I found a recipe for stew with 2 instructions. I don't understand number 1!

[Expedititition]

For fear of you all thinking I am rather stupid. Here goes.

Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Put the kettle on. Put the celery, onion, carrots, bay and 1 thyme sprig in a casserole with 1 tbsp oil and the butter. Soften for 10 mins, then stir in the flour until it doesn’t look dusty anymore, followed by the tomato purée, Worcestershire sauce and beef stock cubes.

I just don't know what it's asking me to do!

[MuttonCadet]

Fry the ingredients in the oil and butter, and then add the flour and stir well. Then make up the stock using the boiled water from the kettle and add to the casserole.

Bung it in the oven.

[TiffanyToothache]

Put those ingredients into a pan which will go into the oven (casserole) and heat until soft, 10 mins, then add the flour, stir, add the other ingredients.

I don't have a casserole so I do this stage in a pan, then transfer to a pyrex dish for the oven.

[Beastofburden]

At what point does meat come into this?

[PigeonPie]

I think they've forgotten to say put the casserole on the hob and cook the ingredients in the casserole then the last bit will be to put it in the oven.

[WestmorlandSausage]

Heat your oven to the correct temp, set the kettle boiling for hot water.

Switch the hob on, put your casserole dish/ big pan on the hob and fry/ cook the listed ingredients for 10 mins. Add the flour and stir until you can't see dusty flour any more then add the tomato puree, the W Sauce and the beef stock cubes.

I assume the next instruction is to add boiling water from the kettle you boiled earlier

[yellowsnownoteatwillyou]

Which bit don't you get?
The kettle is presumable for water later on, the oven will need to pre heat,
You will need to use a casserole pot that can be used on the hob and in the oven, if you don't have that type you will have to do the bit with the flour in a pan then transfer it. The flour is to thicken the sauce when it goes in.

[Allalonenow]

As said ^^ fry the ingredience, does it mention frying the meat? Is it a meat stew?
If you have a cast iron casserole, this is the sort of recipe it is made for.

[Expedititition]

Ah right. I didn't realise a casserole was the name of the dish! I don't have one of those. Just a Pyrex one. Will fry as told above. Thank you. In my head it was a dish on a hob. Just couldn't quite process!

Here's the rest for those worried about the lack of meat!
Gradually stir in 600ml hot water, then tip in the beef and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and put in the oven for 2hrs 30 mins, then uncover and cook for 30mins – 1hr more until the meat is really tender and the sauce is thickened.

[Expedititition]

I love the anonymity of Mumsnet!

[Allalonenow]

I have to say that I would turn the recipe on its head, fry the onions first, add the meat and brown it quickly, add the rest of the veg then the stock then put into the oven.
That way you get colour and flavour.

When cooking with a Romoska for instance or without a hob, where it's not practical to brown the meat first, then everything is combined at the start of cooking and colour and flavours are added differently.

[WestmorlandSausage]

hmmm I would be tempted to fry the beef off in with everything else to brown it, rather than just essentially boiling it?

[MuttonCadet]

Agree with allalonenow

[Expedititition]

Fantastic. Will do that then!

[Beastofburden]

Agree with allalone. Not really a recipe, this, more someone has just explained a basic technique really badly (not you, OP, the thing you're trying to follow).

Get yourself a Good Housekeeping cook book off abebooks