Daube avignonnaise
Photo: Véronique PAGNIER · CC BY-SA 3.0

History

Classic Provençal daube is beef in red wine; the Avignon version swaps in lamb or mutton and a white wine marinade. It descends from the carbonade, mutton stewed with vegetables and white wine, which Frédéric Mistral described in his Poème du Rhône as the food served to Rhône boatmen, and which René Jouveau set down in the Armana prouvençau of 1950, served with white beans and artichoke hearts. Mutton ran through Avignon cooking for centuries, though some Avignon bistros now cook the dish with beef under the same name.

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Common allergens: Sulphites, Celery

Make it at home

Yield Serves 6Hands-on 40 minTotal 15 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg boned lamb or mutton shoulder, cut into 5cm pieces
  • 750ml dry white wine, such as a Côtes du Rhône blanc
  • 4 tbsp olive oil, plus more for searing
  • 1 strip of unwaxed orange zest
  • 2 sprigs thyme and 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
  • 150g pork rind, in strips
  • 3 carrots, sliced into rounds
  • 2 onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp herbes de Provence
  • A handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • Salt

Method

  1. Put the lamb in a bowl with the wine, 4 tbsp olive oil, orange zest, thyme, bay and crushed pepper; cover and marinate in the fridge for 8 to 12 hours.
  2. Lift the meat out, pat it dry and brown it in batches in olive oil in a heavy pan; set aside.
  3. Bring the marinade, its aromatics and the parsley to the boil in a saucepan.
  4. Line a casserole with the pork rind, then add the carrots and onions, the meat and the herbes de Provence, season with salt and pour over the hot marinade.
  5. Cover tightly and cook at 150°C for about 2 hours 30 minutes, until the lamb gives to a spoon; skim the fat before serving.

Tip from the editors. Serve it with white beans or artichoke hearts, as the old carbonade was, and a red Côtes du Rhône at the table.

Where to eat daube avignonnaise

Daube avignonnaise in Avignon

La Fourchette ★ 4.2

€€ French bistroPlace De L Horloge

La Fourchette is a bistro on Rue Racine in Avignon serving daube avignonnaise, breaded pig's trotter and an iced praline meringue announced at the table.

OrderDaube de bœuf à l'avignonnaise, then the iced praline meringue the staff announce aloud.

TipThe set menu is €45 for three courses or €33 for two; Michelin notes the room is often full, so book ahead.

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