Daube Provencale:
You can make this stew a day ahead to allow its flavors to mellow and mingle.
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 dried bay leaf
3 whole cloves
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
3 strips orange zest (2 to 3 inches each), plus 2 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat side of a large knife
3 celery stalks cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
1 bag baby carrots
1 bottle (750ml) rich red wine such as Cotes de Provence, Cotes du Rhone, Syrah or Shiraz
4 pounds beef chucks roast, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 cup beef stock
1/2 cup nicoise or kalamata oilives, pitted and rinsed
Coarse salt
Make a bouquet garni: put the thyme, bay leaf, cloves, peppercorns and zest in a piece of cheesecloth. Tie into a bundle.
Combine onion, garlic, celery, carrots, bouquet garni and wine in a large non-reactive bowl or a Dutch oven. Add beef and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge 12 to 24 hour, stirring occasionally.
Preheat oven to 300F.
Remove the beef cubes from the marinade, pat dry and brown in batches in a large skillet with 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
In the meantime, transfer the wine mixture to a heavy pot (except if it already is in your Dutch oven) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Set aside.
Once all the beef has been browned, add to the wine mixture in the Dutch oven.
Stir the tomato paste into the beef stock and add to the skillet, scraping up the brown bits with a wooden spoon. Then, add to the wine mixture. Stir in the olives and season with salt. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
Cover the daube and transfer to the oven. Cook 2 hours. Reduce the temperature to 275F if the daube starts to boil over.
After 2 hours, stir in the fresh orange juice and return to the oven 30 more minutes.
Serve over farfalle pasta or egg noodles.
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| 24 hours in advance: preparing the marinade |
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| She was chopping celery! |
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| Crushing garlic |
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| Preparing the bouquet garni |
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| Filling up with red wine |
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| Browning the meat, after it marinated for 24 hours |
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| Getting ready to scrap precious brown bits |
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| Scraping! |
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| Simmering stew |
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| After 2 hours in the oven, it is time to add the orange juice |
Ideally, I like to serve a Bandol with this daube. Bandol is an appellation for opaque, very full-bodied red wine from Provence with aromas and flavors of black berries, licorice and herbs de Provence. Delicious. You can't go wrong here.
My local wine store was out of Bandol, but I found quite a fit replacement.
This 2007 Mas de Martin is from the Coteaux du Languedoc (West of Provence, but still in the South of France) and its retail price is around $20. It has a very similar profile to a Bandol.
Opaque, with a pale purple rim. Its nose is developing (meaning it shows a bit of age and maturity -a good thing), with medium plus intensity of aromas of blackberries, blackcurrants, licorice, dried herbs (thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, oregano), black pepper, roasted mushrooms and roasted meat, nutmeg & cloves, gravel and dried lavender.
It is completely dry, has medium acidity, a high level of green tannins, (which give a bit of a bitter edge,) high alcohol and a very full body. Flavors are of medium plus intensity and a bit muted by the bitter tannins unfortunately. Lots and lots of dried herbs, black berries, juniper, dried lavender, licorice, nutmeg, cloves, gravel, as well as dried mushrooms and leather on the back palate. The finish is spicy and quite long.
This is a big wine with good balance and concentration of flavors. A solid match to an aromatic daube provencale.
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