20 mins
Daube Provençale
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!
Dates Stuffed with Mascarpone 
Devilled Eggs Ingredients for Daube Provençale
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Daube Provençale
- 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.
- 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.
- 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!)
- 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
- 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.
- 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!
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.Reviews of Daube Provençale
 March 23 2014The smell of this cooking permeates the whole house (and it's gorgeous!). The only change I made was to thicken up the gravy with a little cornflour-water mix because it seemed a bit thin to me. I noticed on the recipe that the liquid amounts (wine and water) were different for the Uk and the USA based amounts. Then I discovered that the US pint was less than the UK pint, so it balanced up. A definite keeper, this one. george (2 reviews) |
 August 04 2013After making this Daube Provencale a few weeks ago, I now find myself in the position of having to make gallons of the stuff and keep it in the freezer! Every couple of weeks, when I ask my husband what he's going to want to eat when he gets home after work, he just grins at me and winks. He doen't even need to say the word Daube! But he's right, the taste is outstanding, and it's not difficult to make. It looks after itself most of the time. alexis (6 reviews) |
December 15 2012 This is 'devil's food'. You eat it and he tempts you to go back for more! What a wonderful 'stew' (if that's what you can call it). It really has got all the flavour of my Mediterranean holidays, like olives and oranges. A real 'keeper', this one. Judith (6 reviews) |
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