Tip the dried porcini into a heatproof jug. Crumble in the beef stock cube. Pour in 750ml boiling water and stir to dissolve the beef stock cube. Set aside.

Warm a large frying pan (or large casserole dish or pan if you are cooking the stew on the hob) for 2 mins, then add 1 tbsp oil and the beef. Fry for 5-6 mins, turning every so often, till the beef is browned all over.

While the beef fries, peel and finely chop the onions. Trim and peel the carrots and slice them into 1cm-thick rounds. Trim the dry ends off the celery, and slice the celery. From this point on, follow the method for the slow cooker or the hob.

In the slow cooker^ Tip the beef into a 3½ ltr slow cooker and add the chopped veg. Thickly slice the mushrooms. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Peel and roughly chop the potatoes. Peel and grate or crush the garlic. Add them to the dish. Drop in the bay leaf and the thyme sprigs, keeping a few leaves back for garnishing. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the porcini and beef stock into the slow cooker. Pop a lid on the slow cooker, set it to medium and cook the stew for 6 hrs. For a faster stew, set it to high and cook for 4-5 hrs or cook the stew on low for 8 hrs.

When the stew has 20 mins left, pour 650ml boiling water into a large pan and bring back to a boil. Add a pinch of salt, then slowly pour in the polenta, whisking as you go, till the polenta is smoothly combined. Cover, turn the heat down and simmer the polenta for 5 mins till it’s thick.

Take the polenta off the heat and leave it in the pan for 5 mins, with the lid on, to let the polenta thicken and cool a little.

Taste the stew and season if needed. Scoop the polenta into warm bowls, then ladle over the stew (discarding any herb sprigs you find). Serve the stew garnished with thyme leaves.

On the hob^ Pop the browned beef on a plate. Add the veg to the pan or casserole dish with 2 tbsp water. Fry, stirring now and then, for 5-8 mins till softening.

While the veg fry, thickly slice the mushrooms. Roughly chop the tomatoes. Peel and roughly chop the potatoes. Peel and grate or crush the garlic. Add them all to the pan. Return the beef to the pan. Drop in the bay leaf and thyme sprigs, keeping a few leaves back. Season.

Pour the porcini and beef stock into the dish. Stir to mix, then pop on a lid. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 1½ hrs.

When the stew has 20 mins left, pour 650ml boiling water into a large pan and bring back to a boil. Add a pinch of salt, then slowly pour in the polenta, whisking as you go, till the polenta is smoothly combined. Cover, turn the heat down and simmer the polenta for 5 mins till it’s thick.

Take the polenta off the heat and leave it in the pan for 5 mins, with the lid on, to let the polenta thicken and cool a little.

Taste the beef stew and add a pinch more salt or pepper if you think it needs it. Scoop the polenta into warm bowls, then ladle over the stew (discarding any herb sprigs you find). Serve straight away, with any remaining thyme leaves sprinkled over the top.