We all eat, an it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly … Check This Amazing Recipe: Boeuf en daube provençale

How to Make Boeuf en daube provençale

Preparation time:

overnight

Cooking time:

1 to 2 hours

Serves:

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

For the beef marinade

• 1.5kg/3lb 5oz beef brisket
• salt
• 2 large onions
• 4 carrots
• 2 sticks celery
• 6 garlic
• 1 bottle red wine
• 100ml/3½fl oz brandy
• 50ml/2fl oz red wine vinegar

For the bouquet garnis

• 4 bay leaves
• 2 large sprigs thyme
• few sprigs parsley
• 2 pieces pared orange
• 4 cloves
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 2 x 4cm/1½in pieces cinnamon

For the casserole

• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 150g/5½oz bacon lardons
• 1 onion
• 2 tbsp tomato purée
• 600ml/20fl oz beef stock
• 150g/5½oz black olives

To serve

• 300g/10½oz red camargue rice

Method

1. Put the beef into a large fridge-friendly container. Sprinkle with salt, then add all the marinade ingredients.

2. Divide the ingredients for the bouquet garnis in half and tie into two separate parcels of muslin. Add one of these to the marinade and set the other one aside. Cover and put in the fridge. Leave for at least six hours, but preferably overnight.

3. For the casserole, drain the meat, reserving the liquid and the rest of the marinade ingredients. Pat the meat dry and brush off any garlic.

4. Heat half of the olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the meat in batches until well browned. Deglaze the base of the frying pan with a little of the marinade liquid and set aside.

5. In a large casserole, add the remaining olive oil. Add the lardons and fry on a high heat for a few minutes until crisp and brown. Add the onion and reduce the heat to medium. Fry for around 10 minutes, or until the onion has softened and lightly coloured. Stir in the tomato purée. Add the beef to the casserole and stir to coat.

6. Strain the marinade and pour over the liquid along with the deglazing liquid from the frying pan and the second bouquet garni.

7. Bring to the boil and simmer until the volume of liquid has reduced by around a third.

8. Add enough beef stock so that the beef is just covered. Return to the boil, then turn down the heat to low. Cover, and simmer for around three hours.

9. If you are able to, leave overnight – cool and leave in the fridge to chill. Once chilled, it will make skimming off any fat much easier. Otherwise, just skim off some of the fat which will collect at the top.

10. Add the olives, then simmer uncovered for a further hour to reduce down the sauce. Serve with red camargue rice.