Daube de boeuf Provençale, by Bruno Loubet
This recipe was created by Bruno Loubet, who has returned from Australia to become head chef at Clerkenwell's Zetter hotel in London.
Daube comes from daubière, a covered casserole. Estouffade is a stifling or smothering, in a covered casserole. Almost every region of France has its own daubes, estouffades and terrines. Some of them are for a whole piece of braised beef; others are like a Boeuf Bourguignon. In many, the meat is larded, and in most it's marinated in wine with vegetables before the cooking begins.
See our interview, Bruno Loubet - back from Down Under >>
INGREDIENTS
(serves six to eight)
- 1.5kg beef cheeks or blade
- 500ml dry white wine and 500ml red wine
- 200g carrots
- 250g onions
- 200g celery
- 1 bouquet garni
- 250g well-ripened tomatoes
- 100ml vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper
- 1 litre veal stock or beef stock
- 1tbs flour
- 1tbs Worcestershire sauce
- Salt and black pepper
Garnish
- 400g roasted red and yellow capsicum
- 100g garlic confit (stewed in duck fat skin on, then peeled)
- 100g black olives
- 300g grilled courgettes
- 1tbs chopped parsley
- 6 leaves of basil
- 30ml virgin olive oil
METHOD
Sauté the vegetables for the daube in oil until golden brown. When cool, place in a large bowl with the wines and meat. If need be, add water to completely cover the meat by 3cm.
Marinate for 48 hours.
After 48 hours, drain in a colander over a bowl to get all the liquid from the marinade out. In a frying pan, colour the meat well in very hot oil. At the end dust the meat with flour. Cook a minute at low heat then place it all in a cast iron pot and then add the marinade. Bring to the boil. Skim the top, then add the stock. Bring back to simmering point then cover with a tight-fitting lid and place in the oven at 150°C for 2 hours and 30 minutes. Check the cooking. Reduce the cooking liquid if necessary. Add the garnish. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and basil and drizzle some good olive oil over.