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Daube Provençale

Ready in 3 hrs 20 mins

Recipe by Marie-Danielle 

If ever there was an underrated "stew", Daube Provençale is it! Made properly, in the traditional way, Daube Provençale is tender and carries the exquisite taste and aromas of the Mediterranean. It's a lot more than just a stew - in fact it should not be mentioned in the same breath as a stew - it holds a much more exalted position than that in my kitchen. The carrots are optional because Daube Provençale on its own holds a myriad of flavours and one more simply isn't necessary. However, I include it here in case you want to try both versions!

Preparation Time

20 Minutes

Cooking Time

3 Hours
A Top Choice Recipe for Something Unusual

Ingredients for Daube Provençale

If you are not familiar with any ingredients, please check our International Cooking Terms page.

Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements

To serve 4:

2 - 2½ lb Stewing Steak or Braising Steak (Beef Shank)
2 onions
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pint red wine
¾ pint water
2 medium tomatoes
4 cloves garlic
1 orange
2 cloves
1 sprig thyme
1 sprig rosemary
2 bay leaves
3 - 4 sprigs parsley
  salt and pepper
3 medium carrots (optional)
12 - 15 green olives (stoned)
12 - 15 black olives (stoned)

How to Cook Daube Provençale

  1. Peel and chop the onions and place them in a large pan with the olive oil. Cook slowly until the onions become translucent. Meanwhile, trim any excess fat off the meat then cut it into large cubes about 2" (4 - 5 cm) across. Add the meat to the pan and quickly brown it on all sides.
  2. Add the wine and the water (a medium red table wine is fine for this recipe, so don't use the best Chateau Neuf du Pape! Something like a Beaujolais or Côtes du Rhône will work just fine). Peel and de-seed the tomato and cut it into four. Peel and crush (mince) the garlic. Add the tomato and garlic to the pan.
  3. Peel the orange. Take about ¼ - ½ of the orange peel and pierce with the cloves. Add this to the pan (you can now go ahead and eat the rest of the orange - we won't be using it in this recipe!)
  4. Add the thyme, rosemary, parsley and bay leaves, then season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Bring the mixture to the boil for ten minutes then reduce the heat and simmer for 2½ hours
  5. If you are adding carrots, peel and thinly slice them, then, after the 2½ hours, add them to the pan. Add the olives and allow to the mixture to simmer for a further ½ hour. Finally, remove the orange peel, the bay leaf, the thyme, rosemary and parsley, and check the seasoning (salt). If the sauce is too thin, reduce it over a high heat.
  6. Serve simply with Creamed Potatoes and I promise you, you'll be delighted with the outcome. Daube Provençale is a favourite in our house with good reason!
MARIE-DANIELLE'S HOT TIP:
Make much more Daube Provençale than you need! It freezes well and the more this dish is reheated, the better it becomes!
 
MARIE-DANIELLE'S WINE RECOMMENDATION:
Syrah (or Shiraz) like Côtes du Rhône. This grape variety produces full bodied wines that go particularly well with grilled steaks and rich, winter dishes.