to medium-low; add tomato paste and sugar and fry, stirring, until slightly darkened. Pour in wine and 1 tsp/5 mL salt; bring to boil, stirring. Pour into Dutch oven; bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until beef is almost tender, about 90 minutes.

Meanwhile, in skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat; brown onions. With slotted spoon, transfer to bowl. Add mushrooms and pinch salt to skillet and sauté until lightly browned; add to onions and set aside.

Remove bouquet garni from pot. Stir in onions and mushrooms; continue simmering, covered, until meat and vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Dissolve arrowroot starch in a little water; stir into stew and simmer for 1 minute. Stir in parsley.

Makes 8 servings.

Variation: Red Wine Beef Stew with Lardons

Replace bacon with 6 oz/175 g salt pork, cut into strips (lardons) about 2 inches/5 cm x 1/2 inch/1 cm x 1/2 inch/1 cm each. Blanch lardons in boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and pat dry. Fry in skillet until at least 2 tbsp/30 mL fat is rendered and lardons are lightly browned. Add lardons to Dutch oven, leaving fat in skillet. Proceed as above.