Begin by gathering and prepping all of your ingredients according to the ingredient list above (except for the puff pastry sheet—keep that frozen) to have ready and organized for use.

To prepare the beef pot pie filling, add the beef pieces to a large bowl and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper, plus the paprika, and toss to coat. Sprinkle over 2 tablespoons of the flour, and toss once again to coat.

Place a large, deep pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and drizzle in about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Once hot, work in batches adding the seasoned beef pieces into the hot pot and allowing them to sear for a few moments until deeply browned. Remove beef from pot with slotted spoon and repeat with any remaining beef. Set the browned beef aside for a moment.

Into the same pot add a drizzle more oil if needed, then add in the onion, carrot, celery and parsnip, and saute for a couple of minutes to slightly soften. Then, add in the garlic, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, thyme and white pepper, and stir to combine for a couple of moments until aromatic.

Next, add in the tomato paste and stir to incorporate, then pour in the red wine and allow it to bubble up and reduce for a couple of minutes. Once mostly reduced, sprinkle in the remaining 3 tablespoons of flour evenly, and stir to incorporate for a moment.

Add in the seared beef, the beef stock and the baby potatoes, and stir to incorporate. Bring the beef stew filling to a vigorous simmer/boil, then reduce the heat and very gently simmer it, uncovered, for about 2 ½ hours or until the meat is very tender, stirring occasionally. (You can cover the stew the last 15 to 20 minutes if you find that the sauce is evaporating too much.)

To finish the beef stew filling, sprinkle in the peas, fresh parsley and thyme, and allow the stew to cool to room temp. (Beef filling can be prepped the day before, or, the chilling process can be expedited by placing the stew into the fridge to cool.)

Once the stew has mostly cooled, remove the frozen puff pastry sheet from the freezer and allow it to thaw for 30 to 45 minutes (or according to package instructions), depending on how warm your kitchen is.

Preheat your oven to 400°, and prepare a large, deep baking dish (about 2 ½ quart size, roughly 2 inches deep).

Pour your beef stew filling into the baking dish.

Roll out your thawed puff pastry sheet to fit your baking dish (it can be slightly bigger to tuck the edges in to the stew for a more substantial crust), then place the puff pastry sheet over the beef stew filling, lightly tucking the edges in around the stew.

Brush the puff pastry lightly with the whisked egg yolk to create an egg wash, then cut 4 slits into the top to allow for venting.

Place the beef pot pie into the oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden-brown and puffed.

To serve, sprinkle with thyme leaves or parsley to garnish, and serve hot.