French cuisine is renowned for being as complicated and difficult as it is fascinating. But in actual fact French cooking is all about local recipes, which need no sophisticated techniques, just simple respect for the ingredients, their times and integrity.
Daube provençale is one of the most exquisite examples: a classic beef stew from Provence, with a red wine and vinegar marinade.
Ingredients for 4
Instructions
Cut the beef sirloin into pieces and marinate it for 5 hours in the wine, with the vinegar, chopped onions and carrots, a bay leaf, a bouquet garni (including rosemary, thyme, chives, sage, parsley and marjoram), crushed juniper berries, nutmeg and cloves.
Mince lard and put it in the bottom of a large saucepan that has a lid; melt lard with one tbsp olive oil. Drain and dry the meat and vegetables.
Sauté the onions used in the marinade, meat, carrots and all the herbs and spices, setting aside only the bouquet garni and the bay leaf. Add the other bay leaf, the orange peel and one whole clove of garlic, cocoa and a bouquet garni.
Brown over medium heat.
Add salt and pepper with moderation, then add the filtered marinade and a glass of hot water, if necessary. Cover and cook over low heat for 4 hours. Half an hour before taking the stew off the flame, add salt, and add a little hot water if the stew is getting too dry; daube must be served with plenty of sauce. Remove bouquet garni before serving.
