The French love a good stew, so it didn’t surprise me to spot a daube on menus and even in jars at the supermarket in Provence. There’s not much that makes their version stand out from its regional cousins: cheap cuts of beef, a bottle of red wine, some vegetables and herbs. It does, however, have its own special pot, a daubière, which is made from clay and doesn’t allow any steam to escape, keeping all the flavor trapped inside. I’m not sure whether a special pot will make a stew taste that much better, but the choice of ingredients, plus the magic of slow cooking, certainly will. Some of the flavors of Provence that I enjoyed most blushing rosé, green olives, saffron, and fennel replace the classic daube ingredients in my recipe. Serve with a big bowl of pasta (such as tagliatelle) tossed in a little olive oil or some baked potatoes.
Ingredients
- 3 lb (1.5 kg) veal shoulder, cut into large chunks
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onions, quartered
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 4 carrots, peeled
- 1 head of fennel, chopped (reserve the green fronds for a garnish)
- 2 cups rosé wine
- 3 cups water
- 2 pinches of saffron
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 20 green olives
- Sea salt
- Dust the veal with the flour. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and sear the meat until golden on all sides (don’t overcrowd the pan; you may need to fry it in batches).
- Transfer the veal to a plate. Add the onions and garlic to the pot and fry for a couple of minutes, until the garlic is soft. Add the veal, carrots, fennel, rosé, water, saffron, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, and olives to the pot. Cover and simmer very gently for 2½ hours, or until the meat is almost falling apart.
- Remove all the vegetables and meat and set aside. Pour everything else through a fine sieve and then return the vegetables and meat to the pan with the stock. Season with salt. Sprinkle with the reserved fennel before serving.
