Provençal Beef Stew

One of the most ancient of Provençal dishes, this simple beef stew is made glorious by the slow simmering that transforms the meat into tender, richly seasoned morsels. Authentic recipes will call for five to six hours cooking time; we’ve achieved delicious results by oven baking the stew for four hours at a low temperature.

3 tbsps olive oil
3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1- to 2-inch chunks
2 medium-size onions, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
5 carrots, peeled and quartered
6 plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
8 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped, or 1 tsp dried sage leaves
1 tsp dried herbes de Provence or thyme leaves
4 whole cloves
3 (½-inch-wide) strips orange peel
1 bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 cup red wine
Fresh parsley, chopped
Water

1. In ovenproof 5-quart Dutch oven or casserole, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat; brown beef in batches on all sides. With slotted spoon, remove beef and set aside.

2. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the pan. Reduce heat to medium and add onions and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Stir in carrots, tomatoes, sage, herbes de Provence, cloves, orange peel, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.

3. Pour red wine over all; add browned beef and enough water to cover and stir to blend. Heat mixture to a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, heat oven to 250°F. When mixture begins to simmer, remove from heat, cover, and bake 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Uncover stew and bake 2 more hours, or until beef is very tender and stew thickens. Serve and sprinkle with parsley; or cool, cover and refrigerate—it will taste even better the next day!

Swiss Cheese Fondue

The original classic made with authentic Swiss cheese.

1 clove garlic
2 cups dry white wine
½ lb Emmenthal cheese, grated
½ lb Gruyère cheese, grated
3 tbsp flour
Dash of nutmeg
Dash of cayenne pepper
1 loaf crusty bread
Salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup kirsch

Rub the inside of an earthenware casserole with the garlic. Turn the heat to low and add the cheeses which have been mixed with flour. Add seasonings. Stir well until cheese is melted and thoroughly blended. Mix in the kirsch. Cook one minute longer and transfer to a brazier on the table to keep warm.

Cut crusty bread into 1 inch cubes. Use fondue spear to hold bread cubes for dipping.

Cajun Beef Ribs

by Justin Wilson (the Cajun chef)

6 lbs beef ribs
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups BBQ sauce
1 tbsp dry mint
Cayenne pepper
Salt
2 tbsp flour
1 large oven bag

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Flour the inside of an oven bag and place on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle the ribs with the salt and pepper and place in the oven bag in a single layer. Sprinkle the mint leaves over the ribs. Mix the white wine and BBQ sauce and pour into the bag but not over the ribs.

Tie up the bag and poke about 20 holes in the bag with an ice pick (to let steam escape).

Cook for about 1½ hours for medium.

Justin Wilson

Bean Dip

Ingredients
1 can refried beans
1 jalapeno pepper
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp Mexican chili
¼ cup minced onion
1 tsp minced garlic
3-4 slices bacon minced
Salt to taste

Saute the bacon in a fry pan. Remove the bacon and retain the grease. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the jalapeno and cook until tender but not browned. Add the garlic but do not overcook.

Stir in the refried beans and add just enough water to be able to mix. Add the cumin and chili and stir. Keep stirring until all is bubbly. Salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

Bourride Fish Stew

Bourride is a silky white fish soup, flavoured with aïoli and made with monkfish or cod and lots of white wine. Garnish with herbs and tiny diced tomatoes. It is a Provençal specialty.

Ingredients
2 lbs monkfish or cod
4 cups fish or chicken stock
1 cup white wine
2 leeks, white part sliced
1 carrot, sliced
1 cup sliced fennel
2 bay leaves
One 2-inch strip of orange peel
2 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh parsley
2 cloves garlic, sliced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1½ cups aïoli (see below)
8 slices French bread, toasted
1 cup peeled & seeded tomatoes, diced

1. Slice fish into ½ inch cubes
2. Combine stock, wine, leeks, carrot, fennel, bay leaves, orange peel, thyme, parsley and garlic in a large pot. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 30 minutes. Strain broth into a clean pot.
3. Bring broth to simmer and immerse fish. Poach 12 minutes or until fish is tender. Season to taste. Remove fish, cover and keep warm.
4. Place 1 cup aïoli in a bowl. Slowly add hot soup, whisking constantly. Return soup to pot and retreat gently but do not boil.
5. Place toasted bread in soup bowl. Top with fish and pour over soup. Garnish with diced tomato. Serve with extra aïoli on the side.

Aïoli

2 small garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1½ cups olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice or to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper

In a food processor combine garlic, Dijon mustard, egg yolks and egg. With machine running, slowly add olive oil until mixture emulsifies. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.