Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon Essence, recipe follows
3/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 pound button mushrooms, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups veal or beef stock, at room temperature
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
1 pound small (golf ball size) new potatoes, quartered
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup frozen pearl onions, thawed
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Set a 12-inch saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan and season the beef with 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1 teaspoon Essence and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper. Sear the beef (in 2 batches) in the saute pan for about 2 or 3 minutes per side.

Add the butter, mushrooms, flour, veal stock, tomato paste, herbs, spices, and browned meat to a slow cooker. Cover the slow cooker and set the temperature to high. Cook for 1 hour. Add the potatoes and carrots and continue to cook the stew for another 7 hours. During the last hour of cooking, add the pearl onions and replace the lid. Once the stew is cooked, stir in the peas and parsley and serve immediately.