I love European cuisine, especially French and Italian, because they know how to use the freshest ingredients in their dishes to come up with incredible flavor. My bucket list includes a trip to both France and Italy, and while the scenery and the history would be extremely interesting to me as a college history major, I’ll be honest that I’d go primarily for the food. Finding local cooks and cafes that shop the local market and then decide what to prepare – that would be a little bit of heaven.

The best recipes I’ve found use slow-cooking methods, and this one for Provencal beef stew definitely fits the bill of slow-cooked, mouth-watering flavor. I dug out my large cast iron Dutch oven for this, but a large enamel pot would work well too. Just make sure it has a tight-fitting cover, as you’ll be baking this low and slow in the oven.

The recipe calls for 2 cups of wine. If you don’t want to use wine, you can substitute additional beef broth, but you will definitely be losing some of the incredible flavor that wine gives this dish. Choose a good quality, full-bodied red wine for this – one you’d be happy to have a glass of with dinner.

I found this recipe through Pinterest, as I do many of the new dishes I try, and the link took me to The Café Sucré Farine, which has amazing recipes throughout its site. I followed their recipe to the letter with the exception of the anchovy paste, as my local grocery store doesn’t stock it. I’m guessing it would add another depth of flavor to this stew, and the next time I’m in the “big city,” I’m finding some because I know I’ll be making this recipe again.

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This stew can be prepared the day before or even 2 to 3 days before you want to serve it. The stew’s flavor improves with time, but if you can’t wait, you can obviously have it the same day it’s prepared. Serve some crusty fresh-baked bread alongside, and you’ve got yourself a traditional French meal. Bon appétit!

Provencal Beef Stew

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 to 2 1/2 pounds sirloin tip roast, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 to 2-inch cubes

2 tablespoons neutral-flavored cooking oil

12 medium garlic cloves, peeled and slightly crushed

2 cups dry red wine

2 cups low-sodium beef broth

1 pound baby carrots

1 medium onion, halved and sliced into thin wedges

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons anchovy paste

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary (plus more for garnishing)

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (plus more for garnishing)

2 medium bay leaves

1 tablespoon butter

1 pound fresh mushrooms

Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a medium-size bowl. Add the beef to the bolw, and toss with your hands until the beef is coated.

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the garlic, and saute until soft and pale golden. Remove to a large plate or bowl. Increase heat to medium.

Add half of the beef to the Dutch oven. Distribute cubes so the beef is in a single layer. Cook for several minutes without stirring, until the beef is nice and brown on the underside, the flip and brown the other side. Remove beef with a slotted spoon to the plate with the garlic, and repeat with the second half of the beef. When beef is nicely browned, remove to the plate.

Add the wine to the Dutch oven, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Scrape the sides and bottom of the Dutch oven with a metal spoon or spatula to loosen all the cooked bits. Continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the wine mixture has reduced to about 1/2 cup of liquid.

Add the beef broth, beef, garlic and any remaining flour that left in the bowl. Stir to combine. Add the carrots, onion, tomato paste, anchovy paste, fresh herbs and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then cover and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 3 1/2 to 4 hours, or until the beef is very tender. Remove bay leaves, and set the stew aside to cool. You can refrigerate this overnight or for as long as 2 to 3 days.

To warm the stew before serving, preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Heat the stew in the oven, covered, for 1 hour or until thoroughly heated through.

While the stew is warming, melt the butter in a medium-size pan. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and a generous grind of freshly ground black pepper. Saute the mushrooms until golden brown. After several minutes of cooking, the mushrooms will release liquid and look watery. Keep cooking until all the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms turn golden. Add the mushrooms to the stew just before serving.

Serve stew on its own or over mashed potatoes or polenta. Garnish with fresh herbs.

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