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Add some butter and oil to a dutch oven or pot and saute the onions, sprinkling some salt and pepper on them as they cook. Once the onions have softened, remove them and set them aside. Add a little more butter and oil to the pot and brown the beef on all sides. Add some salt and pepper to the beef. Brown the beef in batches, if you have to, so you don't crowd the pot. Too much beef in the pot at one time will steam rather than brown the beef. You want nicely browned beef and some caramelization on the bottom of the pot. This gives lots of flavor. Once the beef is browned, stir in the reserved onions, garlic, vermouth, beef broth, tomato paste, dried thyme, paprika and sugar. Bring to a boil and adjust the salt and pepper. Turn down the heat to low, cover the pot and cook the stew for about one and a half hours. The stew should be very gently bubbling away on a low flame. Check from time to time and stir. Add more beef broth if needed. Once the beef is tender, after about one and a half hours, add the rutabaga and carrots. Continue cooking on a gentle boil until the vegetables are tender. This should take about thirty minutes or so. Once the vegetables are tender, mix one tablespoon of potato starch with one tablespoon of cold water. Stir this mixture into the stew to thicken the sauce. Continue cooking for five minutes or so. Serve the stew with minced flat leaf parsley and freshly minced thyme. Mashed potatoes, crusty bread or buttered noodles are great sidekicks.
