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La daube provençale – Discover my recipe for this Provencal specialty.

Updated: Aug 16, 2023


La daube provençale – Discover my recipe for this Provencal specialty.
Virginie In Provence and Erika

Hello everyone. Today I'm talking to you about one of the most typical dishes of Provence. Here, everyone knows this specialty. That doesn't mean everyone likes it. My children, for example, don't like meat very much. So stew is not their favorite dish.


I usually cook a stew when I have good eaters at home (particularly meat lovers). I would be delighted to introduce you to this recipe during your immersion in Provence if you feel like it. In the meantime, I let you discover the recipe below and try the adventure of cooking a Provencal stew by yourself. Nice discovery to all!


La daube provençale – Discover my recipe for this Provencal specialty.
Provencal daube with wine

I. What is the daube provençale?


Daube provençale is an emblematic dish of the southern French cuisine. This culinary specialty is a meat stew simmered for several hours with vegetables and herbs of Provence, in a red wine. In this article, we will talk about daube provençale, its history, and the different steps to cook it.

La daube provençale – Discover my recipe for this Provencal specialty.
Virginie In Provence preparing the daube provençale

II. History of Daube provençale

Daube provençale is a traditional dish from the Provence region in the south of France. It appeared in the 14th century when the inhabitants of the region started to simmer meat in red wine to preserve it for a longer time. This preservation technique allowed farmers in the region to store meat for several weeks without it spoiling.

Over the centuries, daube provençale has become an iconic dish of the region. It is often prepared during special occasions such as weddings, baptisms, and end-of-year festivities. The recipe for daube provençale has been passed down from generation to generation, and each family has its own way of cooking it.


La daube provençale – Discover my recipe for this Provencal specialty.
Virginie In Provence chopping an onion

III. Discover my recipe for this provençal speciality


1. Ingredients for Daube provençale


To cook a daube provençale for 6 to 8 people, you will need the following ingredients:

  • 3.3 lbs of beef (chuck, rump, cheek, tail, round)

  • 1 bottle of red wine from the region (Côtes du Rhône, Bandol, etc.)

  • 2 carrots

  • 2 onions

  • 2 garlic cloves

  • 1 celery branch

  • 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaves, rosemary)

  • 2 tablespoons of olive oil

  • 2 tablespoons of flour

  • Salt and pepper


2. Preparation of Daube provençale


Here are the steps to prepare daube provençale:


1. Cut the meat into medium-sized pieces and brown them in a Dutch oven with olive oil until they are golden brown. Reserve the meat pieces in a plate.

2. In the same Dutch oven, brown the onions, carrots, and celery cut into small pieces. Then, add the crushed garlic and bouquet garni. Mix well.

3. Add the meat back into the Dutch oven and sprinkle with flour. Mix well to coat the meat with flour.

4. Pour the red wine into the Dutch oven and add enough water to cover the meat. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer the daube for 3 hours over low heat. Check the cooking regularly and add water if necessary.

6. Serve daube accompanied by steamed potatoes, pasta, or rice.

La daube provençale – Discover my recipe for this Provencal specialty.
Beef cut


3. Variants of Daube provençale


Daube provençale can be prepared with different types of meat such as lamb, pork, or game meat. Some variants also include black olives, mushrooms, or bacon. However, the traditional recipe remains the one made with beef, red wine, and herbs of Provence.



IV. Daube provençale: the vocabulary


Here are the vocabulary words that I propose to you.

This list is not exhaustive. Some words will be useful to you and others may not be so.

I really invite you to pick up the information that is useful to you.


  • La daube provençale : Provençal stew

  • Une spécialité culinaire : A culinary specialty

  • Le sud de la France : The south of France

  • Un ragoût de viande : A meat stew

  • Faire mijoter : To simmer

  • Des légumes : Vegetables

  • Des herbes de Provence : Herbs of Provence

  • Un vin rouge : Red wine

  • La région Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur : Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region

  • Le XIVe siècle : The 14th century

  • Conserver de la viande : To preserve meat

  • Un mariage : A wedding

  • Un baptême : A baptism

  • Les fêtes de fin d'année : End-of-year festivities

  • Une recette : A recipe

  • La génération : Generation

  • Une pièce de bœuf : A beef cut

  • Le paleron : Chuck

  • Le rumsteck : Rump

  • La joue de bœuf : Cheek

  • Le jarret : Tail

  • Le rond de gîte : Round

  • Un oignon : Onion

  • De l'ail : Garlic

  • Une carotte : Carrot

  • Du céleri : Celery

  • Un bouquet garni : Bouquet garni

  • De l'huile d'olive : Olive oil

  • De la farine : Flour

  • Du sel : Salt

  • Du poivre : Pepper

  • Une cocotte en fonte : Dutch oven

  • Un plat : A plate

  • L'eau : Water

  • L'agneau : Lamb

  • Le porc : Pork

  • Le gibier : Game meat

  • Les olives noires : Black olives

  • Les champignons : Mushrooms

  • Le bacon : Bacon

  • Les pommes de terre : Potatoes

  • Des pâtes : Pasta

  • Le riz : Rice.



If you come to my place for an immersion stay in Provence, I will make you discover the different aspects of Provence: the landscapes and the scents, but also the culture, the gastronomy... while helping you to improve your French. See you soon in Provence!

Virginie In Provence




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