Season the beef with some sea salt and freshly cracked pepper. Lightly dust the beef with flour. Put 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Put the pot over a high flame, medium-high. Cook dd the beef until it develops a dark brown crust on all sides. Add more oil if necessary. Add the vegetables and bay leaf. Stir until the vegetables are browned. brown color. Remove. Add the tomato paste to the hot pot and cook until it darkens. Stir to coat all of the vegetables with the paste. To braise add enough water to just cover the stew. Scrape up (deglaze) all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add 3 stems of parsley and stir into the stew.
Cover the pot and simmer the stew for about 60 minutes. Stir the stew occasionally. Reduce the heat to a low simmer. The stew should be just lightly bubbling at the edge of the pot. Put the lid ajar atop the pot if the stew is not thick enough and simmer for 30 minutes more. Braise until the beef flakes when speared with a fork and the vegetables are knife tender.
Spoon the stew into a bowl and sprinkle a bit of finishing olive oil on top and chopped parsley for color.
