Daube Avignonnaise

It might seem counterintuitive to have a beef stew when the outside temperature is topping 100 degrees, but Patricia Wells bills this white wine daube as "ideal for summer."

It's the first recipe I've taken from The Provence Cookbook and it was a big success. A full 6 lbs of beef cut into large cubes (3 oz) -- she recommends two or three different cuts like round, short ribs, etc. -- plus 2 onions sliced, 4 carrots sliced, 4 oz mushrooms sliced, a head of garlic with cloves peeled and halved, zest of orange, 2 tomatoes peeled and chopped, a parsley and bay leaf bouquet garni and 2 bottles of white wine simmer in a slow oven (325 degrees) for 3-4 hours. The beef is marinated for 2 hours beforehand in just 2 Tbl cognac, 2 Tbl olive oil and salt and pepper. The stew is served over penne tossed in parmesan and accompanied with a white Cote du Rhone (I did not splurge on white Chateauneuf du Pape, but that obviously would be ideal). It is listed as 6 servings, but those are very, very generous servings.

I worked for Walter Wells at the International Herald Tribune back in 1980-81 and met Patricia just as she was starting on her fabulous career as a food writer in France. Like most francophile gourmets (yes, a redundant expression), I have several of her books. She knows her food, though her recipes are not always as careful and reliable as writers more specialized in cookbooks. This one works fine if, like me, you don't mind a soupy stew with lots of fat.

Patricia's career as a bestselling author eventually eclipsed Walter's as newspaper editor, though I doubt he has many complaints with the idyllic life they have carved out for themselves in Provence. Patricia reportedly is scouting out Uzès, where we stayed briefly last summer, for a possible school. Though not actually in Provence, Uzès is incredibly charming and has a wonderful market. Avignon, home of this daube, is the closest big city.